Persephone, Bringer of SpringGoddess of: Spring, Flowers
Job: Queen of the Underworld Appearance: A beautiful young maiden. Characteristics: Some sources say she doesn't enjoy staying in the Underworld with Hades and is always complaining and being grumpy, others say she does like staying with Hades. Although I'd prefer if she enjoyed it. :) Symbols / Sacred Objects: Flowers (obviously!), pomegranates (see Cool Fact #1) Roman Name: Proserpine Also Known As: Kore Parents: Zeus and Demeter (another illegitimate kid!). Married to: Hades (who is also her uncle - messed up right?) Strengths: Loving and Lovely. One of the only people able to calm Hades' anger. Weaknesses: Nothing particular. | Cool Facts:
#1 The most famous story about her is the Abduction of Persephone, which is a very well known myth. Basically, this is what happened: One day, Hades decided he was too lonely ruling by himself in the Underworld, so he set out into the land of the living and tried to find a bride. There he saw Persephone and decided she would be good to marry, so he went to Zeus and asked, "Hey, can I marry your daughter?" and Zeus replied, "Yeah, sure, whatever." The only problem was that he DIDN'T TELL DEMETER OR PERSEPHONE ABOUT THIS! A bit of an oversight? Anyways, Hades, who, having been alienated by his own family and spending most of his time by himself in the Underworld, had very poor social skills and decided the best way to win Persephone over was to kidnap her. So as she was picking flowers with Athena and Artemis, the ground suddenly split open under her feet and Hades drove out and caught her, then rode back to the Underworld through the crack. Being the God of the Underworld, Hades is already scary enough. Seeing him in love? Well, anyone would be frightened. So after that traumatizing event Athena and Artemis hurried back and told Demeter, who then went to see for herself, and sure enough, her daughter wasn't there anymore. So then she started complaining to Zeus, who was quite puzzled, "I think they're a good couple." "ARE YOU NUTS?!" Demeter screamed and started mourning for her daughter day and night. She abandoned all her duties as the goddess of harvest and growth, and soon everyone on Earth was dying of starvation because no food was growing. Zeus was, naturally, worried, so he finally sent Hermes down to the Underworld to get Persephone back. Of course Hades didn't want to let her go, after all he'd just married her! "Well," Hermes said, "would you rather have everyone on Earth die and overpopulate your kingdom?" "Guess not..." Hades muttered. No one can win an argument with Hermes. :) But Hades had a cruel smile on his face as Hermes led Persephone back to the Upper World. "Persephone!" Demeter cried when she saw her, "you're alive!" The world was now turning green and alive again. "Of course I am mom," Persephone rolled her eyes, "I'm a goddess." "I was just anxious about you dear," Demeter's expression suddenly turned worried. "You didn't eat anything while you were there, did you?" "Only six pomegranate seeds," Persephone replied honestly. "GAH!" Demeter began to tear her hair out, and everything was dead and brown once more. "What's wrong?" Persephone asked cluelessly. "Anyone who eats anything from the Underworld is bound to the Underworld and cannot leave," her mother explained. "Then why am I here now?" Persephone wanted to know. "You won't be able to stay here forever," Demeter said sadly. Suddenly Hades appeared and roared, "MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA! Now she must stay with me!" "Like that's going to happen," Demeter retorted. "Of course it will. You know the rules, sis," Hades laughed. "Grr... I will destroy the world if she stays with you!" Persephone was getting worried. How could she appease both her husband and her mother, when they wanted the exact opposite things? Luckily for her, Hermes 'happened' to walk by just then and overheard them bickering. "How's this," he proposed, "for each of the six seeds Persephone has eaten, she will stay with Hades for one month. Then, after six months, she can return to her mother for the other half of the year. Repeat cycle forever. How's that?" Persephone exclaimed, "That's perfect!" And Hades and Demeter reluctantly agreed. "That's settled then!" Now, for the half of the year that Demeter is with her daughter, she celebrates and the world has fresh food (summer). For the other half, Demeter is still grieving for her daughter and the world becomes cold and barren again (winter). Repeat cycle forever. And that is how the seasons came to be. :) |
Hypnos, Personification of Sleep
God of: Sleep
Job: Enjoys putting people to sleep, sometimes randomly. Also likes sleeping.
Appearance:
A young man with wings on either his shoulders or his forhead (as Rick Riordan says, 'probably to keep him from doing a face plant whenever he falls asleep').
Characteristics: Sleepy (duh...)
Symbols / Sacred Objects: A poppy stem (poppies supposedly put people to sleep real easy - read the Wizard of Oz!) and a branch dipped in the waters of the River Lethe
Roman Name: Somnus
Also Known As: Kore
Parents: Zeus and
Demeter (another illegitimate kid!).
Married to:
Hades (who is also her uncle - messed up
right?)
Strengths: Loving and Lovely. One of
the only people able to calm Hades' anger.
Weaknesses:
Nothing particular.
Cool Facts:
#1 Can actually fall asleep (for real) on demand.
#2 His brother is Thanatos (death).
Job: Enjoys putting people to sleep, sometimes randomly. Also likes sleeping.
Appearance:
A young man with wings on either his shoulders or his forhead (as Rick Riordan says, 'probably to keep him from doing a face plant whenever he falls asleep').
Characteristics: Sleepy (duh...)
Symbols / Sacred Objects: A poppy stem (poppies supposedly put people to sleep real easy - read the Wizard of Oz!) and a branch dipped in the waters of the River Lethe
Roman Name: Somnus
Also Known As: Kore
Parents: Zeus and
Demeter (another illegitimate kid!).
Married to:
Hades (who is also her uncle - messed up
right?)
Strengths: Loving and Lovely. One of
the only people able to calm Hades' anger.
Weaknesses:
Nothing particular.
Cool Facts:
#1 Can actually fall asleep (for real) on demand.
#2 His brother is Thanatos (death).