Source; Susan Seddon Boulet: The Goddess Paintings.
~~~~~ Persephone, the only daughter of Demeter (Greek goddess of harvest and fertility) and Zeus, was abducted as a young girl by Hades and spirited away to the underworld to become his unwilling bride. Demeter left Mt. Olympus and eventually forced Zeus to secure Persephone's release. But, because she had eaten pomegranate seeds before leaving the underworld, Persephone was allowed to spend only eight months of the year with her mother. She was required to spend the remainder of the year with Hades. Thus Persephone was worshipped in two aspects: as the Maiden, or the Kore ("young girl"), and as Queen of the Underworld.
~~~~~ Persephone's story symbolizes the vegetative cycle: during her time in the underworld, Demeter grieves and winter comes upon the earth; when she returns, Demeter rejoices and life flourishes once again.
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