Persephone was the Greek goddess of agriculture and the underworld. She was daughter of Demeter, goddess of grain, and Zeus, king of the gods. Her name took many forms, including Proserpina in Latin and Proserpine in English. Persephone was abducted by Hades, her uncle and god of the underworld, to be his wife. Angry and distraught at her daughter's disappearance, Demeter first made the earth barren, and then wandered weeping through the world until she discovered Persephone's location and demanded that the girl be returned to her. Zeus persuaded Hades to give up Persephone, but before Hades let her go, he forced her to eat six pomegranate seeds. The fruit was sacred to Hades, and for that reason Persephone was forever obliged to return to her husband for several months of every year, during fall and winter. While Persephone was below ground, nothing grew on earth, but fertility returned when she was reunited with her mother in spring. Pomegranate Symbolism In many cultures both the…