Myth:
Years after Persephone became wife to Hades he bore him a child, Punica. From a young age, Persephone had recognized Punica’s incredible beauty and kept her a secret from other immortals- as Demeter had warned Persephone to be extra cautious before Punica was snatched away. Disguised as a normal human, Punica attended school among the mortals during the day. At night and on weekends, she would transform into a pomegranate flower, residing with her mother in the underworld during fall and winter, then on Olympus with her mother and grandmother during the spring and summer. Whenever she was not at school, she was literally attached to Persephone.
Punica’s rebellious group of mortal friends, her only friends, Brandon, Mary and Elise, are the only three who know of her real identity. During her many adventures with her friends, the four would meet up at their secret spot in a meadow, and swim in Lake Enna nearby. On one of these visits, the Lord of the Seas, Poseidon, had caught glimpse of Punica, and fallen for her beauty. Not knowing the identity of the beautiful girl, Poseidon would often wait by their secret spot to hear someone call out her name. After a few weeks of listening for someone to identify her, one of her friends called out for her when playing a game: “Punica! Where are you? Come out, come out wherever you are… oh! Daughter of Kore, I know you are close!”
‘Daughter of Kore’ was all Poseidon needed to know exactly who this young maiden was- a secret daughter of Persephone and Hades. This information had also made him realize that she wasn’t a mortal, but a deity. Her existence being a secret made him crave her even more, on top of her divine beauty. Poseidon went to see Hades and Persephone, revealing that he knew of their secret daughter, but he will keep this secret, in exchange for her to be his. Hades considered this to be the only option, but Persephone disagreed. She refused to give up her daughter to anyone- especially a man known to take advantage.
As Persephone and Hades argue and continue to become bitter over the fate of their daughter, her visits to Demeter grow longer as the years progress- in turn extending the warmer months and making the climate on earth hotter and hotter. Poseidon, infuriated with not being given Punica and no longer being able to see her, melts the polar ice caps to get more water in hopes Punica will see and become drawn to him. Demeter also warns Persephone to prevent history from repeating itself, and to keep Punica far away from any body of water before she too bore a child for Poseidon. The Goddess Athena suggested schooling Punica deep in Athens, saying that any woman Poseidon gets a hold of will become a filthy reptile. As this conflict is yet to be resolved, the climate of the Earth continues to get warmer, and oceans larger.
Analysis of Myth:
“The Conflict between Persephone and Poseidon” is an aetiological myth explaining the origin and cause of global warming. This myth reveals the secret daughter of Persephone and Hades, Queen and King of the Underworld. Their daughter, Punica, coming from punica granatum, which means pomegranate, is a made-up character. I created this character and named her after a pomegranate because as mentioned in the Homeric Hymns, it was a pomegranate that Hades fed Persephone which forced her to be tied to the Underworld and him (Hom. Hymn. Dem. 390-469). In a way, the concept of Persephone not knowing the consequences of eating the pomegranate seed, is why I named this unknown, hidden daughter Punica. This is also why, whenever Punica would return to the Underworld or Olympus, she would be disguised as a pomegranate flower so that none of the other immortals came to know of her.
Punica is kept a secret as Demeter warns Persephone to “be extra cautious before Punica is snatched away,”- which is in reference to Persephone being taken by Hades, leaving Demeter in a state of despair as she cannot find her daughter (Hom. Hymn. Dem. 302-333). When Hades had secretly kidnapped Persephone, Demter had looked for many days and nights in search of her daughter (Apollod., Bibl. 1. 29). Demeter uses the pain from the separation she faced when losing Persephone to scare her and convince her to keep Punica hidden- and ensure history doesn't repeat itself.
As mentioned, in the fall and winter months Punica spends time with her parents in the Underworld. Then during the Spring and Summer months, she is up in Olympus with her mother and grandmother, Demeter. The reason the seasons influence where Punica goes is because the seasons reflect Persephone’s whereabouts. Whenever Persephone retreats to the underworld, Demeter disregards the crops and fertility of Earth- during the ⅓ portion that Persephone spends with Hades in the underworld (Hom. Hymn. Dem. 390-469). This is what explains the seasons of fall and winter. Then in spring, when Persephone returns to her mother, Demeter cares for and rejuvenates the land's crops and allows for growth and life and thrive again (Hom. Hymn. Dem. 390-469).
Punica and her friends have a secret hangout spot in a meadow, where they also go swimming in Lake Enna. Lake Enna is a location that I made up, but the name Enna is symbolic. Enna is the territory where Persephone was raped by Hades (Diod. Sic., Library of History 5. 3.1-2). This is significant because this secret is kept from everyone outside the friend group, as Enna would serve as a reminder of the time when Persephone and Demeter were separated- after Hades takes her. For Punica, keeping this location a secret is crucial for her and her friends' adventures.
Poseidon listens by Lake Enna as he tries to hear her name or any piece of information identifying her. Since her friends know who she really is, they reference her back to “Daughter of Kore.” When Poseidon heard “Daughter of Kore” he was instantly able to identify her with the Queen of the Underworld. Persephone has been referred to as Kore in different ancient texts, such as in Bibliotheca (Apollod., Bibl. 1. 29). As well as in the Library of History when referring to a sacred island to Demeter and Kore (Persephone) (Diod. Sic., Library of History 5.2.6). When Poseidon goes to make his offer to Persephone and Hades, Hades accepts while Persephone declines. This act of Poseidon asking his brother for his daughter mimics the Ancient myth of Hades asking Zeus for Persephone- who he gives to him (Hes. Theog. 910-915). Both (Hades and Poseidon) were struck by the beauty of the Goddess (Persephone and Punica) and asked her father (Zeus and Hades) to have her.
The tension between Hades and Persephone, and her stays with her mother become longer and longer as the years go on, is the concept used to explain global warming. In the Homeric Hymns, Persephone is tied to the underworld for ⅓ of the year and ⅔ with her mother and the other Gods and Goddesses in Olympus (Hom. Hymn. Dem. 390-469). However, I disregarded this rule, and stated that as the years progress, Persephone stays with her mother longer and longer. I did this because as global warming is impacting the world, the warmer climate on Earth (which in reality is due to increasing greenhouse gasses) is explained with the warmer season lasting longer when Persephone stays with her mother- avoiding Hades.
Polar ice caps melting (and rising sea levels) was also explained to be the cause of Poseidon melting them in order to have more water. Poseidon has been known to seduce and have his way with many immortal and mortal women. In my myth Demeter’s anger to Poseidon mimics her anger in Ancient texts when he had taken advantage of her. Poseidon is described to disguise himself as a horse and have his way with Demeter (Paus., Description of Greece 8. 25. 5). Then Demeter is said to bear a horse as a child to Poseidon (Apollod., Bibl. 3. 77). This is one of the reasons as to why Demeter encourages Persephone and disapproves of Poesidon’s wishes to have Punica. Another woman Poseidon slept with, mentioned in another ancient source, describes Poseidon to be water, and impregnate Iphimedeia, as she pours the ocean water on her vagina (Apollod., Bibl. 1. 53). In my myth I describe the phenomenon of the melting ice caps, as the doing of Poseidon as he tries to gain more water, in order to try and capture Punica’s attention. Getting more water is his attempts to seduce her just as he did to Iphimedeia (Apollod., Bibl. 1. 53).
Athena was also incorporated in my myth and she supports Persephone from giving up her daughter to Poseidon- suggesting she hide her deep in Athens. The mention of Athens is reference to an ancient conflict stated in Description of Greece, between Poseidon and Athena for the land of Attika- (Paus., Description of Greece 1. 24. 5). Poseidon and Athena are described to wanting the land of Attica, and by the the decision of 12 Gods appointed to by Zeus, gave Athena the land (because she planted an olive tree)- and in which she named Athens (Apollod., Bibl. 3.14.1). Athena also makes the statement that any woman that Poseidon gets a hold of becomes a “filthy reptile”. This is a reference to Medusa. In Metamorphoses, Poseidon is said to take advantage of Medusa in one of Athena’s shrines and as a punishment, Athena changes Medusa’s hair into a head full of snakes (Ov., Met. 4. 770 ff). Thus, the reference of reptiles is connected to the horrible faith Medusa faced.
“The Conflict between Persephone and Poseidon” is a fictional aetiological myth to describe the phenomenon of global warming. Rising global temperature is described to be the cause of Persephone’s extended stays with her mother, Demeter, as she avoids the Underworld and Hades. As the years progress, and the climate of the world increases as well, Persephone’s stay at her mothers’ grows longer each year. I also explained the origin of melting glaciers to be caused by Poseidon, as he gathers more water, disguising himself as it, to try and get to Punica. This is his attempt to seduce and impregnate her, just as he has done with many others- thus the anger and despise from Demeter. The different geographical locations, Lake Enna and Athens, refer back to old conflicts where Persephone was raped, and where Poseidon and Athena’s rivalry for Attika occurred. My myth ends without a resolution as this ongoing issue corresponds to the yearly temperatures and sea levels continuing to rise. The consequence of global warming continues to impact mankind, as the Gods and Goddesses dispute.
Works Cited:
Apollodorus. 1921. The Library. Translated by Sir James George Frazer. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd.
Hesiod. 1914. Theogony. Translated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd.
Ovid. 1922. Metamorphoses. Translated by Brookes More. Boston: Cornhill Publishing Co.
Pausanias. 1918. Description of Greece. Translated by W. H. S. Jones and H. A. Omerod. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd.
Siculus, Diodorus. 1935. Library of History. Translated by Charles Henry Oldfather. Cambridge: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann Ltd.
2004. “To Demeter” in Homeric Hymns. Translated by Stephen M. Trzaskoma, R. Scott Smith, Stephen Brunet. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company.
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