The Creation of the Seasons

Long ago, there was a lonely god residing in the Underworld. He spends his days watching over all the dead souls, ruling over the realm of the dead. He governs all aspects of death and the afterlife, ensuring the balance between life and death. He was so busy with his duties that he barely had any free time.

One day, he decided to visit his brother, The God of Sky and Thunder, and went to the outside of the underworld. When The God of the Underworld arrived there, he saw a beautiful goddess in a meadow picking flowers. She was none other than his own niece, the daughter of his brother, The Goddess of Spring. The lonely god instantly fell in love with her and then asked his brother for permission to take her as his wife. The God of Sky and Thunder was neither in support nor against it.

 However, he reminded the ruler of the underworld to be careful and cautious, because her mother, The Goddess of Harvest and Agriculture, would never agree to the idea of her daughter being taken away. The God of the Underworld returned to his residence in disappointment. But he had not given up on the marriage. He devised a plan with the help of his brother to abduct The Goddess of Spring, in an attempt to avoid her mother’s wrath.

Some days later, The God of the Underworld returned to above ground to execute his plan. He searched for the presence of The Goddess of Spring, then spotted her alone, picking flowers in a meadow. As she was about to pluck a beautiful Narcissus flower, which was bloomed by none other than The Ruler of the Underworld in order to attract her attention, the ground below her feet opened. The God of the Underworld emerged with his golden chariot, grabbed her, and took her with him to the Underworld.

When The Goddess of Harvest and Agriculture heard about the disappearance of her daughter, she was so distressed that she started wandering aimlessly, asking anyone about the whereabouts of her precious daughter. Eventually, she learned the truth about the abduction of her daughter by The God of the Underworld. She created chaos across the land, making other gods worry about the disaster that is happening.

The God of Sky and Thunder began to worry about his wife’s fury and tried to negotiate with The God of the Underworld for the release of his daughter. The God of the Underworld was reluctant at first but eventually agreed with the request. As the couple was about to depart, The God of the Underworld gave The Goddess of Spring some pomegranate seeds to eat for the journey. This ensured that she would have to spend some part of each year back in the underworld, essentially binding her to the realm of the dead forever.

Meanwhile, The Goddess of Harvest and Agriculture had already left her home as an act of protest against her husband and the injustice done to her and her daughter. With the absence of her, the world became barren and infertile. Her mourning, grief, and absence were stopped by the return of her daughter. 

The results of the negotiation were impactful, both for the gods and the world. The Goddess of Spring would have to spend some part of the year in the underworld. She would spend two-thirds of the year above the grounds with her mother, and one-third of the year would be spent below the ground in the underworld with The God of the Underworld. The world flourished with spring and summer when The Goddess of Harvest and Agriculture was with her daughter. On the other hand, during the time when her daughter was absent, The Goddess of Harvest and Agriculture left her home and duties to visit her temple, grieving her daughter’s absence. This caused the world to become barren again, creating winter.