Harvest Festival for Demeter
Ancient Greek Mythology, Religion, Art
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Worship of Demeter seems to have occurred primarily in connection to natural fertility. Every threshing area had a shrine to her and of course there were rites dedicated to fertility in general. She also, however, had the responsibility of teaching kings and other human leaders about worship rituals, occult practices, morality, etc.
During her search for Persephone she wandered far and wide, always teaching such things in the places where she was welcomed. Demeter was generally portrayed as a generous goddess, but also a severe one who demanded respect from all.
Most of the iconography of Demeter depicts her as a mature woman, usually sitting and smiling, often with corn or wheat. It's not unusual to see her with a torch, a symbol of her search for her daughter Persephone, and she is sometimes accompanied by one of her sacred animals: a snake or a pig.
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