Hades, God of the Underworld

Humans always found death a frightening thing to contemplate, but though it is frightening the mystery of death has always fascinated us. What happens after death?  Is this life all that there is then total abyss?  Who really knows but many cultures have their myths about death,the after life, and Heaven and Hell. The only real similarities with these many diverse cultures is that they all seem to believe that there is more after death, whether it be a utopia like heaven or a penancelike hell. The Christians have their God who oversees man and heaven and the Devil who corrupts man and rules over eternal damnation or hell as it is known. TheGreeks were no different and they have their Utopia what they called the Elysian Fields where the good souls go and then of coursethe under world where all the dammed went. 

The God of the underworld was Hades.Hades was the son of the Titans, Cronus and Rhea.He had three sisters, Demeter, Hestia and Hera and two brothers Poseidon and Zeus.The six of the war the Olympian gods. Upon adulthood the younger gods rose up against the older gods( the Titans). The younger gods went to the three cyclopes to get help with defeating the ‘titans and were given three weapons the first was the Helm of Darkness which was given to Hades and Zeus received the Thunderbolt and Poseidon receive the Trident.

With the use of the helmet Hades became invisible and slipped into the Titans ‘scamp and stole their weapons.. the war lasted ten years with the younger gods victorious. after their victory they drew lots to see what realm they would rule over. Zeus drew the sky , Poseidon the oceans and Hates the under ground.

Hades is portrayed in Mythology as passive rather than evil and his main role was maintaining balance. By mortals, Hades was viewed a fearsome figure on his dark chariot drawn by four coal black horses sent chills through-out ones body. The fear of Hades also prevented many form saying his name. He was referred to by many other names such as Clymenus(notorious), Euliuleus(well-guessing) and Polydegmon( one who receives many).

Although he was an Olympian god, he spent most of his time in the land of the dead. Because of his dark and morbid personality he was not well received by both gods and men alike. He was hated by man because he was considered unyielding and he represented the finality of death. He was not , however and evil god because even though he was stern and sometimes cruel he was always just.

Sacrifices to Hades were always dark and the blood of the dead animal was dripped into a crevice of the earth while the person doing the sacrifice averted his face.

Hades weapon was a two pronged fork which he used to shatter anything that was in his way and not to his liking. This staff of power was used to drive the souls of the dead into the lower world. another weapon was his helmet of darkness that made the wearer invisible. He was often known to lend his helmet to both gods and human alike. Hades is often portrayed sitting on his ebony throne as he ruled over his dark kingdom.

The love of Hades life was a young girl named Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. Hades becomes infatuated with the girl and one day while she is picking flowers in a field with friends he abducts her. The friends were said to become the sirens of Greek legend. They were turned into the sirens to help Demeter find her daughter and as a punishment for the girls not helping Persephone when Hades abducted her.

Persephone’s mother morning the loss of her daughter cursed the land with a great famine until her return. The problem was brought before Zeus he decreed her return. Fearing loosing her hates tricks Persephone into eating the fruit of the under world. As legend went if you ate anything while in the land of the dead then you must return for a third of the year each year of your life.

So Persephone spent two thirds of the year in the land of the living with her mother and one third in the under world with Hades. During the third of the year when she is with Hades the earth suffers the winter of the year while Persephone’s mother grieves her absence.

A very complicated and misunderstood figure in Greek mythology. His role is similar to our version of the Grim Reaper, though he has the ability to feel love and compassion for others.