Myths of our Solar System (24): Demeter, Persephone, Hades, Zeus and the seasons

Demeter held sway over the fertility of the earth and of the living creatures living upon it.
No one knew quite how critical she was until Zeus, in his eternal arrogance and meddling,
gave their daughter, Persephone, as wife to his brother, Hades. Demeter sought out to
follow and take back her beloved daughter, moving through the earth to the rock below but
could find no way through to the realm of Hades and she began to pine and to cry bitter
tears that killed the harvest and poisoned the livestock causing the people to go hungry.

Meanwhile in the Underworld, Persephone rejected the advances of her husband,
unwanted as he was, and starved herself in protest, pleading to her father, Zeus, for some
hind of reprieve.

On the surface, as the people starved, Zeus saw his mistake and decided to reverse
his decision. He went first to Demeter. Upon promising to return Persephone, Demeter
became happy once more and the plight of the people began to ease.

However, on his way to Persephone something occurred that would allow Zeus enough
wiggle room to save some face following his disastrous match making. As he approached
the lair of Hades, Persephone gave way on her hunger strike and ate. As such Zeus could
rule that she had not entirely rejected Hades and he was able to reach a compromise.

For half the year, Persephone would reside in the Underworld with Hades, while for the
other she would live upon the earth with her mother.

And that is how the seasons began, with spring and summer appearing for the first time
with the return of Persephone, bringing with them birth, growth and harvest. Whilst, during
the autumn, when Persephone returned to Hades, the leaves turned brown, then the frosts
and winter came as Demeter began to miss her daughter more and longed for her next
return.