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Demeter

Demeter (In Rome Ceres)

She is one of the great Olympian Gods, and the Goddess of fertility and agriculture. She is seen as a part of the trinity, The Maiden, The Mother and The Crone. Demeter is seen as The Mother, and her daughter Persephone is seen is The Maiden. Hekate is Seen as The Crone. Demeter also gave grain to humans.

Her parents were the Titans Kronos and Rhea, who ruled everything before Zeus exiled them to Tartaros, a place in the underworld, and took the place of the ultimate ruler. The Titans were first-born children of the primordial couple Gaia (earth) and Ouranos (sky). Kronos swallowed Demeter, and her siblings, when they were born, because of a prophecy told by his parents, that said that he was destined to be overpowered by his son (Zeus). Rhea were able to hide Zeus, who after growing up, forced his father to vomit his siblings, including Demeter.

Demeter had an affair with Zeus (or in some stories Zeus raped her), and Persephone, also known as Kore, was born. One day when Persephone was outside gathering flowers without her mother, the ground opened and Hades, Demeter´s brother and God of the underworld, emerged in his golden chariots to take her with him to Hades, the Underworld, and to rule with him. Demeter became worried and searched for her everywhere. With two torches (Intuition and Reason) Demeter wandered around the world for nine days without eating or resting. In the ninth day she came across Hekate, who with Helios, had heard her daughters cries. Helios, sun God, who was able to see everything from the sky, told Demeter that Hades had taken Persephone with the connivance of Zeus. Demeter became so angry that she abandoned the company of the Gods and hid herself among mortals in the guise of an old woman.

As an old crone, she arrived in Eleusis. Daughters of the King Keleos saw her and said that she was welcome to stay in the town. Demeter, who let them believe that she was an old woman abducted from Crete by pirates, asked them for some work. The girls took her to their mother, queen Metaneira, who hired her as a nursemaid for her infant son Demophoon. To repay Mataneira for her kindness, Demeter decided to make her son immortal. The plan went well until Mateneira saw her holding her son over the fire one night, and cried out in dismay. Demeter became angry, and resumed her true form, and denied immortality from Mateneiras son. She said that there should be a temple built in her honor and each year there was to be a festival to honor her. When her demands had been obeyed, she would come to Eleusis and teach them in her sacred rites, which would be celebrated there in the future as the famous Eleusinian Mysteries.

As long as Demeter was away from Olympus, the earth was unfertile and nothing grew. Zeus sent the divine messenger Iris to tell her to return to Olympus, but Demeter refused. The Gods brought her gifts, but she said that the only thing she wanted was her daughter to come home, and only then she would let the earth become fertile again. Zeus did not have any choice, but to ask his brother to release Persephone. Hades promised to release her, but in secret asked Persephone to eat a Pomegranate seed before she left, to ensure that she would stay bound to the Underworld forever. Askalaphos, inhabitant of the underworld, told everybody that Persephone had eaten while staying in Hades. Because of this, Persephone had to spend one third of the year in the Underworld and two-thirds with Demeter. So while Persephone was with her mother the earth was fertile and when she was in the Underworld nothing would grow and there would be winter. Demeter punished Askalaphos, because he told about Persephone, by confining him under a heavy rock, and later when he was released, she turned him into an owl. When Persephone entered the Underworld, previous mistress of Hades, nymph Minthe boasted that she was more beautiful and would soon win the love of Hades back. When Demeter heard that, she turned the nymph into a mint-plant.

Demeter also had children with Poseidon, the God of sea. Their son was a divine horse called Areion or Arion, and a daughter whose name could be revealed to initiates alone. Demeter had also two sons with Iasion, son of Zeus and a mortal woman called Elektra. The sons names were Ploutos and Philomelos, who did not get along with each other, because Ploutos was richer than his brother. Philomelos bought two oxes and invented the plough to make his living from the land. Demeter was so impressed by his son that she placed him in the heaven as the constellation Boötes.

One time Thessalian hero Erysichthon wanted to build himself a new palace. He chose trees that were sacred to Demeter as material for his palace. After ignoring the warning of Demeter herself as a guise of her priestess Nikippe and killing the nymph that lived in one of the sacred trees, Demeter became so angry that she cursed him with a never ending hunger. The more Thessalian ate, the more hungrier and thinner he became. Once he had lost all his money to buy food, he sold his daughter Mestra to slavery. Mestra was a mistress of Poseidon, and he granted her power to transform into an animal at will. That way she was able to escape every time her father tried to sell her. Thessalians father, Triopas, had also been cursed by Demeter. Triopas destroyed Demeter´s temple, and the Goddess killed him by sending a huge serpent against him. After his death, she placed him among the stars where the serpent torments him forever.

Sacred Days :

Phases of the moon dedicated to her:
Days 13-15 Dedicated to Demeter, the nurturer.
Festivals:
Mabon (autumn equinox) about 23 September. Time of the greater Eleusinian mysteries in ancient Greece. Day is sacred to Demeter and Persephone.
August is dedicated to Demeter (Ceres).





List of Gods : "Demeter" - 43 records

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Name ▲▼Origin ▲▼Description ▲▼
Goddess name
"Demophon"
Greek The youngest son of Celeus and Metaneira, who was entrusted to the care of Demeter. He grew up under her without any human food, being fed by the goddess with her own milk, and ambrosia. During the night she used to place him in fire to secure to him eternal youth ; but once she was observed by Metaneira, who disturbed, the goddess by her cries, and the child Demophon was consumed by the flames. Greek
Goddess name
"Despina"
Greek Or Despoena, the daughter of Poseidon and Demeter after they mated disguised as horses. Despoena, the ruling goddess or the mistress, occurs as a surname of several divinities, such as Aphrodite, Demeter and Persephone. Greek
Goddess name
"Despoena"
Greek 1. A goddess of fruit. A daughter of Demeter and Poseidon. Known as Pomona to the Romans 2. The ruling goddess or the mistress, occurs as a surname of several divinities, such as Aphrodite, Demeter and Persephone. Greek

"Elousinian Mysteries"
Greek Bacchus, Persophone and Demeter.
Goddess name
"Eriiys"
Greek Chthonic goddess of wrath. According to legend she was a consort of POSEIDON by whom she bore the fabulous horse Areon. By implication she may also have been a grim maternal figure who engendered all horses. She may be equated with a wrathful DEMETER who is sometimes given the epithet Erinys. Erinys appears in the collec tive form of three Erinyes, their heads covered with snake locks and bearing torches from the underworld. In the Iliad they are described as those “who beneath the earth punish dead men, whoever has sworn a false oath.” In Roman mythology they are the Furies....

"Eumolpus"
Greek That is, " the good singer," a Thracian who is described as having come to Attica either as a bard, a warrior, or a priest of Demeter and Dionysus. Greek
Goddess name
"Gunabibi"
Australian aboriginal Creator goddess. Also known as Kunapipi, she is extensively revered by aborigines in northern Australia, including the Yolngu people. Her cult bears some similarity to that of the Greek mother goddess DEMETER and to Tantric cults in India. For this reason the cult is thought to have been introduced from Asia to Arnhem Land and then to other parts of the Australian continent as early as the sixth century. Mythology indicates that Gunabibi has been perceived as a deity who came from the sea or the rivers during the Dreamtime but who reigns now over dry land. Among modern aborigines she is the subject of esoteric rituals which also involve the great serpent Yulunggul with whom Gunabibi has been closely involved....

"Hecate"
Greek A mysterious divinity, who, according to the most common tradition, was a daughter of Persaeus or Perses and Asteria, whence she is called Perseis. Others describe her as a daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and state that she was sent out by her father in search of Persephone; others again make her a daughter of Zeus either by Pheraea or by Hera; and others, lastly, say that she was a daughter of Leto or Tartarus. Greek

"Iacchus"
Greek The solemn name of the mystic Bacchus at Athens and Eleusis. The Phrygian Bacchus was looked upon in the Eleusinian mysteries as a child, and as such he is described as the son of Demeter and Zeus, and as the brother of Cora, that is, the male Cora or Corus.
Goddess name
"Iambe"
Greek Daughter of Pan and Echo, and a slave of Metaneira, the wife of Hippothoon. Others call her a slave of Celeus. The extravagant hilarity displayed at the festivals of Demeter in Attica was traced to her for it is said that when Demeter, in her wanderings in search of her daughter, arrived in Attica, Iambe cheered the mournful goddess by her jokes. Greek
Goddess name
"Kore (tbe girl)"
Greek Youthful goddess of the corn. The more generic name for the goddess PERSEPHONE. Identified as the daughter of DEMETER. She is the spirit of the corn as distinct from her mother who is the giver of the corn. Depicted on coinage as a woman's head adorned with ears of corn. She is integral to the Eleusinian Mysteries in which she is abducted to Hades, resulting in the distress of her mother and the blighting of nature. At Samaria-Sebaste in Syrio-Palestine, Kore was the only deity worshiped, apart from the emperor....
Cyclop name
"Kronos or Cronus"
Greek A son of Uråñuś and Ge, and the youngest among the Titans. He was married to Rhea, by whom he became the father of Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus. Cheiron is also called a son of Cronus. At the instigation of his mother, Cronus unmanned his father for having thrown the Cyclopes, who were likewise his children by Ge, into Tartarus. Out of the blood thus shed sprang up the Erinnyes. Greek
Goddess name
"Melinoe"
Greek Or Chthonia, may mean the subterraneous, or the goddess of the earth, that is, the protectress of the fields, whence it is used as a surname of infernal divinities, such as Hecate, but especially of Demeter. Greek

"Metaneira"
Greek The wife of Celeus, and mother of Triptolemus, received Demeter on her arrival in Attica. Pausanias calls her Meganaera. Greek

"Musaeus"
Greek A semi-mythological personage, to be clåśśed with Olen, Orpheus, and Pamphus. He was regarded as the author of various poetical compositions, especially as connected with the mystic rites of Demeter at Eleusis, over which the legend represented him as presiding in the time of Heracles. Greek
Goddess name
"Mycalessia"
Greek A surname of Demeter, derived from Mycalessus in Boeotia, where the goddess had a sanctuary. Greek

"Mysia"
Greek A surname of Demeter, derived from an Argive Mysius, who received her kindly during her wanderings, and built a sanctuary to her. Greek
Goddess name
"Plutos"
Greek Minor god of riches. A son of DEMETER who was abandoned in childhood and reared by the goddess of peace, EIRENE, who is sometimes depicted holding him in her lap. Plutos was blinded by ZEUS because of his discrimination in favor of the righteous....
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Sources:
Michael Jordan, Encyclopedia of gods 2002
Michael Senior, Who´s who in mythology 1985
Elizabeth Hallan, Mytologian Jumalat (Gods and Goddesses, 96) 1997
Nigel Pennick, the Pagan book of days 1992
Arthur Cotterell, Mytologia: Jumalia, Sankareita, Myyttejä 2005
Robin Hard, the Routledge handbook of Greek mythology 2004