Goddess Demeter: all about her

All people are interested in something and are interested in something. The object of passion for many people is Greek culture with all its gods and goddesses. Understanding immediately all the subtleties of the Greek pantheon of gods is quite difficult. It’s better to do it gradually. The goddess Demeter is where to start.

At the very beginning, it is worth noting that Demeter is the daughter of Rhea and Kronos, the sister of the almighty god Zeus and the goddess Hera, which puts her on a par with the most powerful and influential gods of Olympus.

Destination

The goddess Demeter in Greek mythology is considered the patroness of farmers, the mother of the fertility of the earth. According to legend, thanks to her and her daughter Persephone, the seasons change - only a mother and daughter can spend part of the year together, then summer comes on the ground. All other time, Persephone lives in the dungeon with her husband Hades, and at this time Demeter yearns and cries for her daughter, giving birth to rains, blizzards and bad weather. And only when the hour of meeting is approaching, the thaw comes, does Demeter have hope for an early meeting and spring comes.

Form

The goddess Demeter is very attractive, and her image is warm and pleasant. So, her hair is ears of ripe wheat, her face is pretty, and her body is magnificent, rich. At one time, it was these women who attracted men, so Demeter was always desired by the opposite sex. The goddess has a good character, she is calm and balanced, but with a painful sense of justice. She often brutally punished people who tried to trick her or their own kind.

Art

The goddess Demeter was praised by many poets, a huge number of legends are composed about her and paintings are painted. Often she appeared in the image of a wandering woman in search of her daughter, sometimes - sitting, surrounded by the fruits of the earth. Its main attributes are ears of corn, fertility symbols, and also a torch as a symbol of the search for the lost daughter. The fertility goddess Demeter considered the Snake and the Pig to be her sacred animal .

Heritage

All gods had their followers - people dedicated. So, the origin of the name Dmitry is interesting, which stands for “dedicated to Demeter,” “one who worships Demeter, the goddess of fertility.”

Celebrations

Demeter is a goddess from the category of “first”, “big” goddesses who are at the head of Olympus. That is why the people found a reason to honor Demeter on earth, creating a cult dedicated to her mother. Initiated women often reproduced in special Mysteries the grief, the longing of mother Demeter for her daughter. It was not so easy to become a participant in this rite. It is imperative to pre-fast, physically and spiritually cleansed. Further, those who were admitted to the Mysteries drank a special drink - Kikeon - and were passed into the temple. What happened behind the doors of the temple always remained a secret, the disclosure of which was punishable by death. That is why little is known about these sacraments. But scientists suggest that the composition of the drink included certain psychotropic substances that changed the consciousness of each person, allowing them to fully surrender to what was happening with both their soul and body. Those who went through the mysteries were considered initiated into the secrets of life and death and were in good standing with society. An interesting fact is that slaves were also allowed to participate in the Mysteries.