Power In The Homeric Hymn To Demeter

The Homeric Hymn to Demeter is often viewed as an explanation of how seasons came to be. However, many overall themes can derive from the myth. It tells the story of Persephone, goddess of spring, taken against her will by Hades. Her grieving mother, Demeter, goes through great lengths to be reunited with her beloved daughter. Throughout the story, it’s clear to see that one of the main focuses of the hymn is on power and how gender plays a role into that.

From the beginning of the hymn, the theme of power is clearly illustrated. Hades takes Persephone against her will but with permission from Zeus. Zeus does this “without the consent of Demeter” (line 4). Interestingly enough when Persephone is taken, she screams “calling on her father” (line 21) instead of her mother. This is because the male gender was seen as being stronger and wiser above woman. A woman’s place was under the guidance of a male.

The flowers symbolize her sexauality, but Persephone sees it as a toy. Demeter sees her daughter as a child and is angered when Persephone is taken from her. Though Demeter is a powerful goddess herself, Zeus and Hades do not feel the need to consult her because to them, she is somehow below their level. Hades is the one to throw Persephone into womanhood. When he forces the pomegranate seeds into her mouth, that symbolizes her losing her virginity. He knew that would force her to stay and it shows another way of how males had power over