Demeter

GODDESS OF HARVEST

Every Autumn, when the trees had turned and the season’s final seeds were in the ground, farmers would begin the most widespread ritual in Ancient Greece. Cloth tents would start to pop up in the fields, growing in numbers until they dotted the countryside. Farmers dug enormous pits and filled them with fresh breads, cakes, meats, and produce. When the work was over, the husbands went home — but the wives would stay in the tents for three days, alternating between fasts and feasts in honor of the goddess Demeter.

The Ancient Greeks worshiped many gods and goddesses of the harvest, but Demeter was the most revered. Of all the agricultural deities, she alone had a spot in Mount Olympus, where she watched over crops and ensured a plentiful harvest. It was Demeter who brought grains down from the heavens, teaching farmers to grow the wheat and barley that sustained all of Greece. She also taught the Greeks to make bread, and to cultivate the native yeasts that would help their loaves rise. Demeter controlled the seasons from Mount Olympus, and when tragedy struck her, all of Greece fell into famine and drought.

Demeter’s daughter, Persephone, was abducted into the underworld by Hades. The god of the dead trapped Persephone in hell, and Demeter, wrought with grief, abandoned Mount Olympus to go find her daughter. She alone had a spot in Mount Olympus, where she watched over the crops and ensured a plentiful harvest. When Demeter left, the seasons came to a halt. All plants stopped growing and eventually began to die. As Earth drew closer to extinction, Hades agreed to let Persephone go — as long as she returned to visit him for several months out of each year.

The myth is that each year during those months — the dry heat of summer and the deep cold of winter — Demeter grieves for the loss of her daughter, which is why nothing will grow. And when Persephone returns, Demeter rejoices, bringing lush rains and ushering in a bountiful harvest.

Today, Demeter is immortalized in Ancient Greek statues that spread from Athens to Turkey. And while she may not be actively worshiped, many Greek farmers still keep an idol of Demeter at home — a reminder of the history and fertility that imbues their land.