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Godly Fun Facts

Persephone

Photo credit to Owlcation

Who/what do they do

Persephone (aka Kore, Cora, Proserpina, etc.) is the Olympian Goddess of the spring, love, ghosts, fertility, reincarnation, growth, the underworld, and more. She is also the wife of Hades, the God of the underworld.

2. Myth(s)

Myth #1

A famous myth of Persephone is her fight with Aphrodite (goddess of pleasure, fertility, beauty, and more) over the beautiful mortal Adonis (a young hunter who later became the God of fertility, vegetation, desire, beauty, and more.). While searching for prey, Adonis’ beauty was noticed by the Goddess Aphrodite, who was playing with Eros (aka Cupid. The God of carnal love.). Eros was sharpening his arrows when Aphrodite praised the beauty of Adonis, which made Eros jealous. To confront him, Aphrodite hugged Eros and told him he would always be the most beautiful to her. The arrows that Eros sharpened pierced Aphrodite, who fell in love with Adonis at first sight. On a spring day, Persephone wandered into the woods to find the now couple, Aphrodite and Adonis, cuddled up. Little did she know, Eros was pulling another prank of his and shot the spring goddess with one of his arrows, making her fall in love with Adonis. Going on another one of his hunts, Adonis was stopped by Aphrodite. She feared that his dangerous lifestyle would cause him to get hurt or, even worse, his death. Ares (God of war, the spirit of battle, courage, and more) was a previous lover of Aphrodite and was jealous of her new fascination with Adonis. On his hunt, Adonis stumbled upon a wild bore filled with bloodlust. Filled with the need to kill, Adonis injured the bore, but the bore, who was Ares, ended up killing Adonis. Aphrodite rushed to Adonis to find him dead and used his blood to create red flowers called Adonis before burying him. As Aphrodite wept at the loss, Persephone rejoiced at the opportunity to be with Adonis in the underworld. Once in the underworld, Persephone pursued Adonis and developed a relationship. Not able to stand being apart from her love anymore, Aphrodite went to the underworld to bring Adonis back to the land of the living. Hades (God of the underworld, riches, and more) did not appreciate the love Goddess stomping into his domain and demanding to bring a soul from the underworld back to life. She left with the promise that she would take away love from all couples. Zeus (the God of the sky and chief Greek deity) and Hera’s (Goddess of marriage, women, and family.) marriage was growing unbearable due to the lack of love in it. Zeus met with Persephone and Aphrodite to discuss what needs to happen next. Just like Zeus did with Demeter (Goddess of harvest, agriculture, food, and the fertility of the earth. Mother to Persephone), He suggested that Adonis spends ⅓ of the year in the underworld, ⅓ on the surface with Aphrodite and ⅓ to with whatever he pleased with. During spring, Adonis is with Aphrodite; in the summer, when she leaves, Persephone is on the surface to help her mother, Demeter, with the harvest. In the summer, Persephone can be with Adonis in the waking land. The myth of Adonis explains why sometimes winter stays longer; it is Persephone trying to keep with Adonis more, and why summer tends to linger for longer; Aphrodite is trying to have more time with Adonis.

Myth #2

Another myth of Persephone is less about the loving and affectionate side of Persephone but a more wrathful one. One of the many versions of the fatal tale of the Naiad nymph called Minthe. Minthe is the daughter of the river god Cocytus (which is also the name of one out of five rivers in the underworld) who resided in the underworld. Minthe is a gorgeous nymph who was with Hades before he abducted Persephone to bring him into the underworld to be his wife. Feeling replaced by Hades, Minthe claimed that she was more beautiful than Persephone and that Hades would soon grow tired of her and return to her when he did. When Minthe's opinion reached Persephone's ears, she transformed Minthe in the garden mint. This explains why mint is considered to be a sacred plant of Hades.

3. Influence on today's society

While Persephone's significance in the modern world may not be as apparent as it once was, it still holds great importance. Her existence serves as a symbol of the intricate cycle of life and death. Initially, she embodies the essence of a spring Goddess, bringing life and happiness as she causes flowers to bloom. However, she later transitions into the queen of the underworld, representing the journey of souls from life to death. This transition is not a one-time event but rather an ongoing process. Eventually, Persephone emerges from the underworld, bringing life and joy back to the world after the winter season. She embodies the continuous and unavoidable cycle that we all must experience.

The fact that Persephone takes on the role of the underworld's queen signifies that in order to be reborn, one must endure darkness. She can be compared to a fruit, going through the stages of sprouting, bearing fruit, and eventually departing. Additionally, Persephone symbolizes the deep love between a mother and child, showcasing the lengths one would go to for the other. Persephone's influence is more widespread than we may realize, as it represents the cycle that we must inevitably complete.

4. Sources

5. TimeStamp

This post was created on Saturday, January 20th, 2024, at 8:46 pm.

This post was updated on Sunday, January 21st, 2024, at 9:12pm.

#hades #persephone #hellenic #greek mythology #greek pantheon #hellenic pagan #hellenic polytheism #minthe #adonis #aphrodite #demeter #zeus #cerberus #charon #Youtube

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Godly Fun Facts

Hades

photo credit to Mythopodia

Who/what do they do

Hades (aka Aidoneus, Aides, Pluto, and more.) is the Greek Olympian God of the Underworld, the dead (not to be confused with the God/personification of death, Thanatos), wealth and earthly riches, and more.

2. How they came to be

Pre-dating the Olympian Gods were the Titans. The Titans are giants in Greek mythology born of Uranus (primordial being of the Heavens and sky.) and Gaea (primordial being of the Earth. Mother and wife of Uranus) who ruled the earth and Cosmos until overthrown by the Olympian Gods. Gaea and Uranus had many children together, but the most powerful of all their children was the youngest Kronos, the titan of time. Kronos grew and eventually overthrew his father, Uranus, and became the king of the Titans. He married his sister Rhea (Titaness of female fertility, motherhood, and generation). Kronos and Rhea had six children, the firstborn being Hades. Hades and his siblings were swallowed by his father to prevent the prophecy that a son of Kronos would someday overthrow him. Not wanting her children in harm's way anymore, Rhea took her youngest, Zeus (the God of the sky and chief Greek deity.), to a mythical island called Crete to hide him from his father. Rhea tricked Kronos into swallowing a stone that was disguised as baby Zeus. Zeus grew up and later forced Kronos to disgorge his brothers and sisters. Now free from their father, the young gods waged war on Kronos and the Titans, who stood beside him in the Titanomachy and were victorious. After the Olympians defeated the Titan, the brothers Hades, Poseidon (God of the sea, horses, and earthquakes.), and Zeus drew lots to divide the world. Zeus got the sky, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the underworld.

3. Myth(s)

I’m sure you have heard of the abduction of Persephone (Goddess of spring, fertility, love, ghost, reincarnation, and more) and how Zeus promised her to Hades and she ate the pomegranate which linked her to the underworld forever, but that story only shows one of the many sides of Hades. In the story about Orpheus and Eurydice, Hades is not portrayed as an evil, no-good, kidnapping ruler of the dead but as a sensitive and gracious God. Orpheus was a Thracian bard, legendary musician, prophet, and son of the God Apollon who was going to marry the wood nymph Eurydice till she dropped dead at the wedding due to being bitten by a snake. The heartbreak and grief Orpheus felt was so powerful the world could not contain it. With a lyre and his mind made up, Orpheus traveled to the underworld to retrieve his lost fianceé so he could marry her in the waking land. Orpheus’ music was so beautiful that Cerberus (The three-headed dog, “Hound of Hades,” guards the gates of Hades) lay down as Orpheus walked in. Kharon (the underworld ferryman. rows the souls of the dead across the river Styx into the Underworld.) was moved by Orpheus’ music. He brought Orpheus across the river for free. Standing before Persephone and Hades, the king and queen of the dead, he begins to sing beautifully. About his love for Eurydice and how she was taken too soon. Moved by the beautiful voice and efforts proven by Orpheus, Hades granted his request with a condition. He could not turn around to see if Eurydice was following behind him as he ventured out of the underworld. If he failed to comply, she would return to the underworld forever. As he began to climb out of the underworld, he questioned if she was behind him. Temptation won over his curiosity, and he turned around right as he was near the exit. Eurydice is pulled back, screaming, as she is suddenly taken back into the underworld forever. Orpheus tried to turn back to return to the underworld but was refused.

4. Influence on today's society

Hades' reputation in today’s society is not often a good one. The depiction of Hades in modern western culture, is heavily due to the influence of Christianity. In Christianity, the lower world is describe as Hell with the Devil as its ruler. Since Hades rules the underworld in Hellenism, his equal is usually the Devil. Western culture is heavily influenced by Christian values and sees Hades as evil from a Christian perspective. Outside of Christianity, Hades is still heavily feared due to his association with death. Since Hades rules over the dead and most people fear dying, this fear is rolled over onto Hades. Despite not being the God of death (that title goes to Thanatos). Hades is more like the manager, and Thanatos is the hiring manager. Both are managers but do two different things. Hades truly has a bad rep and majority of the reason for that is there is no good reason. The fear of death should not pertain to Hades himself, it's not like he did the killing himself if anything, it sounds to me like he was forced to take up a babysitting job without pay. He goes underappreciated, and hopefully, the world will one day understand his importance.

5. Sources

https://study.com/academy/lesson/hades-greek-god-of-the-underworld-mythology-lesson-quiz.html#:~:text='%20Hades%20is%20the%20first%20born,youngest%20child%2C%20the%20god%20Zeus.

4. Timestamp

This post was created on January 18th, 2024, at 3:38pm.

This post was updated on January 19th, 2024, at 4:16pm.

#hades #underworld #greek mythology #greek pantheon #hellenic polytheism #hellenic pagan #persephone #orpheus and eurydice #cerberus #charon #Youtube

[duckymomospawn]

Godly Fun Facts

Apollon

photo credit to https://treasuryofapollon.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/apollon-and-apollo/

Who/what do they do

Apollon (aka Apollo, Akesios, Smintheios, etc.) is the Olympian God of sunlight, light, music, dance, art, creativity, education, truth, prophecy, archery, healing, disease, sickness, and more.

2. How they came to be

Apollon and Artemis (Goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals, nature, childbirth, and more.) are the twin children of Zeus (the God of the sky and chief Greek deity.) and Leto (the Titaness of motherhood, childbirth, and modesty.). Leto and Zeus had an affair after Zeus fell in love with Leto’s beauty and impregnated her with the twins. Angry and upset, Hera (Goddess of marriage, women, family, and wife of Zeus) cursed Leto not to give birth on solid land. Wandering without finding a place to lay and give birth, the God Poseidon (God of the sea, horses, and earthquakes.) decided to help Leto by raising an island from the sea, later known as Delos. Delos was not connected to the land that Hera forbade Leto from giving birth, making it the perfect place for her to give birth to the twins. Artemis was the firstborn who, after her birth, became the midwife to her mother to help her birth Apollon (this is why Artemis later became the Goddess of childbirth). After hearing about the birth of Apollon and Artemis, Hera becomes enraged and sends the serpent Python to eat the newborn gods. Constantly on the run, Leto raised her two children in the wilderness. Zeus gifts them with bows and arrows made by Hephaestus (God of blacksmiths, craftsmen, fire, and volcanoes.). Now fully grown, Apollon sets out to accomplish many feats.

This is currently part one of Godly fun facts: Apollon. I will come back tomorrow to complete the rest, so stay tuned!

3. Myth(s) about them

A famous myth of Apollon’s is his love for the nymph Daphne. Gifted with his bow and arrow, Apollon hunts down the serpent Python to exact revenge for his mother. After killing Python, Apollon feels pretty confident in his natural talent for the bow and arrow. Later, he runs into Eros (Aka Cupid. The God of carnal love.), who uses his bow and arrow to make people fall in love. Apollon makes fun of Eros. Not taking the insults lighty, Eros shoots Apollon with a golden-tipped arrow to make him fall in love with Daphne the water nymph. Eros strikes Daphne with a led-tipped arrow, which makes her despise Apollon. To escape Apollon’s affection, Daphne calls out to her father, the river God, Peneus who hears her pleads and transforms her into a laurel tree. Heartbroken at the loss of his love, the laurel tree became a symbol of Apollon as a tribute for the love he once had.

4. Influence on today's society

Apollon's influence can be easily spotted in our modern society. The Apollo missions by NASA have gained popularity, which reflects Apollon's precision in hitting targets. Another example is Olympic archery, where Apollon and his twin Artemis are known as the deities of archery. Apollon's power as the bringer and reliever of plagues makes him a complex figure. The COVID-19 pandemic took the lives of 3.4 million people in counting and continues to affect us. It forced us to lose loved ones and confine ourselves indoors. During the pandemic, people had to tap into their creativity to stay productive, prioritize their physical and mental well-being, and cherish their loved ones. Being deprived of the freedom to go outdoors made us value the liberty we once took for granted while also reminding us of our limited time on Earth. Through these recent events, Apollon consistently teaches us the importance of resilience and innovation during times of fear and darkness. Creativity thrives during such challenging moments, and ideas emerge, leading humanity toward the light of progress.

5. Sources

6. Timestamp

This post was created on January 16th, 2024, at 11:50pm

This post was updated on January 17th, 2024, at 11:57pm

#apollo #apollon #hellenic pagan #hellenic polytheism #greek mythology #hellenic #greek pantheon #deities #Youtube

[duckymomospawn]

Godly Fun Facts

Dionysus

photo credit to Britannica

Who/What do they do

Dionysus (aka Bacchus, Akratophoros, Aisumnêtês, etc.) is the Olympian God of wine theatre, fertility, vegetation, grapevines, mental health, mental insanity, drunkness, chaos, madness, and more.

2. How they came to be

Zeus (the god of the sky and chief Greek deity) had a semi-public affair with the mortal Semele (daughter of Cadmus, king of Thebes). Hera (Goddess of marriage, women, and family. Wife of Zeus.) is made aware of this affair and is unhappy. She disguises herself and speaks to Semele, who tells her she is in a relationship with Zeus and is pregnant with his child. Hera, still in disguise, tells her that she should make Zeus show her his proper form to prove that he is the god Zeus. Semele obliges and makes Zeus promise her before telling him she wants to see his true form. Bound by the promise, he does, and she bursts into ashes from revealing his proper form. In the pile of ashes was the unborn Dionysus, whom Zeus took and sewed into his thigh so Dionysus could finish developing. Unsafe on Mt. Olympus with Hera, Zeus leaves lil Dionysus in the hands of Persephone, the Goddess of Spring (Who raises/takes care of Dionysus varies from myth to myth. Others include Dionysus being raised by Hermes, the messenger God, the Titaness Rhea, mortal king Atahmas and queen Ino, etc.). Now developed, Dionysus is still a target for Hera, who sends Titans (Pre-Olympian Gods/Giants) to rip him into pieces. The Titaness Rhea (or Athena, Goddess of war and strategy) brings him back to life.

3. Myth(s)

A well-known myth about Dionysus is that he was minding his own business, asleep on a beach, when a group of pirates stopped by. They take note of his good looks and the purple robe he wears and assume he is a prince of some sort. They take him and tie him up to sell him off or keep him for ransom. With a smile, the ropes fall off, and the helmsman realizes that the “prince” they captured must be a God. The helmsman attempts to warn everyone that Dionysus is a God but is laughed off. Dionysus wraps the whole ship in grapevines, fills the atmosphere with the melodious tunes of flutes, and transforms into a majestic lion. The pirates, in terror, jump into the sea, and Dionysus turns them into dolphins so they won’t drown. The helmsman is the only one speared.

4. Influence on today's society

Dionysus and his role as liberator is significant in today's society. The Cult of Dionysus began as a cult that worships the state of intoxication and the liberation from societal norms. The belief was that through intoxication came the possession of Dionysus, which in turn granted the cult members his divine powers. Getting drunk or high is not a new topic, as it has been around for as long as anyone can remember. Along with getting drunk and high, the cult captured the attention of a lot of marginalized people like women, enslaved people, and non-citizens. The cult allowed them to leave behind the social constraints and restrictions placed on them in everyday life. As in modern times, anyone (at the legal age) can enjoy the freedom and release from confiding to society's rules and restrictions with the help of alcohol and legal drugs. Dionysus has a wide range of followers, from Maenads to Satyrs. What sets him apart from other gods is that his supporters challenge traditional gender norms. Although these stories may be exaggerated, it's essential to recognize that ancient texts about gender fluidity remain relevant today. The worship of Dionysus, both in mythology and real life, shows how embracing our differences can lead to unity and abundance. These ideas have been carried into the modern world, where the LGBTQ+ community celebrates love and support for all.

5. Sources

6. Time stamp

This post was created on January 15th, 2024, at 10:31pm

#dionysus #dionysus deity #bacchus #greek mythology #greek gods #greek pantheon #ancient greece #Youtube