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Persephone and the Pomegranate Seeds
In Greek mythology, pomegranate seeds play an important role in the story of Persephone's abduction by Hades, the god of the underworld. While gathering flowers in a meadow, Persephone was lured into a chasm that Hades had opened in the earth. He carried her down into his kingdom in the underworld, where he made her his queen.
Demeter, Persephone's mother and the goddess of agriculture was distraught at her daughter's disappearance. She refused to allow the earth to produce any crops until Persephone was returned to her. Zeus, the king of the gods, intervened and ordered Hades to release Persephone.
Because Hades had tricked Persephone into eating six pomegranate seeds whilst she was in the underworld Zeus overruled Hades. Anyone who had had any kind of meal in Hades' underworld had to spend all eternity there. This meant that she was now eternally bound to him by marriage. Subsequently an agreement struck between Zeus and Hades due to the specific circumstance of Persephone's consumption of the pomegranate seeds she was to spend only a few months each year in Hades' kingdom.
The number of months that Persephone spends in the underworld varies depending on the source. In some versions of the myth, she spends four months in the underworld, while in others she spends six months. These months correspond to the autumn and winter seasons when the earth is dormant.
The pomegranate is a symbol of life, regeneration, and marriage. By eating the pomegranate seeds, Persephone was bound to Hades and the underworld. This reflects the cyclical nature of life and death, and the fact that the earth must die in order to be reborn.
The pomegranate is also a symbol of fertility and abundance. The many seeds inside the pomegranate represent the potential for new life. This is why the pomegranate is often associated with Persephone, who is the goddess of spring and new growth.
The myth of Persephone and the pomegranate seeds is a reminder that death is a part of life. However, it also teaches us that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for renewal.
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