Demeter in Greek mythology
The Birth of Demeter
Demeter was the daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Her sisters were Hera and Hestia and her brothers Zeus and Poseidon. Her birth followed the same fate as hers brother, Saturn swallowed his children as soon as they were born out of fear of losing the throne. Rhea couldn't endure another losing of her children, so she helped the youngest, Zeus, to dethrone Saturn with a trick and liberate his brothers from the belly of their father.The Loves of Demeter
Demeter was the goddess who was known for her love. She was distant and snotty, which is why her lovers were few in number. Leading contenders were her brothers. First, Zeus transformed into a bull to mate with her. But he regreted for the act, he castrated a ram and left the gus in the arms of Demeter as a sign of remorse. She accepted the apology and a few months after she gave birth to her beloved daughter Persephone. After that followed the love of Poseidon to the goddess. Demeter to escape the siege of morphed into mare ,hid among the royal flocks of Okniou, son of Apollo. Once Poseidon realized it he transformed into horse and he managed to mate with her. Fruits of this intercourse was a daughter, Despina, whose name should never be pronounced, and a horse with wings and a black mane, Arion. The wrath of Demeter for her rape by Poseidon gave her the nickname Furies. Zeus to in order to appease her,sent the nymphs to bathe her in the river Ladon, thus taking the name Lucia.
The third known lover of Demeter was a mortal, by the name Lasion, with whom the goddess fell in love. There are two versions of their acquaintance. The first wants to know the wedding of Cadmus and Harmony. The second and most prevalent, in Crete, in Mount Ida where Lasion chased. Both versions, however, result in sexual intercourse of the goddess and the mortal in a field that had been plowed three times. Shortly after, the goddess gave birth to Pluto that gave people riches and abundance.
Demeter and Persephone
Demeter and her daughter Persephone in Greek mythology were the central characters in the Eleusinian mysteries and probably were deities worshiped before the Twelve. In several cases the two deities confused or considered a goddess with two faces. The Abduction of Persephone by Pluto, god of Hades, resulted in the decline of Demeter. She abandoned Olympus and began to wander wearing black clothes and being silent among the people searching Persephone. The youth and beauty of the place of the gray hair and mourning.
Symbols of Demeter
Symbols of Demeter were the cranes(bird), the cob, the narcissus, the myrtle and the yolk. The bees were considered her priestesses and in the sacrifices in honor of her,offered bulls, calves and honey.
Epithets of Demeter
Farmers before plowing sacrificed in Demeter and reffered to her as Proirosia , at harvest in they reffered to her as Drepaniforon ,in thrashing they called her as Aloada and at the spring they reffered to Demeter as Chloin. Other names of attributing is Aglaokarpos, Sito, Polycarp, , Stachyotrofos and Filopyros.
Apart from the Library of Apollodorus important sources stating Demeter in Homeric Hymns are reported here, with Hesiod Hesiod's and Pausanias.
Her name comes from the Democratic (Dorian version of Earth) and the mother and it means Mother Earth.
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