Greek Myths and Mesopotamia: Parallels and Influence in the Homeric Hymns and Hesiod by Charles Penglase

Author:Charles Penglase [Penglase, Charles]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2003-10-04T06:00:00+00:00

Another parallel with ID is that Persephone’s journey results in the instigation of the perpetual annual descent-and-return fertility cycle (lines 398–400, 463–5), as seen in ID (lines 407–9) with Geshtinanna and Dumuzi. Although the substitutionary idea seems also to be suggested at the end of edin-na ú-sa - á, the instigation of the cycle is not mentioned in this text.34 The hymn also presents the same motif as that clearly expressed in ID, the partition of the year— although here it is a tripartite division, rather than bi-annual as in the case of Dumuzi and Geshtinanna. However, the earlier Greek divisions appear to have been bi-annual, so Persephone’s stay in the netherworld for a third of the year may represent a change from the two-part to the three-part year. The division into three may also be a reflection of the cosmological idea of the tripartite universe, a motif mentioned in Hades’ one-third share of the cosmos.35 Instead of the substitutionary system performed by Dumuzi and Geshtinanna, each spending half of the year in the netherworld, Persephone descends and returns by herself. Her annual journey with its results of fertility is like the annual journey of Damu. Her residence in the netherworld has the effect of dearth of fertility and prosperity on earth: similarly, at the beginning of TRS 8 Damu’s mother fears that her son will not return, with the consequence of loss of fertility and prosperity. This is, of course, the application of the journey for power with Damu in his myths: by his annual descent and return he has the power to fulfil his functions of bringing fertility and resulting prosperity to the inhabitants of the land. Although Persephone’s annual return coincides with the return of fertility of the earth in spring, the aspect of her power in bringing fertility and prosperity every year as a result of her performance of the perpetual cycle is not stressed in the hymn. The concern is rather with the establishment of Persephone’s power in the netherworld and upperworld, as seen likewise in ID and AV. The function of bringing prosperity, seen with Damu in his myths, seems to lie specifically with the young male Ploutos in the hymn, rather than with Persephone, as can be seen at the end of the hymn, when the statement is made that the goddesses send Ploutos who gives abundance ()to mortal men (lines 488–9).

In these myths of the goddesses, the great netherworld oath of the gods seems to have a certain role concerning the acquisition of life. In the Demophoon episode, Demeter swears the netherworld oath, the oath of Styx, which is the highest oath of the gods, and she swears it when she angrily states that she would have made Demophoon immortal (lines 259–61):

For know that, oath of the gods and pitiless water of Styx, I would surely have made your dear son unageing all his days and granted him imperishable honour.

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