At night, she hid him in the fire, without the knowledge of his parents, who were amazed how their child grew and flourished. She nourished him on ambrosia, and she breathed sweetness upon him, and he grew like a god. Demeter took the child to her bosom, promising that he would not be harmed by evil charms. Metaneira promised Demeter great rewards if she would nurse her child DEMOPHOÖN, or DEMOPHON, and bring him up. This drink (the kykeon) very likely represented a kind of communion.ĭemeter Nurses Demophoön. The great lady Demeter accepted the drink for the sake of the holy rite, i.e., to initiate and observe the holy rite or sacrament. She refused the red wine that Metaneira offered but instead ordered Metaneira to mix meal, water, and mint for her. Iambe, however, with jests and jokes (doubtlessly in iambic meter) caused the holy lady to smile and laugh. Then Demeter sat down, holding her veil over her face, silent and serious, tasting no food or drink and overcome by longing for her daughter. Demeter refused to sit on the splendid couch offered but instead waited until a servant IAMBE brought her an artfully made chair and threw a fleece over it. Metaneira, overcome by awe, asked her guest to be seated. As the goddess stood in the threshold her head reached up to the beams, and she filled the doorway with a divine radiance. So they brought the goddess to their house, grieving, with her head veiled and wearing a dark robe. For she cherished an only son, long prayed for, who needed care. When the young women returned home and told their mother all about Doso, Metaneira directed them to return quickly and hire the woman at any price. Callidice, the most beautiful of the daughters of Celeus, suggested that the old woman remain at the well until they return home to ask their mother if they might come back to fetch her.ĭemeter Arrives at the Home of Celeus and Metaneira. She does not know where she has come in her travels, but she hopes that the maidens will help her find work as a housekeeper or a nurse. Her name is DOSO, and she was carried off from Crete by pirates, from whom she escaped when they disembarked. Demeter answered that she would tell them the truth, but instead invented for herself a human identity. The four daughters of CELEUS or KELEUS, the king of Eleusis, and METANEIRA, his wife, saw her there when they came to draw water and questioned her. She looked like a very old woman who might be a housekeeper or a children's nurse. She came to ELEUSIS and, grieving, sat in the shade beside the Maiden Well. She avoided the gods on Olympus and, disguising her beautiful appearance, wandered among mortals.ĭemeter Comes to Eleusis. Now that she knew the truth, Demeter’s grief was intensified and a great anger rose up in her heart against Zeus because he had willed the rape of her daughter. Her brother Hades would make a fine husband for her daughter, since he was a great god, who when divine power was first divided three ways was made king of the Underworld. On the tenth day, the sun-god Helius, who had seen everything, explained to Demeter what had happened. Hecate had heard Persephone’s screams, but could not tell Demeter who carried her daughter off. For nine days she did not eat ambrosia or drink nectar, nor did she bathe she roamed the earth, disconsolate and holding burning torches in her hands. Demeter heard her daughter’s screams and frantically rushed in pursuit. Persephone shouted and called out to Zeus, but he did not hear her for it was by his will that HADES (PLUTO), his brother and her uncle, carried her off to be his wife and queen of the Underworld.ĭemeter’s Grief and Anger. As Persephone reached out to pluck the flower, Earth yawned open, and Hades appeared in his golden chariot and carried her away in tears. While she was picking beautiful flowers with the daughters of Ocean, Earth, at the will of Zeus and to please Hades, produced a most wondrous and radiant narcissus. Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, was also called KORE (“girl” or “maiden”). The lengthy Homeric Hymn to Demeter (2) provides the most important and complete information about DEMETER (CERES) and PERSEPHONE (PROSERPINA), daughter of Zeus and Demeter, and is in itself a literary gem. Chapter 14: Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries
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