Hades

The God of the Underworld

Names And Symbols

Hades is the son of the Titans, Cronus his father, and Rhea his mother.  His brothers are Zues, God of the Olympians and Posiedon, God of the Sea. 

It was said that Hades sat at the foundation of the very earth itself and was the guardian of its vast wealth of minerals and riches.  Mythology has it that Hade was responsible for  allowing all things that grow to rise up from underneath the earth.  In this way he is intimately connected to Persephone his bride who is personified as duel agricultural goddess along with her mother Demeter, and associated with the return of spring. 

He ruled a vast and shadowy kingdom that was also called Hades.  With his staff he drove the shades of the dead to the deeper underworld of Tartarus where punishments would be given to souls of those who were wrong doers. 

No one ever left Hades with the exception of two Greek Heroes and two other Gods.  Herakles and Odysseus were allowed to leave Hades and Mercury the winged messenger of the gods could come and go as he pleased.  Persephone of course was allowed to return to the upper world every year to be with her mother Demeter for two thirds of the year. 

The Helmet which he wore was given to the terrible god by the cyclopse and rendered anyone who wore it invisible.  For this reason Hades has also been called the inivisible God.  He held a key which symbolised his guardianship over the dead and a two pronged scepter with which he destroyed any obstacles which stirred his wrath. 

Of interest in regards to the cyclopse is something I came across while researching Scythian history.  There is a legend which discusses the "Arimaspians" in Scythia who are a "one eyed" people, who had an ongoing battle with a griffin who guarded the gold.  Scythians have often been associated with serpent worship which is found in many underworld mystery teachings as well.  So here we also have another reference to mineral wealth which Hades usually is the guardian of, in the legends of a people whose shamanistic beliefs can be traced in part to some of the Underworld mystery traditions. 

Hades was a terrible god but not an evil one.  He punished wrongdoers as their fate would decree but not without good reason.   

As a husband he was the most faithful of all of the Olympian Gods for he loved Persephone deeply.  He did however have two affairs with two other feminine figures of Greek myth.  Minthe was one such liason who had the misfortune of being turned into a mint plant and crushed under Persephone's jealous feet when the great queen found out.  Leuce the nymph was ravaged by Hades and after her death he turned her into a white poplar tree which is one of his sacred plants as well as the mint plant. 

Hades was the God of the Dead but he was not death itself.  That was another God by the name of "Thanatos" and the brother of Thanatos was "Hypnos" (sleep)

Hades is often depicted with his dog, Cerberus who guarded the entrance to Hades.  Cerberus had three heads and a dragon tail.  It is interesting to note that in many different underworld mythologies throughout the world, the dog is usually a primary guide and psychopompous of souls to the land of the dead. 

Persephone RC

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