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Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse by Viktor Vasnetsov

Aggie doodles with @gethoce

Hello all! Since it is Halloween/Samhain/Calan Gaeaf/the start of harvest season, today's post will be about spooky moments in Greek mythology! There are plenty to choose from, but I'm going to go with one in particular.

(I'll also be making a similar post on @kalatordevesta about Roman religion & mythology!)

The story I choose is the one I chose in the title! Persephone going into the Underworld. Now, katabasis (descent into the Underworld) myths are a dime a dozen, found everywhere from Shinto (Izanagi descending to find Izanami) to ancient Mesopotamia and Sumer (Ishtar/Inanna finding their lovers) to Greece, of course! (Orpheus, Heracles, Odysseus...) Even Egyptian mythology's sun god Ra makes the nightly trek into the Duat on his solar barque.

There are a couple different versions of the Hades and Persephone myth, which is the specific one I'm discussing in this post (and even more in modernity, i.e. Hadestown.) One I particularly like, however, is the Homeric Hymn to Demeter's version.

You can read it here!: Homeric Hymn to Demeter - The Center for Hellenic Studies

A couple things I really like about this story; one, the focus on the mother and daughter relationship between Demeter and Persephone, two, the fact that Homer never actually uses the name "Hades" because the fear of death was so prominent in Ancient Greece, and three, the fact that Hekate leads Demeter through the night with her torches. I find it both really sweet and a good example of a narrative guide.

Horror aspects of this story: Kidnapping, of course, including the fact that Persephone is simply picking flowers when she's taken. Demeter turns around and she is gone. That's terrifying for any parent.

The torches & night. Hekate guiding Demeter through the night with torches feels like classic horror symbolism to me - night is already scary; having a small light like a torch is almost scarier, because you can only see some of it, not all of it.

The pomegranate. Persephone eating a pomegranate and then being destined to spend six months every year in the Underworld? Trapping. Also horror; to be trapped by your own actions and unaware that they will do so.

The winter. Demeter causing a winter and humans to starve - a natural, primal fear, that humans have feared since first walking on this planet. Now; an interesting thing is originally this may have described summer, because summer in Greece is very, very intense and horrible for plants. Scorches the earth and dehydrates the plants; often with droughts. I like both versions, but I do found the summer fact fascinating.

Now! Some other stories that I find fit right into the horror genre:

-Erisychthon. Also a story involving Demeter, this king chopped down a tree in Demeter's sacred grove and she sent the spirit of hunger, Limos, to be with him forever. He ate and ate and ate and could never be full, and so, eventually ate himself.

-The entire concept of Medusa. When I was little, the idea of a monster that could turn people to stone absolutely petrified me. (ha!) When my afterschool program put on The Lightning Thief movie, I covered my eyes and cowered in fear from Uma Thurman. (The sole thing that movie did well - besides eating the lotuses - is the woman turning to stone and Annabeth HOLDING HER HAND WHILE IT HAPPENS. Terrifying.) I'll also talk more on @kalatordevesta about this, because of course the Ovid story involves further horror.

-Odysseus and the Sirens. Your ears clear, hearing exactly what you want? Tied to the mast and desperate to dive into the water, knowing it will drown you? Absolutely terrifying. Also, I like the look of the traditional bird ladies, nice monster design. (Though, I appreciate Jorge Rivera Herrans' take in Epic.)

-Heracles. When Hera drove him mad, he killed his first wife and children - it's what set him on the path of his 12 Labors. It's tragic and horrific.

How to apply this to worship: While this post was largely focused on the myth side rather than the worship side, I still apply these things to worship! The first part is acknowledging that the gods - and heroes - aren't all good. They aren't bad or good, just like humans. They have emotions. They can feel terror and fear. Simply acknowledging this - Demeter's grief, Heracles' madness, Medusa's terror; shows that the gods and heroes (and even monsters) aren't just one thing. The other thing I do is apply these stories into worship. For example, one time when I prayed to Demeter, I recited the Homeric Hymn. This isn't a traditional practice by any means, but I felt a sense of eusebeia (piety) doing so. These stories can be used for meditation, recitation, or just something to think about.

Khaire Demeter, Khaire Persephone, khaire Heracles, khaire Odysseus, khaire Limos, and happy Halloween! Happy Calan Gaeaf and happy Samhain, and may your fall be prosperous. :)

I think I never actually posted this?? Based on this which turned into a little running gag:

Limos @quanblovk Linus @golemsfire

#kirby oc #limos #linus #gethoce.art

Greek myth AU designs I have yet to draw (Post 4) + lore

SEE OTHER POSTS HERE

Not that I don't love Bonzo, but could someone super impose Jimmy's face instead, that way I could saddle right up to him and have his hand on my thigh.

#dreams and fantasies #limos #the craziness that happens in backseats #john bonham #jimmy page #bonzo