Persephone is the Greek queen of the Underworld. She is also associated with crops and spring. Her story explains the seasons.

Persephone is the daughter of the harvest goddess, Demeter, and she herself helps the crops grow.

Hades, god of the underworld, set his eye on her for his queen. He abducted the goddess-girl while she was out in the fields. He swooped her into his golden chariot pulled by black stallions and took her down into his underworld.

Persephone's mother, Demeter, was so grief-stricken and angry that covered the world in year-long winter. Eventually the gods struck a deal so that Persephone could spend part the year with her mum, and part of the year down-under with her husband, Hades. When she is with Hades the world is colder and darker.

This story is filed under Who's Who of the Greek Gods