PERSEPHASSA NECKLACE

    A copy of the pretty cursive wire necklace that I have, bearing the name of this small press/website.

    Persephassa was daughter of Demeter and Zeus. While gathering flowers in the Valley of Enna, she was abducted by Hades into the underworld. Zeus demanded that Hades return Persephassa, but Hades had tricked her into eating six pomegranate seeds as a symbol of fidelity, which bound her and forced her to return to him six months out of each year. When Demeter and her daughter were together, the Earth flourished with vegetation, but for six months each year, when Persephassa returned to Hades, the earth once again became a barren realm.

    Persephassa is an older, archaic form of the name Persephone, which suggests pre-Hellenic origins. In Rome she was called Proserpina, and in other dialects she was known under various other names: Phersephatta, Persephonia, Phersephone, Persephone Soteira, Persephone Despoena, Proserpine, Persephoneia, Periphone or Kore. According to legend, after her abduction by Hades, Kore (Greek for young girl) was transformed into Persephassa, queen of the underworld, mistress of the labyrinth, dazzling brilliance, she who destroys the light. Her name was not safe to speak aloud - she was called simply "The Maiden."

ancient coin bearing persephassa's face