Demeter
Goddess of Harvest and Nourishment
History of Demeter
Demeter was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea the was the goddess of growth and agriculture and it was believed she made the crops grow each year so the first loaf of bread made from the annual harvest was offered to her every year. Many things were sacred to her including livestock, and agricultural products. Demeter as well as being associated with the seasons, was also knows for creating the Eleusinian Mysteries which was a festival held every five years, not much is know about them to this day because everyone who attended was sworn to secrecy. Demeter is also known as Ceres, Rhea, Sito, and Thesmophoros.
What Demeter Left Behind
Demeter had a Daughter named Persephone, she was taken by Hades in order to be his wife in the underworld. This angered her mother Demeter and she put a curse on the world that caused all that plants to die and the land to become inhabited, Zeus (god of the sky as well as Demeter's brother and Persephone's father) heard of this and couldn't let this happen to the Earth so he sought for the return of Persephone. But it was to late, Persephone had already eaten while she was in the underworld and this meant that Hades had a claim over her. They came to a solution, Persephone would spend Four months out of every year in the underworld, during this time Demeter would grieve the absents of her daughter and would take away her gift of harvest and growth to the world and bring Winter. When her daughter would return from the four months in the underworld Demeter would be ever joyed and bring Spring.
What She Symbolizes
Demeter's symbol is a corn husk, and she was one of the few gods that was involved in the day to day basis of the common folk while other gods and goddesses just occasionally put in input. Demeter was also the only goddess that could really empathize with the experiences of suffering and grief that the humans had to endure because of the abduction of her daughter and the pain she had to go through to get her back. Demeter was a kind goddess and did not often use the privilege she had to be very vindictive towards anyone who did not honor them in a respectful fashion. She was one of the fiercest, understanding, and protective goddesses from that time period and she was very good and what she did.