I just love the myth of Persephone, i mean the real, original version of it, because it’s not like she got kidnapped, no, this bitch was la-de-da-ing in a meadow and she just happened to find an entrance to the Underworld and she was like “Imma check this out”. And she just wanders into the Underworld and discovers that hey this place ain’t too bad.
Meanwhile Hades is in the background “????? UM??? PRETTY GIRL??? WHY ARE YOU HERE?????? YOU AREN’T DEAD???”
And Persephone (who was originally called Kore just a little fyi) just looked at him and said “I like it here. I’m staying.”
And Hades kinda just went with it, until Demeter started throwing the temper tantrum of the millenium upstairs and Zeus had to intervene because this shit was getting out of hand and its actually his job to be admistrator of justice. Which considering the shit he gets up to is kinda histerical but that’s another story there.
And basically Persephone wasn’t a prisoner or kidnap victim at all she just really loved the Underworld and her (eventual) husband, and the Greeks feared her arguably more than her husband because Hades could be reasoned with but Persephone was the one laying the smack down on sinners, and really, who wouldn’t be at least a little scared of someone who’s name means something along the lines of “the destroyer”
Basically, Persephone is amazing and everbody needs to get on her level
i think the best part of that myth is that Zeus decided to change Kore’s name to Persephone (basically “the one who brings chaos”) only because she wanted to stay in the underworld and SHE WOULDN’T FUCKING LISTEN then Zeus, all-mighty king of the gods, kinda gives up and goes “fine, but you’re going to visit your mom” “also, I changed your name” “get rekt”
Also, if I’m not mistaken, Kore means “little girl” so imagine going from that to “chaos bringer”
I mean, going from little girl to chaos bringer sounds like a p solid deal to me, sign me up.
not to mention getting one of the best husbands greek mythology could hope to supply.
He was the only one who never cheated on his wife. He’s a sweet nerd who named his giant three headed dog “Spot”. All his punishments are like “hey solve this puzzle for eternity” and then takes the last piece and calls over his shoulder that it resets every so often if they don’t finish it, where his brother Zeus is like “stand under this fruit tree in the middle of a lake and never get to eat or drink any of it even though you’ll be super hungry and thirsty” and “push this giant boulder up a hill” and “mm, chained to a rock and have birds peck out your vital organs every day” It gets a little murky depending on what aspects you’re looking at and what academic version, but honestly Hades is like pretty much the Greek equivalent of unproblematic fave. He was feared because he ruled the underworld and people feared death (even though he was the God of the Dead, not the god of Death, that was a totally different dude), not because he was particularly evil or any more terrifying than any of the other gods.
