Mothers are caring, loving, thoughtful, borchering ,and always protected from malicious people and things. These adjectives describe not only the general mother archetype, but make them significant and important. The mother archetype is one of the most important archetypes. The mother archetype stands for all mothers, and their role in playing their mothering parts. This is not only special to that archetype, but explains why it is one.
The mother archetypes have come a long way since they were first identified. Dating all the way back to early literature, including The Epic of Gilgamesh. Demeter is an amazing example for the mother archetype because she is one of the best, and also one of the first in literature. Persephone is the beautiful daughter of Demeter and Zeus. Persephone and Demeter are called the Holy Twain and usually worshipped together even though their divine duties are quite opposite from one another.
She was mostly goddess of agriculture. The Greeks believed she was the reason behind the fertility and growth of plants and the famine. Persephone, daughter of Demeter, was kidnapped by Hades and that had caused famine. He believed he needed someone to accompany him in the underworld. As stated by the book, Greek Mythology by Simone Payment,”After the famine, Demeter and Persephone had an agreement.
Leuce laughed a little, catching herself in time not to encourage the girl's impertinent impersonation of Demeter. If only her mother had also encouraged her to be careful, taught her how to restrain her self, and to always listen to her guardian; then Leuce would have had an easier time looking after the child, and keeping her safe. Persephone wasn't especially hard to look after though, which was the whole reason why Leuce had grown to relish her. She was quite obedient and well mannered enough for a child, but she's a Goddess and Gods don't have it in them to take orders from nymphs; its innate in them, in Demeter, in Hades, even Persephone
Demeter, the goddess of fertile, green earth was the daughter of two of the titans, Cronus and Rhea (Freeman 69-70). She was an Olympian along with her brother Zeus and the two eventually they had a daughter together named Persephone (Encyclopedia Mythica). In works of art, Demeter is frequently shown melancholy and thoughtful (Encyclopedia Mythica). She is commonly referred to in the myth where Persephone is kidnapped and the myth in which she becomes the nurse for the King of Eleusis's children. Demeter is a notable figure in Greek mythology.
From prehistoric times to modern times, mothers are assumed to be loving caregivers who only want the best for their children. For prehistoric mothers, the best for their children might have consisted of living long enough to have children of their own. Now, modern mothers may want their children to attend college and be financially and emotionally successful. Overall, the stereotype of mothers is that they are nurturing, caring, and devoted to their children; however, two literary mothers challenge this idea. Ninsun, Gilgamesh’s mother from The Epic of Gilgamesh, and Penelope, Telemachus’ mother from The Odyssey, demonstrate that the stereotype of mothers may be wrong.
According to the Ancient History Encyclopedia “The story of Demeter and Persephone was perhaps symbolic of the changing seasons and the perennial change from life to death, to life once more, or in other words, the changes from summer to winter and the return of life in spring as seen in agriculture (Cartwright). The myth of Persephone was not just a story, it was important because it actually helped the Greek people to make sense of the world around
Persephone is like Demeter’s prize possession, so she protects her daughter at all times. She was like the sun in the dark night.When Demeter isn 't able to take care of her daughter, the Earth nymphs take care of her instead.. She looks almost identical to her mother, but she had Zeus’ blue eyes. Her mother takes care of the earth 's vegetation, so she really didn 't have a purpose. She just lived her life as calm as a brook. Unfortunately, that took a dark turn unexpectedly.
The universal knowledge and strength of a mother can become, ironically, an element that provides difficulties in many relationships. The love between a mother and daughter is eternally enchanting and frustrating, invigorating and challenging. Mothers serve as a role model and example to their daughters, providing insight and guidance in every walk of life. Despite the stress many mother-daughter relationships endure, a mother’s advice is imperative. Through examining Amy Tan’s book The Joy Luck Club, Sandhya Shetty’s painting Mother and Daughter, and “Sonnets are full of love, and this is my tome” by Christina Rossetti, the power of a mother’s influence is evident.
Women realized that family duty and motherhood is only one part of their role and ability in life. They felt that their existence as 'wife' or 'mother' is inadequate and that they need to grow and expand their minds. They start asking - "Who am I? Women had an image they try to follow and conform. Some conflict appeared between women's desires and the dominant values of feminine motherhood, which made women declare their protest and led to a change in attitude towards motherhood.