What is a myth about Hades?

Answer 1

Here's a well known myth about Hades:

Hades was the God of the dead, and lived in the underworld. Because of this, he was feared, and getting a wife was a difficult task to do. After all, who would want to live in a world where there was no sun, and not a living soul to be seen? Hades became incredibly lonely, and began becoming desperate for companionship.

Persephone was the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, and helped her mother flourish the Earth for men all year round. It was by chance that Hades saw Persephone and fell in love with her instantly. To ensure that the marriage would not be argued with, Hades asked Zeus (the king of the gods) to have Persephone as his wife. Zeus, fearing wrath from either side, merely winked at Hades. Hades reasoned that because Zeus never said he couldn't, decided it was alright to take Persephone down to his home, and one day, when Demeter wasn't watching, Hades ripped the ground open and took her down.

A few hours later, Demeter was looking for Persephone frantically; it wasn't like her child to run away. She asked every god and goddess there was, but none of them had seen what had happened.

Meanwhile, Persephone was terrified, the only living soul was Hades, a scary man who had taken her away from sunlight, and the poor child felt so lonely. She walked all through the underworld, avoiding Hades, and eventually, finding a garden. There was a gardener there, spirit yes, but kind and caring. He offered Persephone twelve pomegranate seeds, after all, the poor girl must be hungry, and she was. So not to seem rude, Persephone only took half of the seeds, and ate them hungrily, wondering when her mother would come for her.

After talking to Apollo, the sun god, Demeter realized what happened, and went to Zeus, demanding the realise of the child, who was, after all, Zeus' own flesh and blood. The problem was that Hades was also Zeus' older brother, and because of this, refused to interfere. Demeter became distraught, and neglected the earth, to busy morning for Persephone.

Eventually, Mankind faced extinction, and Zeus ordered Hades to release Persephone. Hades shrugged and smiled, saying that Persephone had already eaten food form the dead, and therefor, must stay with the dead. Zeus ruled that because Persephone only ate half the seeds offered, she must only stay with Hades for half a year, the other half she could do as she pleased.

From then on, fall and winter was when Persephone left, and Demeter mourns for her. In the spring and summer, she is reunited with her mother, and the Earth prospers.