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| '''Dêmêtêr''' (or '''Demetra''') (DEH-MEH-ter) ("] mother") was the ] ] of ], health, birth and marriage. She and her daughter ] were the central figures of the ] that predated the Olympian pantheon. | '''Dêmêtêr''' (or '''Demetra''') (DEH-MEH-ter) ("] mother") was the ] ] of ], health, birth and marriage. She and her daughter ] were the central figures of the ] that predated the Olympian pantheon. | ||
| Demeter |
Demeter is easily confused with ] or Rhea, and with ]. The goddess's ]s reveal the span of her functions in Greek life. Demeter ("grain-mother" or "earth-mother") and Kore ("grain-maiden") are usually invoked as ''to theo'' ('"The Two Goddesses"), and they appear in that form in Linear B graffiti at Mycenaean ] in pre-Hellenic times: the Two were different aspects of the single triple Great Mother Goddess familiar from Minoan Crete. Demeter is also invoked with the epithets Demeter ''Chloe'' ("the green shoot" the "ever-young", Pausanias 1.22.3), Demeter ''Anesidora'' ("sending up gifts," Pausanias 1.31.4), as Demeter ''Malophoros'' ("apple-bearer" or "sheep-bearer" Pausanias 1.44.3), as the Goddess with the great loaves, as Demeter ''Kidaria'' (Pausanias 8.13.3), Demeter ''Chthonia'' ("of the ]" or "the earth-born one," Pausanias 3.14.5), or Demeter ''Erinys'' ("implacable," Pausanias 8.25.50), Demeter ''Thermasia'' ("warmth," Pausanias 2.34.6) and Demeter ''Kabeirion''. As a goddess of marriage customs, women in Greek cities celebrated the festival of ], which comes from another epithet for Demeter: ] ("she of the regular customs"). Greeks were also aware of her manifestations outside Hellas; Pausanias also mentions the Mysian Demeter, as she was venerated in Anatolian ] (Pausanias 7.27.90). Demeter ''Lusia'' (Demeter "bathing") is mentioned by Pausanias (8.25.6) | ||
| Major sites for the ] of Demeter were not confined to any localized part of the Greek world: there were sites at Eleusis, in Sicily, Hermion, in Crete, Megara, Celeae, Lerna, Aegila, Munychia, Corinth, Delos, Priene, Akragas, Iasos, Pergamon, Selinus, Tegea, Thorikos, Dion, Lykosoura, Mesembria, Enna, Samosthrace | |||
| She was associated with the ] goddess ]. When Demeter was given a genealogy, she was the daughter of ] and ], and therefore the elder sister of ]. Her priestesses were addressed with the title ]. | She was associated with the ] goddess ]. When Demeter was given a genealogy, she was the daughter of ] and ], and therefore the elder sister of ]. Her priestesses were addressed with the title ]. | ||
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| Demeter taught mankind the arts of agriculture: sowing seeds, ploughing, harvesting, etc. She was especially popular with rural folk, partly because they most benefited directly from her assistance, and partly because rural folk are more conservative about keeping to the old ways. Demeter herself was central to the older religion of Greece. | Demeter taught mankind the arts of agriculture: sowing seeds, ploughing, harvesting, etc. She was especially popular with rural folk, partly because they most benefited directly from her assistance, and partly because rural folk are more conservative about keeping to the old ways. Demeter herself was central to the older religion of Greece. | ||
| Demeter |
The central myth of Demeter, which is at the heart of the ] is her relationship with ], her daughter and own younger self. In the Olympian pantheon, Persephone became the consort of ] (Roman ], the underworld god of wealth. Persephone became the goddess of the underworld when Hades abducted her from the earth and brought her into the underworld. She had been playing with some nymphs (or ]) whom Demeter changed into the ] as punishment for not having interfered. Life came to a stand still as the depressed Demeter (goddess of the earth) searched for her lost daughter (resting on the stone, ]). Finally, Zeus could not put up with the dying earth and forced Hades to return Persephone by sending ] to retrieve her. But before she was released, Hades tricked her into eating six ] seeds, which forced her to return six months each year. When Demeter and her daughter were together, the earth flourished with vegetation. But for six months each year, when Persephone returned to the underworld, the earth once again became a barren realm. It was during her trip to retrieve Persephone from the underworld that she revealed the ]. In an alternate version, ] rescued Persephone. | ||
| While Demeter was searching for her daughter, having taken the form of an old woman called ], she received a hospitable welcome from ], the King of ] in ] (and also ]). He asked her to nurse ] and ], his sons by ]. As a gift to Celeus, because of his hospitality, Demeter planned to make Demophon immortal by burning his mortal spirit away in the family hearth every night. She was unable to complete the ritual because Metanira walked in on her one night. Instead, Demeter chose to teach Triptolemus the art of agriculture and, from him, the rest of ] learned to plant and reap crops. He flew across the land on a winged chariot while Demeter and Persephone cared for him, and helped him complete his mission of educating the whole of Greece on the art of agriculture. | While Demeter was searching for her daughter, having taken the form of an old woman called ], she received a hospitable welcome from ], the King of ] in ] (and also ]). He asked her to nurse ] and ], his sons by ]. As a gift to Celeus, because of his hospitality, Demeter planned to make Demophon immortal by burning his mortal spirit away in the family hearth every night. She was unable to complete the ritual because Metanira walked in on her one night. Instead, Demeter chose to teach Triptolemus the art of agriculture and, from him, the rest of ] learned to plant and reap crops. He flew across the land on a winged chariot while Demeter and Persephone cared for him, and helped him complete his mission of educating the whole of Greece on the art of agriculture. | ||
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| Demeter placed ], the god of famine, in ]'s gut, making him permanently famished. This was a punishment for cutting down trees in a sacred grove. | Demeter placed ], the god of famine, in ]'s gut, making him permanently famished. This was a punishment for cutting down trees in a sacred grove. | ||
| ==References== | |||
| * ], ''Prolegomena to the Study of Greek religion,'' 1903 | |||
| * ], ''Eleusis: archetypal image of mother and daughter,'' 1967. | |||
| * ] (1985) ''Greek Religion,'' Harvard University Press, 1985. | |||
| * Carl Ruck and Danny Staples, ''The World of Classical Myth,'' 1994. | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 06:32, 22 April 2004
Dêmêtêr (or Demetra) (DEH-MEH-ter) ("barley mother") was the Greek goddess of agriculture, health, birth and marriage. She and her daughter Persephone were the central figures of the Eleusinian mysteries that predated the Olympian pantheon.
Demeter is easily confused with Gaia or Rhea, and with Cybele. The goddess's epithets reveal the span of her functions in Greek life. Demeter ("grain-mother" or "earth-mother") and Kore ("grain-maiden") are usually invoked as to theo ('"The Two Goddesses"), and they appear in that form in Linear B graffiti at Mycenaean Pylos in pre-Hellenic times: the Two were different aspects of the single triple Great Mother Goddess familiar from Minoan Crete. Demeter is also invoked with the epithets Demeter Chloe ("the green shoot" the "ever-young", Pausanias 1.22.3), Demeter Anesidora ("sending up gifts," Pausanias 1.31.4), as Demeter Malophoros ("apple-bearer" or "sheep-bearer" Pausanias 1.44.3), as the Goddess with the great loaves, as Demeter Kidaria (Pausanias 8.13.3), Demeter Chthonia ("of the Underworld" or "the earth-born one," Pausanias 3.14.5), or Demeter Erinys ("implacable," Pausanias 8.25.50), Demeter Thermasia ("warmth," Pausanias 2.34.6) and Demeter Kabeirion. As a goddess of marriage customs, women in Greek cities celebrated the festival of Thesmophoria, which comes from another epithet for Demeter: Demeter Thesmophoros ("she of the regular customs"). Greeks were also aware of her manifestations outside Hellas; Pausanias also mentions the Mysian Demeter, as she was venerated in Anatolian Mysia (Pausanias 7.27.90). Demeter Lusia (Demeter "bathing") is mentioned by Pausanias (8.25.6)
Major sites for the cult of Demeter were not confined to any localized part of the Greek world: there were sites at Eleusis, in Sicily, Hermion, in Crete, Megara, Celeae, Lerna, Aegila, Munychia, Corinth, Delos, Priene, Akragas, Iasos, Pergamon, Selinus, Tegea, Thorikos, Dion, Lykosoura, Mesembria, Enna, Samosthrace
She was associated with the Roman goddess Ceres. When Demeter was given a genealogy, she was the daughter of Cronos and Rhea, and therefore the elder sister of Zeus. Her priestesses were addressed with the title Melissa.
Demeter taught mankind the arts of agriculture: sowing seeds, ploughing, harvesting, etc. She was especially popular with rural folk, partly because they most benefited directly from her assistance, and partly because rural folk are more conservative about keeping to the old ways. Demeter herself was central to the older religion of Greece.
The central myth of Demeter, which is at the heart of the Eleusinian mysteries is her relationship with Persephone, her daughter and own younger self. In the Olympian pantheon, Persephone became the consort of Hades (Roman Plutus, the underworld god of wealth. Persephone became the goddess of the underworld when Hades abducted her from the earth and brought her into the underworld. She had been playing with some nymphs (or Leucippe) whom Demeter changed into the Sirens as punishment for not having interfered. Life came to a stand still as the depressed Demeter (goddess of the earth) searched for her lost daughter (resting on the stone, Agelasta). Finally, Zeus could not put up with the dying earth and forced Hades to return Persephone by sending Hermes to retrieve her. But before she was released, Hades tricked her into eating six pomegranate seeds, which forced her to return six months each year. When Demeter and her daughter were together, the earth flourished with vegetation. But for six months each year, when Persephone returned to the underworld, the earth once again became a barren realm. It was during her trip to retrieve Persephone from the underworld that she revealed the Eleusinian mysteries. In an alternate version, Hecate rescued Persephone.
While Demeter was searching for her daughter, having taken the form of an old woman called Doso, she received a hospitable welcome from Celeus, the King of Eleusis in Attica (and also Phytalus). He asked her to nurse Demophon and Triptolemus, his sons by Metanira. As a gift to Celeus, because of his hospitality, Demeter planned to make Demophon immortal by burning his mortal spirit away in the family hearth every night. She was unable to complete the ritual because Metanira walked in on her one night. Instead, Demeter chose to teach Triptolemus the art of agriculture and, from him, the rest of Greece learned to plant and reap crops. He flew across the land on a winged chariot while Demeter and Persephone cared for him, and helped him complete his mission of educating the whole of Greece on the art of agriculture.
Later, Triptolemus taught Lyncus, King of the Scythians the arts of agriculture but he refused to teach it to his people and then tried to kill Triptolemus. Demeter turned him into a lynx.
Demeter was usually portrayed on a chariot, and frequently associated with images of the harvest, including flowers, fruit, and grain. She was also sometimes pictured with Persephone.
Poseidon once pursued Demeter. She turned herself into a mare; and he became a stallion and captured her. Their child was a horse, Arion.
Demeter placed Aethon, the god of famine, in Erysichthon's gut, making him permanently famished. This was a punishment for cutting down trees in a sacred grove.
References
- Jane Ellen Harrison, Prolegomena to the Study of Greek religion, 1903
- Carl Kerényi, Eleusis: archetypal image of mother and daughter, 1967.
- Walter Burkert (1985) Greek Religion, Harvard University Press, 1985.
- Carl Ruck and Danny Staples, The World of Classical Myth, 1994.