Persephone-Kore the Goddess of Spring and Queen of the Underworld

Video

by Kelly Macquire
published on 13 December 2022

Persephone-Kore was an agricultural deity as the goddess of spring, vegetation, and of grain, but she was also the Queen of the underworld and wife of Hades and, to the Romans, she was known as Proserpina. She was the daughter of Zeus, king of the gods, and Demeter, the Olympian goddess of agriculture, and when she was associated with her mother, especially in relation to the Eleusinian mysteries, she was referred to as Kore which means maiden, and signifies her as both a maiden and daughter.

The most important cult associated with Persephone is the Eleusinian Mysteries. These rituals were observed regularly at Eleusis, northwest of Athens, between circa sixteen hundred BCE and three ninety-two CE and, despite the longevity of this cult and the associated rituals, much of what happened during the mysteries are still just that, a mystery. We do know that Demeter and Kore were honoured, and the story of Kore’s abduction was celebrated during the mysteries. The initiates were sworn to secrecy surrounding the details of the ritual, but we know that after participating, initiates were changed and no longer feared death.

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— CHAPTERS —
0:00​ Introduction
1:03 Who is Persephone-Kore?
4:42 Persephone as Queen of the Underworld
7:42 Cult and Worship of Persephone
9:35 Outro

— WANT TO KNOW MORE? —
Persephone https://www.worldhistory.org/persephone/
Hades https://www.worldhistory.org/Hades/
Demeter https://www.worldhistory.org/demeter/
Zagreus https://www.worldhistory.org/Zagreus/
Eleusis https://www.worldhistory.org/Eleusis/
The Eleusinian Mysteries: The Rites of Demeter https://www.worldhistory.org/article/32/the-eleusinian-mysteries-the-rites-of-demeter/

— WATCH NEXT —
The Greek Goddess Demeter and the Eleusinian Mysteries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-B6KwxHcR0
Hades, Tartarus and the Underworld in Greek Mythology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maMe1JADqwI
Dionysus the God of Wine, Festivity, and Theatre
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lplLKHyhmgk
The Tragic Tale of Orpheus and Eurydice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0Na5QH8BOo

— ATTRIBUTIONS —
You can find all attribution and credits for images, animations, graphics and music here - https://worldhistory.typehut.com/persephone-kore-the-goddess-of-spring-and-queen-of-the-underworld-images-and-attributions-12551

The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:
https://www.ancientlyre.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A

World History Encyclopedia
www.worldhistory.org

#persephone #hadesandpersephone #greekmythology

About the Author

Kelly Macquire

Kelly is a graduate from Monash University who has completed her BA (Honours) in Ancient History and Archaeology, focussing on iconography and status in Pylos burials. She has a passion for mythology and the Aegean Bronze Age.

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