A three part photographic essay exploring the various interpretations of the goddess Persephone.
Here we see the innocent maiden, as depicted by many classicist. They portray Persephone as a innocent, child like maiden who is whisked away from her mother’s meadow against her will and carried to the Underworld to be Hades' reluctant bride.
For this second part of the essay, I wanted to utalise the previous symbols of the flower and pomegranate to highlight the rebellious nature of the modern interpretation of Persephone. No longer is she a hapless, innocent maiden stolen from her mother. In this feminist retelling our heroine in curious and daring, taking quickly to her role as Queen of the Underworld
Finally we have Persephone Dread. She is the version I find most fascinating.
Predating Hades, she was a destroyer and death bringer who was feared by the Greeks. Many argue as to whether she is the feared, nameless diety of centuries, reshaped into the Persephone we know now.
Hints of this powerful, dangerous goddess can still be seen in various texts to this day.
