CLA204H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Homeric Hymns, Cornucopia, Hierophant
Document Summary
Goddess of grain; associated with agriculture and fertility since earth is the seat of fertility. Symbols > grain, snakes, cornucopia "horn of plenty", plough. Demeter withdraws, thus creating winter > responsible for the seasons. Daughter, persephone, with zeus: mother god in respects to the grieving over persephone. Abduction of daughter; refusal of grains to grow; returning of persephone. Persephone at a pomegranate seed, accepting the position that has been given to her by hades, thus she must stay in underworld 1/3 of the year; the other 2/3 is with mother. Demeter goes to eleusis, becoming a nurse for family. Decides to make the baby boy immortal by putting him in the fire, much to mother"s dismay. There is flowers and sees a flower, feeling empowered to pick it, earth opens up and hades kidnaps her; no sexual rape > plucking flower is symbol of losing virginity, transitioning from girlhood to maturity.
