Persephone

How to recognise Persephone

1. Long robeA stately young woman in a peplos or chiton, as on the Great Eleusinian Relief (c. 430-420 BC), where she stands beside Demeter and the hero Triptolemus.
2. Diadem or crownReliefs and vase paintings often show her crowned, marking her as queen of the underworld.
3. TorchHer best-known attribute, shown on the Ninnion Tablet from Eleusis (c. 450 BC), recalling Demeter's search and the night-time rites.
4. WheatEars or a sheaf of grain mark Kore as goddess of spring growth; wheat and the torch were the symbols of the Eleusinian cult.
5. PomegranateA round red fruit with a crown-like calyx, whole or split to show red seeds, recalls the fruit she ate in the underworld that bound her to Hades for part of the year.
6. SceptreA sign of her queenship, which in a full-length figure may take the place of the torch.
7. Rising from the earthSome images show her emerging from a cleft in the ground, as on an Attic bell krater (c. 440 BC) in the Metropolitan Museum, her return to the world above.

Names and titles

• Kore, the MaidenHer name as goddess of spring growth; 'Kore' means both daughter and maiden
• Queen of the UnderworldHer role as wife of Hades and ruler, with him, of the dead
• Bearer of the TorchThe flaming torch is her best-known attribute, recalling the night rites at Eleusis
• Lady of Spring's ReturnHer yearly return to the world is marked by the flowering of the meadows and the rise of new grain
• The Pomegranate SeedThe seed she ate below bound her to the underworld for part of every year

Feast days

• Thesmophoria, day 111 October 2027 (date to be confirmed)

  Anodos ("ascent") opens the Thesmophoria, the women's festival of Demeter and Persephone. This is the same celebration as the first-day entry above, shown for the following year. Its date here is an estimate.

  How it's celebrated. The date may shift by a day, so check Hellenion's calendar for the year; I could not find a 2027 edition yet. In ancient Athens, women went up to the sanctuary of Demeter Thesmophoros and camped apart from men. Modern Hellenic polytheist observance varies, and some adapt the pig offerings symbolically.

  Sources: Oxford Reference: Thesmophoria · Hellenion 2026 Calendar

• Thesmophoria, day 212 October 2027 (date to be confirmed)

  Nesteia ("fasting") is the solemn second day of the Thesmophoria, a time of mourning with Demeter for Persephone. This is the same celebration as the second-day entry above, shown for the following year. Its date here is an estimate.

  How it's celebrated. The date may shift by a day, so check Hellenion's calendar for the year. In ancient accounts, women fasted and sat on the ground in imitation of Demeter's grief. Modern devotees may fast or keep a quiet meal, and practice varies between groups and individuals.

  Sources: Encyclopedia.com: Thesmophoria · Hellenion 2026 Calendar

• Thesmophoria, day 313 October 2027 (date to be confirmed)

  Kalligeneia ("fair birth") is the joyful third day of the Thesmophoria, with prayers for children and abundance. This is the same celebration as the third-day entry above, shown for the following year. Its date here is an estimate.

  How it's celebrated. The date may shift by a day, so check Hellenion's calendar for the year. In ancient Athens the day included a feast, and women called on the goddess Kalligeneia. Modern Hellenic polytheists mark it in varied ways, often with a shared meal and prayers to Demeter and Persephone.

  Sources: Eleusis: Thesmophoria · Wikipedia: Thesmophoria · Hellenion 2026 Calendar