Greek And Jarilo: The Harsh Changes In Ancient Greek Culture

Greek and Slavic mythology and culture have influenced each other over the years. In both cultures, the people used myths and gods/goddesses to explain how the seasons changed. The god/goddess that embodied spring was reluctant to leave the world of the living to go to the Underworld.* Violence plays a big part in these myths, representing the harsh change to the colder seasons. The differences and similarities in the myths Persephone and Jarilo represent the differences and similarities between Ancient Greek and Ancient Slavic culture.

In ancient Greek and Slavic culture, scholars were not very knowledgeable about science and how the seasons changed. In Slavic culture, Jarilo was the god of vegetation, fertility and springtime. Every year, when he is killed and reborn, he brings crops and takes them away, respectively. His sister, Morena, was the goddess of death, winter and nightmares. Their marriage represented abundance, fertility and blessing to the earth. This was also a temporary truce between Jarilos adopted father, Veles, god of the Underworld and Morenas father, Perun, god of thunder and lightning. In Ancient Greek culture, Persephone is associated with spring and vegetation, but she is much more well known as the queen of the Underworld. In her myth, winter

Naturally, this made them think that spring was reluctant to leave them or did not have any choice. In the Slavic myth of Jarilo, he is first taken as a newborn on the night of his birth. He obviously did not have much control over this situation and growing up in the Underworld was the only life he knew. He returned to his childhood home when his wife slaughtered him. Although he brought it on himself by being unfaithful, As a child, Persephone, was lured to a beautiful flower and then kidnapped by Hades, god of the Underworld. This also shows her having no choice in the matter, as Jarilo did. They were both taken through force or