The myth of Hades and Persephone – Iseult Gillespie



Dig into the Greek myth of Persephone, who is abducted by Hades and is only allowed to leave the underworld every spring.

One day, Persephone was frolicking in a meadow with the nymph, Cyane. As they admired a flower, they noticed it tremble in the ground. Suddenly, the earth split, and a terrifying figure arose. It was Hades, god of the underworld. He wrenched Persephone from Cyane, dragged her into his inky chariot, and blasted back through the earth. Iseult Gillespie shares the myth of the goddess of spring.

Lesson by Iseult Gillespie, directed by KERO Animation Studio.

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40 thoughts on “The myth of Hades and Persephone – Iseult Gillespie”

  1. Finally! i was waiting for this one for too long 😭 And if you love this story than you must listen to Persephone by Tamino. It is perfect💕

    Reply
  2. The art is beautiful and the narration is beautiful but I don’t like this telling of the myth. You missed the part where they actually loved each other. Did you let Demeter write this? 🤣
    I’d been waiting for you to do this myth but I’m so disappointed in the telling. ☹️

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  3. The animation is beautiful ofc, but yeah this interpretation/version of this myth is, I think, the least favorite when you hear the others. It also sounded like the narrator or the writer for the script was being careful, focusing on the contrast of thriving life and and barren death while being descriptive about it to the point. It shows in the animation as well especially depicting Hades as an old grump which is not really accurate (another comment pointed this out) as the Greek gods were immortal and beautiful (I'm guessing this is to help emphasis that life-and-death contrast)

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  4. One of my favorite myths. Glad you guys finally made a video on it! Wish this was the interpretation where they actually loved each other tho. Hades and Persephone are one of mythologies happiest and least problematic couples imo.

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  5. An actually faithful video about this myth? In THIS economy? The story is ment to teach us about the seasons and not to wed off the daughters without asking the mother's advice. It's not ment to fit modern life. Personally I like to imagine they learned to love each other, but that is my own preference.

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  6. Might I add that if anyone is to blame, it is Zeus since he was approached by a lovelorn Hades and willingly granted Hades permission to marry Persephone, as well as the fact that she was gifted a pomegranate by Hades who told her not to be sorrowful as she was about to depart back to Demeter, since they had grown to love each other during her time in the underworld. This is one of the few relationships in Greek Mythology that actually did work out, so it annoys me when I see a bastardised version of Hades according to Christian belief.

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  7. I like the version where Persephone actually falls in love with Hades. Because they are like the only mythological God couple in Ancient Greece that is not have a potential divorce dispute everyday.

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  8. I thought that Persephones name was different when she was on the earth rather than in the Underworld that's when she got her name Persephone when she was in the Underworld

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  9. Persephone was NOT hopeless in all this.
    Her mother was controlling and kept her hidden in her garden. Hades was loving and treated her as his equal in every version I've read.
    There are many different versions of this myth and none of them keep Persephone hopeless, they always add that she was a badass in Hades (the underworld). Guiding the dead, creating new realms.
    Also, as a goddess she wouldn't need food for sustinence and wouldn't have eaten the pomegranate seeds without knowing full well what that would mean.
    Many versions show she ate the seeds on purpose in order to stay with her loving husband who gave her freedom.
    Some say Hades tricked her, or even Hermes did, but I don't think so. She'd know what eating food from the underworld would do.

    This is a very very very basic retelling of the myth and leaves out a lot. If even say gets some of the details wrong.

    Reply
  10. I think this one is probably one of the worst interpretations that could have been used. Hades is demonised for some reason. It wasn't really a kidnapping. Hades had permission from her father, which was considered enough in those times. And if you actually use to more popular interpretation, then Persephone didn't despise of Hades. The only explanation I can think of is that this interpretation was chosen over the more popular ones so that Hades could be demonised for video writing purposes.

    Reply
  11. 65 million years ago…
    Persephone: What's up with the two suns in the sky?
    The next day…
    Persephone: Hey, Hades! Can I stayed for a while?
    Hades: And how long will you stay, my dear?
    Persephone: Maybe a few million years.

    P.S: I prefer that Hades does not looked too villainous like how Disney portrayed him because we all know that Zeus is the nastiest of them all!

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  12. Persephone actually fell in love with Hades after a while and she likes being a queen of death (who wouldn't like it? Your partner is god king of cool edgy place, he never ever cheats on you (in contrast any other god is cheating on their partner… Usually with mortals… coughing Zeus *coughing*), he admires and loves you and he has cute sweet puppy named Spot (yes Cerberus in Greek means Spot).)
    Persephone actually has eaten the pomegranate because she wants to be with him, but her mother wants to be with her daughter so Hades agreed on therms of half and half year to be ok with his mother in law.

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  13. Wasn’t Hades actually a faithful husband to Persephone? Without comparing him to Zeus? Persephone became the Queen of the Underworld because of this. In fact, when Odysseus made his journey to the underworld, didn’t he actually fear the idea of meeting Persephone more than the idea of meeting Hades himself?

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  14. Kinda agreeing with a lot of the people. That this isn't really accurate. Mainly on Hades part. Sure he was terrifying but that was mostly just an image issue we have with thinking about underworlds and death.
    Animation was really nice though!

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  15. while I love the animation and narration, this story is a very modern and untrue version of the story. in original texts as told by Homer, Hades and persefonies marriage was basically an arranged marriage as Zeus the father gave permission. and while at first she objected, persephoni saw that Hades was hardworking and faithful and chose to remain in the underworld willingly for half the year (winter). this can be evidenced by the fact that persephonoes name has been found in micanain inscriptions ( the predaceccor to aincent greece) and she was described as "dread persephonoes" basically a full on underworld goddess. so in short, she was not dragged to the underworld and forced to stay, she chose to stay as Hades was basically the best person for her, being faithfull for their marriage (unlike EVERY OTHER GOD!)

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