Every year before the ancient Greeks sowed their seeds of grain, they celebrated Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. On Earth, each morsel of food was sweet sustenance, while in the land of the dead, it ensured a permanent stay. Demeter tended to Earth’s fields with her beloved daughter, Persephone, who inherited her mother’s passions and grew into a bright young woman. But all the while, a shadowy figure watched from below.
Setiap tahunnya, sebelum masyarakat Yunani kuno menebar biji tanaman, mereka menyembah Demeter, dewi pertanian. Di bumi, tiap suap makanan adalah rezeki, sementara di dunia kematian, hal itu menandakan keabadian. Demeter merawat bumi bersama putri kesayangannya, Persephone, yang mewarisi tekad ibunya dan tumbuh menjadi gadis muda yang cerdas. Sementara itu, sesosok bayangan mengintai di kejauhan.
One day, Persephone was frolicking in a meadow with a freshwater nymph, Cyane. As they admired a blooming narcissus flower, they noticed it tremble in the ground. Suddenly, the earth split, and a terrifying figure arose. It was Hades, god of the dead and the underworld. He wrenched Persephone from Cyane, dragged her into his inky chariot, and blasted back through the earth.
Suatu hari, saat Persephone sedang bersenda gurau di padang rumput bersama peri air tawar, Cyane. Saat tengah mengagumi bunga narcissus yang bermekaran, mereka menyadari tanah mulai bergetar. Mendadak bumi terbelah, dan sosok mengerikan muncul dari tanah. Ia adalah Hades, dewa kematian dan neraka. Ia menculik Persephone, membawanya menggunakan kereta tempur, dan melesat kembali ke perut bumi.
Cyane wept so hard she dissolved, becoming one with the river. By the time Demeter arrived at the scene of the abduction, the crater in the meadow had closed— and Cyane and Persephone had vanished.
Cyane menangis sejadi-jadinya, hingga larut menyatu dengan sungai. Saat Demeter tiba di lokasi kejadian, ceruk di padang rumput sudah tertutup— serta Cyane dan Persephone telah lenyap.
Demeter sped to Mount Olympus for help. Many of the gods had witnessed the scene. And they knew about the deal that paved the way for it: Zeus, Persephone’s father, had granted Hades her hand in marriage without her consent— or Demeter’s. But when faced with Demeter’s pleas, the other gods stayed silent,
Demeter melesat menuju gunung Olympus untuk meminta bantuan. Sebagian besar dewa menyaksikan kejadian tersebut. Mereka sudah mengetahui alasan dibalik peristiwa tersebut: Zeus, ayah Persephone, mengabulkan keinginan Hades untuk menikah tanpa persetujuan baik dari Persephone maupun Demeter. Ketika Demeter memohon bantuan, dewa-dewa lain tak mengacuhkannya.
So, she searched alone. In her grief and desperation, she neglected her usual tasks. Crops withered, and a great famine plagued the Earth. As mortals began to perish, the gods grew wary. Who would worship them and offer tributes if the humans disappeared? So, Zeus ordered Demeter to stop her crusade and returned to her duties. But she refused.
Jadi, ia putuskan mencari anaknya sendiri. Larut dalam sedih dan putus asa, ia melalaikan kewajibannya. Panen-panen gagal dan kelaparan hebat melanda seluruh dunia. Saat manusia mulai binasa, dewa-dewa mulai gelisah. Apabila manusia binasa, siapa yang akan menyembah mereka dan memberi sajen? Zeus meminta Demeter untuk menghentikan pencarian dan menunaikan kewajibannya. Namun, ia menolak.
Deep below, across the frigid river Styx, and through the halls of the underworld, Persephone was waging her own protest. Hades expected her to serve as his wife and queen. But Persephone rebuffed the god’s advances and refused food. As she longed for her mother’s company, her friends’ laughter, and the sun’s warmth, Persephone grew colder and lonelier. And she was starving. She hungered for satisfying grains, crisp vegetables and fresh fruit. Wandering the ghostly gardens, she contemplated the pomegranates that hung heavily on their branches...
Melintasi sungai Styx yang dingin, dan melalui lorong-lorong dunia bawah, Persephone sedang berjuang untuk dirinya sendiri. Hades ingin memperistri dan menjadikannya ratu. Namun, Persephone menolak penawarannya dan menolak untuk makan. Saat ia merindukan dekapan ibunya, tawa teman-temannya, hangatnya mentari, Persephone semakin dingin dan kesepian. Dan ia kelaparan. Ia merindukan makanan enak seperti biji-bijian, sayur, dan buah segar. Berkeliaran di taman angker, dia menyaksikan buah delima menggantung di cabang-cabangnya...
Meanwhile, Demeter continued her hunt. She appealed to the all-seeing sun god, Helios, whose rays had long warmed her crops. Indeed, when Helios drew his golden chariot across the sky that fateful day, he saw what happened— and he knew of the deal. Out of respect and sympathy for Demeter, Helios told her of Hades’ demands, Zeus’ betrayal and Persephone’s abduction.
Sementara itu, Demeter kembali melanjutkan perburuannya. Ia memohon pada Helios, saksi kunci sekaligus dewa matahari yang menyinari tanamannya sepanjang hari. Tentu saja, saat Helios menunggangi kereta emasnya melintasi bumi, ia menyaksikan apa yang terjadi— dan tahu kesepakatan yang terjadi. Karena rasa hormat dan simpatinya pada Demeter, Helios membeberkan permintaan Hades, pengkhianatan Zeus, dan penculikan Persephone.
Furious and heartbroken, Demeter sped to Mount Olympus and confronted Zeus, demanding their daughter’s return. But Zeus declined: in her ravenous hunger, Persephone had eaten a few seeds from the pomegranate that grew in the underworld. Though a meager amount, it was enough to ensnare her in Hades forever. Demeter wouldn't accept this fate. She swore that if she wasn’t reunited with Persephone, the fields would never be fertile again, and the distinction between the Earth and the underworld would soon dissolve. So, they made a pact. For two thirds of every year, Persephone would return to the land of the living, But for the remainder, she would stay in the world of the dead.
Murka dan sakit hati, Demeter melesat ke Bukit Olympus dan menghadap Zeus, meminta putri mereka kembali. Namun, Zeus menolak: dalam kondisi sangat kelaparan, Persephone memakan beberapa biji delima yang tumbuh di dunia bawah. Meskipun secuil, itu sudah cukup menjeratnya dalam dekapan Hades selamanya. Demeter tak menerima kenyataan tersebut. Ia berjanji apabila ia tak mendapatkan Persephone kembali, tanah takkan pernah lagi subur, dan ia akan membuat bumi tak ada bedanya dengan neraka. Jadi, mereka membuat kesepakatan. Delapan bulan dalam setahun, Persephone hidup di bumi. Sementara sisanya, ia harus tinggal di dunia orang mati.
When Persephone ascended to Earth, she and her mother rejoiced. Together, they showered the fields with rain and nurtured them with sun. For mortals, Persephone’s arrival came to herald the start of spring. But her descent always came too soon. Each time she returned to Hades, Demeter mourned, and the earth grew cold, dark, and unyielding, ushering in the winter months. Knowing Demeter couldn’t be roused from her grief, the humans stored their crops, stoked their fires, and awaited Persephone’s safe return. And so it was that her transit marked the gradual turning of the seasons and the bittersweet compromise between life and death.
Ketika Persephone naik ke bumi, ia dan ibunya hidup bahagia. Bersama-sama, mereka kembali menyirami dan menyinari tumbuh-tumbuhan. Bagi manusia, kedatangan Persephone menandai awal musim semi. Namun, waktu berlalu dengan cepat. Setiap kali putrinya kembali ke Hades, Demeter bersedih, bumi berubah dingin, suram, dan beku, berarak ke musim dingin. Mengetahui Demeter tak bisa bangkit dari kesedihannya, manusia mulai menyimpan hasil panennya dan menyalakan perapian, sembari menunggu Persephone kembali dengan selamat. Perjalanannya menandai pergantian musim secara bertahap dan pahit manisnya kesepakatan antara kehidupan dan kematian.