Demeter was the goddess of corn, grain, and the harvest. She was the daughter of Cronos and Rhea. Demeter was believed to grow the crops every year; Thus he was offered the first loaf of loaves of the annual harvest. She was the goddess of the earth, agriculture, and fertility in general. Sacred to her are livestock and agricultural products, the poppy, the narcissus, and the crane.
Demeter was intimately associated with the seasons. His daughter Persephone was kidnapped by Hades to be his wife in the underworld. In her anger at the loss of her daughter, Demeter put a curse on the world that caused the plants to wither and die, and the land to become desolate. Zeus, alarmed by the barren land, sought the return of Persephone. However, because she had eaten in the underworld, Hades had a claim on her. Therefore, it was decreed that Persephone would spend four months each year in the underworld. During these months Demeter grieved over the absence of her daughter, withdrawing her gifts from the world, creating winter. His return brought spring.
Demeter was also known for founding the Eleusinian Mysteries. These were huge festivals held every five years and very important events for many centuries. However, little is known about them as the assistants were sworn to secrecy. The central principle around which the Mysteries revolved is thought to be that, just as grain returns each spring after its harvest and the calm of winter, so does the human soul after the death of the body, reincarnating into a next life.
Demeter was worshiped on Crete, Delos, Argolis, Attica, the west coast of Asia, Sicily, and Italy, and her worship consisted largely of organic mysteries. Among the many festivals held in his honor, Thesmophoria and Eleusinia were the main ones. The sacrifices that were offered to him consisted of pigs, symbols of fertility, bulls, cows, honey cakes and fruits. Their temples were called Megara, and they were often built in groves in the neighborhood of cities. Many of their surnames are descriptive of the character of the goddess.
