#Like in one version she even allows Pirithous to go

[persephoneism]

"Persephone is scary" Dionysus made mothers kill their own sons. Aphrodite cursed children to lust after their parents.

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Why Hades x Persephone Isn't The Healthy Couple You Think They Are (Part 2)

I strongly recommend that you read Part 1 before Part 2 ...

In my first post, I thoroughly debunked the myths people have about this myth, and re-examined the historical context behind the myths, and so this post will just be wrapping things up with my own thoughts on the subject.

Another fairly minor but still common misconception I've seen is that Hades is steadfast loyal to Persephone, which is not true. In the original myth about Minthe, the word used is pallake, which is Greek for 'concubine' (even though Minthe never bore Hades a child). In the original myth about Leuke, an Oceanid and friend of Persephone, the word used is adamavit, which is an Latin verb used for describing passionate yet adulterous love. (Hades also abducted Leuke to the Underworld, so ...) The Roman poet, Vergil, claims that Hades fathered the Furies with Nyx (and Nyx is their mother according to Apollodorus). Hades is, after all, King of the Underworld and ancient kings will always have their concubines if only one can be the queen consort (see my post, Why Hera Isn't The Jealous Wife You Think She Is).

People use Persephone turning Minthe into, well, a mint plant and stomping on her as 'proof' of her love for Hades, but that's only one version of the myth, the other version of the myth has DEMETER turning Minthe into a mint plant and stomping on her, which is likely to be the original myth since there was a hill named after her in the neighborhood of Pylos, and there was a temple to Hades and a grove to Demeter at its foot (source: Theoi.com). They also disregard how Persephone has cheated on Hades with Adonis (one of the only goddesses to cheat on her husband), whom she raised as a baby (so a classic case of the abused becoming the abuser) and so Adonis chose Aphrodite over her. A girl is not going to fall in love with her uncle who kidnapped and raped her, and if she does, we would call that Stockholm Syndrome.

Really, the only inclination I've seen of these two actually loving each other (or, rather Persephone loving Hades) is when Melinoe was conceived on the banks of the river Cocytus ... but that's in the Orphic Hymns, where Persephone has sex with her daddy Zeus who is the guise of her husband, Hades. No, Hades saving Persephone from Pirithous doesn't count, because Zeus would have done the same if it was Hera (and he did, in many myths). Sure, Hades treats Persephone with respect, but bear in mind he's terrified of her mother, who made it abundantly clear (pun intended) that she could make his job infinitely harder.

Oh, and few people know this, but Demeter's son, Plutus, the God of Wealth, was originally fathered by Hades (y'know, the God of Wealth, whose name is also Plutus). Ioanna Papadopoulou, an Greek author, actually touched upon this in her retelling of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, Winter Harvest.

Lastly, the final misconception is that Hades and Persephone are together for six months, which is why we have the fall/autumn and winter season, but that's a misconception dating back to the application of Victorian Era protoscience to Hellenism. The Mediterranean climate of Greece and Rome doesn't allow for four seasons, and heavy snow don't occur in Greece, the myth is to explain why crops don't grow for a third of the year (since the Ancient Greeks divided their calendar into thirds), so, really, Hades only has his wife around for four months (two in the winter, and two in the summer). In the myth of Adonis, Zeus divided Adonis' time with Persephone and Aphrodite into thirds; he gets four months with Persephone, four months with Aphrodite, and a third by himself (which he chooses to spend with Aphrodite).

I'd also like to mention the reason why you don't see other myths about Hades and Persephone is because of the taboo on death-worship in Ancient Greek culture. Ancient Greeks would address Hades by his epithet, 'Aidoneus', or his nickname, 'Zeus of the Underworld'. They would also address Persephone as 'Kore' or 'Despoina' (also the name of her half-sister fathered by Poseidon). People would only use Persephone's name in curses. There is a reason why you don't see Hades depicted as unreasonable (his epithet, 'Aidoneus', is Greek for 'reasonable mind'), when compared to Zeus and Poseidon. People figured out that Zeus was lustful and Poseidon wrathful, so they attempted to lift up Hades as some kind of dark and repressed antihero, but really, it's more Palpatine bad versus Vader bad.

FUN FACT: In Ancient Greece, unmarried girls who died young was considered a Really Bad Thing. A big upset for the family - basically it meant you were a shitty parent. (Of course, assuming that these families weren't the cause of their deaths ...) So, what the women in the family would do is dress their deceased daughters up as if they were going to get married. The funeral procession would play out like a wedding profession and during the bridal ceremony, the daughter would "marry" Hades as his newest concubine. It's a way to comfort parents because believing that your daughter is at his mercy sounds terrible, but with Persephone, you can imagine that she's looking after your lost little girl. (I suspect it's also to ward off necrophilia ...)

My own thoughts on this subject?

I am absolutely convinced that women just really want to fantasize about the original versions of myth but also don't want to admit it so they have to retell it. Women seem to have collectively agreed they would get excited over the thought of getting taken by an abusive kidnapper. I think our tendency to write and seek out these types of retellings (where there is a romanticization of an abusive situation) is also deeply connected to our internalized misogyny and the romanticization of abuse that a lot of us have grown up with. We were taught in many different ways that physical (including sexual) and emotional (including verbal), stalking, abduction, etc, is romantic when guys do it. We were taught that it means he loves us and that it's something we should desire; that it means we are special. (E.G. Little girls are told that if a little boy hits her, it means he likes her, and they also get shown movies like Beauty and the Beast.) Growing up with these messages instilled in us through sayings, stories and so on, as well as (for many of us) having experienced this firsthand in romantic and sexual relationships means it's now deeply rooted in us; in our worldviews and sexualities, and so we tend to repeat the pattern.

I think making Hades the hero and Demeter the villain in modern retellings is another proof of how much we are influenced by the patriarchy. It just fits in so perfectly in all the stereotypes about the evil mother-in-law.

Plus it helps that Hades is "shadow daddy". He is dark, brooding, mysterious, emotionally distant, vaguely Goth, probably tall and skinny. The myth of Hades and Persephone hits all the tropes popular in Epic Dark Romance like a wrecking ball, 50 Shades of Hades and all, but let's just normalize being abducted and raped by your uncle as a child, right?

[amethystjewel01]

Okay so I had accidentally created an au for Roseblanc, tbh it was in spite but then it became into something I genuinely love without any spite.

These are the designs, personally I like having skin show when I make designs on my own. So that why the dress has a big hip holes, the back covers more though. Riddle's design was based off of Thanatos from the Hades game, that one with beef cake Zack. Also fyi the hair color isn't accurate anymore cause this was drawn before I made my sona reference.

Neige's dress is slightly see through, it's supposed to look fairyish. Cause sweet Persephone gotta be looking fine.

Notes for this AU

Riddle is a combination of both Hades and Thanatos, as I thought that would be more interesting and would give a single god more work than necessary. 

While Neige is based on Persephone, there will not be Demeter in this. This is because I honestly couldn't think of someone who could be Demeter, but also because it's easy to write the tale without the need for her.

Amethyst (this is weird, writing in 3rd person about myself) is based off of Hecate, that much is obvious. But she'll more so be like a godly mortal? Like she's still Hecate but more so she is granted god status because of this story then her being born one.

Also Cerberus is Grim, no I won't change that. He even will have a human form, because why not. (He doesn't show up but I just wanted it to be known. Your welcome Cas~ >;3)

Now let's get into this. Written below is essentially what would be the myth of how the ship came to be.

I did get some feedback that Riddle's and Amey's relationship wasn't established enough at the end, so I'll say there is another myth that establishes it more. But I haven't written that yet, it's based off of the time Theseus and Pirithous trying to kidnap Persephone but Hades didn't let that happen.

How my version goes is Amey was gonna be kidnapped instead, and Riddle would have none of it. Basically yeah dhsjsbsjs again I don't have the whole thing written down so I wouldn't be able to fully describe it. But yeah timeline wise it gets better later on.

Legends tell of how the god of springtime met his beloveds, creating a strange yet beautiful unification of both the surface world and the realm of the dead.

This is the tale of Neige, Amethyst, and Riddle. The rulers of the underworld.

It was a normal day for the god of spring, Neige Leblanche, tending to his garden. He would converse with the animals that scurried by him and sometimes grow small berry bushes for them to snack from. He sighs in content, feeling the warm rays of the sun hit his pale skin. He looks up at the sky, a sense of...something filling his being again.

Lately, the god has been feeling...lonely. He didn't understand why, he had his animal friends and his garden. But that sorrow feeling of missing something continued to appear more and more as the years go by. He soon become to crave affection from another, someone who he could have a companionship. Luckily, the fates would grant the god his wish.

A mortal woman, one who seemed to be lost, had stumbled upon the spring god's sacred garden. Normally, no mere mortal could enter the garden. But since the god was feeling oh so lonely, he had allowed the mortal woman to enter his domain.

Amethyst, who had gone hunting, had unknowingly stumbled across the sacred garden of the god of springtime. When she had entered, she looked around in awe at the flora and fauna, never having seen some of them. As she continued to explore this new found place, she never noticed the curious eyes of the god himself. Soon, having been tired from the long and fruitless hunt, she soon falls asleep peacefully.

The god, now more curious than ever, slowly approaches the mortal's sleeping figure. When he was close enough, he quietly rested beside her. His golden brown eyes searched over the women's figure, able to see figure out the woman was one who held magic. It was not common for mortals to wield such a powerful force, and yet even the god could sense the strong aura around the woman. His curiosity grew even more, not realizing his loneliness was shrinking in small bits.

He stayed by the sleeping women's side, basking in the moment of having someone similar in form beside him. But soon, all things come to an end. The woman slowly opened her eyes, surprising the god. Both gasped in shock, immediately creating distance from each other. The woman glared, her hunting dagger unsheathed and aimed at the male. Fear quickly spread through the god, before he realized the woman was acting out of fright and wariness, rather than hatred. 

The woman then suddenly made a rush to exit the gardens, not wanting to stay for fear of her own life. But the god yelled after her, stating who he was. In shock, she stopped, facing the male again in disbelief and suspicion. She didn't believe him. But when he explained where she was and demonstrated his power, her skepticism flew with the wind. She, in her ever curiosity of magic, asked him about his powers. The god, in surprise of her immediate curiosity, agreed to teach the woman more about magic and the gods. In condition to her coming to his sacred realm everyday, seeing this as his opportunity for companionship.

The woman agreed, excitement bubbling in her. For while she could wield magic, she was still new at harnessing it. Having a god to help her would be the best thing to ever ask! And so the two had an agreement to meet everyday, talking about both magic and what the woman had seen at her village. A friendship was blooming quickly, both confiding in each other for comfort when needed. And soon...feelings bloomed in the god, feelings so strong he didn't know if he could keep them in any more.

He wanted to confess, but soon quickly realized it wasn't meant to be. He wasn't mortal, he couldn't grow old with her. The thought of seeing her no longer be in the mortal realm with him...it frightened him, it saddened him, and it made him flee from it all. Without notice, to the woman or the other gods, Neige fled to the underworld to hide in his sorrow.

It was very surprising to the lord of the underworld, Riddle, to see the god of springtime show up at his doorstep. When he asked why someone who doesn't belong in the underworld even be there, Neige didn't answer. With a sigh the god of the underworld allowed the male to stay in his domain for as long as he liked. Neige thanked him, allowing the guards of the underworld castle to escort him into a room.

Riddle sighed again, now having to take care of another god while he lead the souls to the underworld and ran the realm. But he couldn't dwell on it, there was work to be done, and souls to be brought down.

As the months went by, the two males grew a fondness for each other. Both not understanding how this came to be, especially Neige. He still loved the mortal woman who gave him the companionship he needed, and yet...being with the lord of the underworld made him just as happy. Granted, while he missed the sunshine and his blooming flowers ever so much, he still couldn't bare to leave the other god by himself.

Riddle himself was confused by not only Neige's attachment, but also his own fondness for the fellow god. But as he quickly tried to rationalize it all, he realized that he fell in love with the springtime god. Being the lord of the underworld was a tasking job. Not only did he have to lead the souls of the dead to his realm, but he also had to sort where each soul would reside in for their afterlife. And even then he had to make sure the harpies and other mythical creatures wouldn't act out of line in his domain. 

He never realized it until now that...that he himself was lonely. Having only guards, who were those who made great accomplishments in their lives, as other presences in his castle. Having the god of springtime there to keep company and even talk to gave him a way to cope with the stress of his eternal life as the ruler of the underworld. 

But as the gods continued to explore their feelings for one another, another figure was suffering from heartache.

Amethyst had no idea where the god she spent time with went, he disappeared from her. Every day she would visit his sacred garden in hope of finding him there, waiting for her so the two could talk again. Even when the world turned cold and freezing, a state she had no idea the world could be, she would visit the slowly dying garden. But he was never there, causing her heartache to grow more and more. She didn't know what was the reason for his disappearance, was it her fault? Did she do something to offend the god? What? What was it that made the one she loved-

Love...she loved him. She had only realized now that she grew to love the god, making his disappearance all the more heartbreaking for her. But she was determined, now on a mission to find the god. Although...she didn't know where to start, for she may have magic, but she was only a mortal hunter. She went home to ask the Oracle of her village, for any semblance of a path for her to take.

When the Oracle revealed where she should go, she was shocked to say the least. Why would he be in the underworld? What reasons could there possibly be? With her goal in hand, she turned to walk away. But the Oracle continued on, stating how important it was to bring the god of springtime back. For if he stayed too long in the underworld, the mortal realm won't be able to last.

Neige had noticed that as the months went by, more and more souls have been lead to the underworld. He didn't know why though, for even Riddle didn't know. But as the ruler of the underworld took longer and longer on the surface to drag the souls of the dead back, Neige began to become lonely again. Regret settled into his stomach when he thought of the woman who first stole his heart. 

He regretted leaving her so suddenly, not even revealing his feelings and instead fled due to his own cowardice. He missed his garden so very much too, having such fond memories of talking with the woman there. He wanted to go back, but he wasn't sure how. It's not supposed to be easy for someone to leave the underworld, not even a god like himself, especially since he's never been in the realm before now. He had wanted to ask the ruler himself but...Riddle was so busy with the spike in deaths that he would barely see the fellow god.

So Neige let himself wallow in his regret and sadness, not even realizing the more he did the worse the world above became. But luckily, one day, he heard something. It sounded familiar to him in a way, like a presence was there with him. He looked around him, only to a figure standing there, one of a familiar shape. Before he could even ask why Amethyst was there, she had glared and grabbed his arm. Quickly she dragged the shocked silence god out of the castle, surprisingly not alerting any of the guards.

As she dragged him, his voice finally returned to him. He asked all of his questions rapidly, worried that her presence here means she had perished as well. But she never answered him, not even looking at him. She soon stopped, letting go of the god's arm. He could see her shake, before she turned around to show her tear stricken face. She yelled at him, asking why he was here and why he left her. The god starred on in shock as the woman screamed out her frustrations to the immortal being, subsequently revealing her deep feelings.

He didn't know how to respond, but...tears fell down his cheeks in relief. She loved him back all this time, what a fool he was. Before he could confess his own hidden feelings, the woman revealed to him the cause of the piling deaths. Again he was shocked at how foolish he was, causing so much to happen in his attempt to flee from his problems. He apologized profusely, not knowing such a reaction would happen. The two agreed they could talk after returning to the mortal realm. And so they traversed the underworld, lead by the light of the woman's torch.

With enough time, the two reached the surface. Neige looked on in awe as he saw the area around him covered in silvery powered snow, he knew such a thing existed but he's never seen it before. As they walked further from the entrance, the crunch sound of their footsteps echoed. It was only when another set of footprints caught their attention. They turned their heads to meet eyes with Riddle's, which were widened in shock as he looked at the two.

Riddle didn't know what to make up of the scene before him. A woman, a mortal, was pulling his beloved away from the domain he ruled. Anger rose in the god, how dare a mere mortal try to take his love? And not even that, a mortal who found a way to enter and leave his domain with no trouble. The god screamed, demanding the meaning of what was happening. The woman attempted to speak, but instead she was hit by a powerful blow of magic from the angry god.

Neige didn't know what to do, both people he's fallen for are about to fight. He knew the other god could kill and torture the woman at any moment, so he cried out in desperation to stop it before it happened. He begged them to listen to his words, for he didn't want the two he loved to fight and kill on another. His words reached Riddle, who snapped out of his rage for a short time.

It had come to the conclusion that Neige must stay on the surface, until...it came to light that Neige had accidentally bound himself to the underworld. The woman asked how, only to be answered that the god of springtime ate fruit of the dead. The woman, who was more stubborn than any other, demanded that she must accompany Neige on his journeys between the realms and stay with him in the underworld then. She wasn't going to let her love leave her again. 

The ruler of the underworld laughed, saying that he can't just let a mortal do as she wishes. Only a god is allowed to transverse and stay between the realms. There were rules that must stay in place for all souls, living beings stay out, the dead stays in. The god then said she would be welcomed to stay if she wished to be dead like the many residents of the underworld in a mocking tone. In frustration the woman asked if the springtime god recently ate a fruit, when he answered yes she pulled him close and quickly kissed him. 

When she pulled away she realized she could still actually taste the fruit of the dead, a taste so sweet it almost made her gag. The two gods looked at her in shock, wondering if she realized what she did. She smirks at Riddle, asking him if that would let her traverse between the realms. Of course the male screamed no, yelling in frustration that only made her bound to the underworld as well. Meaning that she couldn't leave it since she was mortal, which frustrated the female.

But soon something became apparent to the two gods, any mortal who tasted the fruit was supposed to die on instinct. For the fruit was close to ambrosia when consumed by mortals, it would be a gruesome death. The mortal had somehow become a god while she was dragging Neige out of the underworld, which greatly shocked them. But then they realized that it must've been because the king of the gods granted her this life because of her bravery and sacrifice to save the mortal realm. 

With reluctance, Riddle agreed to the now goddess' terms. And so this is how it has been for eternity, Neige and Amethyst, now known as the goddess of magic, traversing between the two realms every six months. As the centuries went by, Riddle and Amethyst had even fell in love with each other. Which greatly confused the two but Neige was there to help his loves see what they could be together.

They now rule the underworld together, all while loving each other.

And that is the tale of how the god of springtime, the ruler of the underworld, and the mortal turned goddess came together in the name of love.