What are your observations about Demeter's myth, your stickie notes, and how this myth reveals her suffering and alignment with our definition of mythology? Please reflect complete this blog entry by 1-19-10.
One pattern in the Demeter myth is that the gods have strengths and weaknesses just like humans. In a way, they are hypocritical. Humans often have favorite gods, two of which are Demeter and Dionysus. The Demeter and Dionysus stories try to explain why nature changes (i.e. why corn dies, or why grape vine withers). The Demeter myth provides an easy explanation as to why there was a drought and famine, because Demeter was mourning for her lost daughter and she was wearing a veil, as if all the plants and corn and life of nature had withered.
This myth uses her suffering to explain the seasons and famine. Her suffering is because of the loss of her daughter, Persephone to Hades. Because of Demeter's suffering, winter was created. After her suffering, she teaches the people how to harvest corn. Not only does she gift the people with a good harvest and food, but she also limits their food supply with winter and the dying of plants for four months out of every year.
I noticed the anthropomorphic qualities of Demeter. Her entire emotional spectrum is very much like a human. She was unable to let go of her daughter, and as they say, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. It is interesting that she made the humans suffer as a result of Hades taking Persephone. Humans are the innocent by-standards of Godly affairs. Greedy Demeter ruined their crops and made them build a temple in her honor for no real apparent reason. The Demeter myth seemed like, to me of the modern world, a strange fabrication of interests and revenge. It did have a happy ending though.
pg 55 -worship was called Eleusinian mysteries"s -They have not only shown us the way to live joyfully but they have also taught us how to die with a better hope."
-they are worshiped together
pg 56 -happy goddess of summer time (demeter)
pg 57 -maiden of spring (persephone) -Persephone got taken by hades
pg 61 -gave honor for whole life to a young boy
-longed for her daughter on earth in her temple. -famine on earth till demeter saw her daughter.
I found it really interesting that the myth helped explain seasons. With Persephone being taken by Hades I found it interesting that Demeter could control all crops and when her daughter was gone human race suffered. It reviels suffering because humans would have done the same thing, have a time of prosper and have a time of no good. -mriofredo
I noticed that in many instances Demeter felt very human emotions and feelings such as sadness and anger after her daughter was taken to the underworld. I think that by her feeling these emotions she was easier to relate to because everyone has felt those same feelings. Also at one point the text said, "That year was most dreadful and cruel for mankind over all the earth." This, I think, is an example of the early science, her sadness was the reason for such a poor year on earth.
One thing I saw in Demeter's myth was the vengeance of the gods. When Demeter is disguised on earth, she nurses a young boy, Demophoon, and tries to keep him eternally young by placing him in the fire. When his mother saw this, she screamed, and Demeter revealed herself. I thought the mother really had done nothing wrong. I mean, some strange woman did throw her son into the fire. But instead of forgiving her, Demeter left earth and nothing grew in her absence. She punished all of mankind with famine for just one harmless act? That seemed like cruel and unusual punishment to me.
When i was reading Demeter's myth i was surprised by how well thought out it was. How it explained why we have different seasons.If i did not know about the real reasons why we have seasons on earth i can see how that story could be the reason why things happen the way they do.The story reveals suffering and alignment by showing that if a regular person was in the situation, that person would probably do the same thing.
The story of Demeter had many explanations of everyday things that we may take for granite, as mentioned in the previous blog. This made me observe the smaller things that weren't as obvious to better understand the story as a whole. Some observations I made were that the story explained the relationship between a mother and her daughter, and how close they actually are. I also realized that Demeter has the supernatural ability to change the seasons and control what happens to crops. This overall explains why we have seasons due to Demeter's sorrow for not having her daughter back in entirety. Overall, Demeter represented the relationship between a mother and daughter, and how that can drive one to make other people suffer, as she did by killing the crops.
Demeter just wanted her daughter back to her safely from Hades clutches. She stayed in the mortal world until her daughter was returned to her. She demanded a temple to be built in her honor by mankind. As an attempt to please her once again. This might explain why we know of Demeter, and why at the time people worshiped her trying not to anger her.
In Demeter helped describe mythology by showing how seasons were created. Demeter was one of the most loved earth gods, and she had a daughter named Persephones. When Persephones was captured by Hades to go to the underworld and be his wife, Demeter was in despair because she no longer had her daughter. Finally, Demeter found her daughter but she had to return back to Hades because she ate a pomegranite seed. So every time her daughter has to return to the underworld the world goes cold and icey, creating the seasons. This is an element of myth.
This story was sad in a weary way. it should that no one cares when it comes to love. He stole her without caring about what was happening above him. All the crops wouldn't grow, and these people could starve. But all he cared about was her and her not loving him. I feel bad that he made her love him even though she was truly upset that he stole her from her life. She was sad and heart broken but to him it didn't matter. He just wanted to be loved. Niocle O.
This Myth really exemplified the similarities between mortals and the Supernatural. Both of these two beings had many of the same predicaments and troubles in their daily life. "They were Both suffering Gods" (56). This myth also uses suffering to explain the seasons and other natural elements.
Throughout this reading, I observed that Demeter is a loving mother to her daughter Persephone, but I think that she relinquishes her to easily to Hades. The fact that Demeter gives her daughter up to Hades for four months out of the year makes for a dull story and leads me to believe that Demeter wants to be self loathing.
I thought this myth was really interesting. Demeter reminds me of Hera in a sense because she is vengeful. When the mother of the child got upset that Demeter has put her baby in the fire, Demeter got very angry and threw the baby on the ground. This reminds me of Hera's ability to hold massive grudges against women who Zeus had affairs with. I also think this myth provides an interesting explanation for why winter comes. The fact that winter comes when Perseohone dissappears to the underworld and summer comes when she returns is an cool way to think about the seasons.
I think its really interesting that in their myths their gods can suffer and make mistakes. In the current day, we seem to feel that God is perfect and that he never makes mistakes. It shows that they're gods were more similar to them. Persephone made the mistake of going off on her own in the countryside and got abducted by Hades. This teaches children a lesson that they should never go off on their own without supervision, because if a goddess can be taken, they can too. It also helps to associate the gods with the greeks, because they can understand Demeter's grief at the loss of her daughter. It also helps them to understand why the seasons change and why at times they cannot grow crops. It is not because of their own failings, its because of the gods.
I agree with Cherry. The gods and goddesses can be hypocritical because they think they are better than humans but have the same weaknesses as we do. Demeter mourns the loss of her daughter, which explains the famine and why the seasons are the way they are. She has feelings like any human would. Mainly, her lose is what made the seasons change.
The myth relating to Demeter definitely emphasizes the idea that the gods with more human characteristics are more related to. Demeter and Dionysus both experienced the pain of a human life while the other gods just partied on Olympus, enjoying their glory over the humans. These gods also relate more to women then men since the women do the chores related to them in reaping the harvest. This relationship also makes them more loving, since the sacrifices they require are not that of blood like other gods, but of the harvest.
This myth was a great way of showing how many myths were made up to explain bad crop seasons. They did this by believing that Demeter was upset about her daughter being taken away from her so she punished the people and showed her sadness by making the corn not grow. I think the idea of a god being mad or sad helped the people of Greece not fear things as much and just to think that something went wrong with one of the gods. It also puts a good explination to everything.
Demeter lost her daughter, Persephone, to Hades god of the underworld. lost in grief she wandered the world of men for nine days. Then lived in a temple built for her apart from Olympus. The world withered as her anger remained. Finally the gods went and asked her to give life to earth once more, but she refused unless she saw her daughter. Eventually Hades gave way and let the daughter visit Demeter. But Persephone could only come back from the underworld during spring and summer.
I agree with Mike when he says that he found it interesting how the myth explains seasons. It isnt something that you think about on a daily basis. Its also interesting how she is a god, but faces real life situations like losing a daughter. That is something that many people and parents can relate to. It shows that everyone, even the gods are capable of feeling emotions like that.
Agreeing with kyle S. the dementer myth is somewhat like the real world. And that demeter had some human qualities about her, she felt emotions that of to a human.Its interesting how these myths do explain the changing of the seasons and how the feelings of that god effected the world
My definition of mythology is an attempt to explain why the world around you works the way it does through stories. In the demeter myth, her daughter persephone is taken by hades, causing an infertile and bad year for the world, when the deal is made that half the year she would be with hades and the other with her, it explains why there is summer and winter. Or for the greeks, a season of crop growing and one that doesn't work out so well. This myth is an attempt to explain the world around them, and it is easier to relate to because you can understand Demeter's human emotion. Also, maybe this myth was a way for people not to like hades as well.
25 comments:
One pattern in the Demeter myth is that the gods have strengths and weaknesses just like humans. In a way, they are hypocritical. Humans often have favorite gods, two of which are Demeter and Dionysus. The Demeter and Dionysus stories try to explain why nature changes (i.e. why corn dies, or why grape vine withers). The Demeter myth provides an easy explanation as to why there was a drought and famine, because Demeter was mourning for her lost daughter and she was wearing a veil, as if all the plants and corn and life of nature had withered.
This myth uses her suffering to explain the seasons and famine. Her suffering is because of the loss of her daughter, Persephone to Hades. Because of Demeter's suffering, winter was created. After her suffering, she teaches the people how to harvest corn. Not only does she gift the people with a good harvest and food, but she also limits their food supply with winter and the dying of plants for four months out of every year.
I noticed the anthropomorphic qualities of Demeter. Her entire emotional spectrum is very much like a human. She was unable to let go of her daughter, and as they say, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. It is interesting that she made the humans suffer as a result of Hades taking Persephone. Humans are the innocent by-standards of Godly affairs. Greedy Demeter ruined their crops and made them build a temple in her honor for no real apparent reason. The Demeter myth seemed like, to me of the modern world, a strange fabrication of interests and revenge. It did have a happy ending though.
pg 55 -worship was called Eleusinian mysteries"s
-They have not only shown us the way to live joyfully but they have also taught us how to die with a better hope."
-they are worshiped together
pg 56 -happy goddess of summer time (demeter)
pg 57 -maiden of spring (persephone)
-Persephone got taken by hades
pg 61 -gave honor for whole life to a young boy
-longed for her daughter on earth in her temple.
-famine on earth till demeter saw her daughter.
I found it really interesting that the myth helped explain seasons. With Persephone being taken by Hades I found it interesting that Demeter could control all crops and when her daughter was gone human race suffered. It reviels suffering because humans would have done the same thing, have a time of prosper and have a time of no good. -mriofredo
I noticed that in many instances Demeter felt very human emotions and feelings such as sadness and anger after her daughter was taken to the underworld. I think that by her feeling these emotions she was easier to relate to because everyone has felt those same feelings. Also at one point the text said, "That year was most dreadful and cruel for mankind over all the earth." This, I think, is an example of the early science, her sadness was the reason for such a poor year on earth.
One thing I saw in Demeter's myth was the vengeance of the gods. When Demeter is disguised on earth, she nurses a young boy, Demophoon, and tries to keep him eternally young by placing him in the fire. When his mother saw this, she screamed, and Demeter revealed herself. I thought the mother really had done nothing wrong. I mean, some strange woman did throw her son into the fire. But instead of forgiving her, Demeter left earth and nothing grew in her absence. She punished all of mankind with famine for just one harmless act? That seemed like cruel and unusual punishment to me.
When i was reading Demeter's myth i was surprised by how well thought out it was. How it explained why we have different seasons.If i did not know about the real reasons why we have seasons on earth i can see how that story could be the reason why things happen the way they do.The story reveals suffering and alignment by showing that if a regular person was in the situation, that person would probably do the same thing.
The story of Demeter had many explanations of everyday things that we may take for granite, as mentioned in the previous blog. This made me observe the smaller things that weren't as obvious to better understand the story as a whole. Some observations I made were that the story explained the relationship between a mother and her daughter, and how close they actually are. I also realized that Demeter has the supernatural ability to change the seasons and control what happens to crops. This overall explains why we have seasons due to Demeter's sorrow for not having her daughter back in entirety. Overall, Demeter represented the relationship between a mother and daughter, and how that can drive one to make other people suffer, as she did by killing the crops.
Demeter just wanted her daughter back to her safely from Hades clutches. She stayed in the mortal world until her daughter was returned to her. She demanded a temple to be built in her honor by mankind. As an attempt to please her once again. This might explain why we know of Demeter, and why at the time people worshiped her trying not to anger her.
In Demeter helped describe mythology by showing how seasons were created. Demeter was one of the most loved earth gods, and she had a daughter named Persephones. When Persephones was captured by Hades to go to the underworld and be his wife, Demeter was in despair because she no longer had her daughter. Finally, Demeter found her daughter but she had to return back to Hades because she ate a pomegranite seed. So every time her daughter has to return to the underworld the world goes cold and icey, creating the seasons. This is an element of myth.
this is an excellent example of a common myth it uses higher being to explain something of nature
This story was sad in a weary way. it should that no one cares when it comes to love. He stole her without caring about what was happening above him. All the crops wouldn't grow, and these people could starve. But all he cared about was her and her not loving him. I feel bad that he made her love him even though she was truly upset that he stole her from her life. She was sad and heart broken but to him it didn't matter. He just wanted to be loved.
Niocle O.
This Myth really exemplified the similarities between mortals and the Supernatural. Both of these two beings had many of the same predicaments and troubles in their daily life. "They were Both suffering Gods" (56). This myth also uses suffering to explain the seasons and other natural elements.
Throughout this reading, I observed that Demeter is a loving mother to her daughter Persephone, but I think that she relinquishes her to easily to Hades. The fact that Demeter gives her daughter up to Hades for four months out of the year makes for a dull story and leads me to believe that Demeter wants to be self loathing.
I thought this myth was really interesting. Demeter reminds me of Hera in a sense because she is vengeful. When the mother of the child got upset that Demeter has put her baby in the fire, Demeter got very angry and threw the baby on the ground. This reminds me of Hera's ability to hold massive grudges against women who Zeus had affairs with. I also think this myth provides an interesting explanation for why winter comes. The fact that winter comes when Perseohone dissappears to the underworld and summer comes when she returns is an cool way to think about the seasons.
I think its really interesting that in their myths their gods can suffer and make mistakes. In the current day, we seem to feel that God is perfect and that he never makes mistakes. It shows that they're gods were more similar to them. Persephone made the mistake of going off on her own in the countryside and got abducted by Hades. This teaches children a lesson that they should never go off on their own without supervision, because if a goddess can be taken, they can too. It also helps to associate the gods with the greeks, because they can understand Demeter's grief at the loss of her daughter. It also helps them to understand why the seasons change and why at times they cannot grow crops. It is not because of their own failings, its because of the gods.
Becky G.
I agree with Cherry. The gods and goddesses can be hypocritical because they think they are better than humans but have the same weaknesses as we do. Demeter mourns the loss of her daughter, which explains the famine and why the seasons are the way they are. She has feelings like any human would. Mainly, her lose is what made the seasons change.
The myth relating to Demeter definitely emphasizes the idea that the gods with more human characteristics are more related to. Demeter and Dionysus both experienced the pain of a human life while the other gods just partied on Olympus, enjoying their glory over the humans. These gods also relate more to women then men since the women do the chores related to them in reaping the harvest. This relationship also makes them more loving, since the sacrifices they require are not that of blood like other gods, but of the harvest.
This myth was a great way of showing how many myths were made up to explain bad crop seasons. They did this by believing that Demeter was upset about her daughter being taken away from her so she punished the people and showed her sadness by making the corn not grow. I think the idea of a god being mad or sad helped the people of Greece not fear things as much and just to think that something went wrong with one of the gods. It also puts a good explination to everything.
Demeter lost her daughter, Persephone, to Hades god of the underworld. lost in grief she wandered the world of men for nine days. Then lived in a temple built for her apart from Olympus. The world withered as her anger remained. Finally the gods went and asked her to give life to earth once more, but she refused unless she saw her daughter. Eventually Hades gave way and let the daughter visit Demeter. But Persephone could only come back from the underworld during spring and summer.
I agree with Mike when he says that he found it interesting how the myth explains seasons. It isnt something that you think about on a daily basis. Its also interesting how she is a god, but faces real life situations like losing a daughter. That is something that many people and parents can relate to. It shows that everyone, even the gods are capable of feeling emotions like that.
Agreeing with kyle S. the dementer myth is somewhat like the real world. And that demeter had some human qualities about her, she felt emotions that of to a human.Its interesting how these myths do explain the changing of the seasons and how the feelings of that god effected the world
My definition of mythology is an attempt to explain why the world around you works the way it does through stories. In the demeter myth, her daughter persephone is taken by hades, causing an infertile and bad year for the world, when the deal is made that half the year she would be with hades and the other with her, it explains why there is summer and winter. Or for the greeks, a season of crop growing and one that doesn't work out so well. This myth is an attempt to explain the world around them, and it is easier to relate to because you can understand Demeter's human emotion. Also, maybe this myth was a way for people not to like hades as well.
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