By T.C. Kraven
The Tale of Hades and Persephone is one of the oldest, most well-known mythos of the modern world. Even those who aren’t versed in Greek mythology know the story of the spring goddess, stolen away by the brooding God of the Underworld, tricked into spending time there away from her family. Kidnapped, trapped, a naive and innocent soul taken advantage of.
I never really resonated with that version of the mythos. I think when you look at mythology as a whole, it’s easy to find evidence that supports Hades being one of the kindest and most lovingly devoted to his wife and partner. And so when I wrote my new novel ‘Of Prophecies and Pomegranates‘, I didn’t set out to write Persephone as some type of feminist icon or monolith.
I simply wrote my story, and in the course of that, she spilled into the page as a frustrated and underestimated goddess who bloomed into a powerhouse when given the space to do so.
I grew up in a home that was suppressive. And growing up wild in a house bent on breaking you, it alters any sense of self that we might have. It wasn’t until later, after I was removed from that situation, kicking and clawing and screaming my way to freedom, that I found solace and comfort. In another home I was given that space to grow and the thing that I realized is as I came into my own, grew into my own sense of power, I truly began to understand the importance of being given the space to grow and thrive.
There are still parts of me that require a lot of healing. But there’s also a power in that strength and resilience, those things have taught me how I can survive the very worst. An instinct for survival, that hard won lesson taught my mind to know that even through the worst, the dawn breaks if you can just hold on.
For Persephone in ‘Of Prophecies and Pomegranates’, it was important to me to highlight the fact that yes, she does choose to go to the Underworld. She falls in love with Hades, she chooses to eat the seeds. The important thread, as the author, isn’t that Hades gives her power because of her station as Queen of the Underworld.
It’s that she grows that power, she amplifies it, multiplies it to a magnitude that no Gods or Fates or Titans have ever seen before, simply because she is given the space to grow. Persephone represents that growth in myself. Intentional safety and space to figure out who I am and what I want, independent from blows that landed too hard, or words that cut too deep to be unintentional.
We later see Demeter and Persephone interacting, and though the Goddess of Harvest has feigned remorse in the eyes of Olympus, the moment they are alone she wastes no time falling back into their routine of harsh words and bitingly sly commentary. Even knowing how powerful her daughter is, she doesn’t take her seriously. She doesn’t respect her autonomy.
Because in Demeter’s eyes, her daughter will always be the weakness she hates so much about herself.
When Persephone stands up for herself, when enough is enough, Demeter is shaken by not her power, but the confidence in Persephone’s assertion. Even after everything, the Goddess of Spring chooses to move on, knowing her mother is incapable of true growth.
That is a powerful moment for Persephone. Stepping out of shadows, out of the oppressive expectations is hard but understanding an unhealed person can never truly understand your growth or mindset is a different kind of revelation.
I faced a similar moment to her in my life, nearly fourteen years ago.
Everyone will have a different take on her character. It was important to me that she not be stripped of her kindness, or her softness. Daughters can be both avenging shadow bringers and soft petals. Who we are depends entirely upon who we interact with.
Like Persephone, I was given the space to become. It’s beautiful, and messy and complicated and heartbreaking. It’s life and death. Prophecies is, and always has been, a story about her becoming.
T.C. Kraven is a writer and activist who seeks to normalize the diversity that is representative of her hometown of New Orleans. She specializes in contemporary mythological retellings with an emphasis on the culture of The Big Easy, the queer community, and healthy kink. Kraven travels the country and globe, attending signings and pulling inspiration from the myths of the Greek pantheon and the amazing muses around her. For more info, visit her website, or follow her on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
