A Prequel of the Pomegranate Seeds
Part 1.09
Character: Ceres, the goddess of the harvest
Ceres is a middle-aged lady who is strong enough to work in the field and has an affinity for the tranquility of the world. She is a caring mother who is not only concerned with her own wellbeing, but also with the welfare of her daughter, Proserpine. Ceres knows how to discern between dangerous characters and safe ones. Besides, her compassionate nature is witnessed in the immense love she shows her daughter and the trusting manner with which she treats the Nymphs of the sea. She, however, is able to compromise and agrees to a deal that ensures she lives with Proserpine for six months in a year.
It seems like the decision made against her daughter Proserpine unfavored mother Ceres. This situation utterly distresses Ceres. Her character can be described as a loving person. Nevertheless, amidst her tribulations, she is optimistic and does not heed the counsel of Hecate, who suggested that they remain sad in a cave. This explains why Mother Ceres travels for nine days and nights without taking a single break. She is equally saddened by the fact that her daughter has to live with Pluto for six months every year.
After the incident, Cere develops negative attitudes towards people who are trouble makers. She allows her daughter to go to the sea show and play with the nymphs but is aware that “Young girls, without their mother, are very apt to get into mischief.” This explains why she searches everywhere and asks everyone on the whereabouts of her daughter with the idea that someone mischievous might have led her astray.
Part 1.12
In the ancient world, there were different empires and kingdoms ruled by gods, goddesses, queens, and kings. Pluto, the king of the underworld and ruler of the dead, was the wealthiest person on earth and in the underworld empire. He attracted most men and women, and become a role model to many in his realm. Pluto loved to ride his houses every evening and surveyed his kingdom. Since he was the most vigorous ruler in the underworld empire, Pluto rode on a broad-chassis chariot that was pulled by big four black horses. Unlike the queens on earth, this king rode on the four black horses, which signified power, fear, authority, death, evil, and strength. No man would dare to question the “majesty” works of Pluto.
Despite the significant power and wealth he had, Pluto was never happy in his palace. He was so lonely. He had no friends, relatives, or even a family. Most people were much willing to be close to the king. However, he seemed to be so fierce that no one could dare come close to him. Pluto was not happy with his loneliness. He seemed to be often delighted every evening when he rode towards the palace. Maybe he had made new friends while on his trip. But if they were outside friends that made him happy, at least Pluto should have returned with one of them. No one knew why he seemed to be satisfied when outside the palace.
The loneliness of the king came to an abrupt end when one evening, he returned with a visitor. The slaves and servants in the palace were so much shocked since the visitor was a woman. Her head was wrapped in a black sack that she could not see where she was heading too. Nobody could also recognize her face. However, it seems that she had been abducted. Who could dare and question Pluto about the visitor? The following morning, the king declared a festival to be held to welcome the new visitor in the kingdom. After long hours of drinking, eating a dancing, Pluto stood up from his throne and cleared his throat. Silence covered the atmosphere.
“I am the luckiest being on underworld and even on earth.” Pluto started his speech. “Today, I was accompanied by a visitor, the most beautiful creature existing in the universe. May I take this little opportunity to present to you my guest” At this point, the king ordered his guards to uncover the woman’s head. What!!! She was Proserpine, daughter of Ceres and Zeus. Indeed she was so beautiful, but nobody expected this. At this point, for the first time, the congregants thought that Pluto had dared with the Ceres. The celebration, however, continued as it was planned till in the evening. All this time, Proserpine had hung her head in shame, tears dropping down from her eyes.
Ceres was the goddess of corn and harvest. This was her only daughter, which she got from her union with Zeus, the king of all gods. The goddess of corn and harvest is now blaming herself for being unable to rescue Proserpine, who was by then picking flowers on a farm along the river at the time she was abducted. Ceres was in her palace when she heard some screaming coming outside the compound. It took time for her to go stairs and so reached the place when Pluto, who was madly in love with her daughter, had already grabbed Proserpine and headed down the underworld. However, she did not recognize Pluto during the abduction.
The Goddess of Corn and harvest searched the entire earth for her daughter. Immediately she realized that the king of the underworld abducted Proserpine; she becomes so angry and strikes the surface with drought. This made all the harvests fail. The earth became barren, and human beings were suffering most. When Zeus saw from the heavens that the planet was suffering, he decided to meditate. In the arbitration, the two sides agreed that Proserpine would spend half of the year with Pluto in the underworld, and the second half of the year rejoin her mother. While her daughter was still underworld, Ceres withdraws the curse of drought and winter comes.
The forced existence of Proserpine in the palace made Pluto even lonelier. She was there unwillingly and did not love her “husband.” Pluto felt rejected and of no use to her. Things become worse when the king found Proserpine trying to escape from the underworld kingdom. Ever time Proserpine, who was now the new queen of the underworld, would go back to her mother, Ceres would bring things on earth to life while when she returns to Pluto, her mother brought drought. These scenarios made Pluto feel more unworthy to the eyes of the gods and even to his subjects. He could no longer take these intimidations, and therefore the king decided to release Proserpine back to her matrimonial. All these incidents make Pluto lean that one cannot force people to love them.