PERSEPHONE
2024.12
Epic Drawing
Persephone, the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, is a central figure in Greek mythology, symbolizing the cycle of life, death, and renewal. Abducted by Hades and taken to the underworld, her story explains the changing seasons—her descent bringing winter, and her return heralding spring. A tale of loss, transformation, and balance, Persephone’s myth reflects themes of nature’s rhythms and the duality of light and darkness.
Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, had a beautiful daughter, Persephone, whom she loved deeply and protected fiercely.
One day, while Persephone was gathering flowers, the earth suddenly opened, and Hades, god of the underworld, seized her and took her to his dark realm.
Enraged by her daughter’s disappearance, Demeter transformed her grieving handmaidens into sirens—half-bird, half-woman creatures. Meanwhile, Persephone remained trapped in the underworld.
Heartbroken, Demeter wandered the earth searching for Persephone, neglecting her divine duties and causing a great famine. Meanwhile, Hades married Persephone and tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds, binding her to his realm.
Zeus intervened, striking a deal: Persephone could return to her mother, but since she had eaten in the underworld, she must spend part of each year with Hades. Thus, when she departs, winter falls upon the earth, and when she returns, spring begins anew.