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THE HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF PIGEONS
The Feral pigeon (Columba livia) gets a really bad name thanks to a whole bunch of popular misconceptions. Labelled as sky rats, flying ashtrays, rats with wings, there is even a name for extreme fear of them, peristerophobia.
Some say they spread communicable disease to humans, a myth banded by pest control companies making money out of extermination, and although they can naturally carry some disease like tuberculosis (just like many other bird species), being able to breed up to six times per year and being so commonly seen has lead to the belief that they cause damage and drive other species away (again, no scientific evidence supports this). Seen as a plague by mankind, who is...
er...
the biggest plague on the planet, destroyer of all other animal species wherever possible after all and more likely to infect pigeons with his own germs!
Being common these days seems to make some animals less appealing than others, and yet the pigeon is culturally and historically significant and utterly beautiful in terms of plumage. When was the last time you took the time to spend a few moments in the company of these gorgeous, fascinating birds, or talked to one.... Well do so soon, your life will be all the better for such interactions.
In world terms, Pigeons represent peace and good, symbolizing Prosperity and fertility, luck, fortune, peace and harmony, love and devotion and beauty and piety. It is believed that the Pigeon totem as your animal spirit guide will enter a good persons life after a period of suffering or hurt, restoring faith and the good in their world. It will symbolize Love and kindness, sacrifice and devotion, calmness and tranquility.Their presence in dreams can have significant meaning if the dream is of catching one, killing one, a pigeon falling in the sky, finding a dead pigeon etc. Pablo Ruiz Picasso's 1949 lithograph on paper 'La Colombe', shows a white dove on a black background, widely considered a sign of peace.
It was used to illustrate a poster at the 1949 Paris Peace Congress, and is now house in the Tate Gallery, London. The Lithograph went on to become a renowned international iconographic image referred to as 'The dove of peace'. The dove was in fact a Milanese pigeon which had been gifted to Picasso by friend and fellow artist Henri Émile Benoît Matisse.
They are a wild ancestor of domestic world pigeons. A common sight in UK gardens, and traditionally seen on London postcards of Piccadilly circus until the feeding of pigeons was banned around the year 2000, they can weigh up to 370g (8-13oz) with a wingspan of 34cms. There are approximately 550,000 breeding pairs in the UK, and they are protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and happily on the Green status for conservation
With a name taken from the Latin word for Dove, there are around 350 recorded types of pigeon, the commonest being the Feral pigeon with an estimated European population of around 15 million. Feral pigeons are also called city doves, city pigeons, or street pigeons. They make up part of the group of columbiformes which includes the now extinct Dodo to which they are closely related. Wild pigeons live in coastal areas, whilst feral pigeons are more urban, and more often than not found in close proximity to mankind. Feral pigeons have a lifespan usually of between three to five years, much longer in captivity. Pigeons have an incredibly close link to mankind
Technically they are: Kingdom:Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class:Aves Order: Columbiformes
Family:Columbidae Genus:Columba Species:C. livia Subspecies:C. l. domestica
In the UK, Pigeons are covered under the "General Licences" and therefore it is illegal to kill them or destroy pigeon nests for any reason other than those listed under the general licences. They can be humanely culled by the land owner or their agent for a variety of reasons (mainly crop protection). At commercial premises where I worked for many years, Pigeons and babies were professionally killed on a regular basis, shot with high powered air rifles and then heads dipped into an acid substance... it was very bloody and extremely unpleasant to witness!
They are possibly the first domesticated animal in history and Charles Robert Darwin was one of the first and most famous pigeon breeder, who recognised their beauty and abilities and place in the natural order of things. On board HMS Beagle, he sailed from Plymouth Sound on 27th December 1831 under the command of Captain Robert FitzRoy. Scheduled for a two year voyage, it actually returned on 2nd October 1836. He published his work, 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life', in 1859 and it has long been considered the foundation of evolutionary biology. In the opening of the work, Darwin began with 'fancy pigeons' which were becoming fashionable to own and exhibit in London at the time.
By crossbreeding the many different species of fancy pigeon, Darwin showed that, contrary to a commonly held belief that there were two different species which spawned the multitude of domestic pigeons, they actually all came from one wild species: the Rock Dove (Columba livia).
Nathan Mayer Rothschild developed a system of communication faster than those of most governments at that time. It is believed that he used carrier pigeons and semaphore to communicate across the English Channel. Following the Battle of Waterloo he used this system to stunning effect. Through a clever stratagem, and foreknowledge of the outcome at Waterloo, Rothschild made an immense fortune by manipulating the London stock market.
Then In the early 1800s the Rothschild family set up a network of pigeon lofts throughout Europe using homing pigeons to carry information between its financial houses. This proved to be the fastest and most efficient method of communication at that time, and the speed of the service and the ability to send and receive information ahead of the competition helped the Rothschild family amass a fortune, which still exists today. There are medals from 1870 commemorating the pigeon post in Paris.
Pigeons are highly intelligent, one of the few birds who can actually recognise themselves in a mirror, tests proving that they were capable of identifying themselves over other pigeons in photographs even with a five to seven second delay and they could even recognize humans in photographs as well. Proving that their self cognitive abilities were higher than a three year old child (who struggled with photographic recognition of a two second delay), pigeons were trained to discriminate real-time self-image using mirrors as well as videotaped self-image, and proved that pigeons can recognize video images that reflect their movements as self-image.
They proved themselves capable of being able to learn the alphabet in trials. They have been used to predict the weather with hearing far superior to that of humans in the very low frequency range that allows them to detect incoming storms not yet on the radar. They can assist in message delivery, help in search and rescue missions and even carry wartime messages across enemy lines, dating back to Greek and Roman times, and then forwards to both World Wars by the British Intelligence.
During the first world war, pigeons were dropped from an aeroplane in batches in harnesses with parachutes in order to send and retrieve messages from the resistance. A male pigeon in 1918 named Cher Ami was awarded the Croix de Guerre, an honour bestowed on foreign troops by the French Army, after saving 194 US troops who were pinned down by enemy fire. Despite being shot several times, he still managed to deliver the message attached to him.
In history pigeons have been recorded as far back as 3000BC and records show that in the 5th Century AD, both Egypt and Syria used them to send and receive messages. Greek poet Anacreon wrote poems of his tame pigeon over 2000 years ago in which he described the bird's role in carrying a love letter to the poet's lover and how the bird drank from his cup and ate from his hand.
Some scholars believe that man's connections with pigeons go as far back as Neolithic man 10,000 years ago. An archaeological discovery of lifelike pigeon images beside the figurines of the Mother goddess, dating from the Bronze Age (2400-1500 BC) in Sumerian Mesopotamia, links to worship also in Crete where the Goddess was depicted with Doves upon her head. Pigeons were also sacrificed to Aphrodite (Venus), the Goddess of love in Greco-Roman culture. The Dove was also the symbol of Demeter (Ceres). Astarte, goddess of fertility and love was often times depicted with a pigeon in ancient Phoenician tradition and Ishtar, mother to the Sumerian people also.
Goddesses Aphrodite and Venus from Greek and Roman culture were similarly often depicted with symbolic pigeons. They are highly revered in religions including Hindi where it was believed that pigeons were messengers of deity of death, Yama. Also in Muslim and Sikh traditions as well as Christianity. Some Sikhs will ceremoniously feed pigeons in honour of Guru Gobind Singh, a high priest who was renowned as a friend to pigeons. The Old Testament dove of Noah and the New Testament dove of the Holy Spirit are the ancestors of the dovecote birds of the past and today’s urban pigeons. In China, it is believed that with the coming of Spring, a Sparrow hawk would transform into a pigeon and vice versa, repeating the opposite transformation at the end of the season.
Pigeons have been recorded flying at more than 92mph and the average speed is around 78mph, they can also reach altitudes of 6,000 feet. Contrary to the rumour mill, pigeons are very clean birds and very little evidence exists to show that they can spread disease to humans.
Generally pigeons mate for life and are monogomous, both incubate and care for their young, and they are amazingly social creatures found in large groups. Pigeons have also saved lives on sinking ships by being released to alert nearby people, and some pigeons have received honours and awards for their part in saving lives. They have been trained to save lives at sea by recognising the red and yellow life jackets of victims, and even being able to view the UV spectrum. They can use landmarks to recognise and retrace routes, and use the sun as as a guide and an internal magnetic compass.
During a study in 2016, four pigeons built up a vocabulary of between 26 and 58 written English words, they could identify visual patterns and therefore tell them apart. The birds could even identify words they hadn't seen before.
Researchers at University of California Davis Medical Center put 16 pigeons in a room with magnified biopsies of potential breast cancers. If the pigeons correctly identified them as either benign or malignant, they got a treat, Once trained, their percentages of correctly identifying the biopsies was between 85-99% accurate.
Pigeons have been recorded regularly using the subway in the United states of America, hoping on and off subway cars and seeming to understand the direction of the journey. They also on occasions perform aerial backflips, seemingly just for fun. They see the world with five spectral bands, a kaleidoscope of colour compared to humans triple system of colour perception.
These are magnificent birds that so often fall victim to mankind's prejudice and dislike. Take a look at their ornate, beautiful plumage, the many markings and differences in coloration, and think about their history and the incredible journey they have made through the centuries.
Give them some love, they have certainly earned it!
Paul Williams May 2021
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Fifty three metres at 09:49am on a beautiful summer morning on Tuesday 8th June 2021, of a magnificent Feral or town pigeon (Columba livia), off Hythe Avenue and Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 420mm Shutter speed: 1/500s Aperture f/8.0 iso200 Hand held with Tamron VC Vibration control set to ON in position 1 14 Bit uncompressed RAW NEF file size L (8256 x 5504 pixels) FX (36 x 24) Focus mode: AF-C AF-Area mode: 3D-tracking AF-C Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual exposure mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1 (5070k) Colour space: RGB Picture control: Neutral (Sharpening +2)
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 95mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.Mcoplus professional MB-D850 multi function battery grip 6960.Two Nikon EN-EL15a batteries (Priority to battery in Battery grip). Black Rapid Curve Breathe strap. My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.
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LATITUDE: N 51d 28m 28.16s
LONGITUDE: E 0d 8m 10.48s
ALTITUDE: 53.00m
RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF FILE: 90.0MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 43.00MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
I am in the midst of a series about the myth of Demeter and Persephone. Here is an early image... more to come!
Model: Erin Jordan (MM# 1630028)
Hair stylist: J Michael Nichols (MM# 1812449)
Makeup by Evelyn (MM# 1668740)
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La mission de Triptolème
Cratère en cloche attique attribué au peintre d’Hector (groupe de Polygnote), Athènes, Trouvé dans une nécropole de Cumes peu avant 1842, 440-430 av J.-C..
Céramique à figures rouges. H. 38,9 cm ; D. 41,7 cm ; L.47,5 cm. Inscriptions : A : KALE - KALOS
BnF, Monnaies, Médailles et Antiques, Luynes.684 – De Ridder.424
English:
Among the sisters of Zeus, Demeter was the goddess of crops and agriculture. She had a daughter, Persephone, who was abducted by Hades, god of the underworld, while she was picking flowers with her companions. Inconsolable, Demeter sought her in vain all over the earth, until Zeus intervened and annually divides Persephone's time between a few months with her husband underground (it is then winter), and a few months with his mother ( thanks to its return, growth resumes in the spring). During her search, Demeter stopped at Eleusis, where she was greeted generously by the locals. In gratitude, she founded a cult there and gave them agriculture with the mission for Triptolemus, the son of the king of Eleusis, to teach men how to grow wheat.
The main scene of this vase evokes the departure of the hero. Demeter and her daughter stand on the left: the first holds a plow, the instrument used to plow the earth, the second two lit torches, indicating that the scene is taking place at night or in darkness (Hades). Triptolemus is about to climb here in his winged chariot, a veritable throne adorned with the head of a griffin, to roam the land, ears and scepter in hand.
Français:
Parmi les sœurs de Zeus, Déméter était la déesse des moissons et de l’agriculture. Elle a eu une fille, Perséphone, qui fut enlevée par Hadès, dieu du monde souterrain, tandis qu’elle cueillait des fleurs avec ses compagnes. Inconsolable, Déméter la chercha vainement sur toute la terre, jusqu’à ce que Zeus intervienne et partage annuellement le temps de Perséphone entre quelques mois avec son mari sous terre (c’est alors l’hiver), et quelques mois avec sa mère (grâce à son retour, la croissance reprend au printemps). Pendant sa recherche, Déméter s’était arrêtée à Éleusis, où elle avait été accueillie généreusement par les habitants. En remerciement, elle y fonda un culte et leur donna l’agriculture avec pour mission pour Triptolème, le fils du roi d’Eleusis, d’aller enseigner aux hommes la culture du blé.
La scène principale de ce vase évoque le départ du héros. Déméter et sa fille se tiennent à gauche : la première tient un araire, l’instrument servant à labourer la terre, la seconde deux torches allumées, indiquant que la scène se déroule de nuit. Triptolème s’apprête ici à monter sur son char ailé, véritable trône orné d’une tête de griffon, pour aller parcourir la terre, épis et sceptre en mains.
Oi gente!!
Consegui uns desapegos incríveis através da Larissa aqui do Flickr. Realizei vários desejos antigos, bem do início do meu vicio, quando não encontrava quase nenhuma marca na minha city e nem comprava pela net.
O primeiro que escolhi pra usar foi o Deméter, sei que muitas não curtem esse tom, mas ele é lindooooo e tem uma holografia muito gracinha!! Combinei com uma das minhas películas artesanais e morri de amores. Essa estampa de coqueiro é meio brega né, mas eu amei, me julguem hahahaha
Xero meninas
Cyrene was an ancient Greek and Roman city near present-day Shahhat, Libya. It was the oldest and most important of the five Greek cities in the region. It gave eastern Libya the classical name Cyrenaica that it has retained to modern times.
Cyrene was founded in 630 BC as a settlement of Greeks from the Greek island of Thera (Santorini).
Cyrene is referred to in the deuterocanonical book 2 Maccabees. The book of 2 Maccabees itself is said by its author to be an abridgment of a five-volume work by a Hellenized Jew by the name of Jason of Cyrene who lived around 100 BC.
Cyrene is also mentioned in the New Testament. A Cyrenian named Simon carried the cross of Christ.
Cyrene is now an archeological site near the village of Shahhat. One of its more significant features is the temple of Apollo which was originally constructed as early as 7th century BC. Other ancient structures include a temple to Demeter and a partially unexcavated temple to Zeus There is a large necropolis approximately 10 km between Cyrene and its ancient port of Apollonia. Since 1982, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2017 UNESCO added Cyrene to its List of World Heritage in Danger
Relief of Demeter, Persephone and Hades - Marble 200-100 BC.
When I was there, the Museum had an exhibit on Ancient Greece.
After visiting the Lew Wallace Study and Museum, I returned to Indianapolis, to connect with the friend I was visiting there. When planning my visit to the area, I discovered the Indianapolis Children's Museum, which boasts of being the world's biggest children's museum. Later, I was happy to find that my friend wanted to come with me to this place. We visited it on October 24, 2019.
High reliefs stele of Artemis Poseidon and Demeter, from the Nerva – Antonine dynasty period. Only the lower torso and legs of Artemis have survived. These fragmentary sculptures are believed to have come from a large altar dedicated to Zeus, located in the center of the Smyrna agora.
Marble high relief
Height 220 cm, width 270 cm
Antonine period (138-193 AD)
From Smyrna Agora
Smyrna, Archaeological Museum
Severan, ca. A.D. 190-200
Carved with Demeter holding a torch and driving a two-horse chariot, Iris in the background with billowing drapery, a reclining figure of Tellus below, Persephone kneeling in the foreground gathering flowers in a basket, and a group of goddesses, Aphrodite, Artemis, and Athena attempting to restrain Hades from carrying off Persephone to the underworld on his chariot; the right end of the scene, including the horses of Hades and the leading figure of Hermes, now missing.
39 by 69 3/4 in. 99 by 177.16 cm
Provenance
Robert and James Adams (1728-1792, and 1732-1794), Rome
Gavin Hamilton (1723-1798), Rome, acquired from the above circa 1775
Sir William Petty Fitzmaurice (1737-1805), 2nd Earl of Shelburne and later 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, Lansdowne House, acquired from the above in 1776
by descent to Henry Petty Fitzmaurice (1872-1936), 6th Marquess of Lansdowne (Christie, Manson & Woods, London, Catalogue of the Celebrated Collection of Ancient Marbles the Property of the Most Honourable The Marquess of Lansdowne, March 5th, 1930, no. 66)
Arthur Sambon Collection, Paris, as of 1931
Adolph Loewi, Loewi-Robertson, Inc., Los Angeles, California (seen there by Cornelius Vermeule in early 1970)
Los Angeles private collection, acquired from the above in 1970
by descent to the present owner
Exhibited
Santa Barbara Museum of Art, May 1993 to January 1998
Literature
letter from Gavin Hamilton to Townley, October, 7th, 1775 (Ilaria Bignamini and Clare Hornsby, Digging and Dealing in 18th Century Rome, vol. I, New Haven and London, vol. II, 2010, p. 75)
letter from Gavin Hamilton to Lord Shelburne, July 13th, 1776 (Christie, Manson & Woods, 1930 sale catalogue, pp. 95-96; Bignamini and Hornsby, op. cit. p. 89)
K.O. Müller, in Böttiger's Amalthea, vol. III, 1825, pp. 247ff.
Gerhard, Akad. Abh., II, p. 484
Foerster, Der Raub und die Rückkehr der Persephone und ihrer Bedeutung für die Mythologie, Litteratur- und Kunst-Geschichte, Stuttgart, 1874, pp. 198-199, no. 5
Adolf Michaelis, Archäologischer Zeitung, vol. 32, 1874
Johannes Adolf Overbeck, Griechische Kunstmythologie, II, 4: Demeter und Kora, 1873-1878, p. 633, no. 31
Adolf Michaelis, Ancient Marbles in Great Britain, Cambridge, 1882, p. 460, no. 77
Foerster, Philologus, Suppl.-Bd. IV, 1884, p. 703
Carl Robert, Die antiken Sarkophagreliefs. Einzelmythen. Niobiden bis Triptolemos. Ungedeutet (ASR 3, 3), Berlin, 1919, pp. 490-491, no. 411,1
Arthur Sambon, Aperçu général de l'évolution de la sculpture, Paris, 1931, p. 30, pl. 31,2
Guntram Koch, "Verschollene mythologische Sarkophage. Ein archäologischer Steckbrief," Archäologischer Anzeiger, 1976, p. 110-111, fig. 23
Guntram Koch and Hellmut Sichtermann, Römische Sarkophage, Munich, 1982, p. 178
Ruth Lindner, Der Raub der Persephone in der antiken Kunst, Würzburg, 1984, p. 82, cat. no. 110
Jonathan Scott, The Pleasures of Antiquity: British Collectors of Greece and Rome, New Haven, 2003, p. 166, fig. 129
Ilaria Bignamini and Clare Hornsby, Digging and Dealing in 18th Century Rome, vol. I, New Haven and London, vol. I, 2010, p. 225
Arachne. Datenbank und Kulturelle Archive des Forschungsarchiv für Antike Plastik Köln, no. 51202
Catalogue Note
For a closely related example, most likely from the same workshop, in the Villa Albani (inv. no. 139) see Carl Robert, op. cit., 1919, no. 410 (G. Gasparri, in P.C. Bol, ed., Forschungen zur Villa Albani. Katalog der antiken Bildwerke, vol. III, Berlin, pp. 46-47, no. 262, pls. 15-20).
According to Ovid's poetic account, "Proserpina was playing, gathering flowers, violets, or white lilies, and so many the basket would not hold them all, but still she was eager – the other girls must never beat her at picking blossoms! So in one moment, or almost one, she was seen, and loved, and taken in Pluto's rush of love. She called her mother, her comrades, but more often for her mother... and the earth opened, and the chariot plunged through the new crater down to Hell" (Metamorphoses, 5.389-458, transl. Rolfe Humphries). The subsequent story tells of an irate Demeter withdrawing the gifts of fertility from the earth, searching frantically for her daughter, and finally obtaining from Hades a promise that Persephone spend at least half of each year with her on earth, thus making the earth flower in rebirth. This important myth, with its emphasis on death and renewal, was particularly appropriate for sarcophagus decoration. It was at the center of the Greek fertility cult known as the Eleusinian mysteries, which promised their initiates a better fate in the afterlife, and lasted well into the Roman period (see Walter Burkert, Greek Religion, Cambridge, Mass., 1985, pp. 289-290).
About a year prior to selling the present relief to Lord Shelburne, the Rome-based English painter and antiquities dealer Gavin Hamilton offered it first to Charles Townley: "I have got now restoring a bassorelievo of the rape of Proserpine being the front of a sarcophagus. The subject is common, and the sculpture the usual style of those sort of monuments, though of the best kind, and a good deal fragmented. There wants the horses of Pluto and several other small parts. The head of Ceres and two of the Nymphs I have replaced with antique heads. You may probably remember this piece as you saw it in Rome in one of my rooms on the ground floor. The price of it completely restored is 75 pounds, which considering restoration and original cost only saves me; if this can be of any service to you pray acquaint me by the return of the post, that I may secure the licence" (letter of Oct. 7th, 1775, in Bignamini and Hornsby, op. cit., p. 75; punctuation and spelling modernized). Less than a year later Hamilton offered several marbles to Lord Shelburne "for your Lordship's summer house or garden," including the present relief, for about the same price he gave to Townley: "I gave Adams formerly a hundred crowns for the bas-relief of the rape of Proserpine. What restoration is done costs me 60 crowns, for which price I send it, and hope it will be acceptable, though it still wants part of one end" (letter of July 13th, 1776, in Bignamini and Hornsby, op. cit., p. 89).
SNY06081145
UTOPIA / Heftreihe
José Antonio Rossellé / Hände weg von Demeter
(El Zorro del Espacio)
cover: Rudolf Sieber-Lonati
Erich Pabel Verlag
(Rastatt / Deutschland; 1961)
ex libris MTP
I was surprised to see this sculpture of either Demeter (Greek goddess of agriculture) or Ceres (Roman equivalent) in a pub, but this particular pub is quite unusual. It features objects (e.g. doors) taken from others owned by Joules brewery, and a lot of thought has gone into the decor.
Site of Eleusis - Korinthe
Eleusis
Vanaf de Akropolis naar Eleusis ligt de ‘Heilige weg’. Hierlangs vond jaarlijks in het voorjaar een processie plaats van de Akropolis naar Eleusis, ter verering van Demeter en Persephone. Daarna was het vijf dagen feest in Eleusis, waarbij iedereen kon worden ingewijd in de mysteriën van de tempel. Deze waren zo geheim dat nog steeds weinig bekend is over wat daar precies gebeurde. Het heiligdom van Eleusis is gebouwd bij de grot naar de onderwereld, het Ploutoneion. Volgens de mythe van Demeter en haar dochter Persephone (of Kore) ontvoerde hier Hades / Pluto, de god van de onderwereld, Persephone naar zijn rijk om haar tot zijn echtgenoot te maken. Door verdriet overmand zocht Demeter haar dochter overal en, toen ze haar had gevonden, kreeg ze het voor elkaar dat Persephone elk jaar een seizoen boven de aarde mocht vertoeven. Dan ontwaakte de aarde en begon de lente.
The scene takes the entire left panel of the frieze section E of the podium. Demeter, facing the viewer, stands on her two-wheeled wagon pulled by two snakes – today largely damaged - towards right. Her head is turned slightly to the left in the direction opposite to the chariot’s movement. She wears a chiton, which, according to the charioteer’s iconography, is held tight just below her chest by the broad belt of the wagons. The chariot’s velocity swells her cloak, loosely slung over her head. In each hand she held a torch, of which only poor traces are visible. In front of the Demeter’s chariot, above the dragging snakes, Eros flies in the same direction. Below, on the ground, a squat animal, probably a pig, Demeter’s attribute, crouches. In front of the chariots there is a female figure facing the viewer. She wears chiton and coat; her hands and face are lost. This character can’t by identified because the attribute that she held in her hands is lost.
Three characters are carved on the next panel. The female figures represent respectively Demeter and Kore. The daughter of Demeter emerges from a cornfield represented in low relief by a bank of soil and two rows of stalks sprouted from the ground. The male figure closing the trio is Hermes with petasos, mantle descending from his shoulder and wrapping his hips, and kerykeion.
Source: Ruth Lindner, “Mythis und Identität”
Theater stage frieze
2nd quarter 1st cent AD. - 200 AD.
Nysa, Caria, Turchey
LOG OF THE "DEMETER"
Varna to Whitby
Written 18 July, things so strange happening, that I shall keep accurate note henceforth till we land.
On 6 July we finished taking in cargo, silver sand and boxes of earth. At noon set sail. East wind, fresh. Crew, five hands . . . two mates, cook, and myself, (captain).
On 11 July at dawn entered Bosphorus. Boarded by Turkish Customs officers. Backsheesh. All correct. Under way at 4 p. m.
On 12 July through Dardanelles. More Customs officers and flagboat of guarding squadron. Backsheesh again. Work of officers thorough, but quick. Want us off soon. At dark passed into Archipelago.
On 13 July passed Cape Matapan. Crew dissatisfied about something. Seemed scared, but would not speak out.
On 14 July was somewhat anxious about crew. Men all steady fellows, who sailed with me before. Mate could not make out what was wrong. They only told him there was something, and crossed themselves. Mate lost temper with one of them that day and struck him. Expected fierce quarrel, but all was quiet.
On 16 July mate reported in the morning that one of the crew, Petrofsky, was missing. Could not account for it. Took larboard watch eight bells last night, was relieved by Amramoff, but did not go to bunk. Men more downcast than ever. All said they expected something of the kind, but would not say more than there was SOMETHING aboard. Mate getting very impatient with them. Feared some trouble ahead.
On 17 July, yesterday, one of the men, Olgaren, came to my cabin, and in an awestruck way confided to me that he thought there was a strange man aboard the ship. He said that in his watch he had been sheltering behind the deckhouse, as there was a rain storm, when he saw a tall, thin man, who was not like any of the crew, come up the companionway, and go along the deck forward and disappear. He followed cautiously, but when he got to bows found no one, and the hatchways were all closed. He was in a panic of superstitious fear, and I am afraid the panic may spread. To allay it, I shall today search the entire ship carefully from stem to stern.
Later in the day I got together the whole crew, and told them, as they evidently thought there was some one in the ship, we would search from stem to stern. First mate angry, said it was folly, and to yield to such foolish ideas would demoralise the men, said he would engage to keep them out of trouble with the handspike. I let him take the helm, while the rest began a thorough search, all keeping abreast, with lanterns. We left no corner unsearched. As there were only the big wooden boxes, there were no odd corners where a man could hide. Men much relieved when search over, and went back to work cheerfully. First mate scowled, but said nothing.
22 July.--Rough weather last three days, and all hands busy with sails, no time to be frightened. Men seem to have forgotten their dread. Mate cheerful again, and all on good terms. Praised men for work in bad weather. Passed Gibraltar and out through Straits. All well.
24 July.--There seems some doom over this ship. Already a hand short, and entering the Bay of Biscay with wild weather ahead, and yet last night another man lost, disappeared. Like the first, he came off his watch and was not seen again. Men all in a panic of fear, sent a round robin, asking to have double watch, as they fear to be alone. Mate angry. Fear there will be some trouble, as either he or the men will do some violence.
28 July.--Four days in hell, knocking about in a sort of malestrom, and the wind a tempest. No sleep for any one. Men all worn out. Hardly know how to set a watch, since no one fit to go on. Second mate volunteered to steer and watch, and let men snatch a few hours sleep. Wind abating, seas still terrific, but feel them less, as ship is steadier.
29 July.--Another tragedy. Had single watch tonight, as crew too tired to double. When morning watch came on deck could find no one except steersman. Raised outcry, and all came on deck. Thorough search, but no one found. Are now without second mate, and crew in a panic. Mate and I agreed to go armed henceforth and wait for any sign of cause.
30 July.--Last night. Rejoiced we are nearing England. Weather fine, all sails set. Retired worn out, slept soundly, awakened by mate telling me that both man of watch and steersman missing. Only self and mate and two hands left to work ship.
1 August.--Two days of fog, and not a sail sighted. Had hoped when in the English Channel to be able to signal for help or get in somewhere. Not having power to work sails, have to run before wind. Dare not lower, as could not raise them again. We seem to be drifting to some terrible doom. Mate now more demoralised than either of men. His stronger nature seems to have worked inwardly against himself. Men are beyond fear, working stolidly and patiently, with minds made up to worst. They are Russian, he Roumanian.
2 August, midnight.--Woke up from few minutes sleep by hearing a cry, seemingly outside my port. Could see nothing in fog. Rushed on deck, and ran against mate. Tells me he heard cry and ran, but no sign of man on watch. One more gone. Lord, help us! Mate says we must be past Straits of Dover, as in a moment of fog lifting he saw North Foreland, just as he heard the man cry out. If so we are now off in the North Sea, and only God can guide us in the fog, which seems to move with us, and God seems to have deserted us.
3 August.--At midnight I went to relieve the man at the wheel and when I got to it found no one there. The wind was steady, and as we ran before it there was no yawing. I dared not leave it, so shouted for the mate. After a few seconds, he rushed up on deck in his flannels. He looked wild-eyed and haggard, and I greatly fear his reason has given way. He came close to me and whispered hoarsely, with his mouth to my ear, as though fearing the very air might hear. "It is here. I know it now. On the watch last night I saw It, like a man, tall and thin, and ghastly pale. It was in the bows, and looking out. I crept behind It, and gave it my knife, but the knife went through It, empty as the air." And as he spoke he took the knife and drove it savagely into space. Then he went on, "But It is here, and I'll find It. It is in the hold, perhaps in one of those boxes. I'll unscrew them one by one and see. You work the helm." And with a warning look and his finger on his lip, he went below. There was springing up a choppy wind, and I could not leave the helm. I saw him come out on deck again with a tool chest and lantern, and go down the forward hatchway. He is mad, stark, raving mad, and it's no use my trying to stop him. He can't hurt those big boxes, they are invoiced as clay, and to pull them about is as harmless a thing as he can do. So here I stay and mind the helm, and write these notes. I can only trust in God and wait till the fog clears. Then, if I can't steer to any harbour with the wind that is, I shall cut down sails, and lie by, and signal for help . . .
It is nearly all over now. Just as I was beginning to hope that the mate would come out calmer, for I heard him knocking away at something in the hold, and work is good for him, there came up the hatchway a sudden, startled scream, which made my blood run cold, and up on the deck he came as if shot from a gun, a raging madman, with his eyes rolling and his face convulsed with fear. "Save me! Save me!" he cried, and then looked round on the blanket of fog. His horror turned to despair, and in a steady voice he said,"You had better come too, captain, before it is too late. He is there! I know the secret now. The sea will save me from Him, and it is all that is left!" Before I could say a word, or move forward to seize him, he sprang on the bulwark and deliberately threw himself into the sea. I suppose I know the secret too, now. It was this madman who had got rid of the men one by one, and now he has followed them himself. God help me! How am I to account for all these horrors when I get to port? When I get to port! Will that ever be?
4 August.--Still fog, which the sunrise cannot pierce, I know there is sunrise because I am a sailor, why else I know not. I dared not go below, I dared not leave the helm, so here all night I stayed, and in the dimness of the night I saw it, Him! God, forgive me, but the mate was right to jump overboard. It was better to die like a man. To die like a sailor in blue water, no man can object. But I am captain, and I must not leave my ship. But I shall baffle this fiend or monster, for I shall tie my hands to the wheel when my strength begins to fail, and along with them I shall tie that which He, It, dare not touch. And then, come good wind or foul, I shall save my soul, and my honour as a captain. I am growing weaker, and the night is coming on. If He can look me in the face again, I may not have time to act . . . If we are wrecked, mayhap this bottle may be found, and those who find it may understand. If not . . . well, then all men shall know that I have been true to my trust. God and the Blessed Virgin and the Saints help a poor ignorant soul trying to do his duty . . .
Thanks CroWolf for the grit and dust.
Thanks to all the donators in the Textures for layers group
To destroy the Magic check out the original and unedited photo in my stream
Created for
~ Brenda’s Bounty ~ Challenge #14
~ dA Stock Users Gallery Challenge #1 ~ Autumn Mucha
~ The StockYard Autumn/Fall Challenge
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Challenge image ~Model with thanks to mizzd-stock
Challenge Texture ~ Brenda Starr
Background purchased from PNGTubes com with thanks to FrozenStarRo
Cat with thanks to Cynnalia-Stock
Moon with thanks to Petr Kratochvil
Texture 2 is my own.
~
Upper register, Gigantomachy: from the left, Ares fully armed with helmet, shield and spear, Poseidon with trident and Demeter successfully engaged in the battle against giants.
Lower register: Dionysus is depicted with a kantharos and the thyrsus; the god is moving toward an altar, while he is turning his head back in order to see the cortege of satyrs and maenads moving behind him.
Made in Athens
Attic red figured calyx-krater
Attribute to “the Niobid Painter”
About 475-425 BC
From Spina Necropolis
Ferrara, Archaeological Museum
Off an unmarked dirt path somewhere near the road to Branson, Missouri - skipping the touristy stops and scenic overlooks on my drives to just breathe.
(This time I was reminded that we share these woods with more than deer and enormous hawks, and underbrush often covers 3-ft holes...which was an incredibly dopey thing for a resident & veteran camp counselor to forget; also why the focus is a wee bit off. Unedited/unretouched to remind me.)
King Acrisius of Argos was warned by an oracle that he would be killed in time by a son born to his daughter Danae. So he promptly locked Danae up in a tower and threw away the key. But the god Zeus got in, disguised as a shower of gold, with the result that Perseus was born. So Acrisius straightaway stuck daughter and infant into a brazen chest and pushed it out to sea. Perhaps he expected it to sink like a stone, but instead it floated quite nicely, fetching up on a beach on the island of Seriphos. Here a fisherman named Dictys came upon the unusual bit of flotsam and adopted a protective attitude toward its contents. Thus Perseus had the advantage of a pure and simple role model as he grew to young manhood. Then one day Dictys's brother, who happened to be king in those parts, took a fancy to Danae and pressed his attentions upon her.
"You leave my mother alone," insisted Perseus, clenching a not-insubstantial fist. And the king, Polydectes by name, had no choice but to desist. Or, rather, he grew subtle in the means of achieving his desires.
"Okay, okay, don't get yourself into an uproar," he said to Perseus, though not perhaps in those exact words. He put it out that, instead, he planned to seek the hand of another maiden, one Hippodameia.
"And I expect every one of my loyal subjects to contribute a gift to the bride price," he said, looking meaningfully at Perseus. "What have you to offer?"
When Perseus did not answer right away, Polydectes went on: "A team of horses? A chariot of intricate devising? Or a coffer of gems perhaps?"
Perseus fidgeted uncomfortably. "If it meant you'd leave my mother alone, I'd gladly give you anything I owned - which unfortunately is precious little. Horses, chariot, gems, you name it - if I had 'em, they'd be yours. The sweat of my brow, the gain of my strong right arm, whatever. I'd go out and run the marathon if they were holding the Olympics this year. I'd scour the seas for treasure, I'd quest to the ends of the earth. Why, I'd even bring back the head of Medusa herself if I had it in my power."
Pausing for a breath against the pitch to which he'd worked himself up, Perseus was shocked to hear the silence snapped by a single "Done!"
"Come again?" he queried.
"You said you'd bring me Medusa's head," Polydectes replied. "Well, I say fine - go do it."
And so it was that Perseus set out one bright October morn in quest of the snake-infested, lolling-tongued, boar's-tusked noggin of a Gorgon whose very glance had the power to turn the person glanced upon to stone.
Clearly, then, Perseus had his work cut out for him. Fortunately he had an ally in Athena. The goddess of crafts and war had her own reasons for wishing to see the Gorgon vanquished, so she was eager to advise Perseus. Why, exactly, Athena had it in for Medusa is not entirely clear. The likeliest explanation is that the Gorgon, while still a beautiful young maiden, had profaned one of Athena's temples. For this sacrilege Athena turned her into a monster, but apparently this wasn't punishment enough. Now Athena wanted Medusa's head to decorate her own shield, to magnify its power by the Gorgon's terrible gaze. Athena told Perseus where he could find the special equipment needed for his task.
"Seek ye the nymphs who guard the helmet of invisibility," she counseled the young hero.
And where, Perseus inquired, might he find these nymphs?
"Ask the Gray Sisters, the Graeae, born hags with but an eye between them. They know - if they'll tell you."
And where were the Graeae?
"Ask him who holds the heavens on his back - Atlas, renegade Titan, who pays eternally the price of defying Zeus almighty."
Okay, okay, and where's this Atlas?
"Why, that's simple enough - at the very western edge of the world."
Before sending him off on this tangled path, Athena lent Perseus her mirrored shield and suggested how he make use of it. And while her directions were somewhat deficient as to particulars, Perseus did indeed track down Atlas, who grudgingly nodded in the direction of a nearby cave where, sure enough, he found the Graeae. Perseus had heard the version of the myth whereby these Sisters, though gray-haired from infancy and sadly lacking in the eyeball department, were as lovely as young swans. But he was disappointed to find himself taking part in the version that had them as ugly as ogres. Nor was their disposition any cause for delight.
Sure, they knew where the nymphs did dwell, but that was, in a manner of speaking, theirs to know and his to find out. With cranky cackles and venomous vim, they told him just what he could do with his quest. But the hero had a trick or two up his sleeve, and by seizing that which by virtue of its scarcity and indispensability they valued above all else, he made them tell him what he wanted to know about the location of the water nymphs.
At this point Perseus might have paused to consider the extent to which his quest was akin to computer adventure gaming. For starters, there was the essential business of bringing back - as in Jason "bringing back" the Golden Fleece to Colchis where, in the form of a flying ram, it had carted off a young maiden and her brother on the point of sacrifice. How remarkably similar to a gamer acquiring a particularly hard-sought icon for his or her inventory. Or so Perseus might have reflected had he been born in the era of compact discs and read-only memory. And then, in furtherance of his Medusa quest, there was the laundry list of other "inventory" that had to be acquired first, beginning with the shield with the mirrored surface and the helmet of invisibility.
Some versions of the myth have it that the water nymphs in question were pretty much garden variety. Properly referred to as naiads, they were minor deities of a far-less-than Olympian order, mildly powerful in their own limited way, but not even immortal, and confined in their scope of operation to a given body of water. For just as dryads are fairy creatures attached to trees, and Nereids are ocean-going, naiads are nymphs that live in ponds and pools.
Thus when the handsome youth Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in the surface of a pool, he broke the heart of the nymph who dwelled therein, who was condemned only to repeat Narcissus's sighs and murmurs like an echo. In fact, Echo was her name. And thus when the handsome youth Hylas strayed while fetching water for his shipmates on the Argo, some nymphs at the water hole were so smitten that they yanked him beneath the surface to dwell with them forever - much to the despair of Heracles, whose squire he was.
One version of the Perseus myth holds that the naiads he sought were special indeed, having as their domain the dark and lifeless waters of the river Styx, in the deepest Underworld. They were also reputed to have such bad personal habits that they could be smelled from a great distance. Such is perhaps understandable given the dubious cleansing powers of a river in Hell.
At length Perseus found the nymphs and got the gear. This consisted of the helmet of invisibility, winged sandals and a special pouch for carrying Medusa's head once he'd chopped it off. Medusa would retain the power of her gaze even in death, and it was vital to hide the head unless occasion called for whipping it out and using it on some enemy.
The god Hermes also helped out at this point, providing Perseus with a special cutting implement, a sword or sickle of adamant. Some add that it was Hermes, not the nymphs, who provided the winged sandals. Thus Perseus was equipped - one might even say overequipped - for his task. In fact, a careful examination of the hero's inventory leads to the suspicion that we are presented here with a case of mythological overkill.
A quick escape would be essential after slaying Medusa, since she had two equally monstrous sisters who would be sure to avenge her murder, and they had wings of gold or brass which would bear them in swift pursuit of the killer. So at least the winged sandals were a good idea. But if this supernatural appliance guaranteed the swiftest of escapes, why bother with a helmet of invisibility, which made it just about impossible for the Gorgons to find you even if you didn't deign to hurry away? Because it makes for a better myth, that's why.
And so Perseus sought out Medusa's lair, surrounded as it was by the petrified remains of previous visitors, and he found the Gorgon sleeping; Yes, even though he had the good old magic arsenal, Perseus was not so foolhardy as to wake Medusa. And even though her gaze could hardly be expected to turn anyone to stone while her eyes were closed, he used the device provided by Athena to avoid looking at Medusa directly. (This suggests that you could be turned to stone just by gazing at Medusa, though most versions of the myth have it that it was the power of her gaze that counted.)
Entering, then, somewhat unglamorously into the fray - if "fray" is the right word to describe a battle against a sleeping opponent - Perseus whacked Medusa's head off. At just that instant, the winged horse Pegasus, offspring of Medusa and the god Poseidon, was born from the bleeding neck. Then Perseus donned his special getaway gear and departed victoriously before Medusa's sisters could take their revenge. Though these sisters were immortal, Medusa clearly was not. She died when her head was severed, which required the special cutting implement given to Perseus by Hermes.
Even in death Medusa's gaze could turn things to stone, so Perseus quickly stored his trophy in the special sack provided by the water nymphs. Returning to Seriphos, he put it to good use on King Polydectes, who had gone back to pestering the hero's mother just as soon as Perseus was out of sight. Polydectes made the mistake of being sarcastic about Perseus's conquest of the Gorgon. And since he took this truly heroic accomplishment for granted, he himself was ever afterwards taken for granite.
Chloe, means young green shoot, another name for the Greek Goddess Demeter, Her latin name is Ceres.
Pretty Hero's Odyssey Mythology Greek Goddesses! 45SURF goddesses are the perfect blend of Artemis, Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite! Of Venus, Minerva, and Ares, Demeter, and Nike!
Pretty Hero's Odyssey Mythology Swimsuit Bikini Model! Greek Goddess Nikon D800 Super Sharp AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II ! Golden Hero's Odyssey Goddess!
All of the new Gold 45 Revolver(TM) and 45SURF(R) logos and designs are inspired by the golden number phi and divine proportion! Just as my landscapes oft employ the golden rectangle and fibonacci spiral in composition, all the bikinis, shirts, and lingerie designs are made with the golden section and gold number Phi (1.618) in mind! The golden grids, rectangles, pentagons, and spirals make a far better system for compositions than does the rule of thirds! And too, the golden mean and divine proportion are found in every model--in her pretty face and in the divine proportions of the 45surf goddess's heavenly body! I'm working on a book on all this beautitful craziness in fine art landscapes and models called The Golden Hero's Odyssey, which also ties it to my physics theory Dynamic Dimenions theory (dx4/dt=ic). :)
More of the epic Greek goddess bikini swimsuit models on instagram!
I have been traveling around in Zion, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and Bryce Canyon! Will share soon! :)
ALL THE BEST on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
Follow me & 45surf!!
www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology/
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Beautiful Swimsuit Bikini Surfer Girl Athletic Model Goddess ! Sexy, hot, tall, thin, tan,toned, tan, and fit!
Working on a photography book too--Hero's Odyssey Photography! It focuses on my greatest hits while telling the tsory behind each one, thusly teaching how to shoot epic landscapes, ballerinas, and models!
All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey!
45SURF! Celebrating epic, heroic poetry, classic goddess beauty and the classical soul! Shakespeare, Homer's Iliad & Odyssey, and Moby Dick!
This is the time of year that Hades, god of the dead, kidnaps Kore from the Goddess Demeter... her mommy.
Kore falls in love with Hades as Hades falls in love with her and they are partners. Kore misses Demeter. She solves the problem that when the earth is in darkness she will be with Hades her lover. In spring and summer she will wander the earth with Demeter her Mother.
To seal the deal she changes her name to Persephone and has taken the pomegranate as her fruit to help us common folk to know that winter will end and the fruit of the earth will return.
Container ship passes the rock-filled shore of Shoreline Park, once a rail terminal, now a nature preserve.
What a place for a sunflare Lola! That's actually as there's a tiny scratch (it occured during Malawi) on the lens, which as far as I'm aware is irreplaceable. It likes creating white spots on most photos, they're just usually not that obvious.
Ha, my expression. I didn't know I was capable of an elegant "loss" expression, usually I just look like I'm in pain. But I don't hate this. I just look sad. Obviously that's the point - I'm Demeter, and my daughter Persephone has just been stolen by the underworld god, Hades. I'm the goddess of seasons and life (hence, flowers). Demeter wore a dark veil to signify mourning (hence, scarf). Yes there's a summer house behind me, but I'll get rid of that some other time.
Now my neighbours think I'm mad, and I smell like lavender. Sweet dreams for me tonight please.
This was fun, and very impromptu. Was supposed to be going shopping but got cancelled (going now instead) so I jumped outside in the COLD and took some photos in the beautiful sun. Hey, sun, I missed you!!!
suggestions for fancy dress outfits for a "goodies vs baddies" party? I'm a bit of a villain girl, if you've got any ideas? Much appreciated!
Ei meninas, tudo bem?
Desencalhando o Deméter, até que ele é bonito, mas não conquistou meu coração. Além disso, demorou horrores para secar. Acho que ele deve ser o menos holográfico dessa coleção ... hum, sem mais. rsrs.
1x Pôr do sol - Impala (quase uma água de tão ralo).
3x Deméter - Hits
Beijo preciso estudar!! que preguiça!!
Gab!
"Demeter (Goddess of Fertility)"
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Original Painting
by Cara Buchalter of Octavine Illustration
Painted in gouache* on wood (Plywerk*).
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*Gouache: a water-based paint similar to watercolor but with more pigment producing a bolder, matte tone.
*Plywerk: a handcrafted wood panel made in Portland, Oregon using environmentally sustainable practices.
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Please visit my blog for further details:
octavineillustration.blogspot.com
©2008 Cara Buchalter. Please don't take and use the images without permission, thanks.
Persephone was Demeter’s (goddess of the Earth) cherished daughter. One day she was picking flowers in a field when Hades, the King of the Underworld, long drawn to Persephone's beauty, burst up through a cleft in the earth and abducted her. The devastated Demeter searched everywhere for her lost daughter, even changing herself into the form of a bird so that she could search otherwise inaccessible places.
All that year no grain grew on the earth while Demeter searched and sorrowed, and humans would have died of hunger had not Helios, god of the sun, who sees all, told Zeus what had happened. Zeus, pressured by the hungry people and by the other gods who felt their anguish, could not allow the Earth to die and forced Hades to return Persephone.
Before she was released to Hermes, who had been sent to retrieve her, Hades tricked Persephone into eating three pomegranate seeds. The pomegranate is the food of the dead, and eating the seeds should have prevented Persephone's return to her mother. Zeus interfered, knowing that the girl had eaten them unknowingly, and said that Persephone would only spend three months (one for each seed) of each year as Hades' queen.
When Demeter and her daughter are together, the Earth flourishes with vegetation and color. Winter is the time of darkness for three months each year, when Persephone returns to the underworld and Demeter grieves.