Δήμητρα Goddess of Agriculture, Fertility and the Harvest
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DEMETER (Δήμητρα) is the Olympian Goddess of Agriculture, Fertility and the Harvest. She presides over grains, the fertility of the earth, the seasons, motherly love, and the harvest. Her Roman form was the goddess Ceres. Demeter is the middle daughter of the Titans Rhea and Kronos. She's the younger sister of Hestia and Hades, and the elder sister of Hera, Poseidon, and Zeus. With her brother Zeus, she conceived Persephone, and was broken-hearted when she was kidnapped by Hades. | ||||||||||||||
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More Information
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History and Myths
Demeter was swallowed upon her birth by her father along with Hestia, Hades, Poseidon, and Hera, they were later saved by Zeus to help defeat Kronos and the Titans. After the war, Zeus and Poseidon tried to marry her, but Demeter instead devoted herself to her duties as the goddess of the harvest. Though Zeus was married to Hera, Demeter had a relationship with him that resulted in a daughter, Persephone. Though the affair ended, Demeter was very happy as she had a beautiful daughter all to herself. Persephone grew up without want, always staying close to her mother and sharing some of her power over the earth. Demeter was the goddess of all the earth's fruits, not only grain (though this was by far the most important food-crop). As the goddess of horticulture, the growing of figs, apples, pears and other fruits fell within her dominion (with the exception of olives, the province of Athena, grapes, the province of Dionysos, and pomegranates). She was also the goddess of vegetable crops (with the exception of beans, which for some reason were regarded as impure). Demeter was the goddess of grain and bread, the staple food of the ancient Greeks. She was also, by contrast, the goddess of starvation and hunger. When the crops failed, hunger would quickly follow. Like most of the Greek gods, she represented a force of nature, which in its dual nature could bring either blessing (a bountiful harvest) or curse (crop failure). Demeter is most notable for the abduction of Persephone by Hades. Demeter was devastated by her daughter's abduction and swore that she would keep the Earth barren until her brother agreed to return Persephone. Seeing no other choice, Zeus sent Hermes to fetch the young goddess but Persephone had since fallen in love with Hades and having eaten 6 seeds of a pomegranate, she was now bound to reside in the Underworld for six months of each year during which Demeter refuses to allow life to grow on the earth.
Vital Statistics
Titles Goddess of Agriculture and Fertility
Goddess of the Harvest and Sacred Law Goddess of the Earth Goddess of the Seasons, Nourishment and Bread The Mistress of Food Demeter Chrysaoros Demeter Erinys Doso Sito Themosphoros Gender Female
Status Immortal
Species Goddess
Affiliation Olympians
Weapon Curved Imperial Gold Sword
Home Mt. Olympus
Roman Form Ceres
Appearance Varies
Family
Father Mother Spouse(s) Karmanor [ principal ]
Zeus Siblings Demigod Children Immortal Children Lover(s) Other N/A
Scope/Powers
Patron Of Agriculture / Fertility / Harvest / Sacred Law / The Earth / Seasons / Nourishment / Bread
Symbols Cornucopia / Sheaves of Wheat / Bread / Torch / Acorns / Honey
Sacred Animals Cats / Dogs / All Domestic Pets / Lions / Snakes / Lizards / Pigs / Cranes
Sacred Plants Wheat / Poppies / Sunflowers / Cypresses / Foxgloves / Daisies / Columbines / Ashes / Oaks
Assumed Powers As an Elder Olympian and the Goddess of Agriculture, Demeter is more powerful than her older sister, Hestia, but less so compared to her younger siblings (Hera and the Big Three). Due to her having divine authority over agriculture and the harvest, she wields tremendous power over the forces of nature, and could weave them to her will: she could command the trees of the forest to grow, vegetation to spring forth from the ground, and even punish those who offend her with famine, hunger, and thirst. Since the seasons also fall under her jurisdiction, she could change the climate and state of the earth as well. The legendary tale of Hades and Persephone is just one of the numerous instances where Demeter's powers could affect the state of nature itself: when she is with her most beloved daughter, Persephone, the earth is warm and fertile, but when Persephone is away with her husband, Hades, the world is cold, dark, and barren.
Trivia
Trivia
God/Goddess of the Month Awards
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