Demeter was regarded as the “Corn Mother” in ancient Greek mythology and as the supreme goddess of the earth. Specifically, she was the goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over grains and the fertility of the earth. Due to this, she was highly revered by Greeks who saw her as their patron of the art of agriculture. Demeter possessed the powers of the Olympian Gods which include super-human strength; immortality; eternal youth; and the ability to bless and curse. Moreover, as the goddess of agriculture, she had the unique power of controlling the harvest. Here is an overview of the major powers of the Greek Goddess Demeter.
Goddess Of The Earth
Demeter is one of the ultimate divine women in the Olympian pantheon and has many temples and structures dedicated to her as a symbol of homage. Demeter is the goddess of harvest and agriculture who provides grain for bread and blesses its harvesters. Demeter had superhuman powers with respect to nature. Being a goddess of agriculture, her emotions are in tune with the harvest. Therefore, the harvest is bountiful when she is happy. On the other hand, drought occurs when she is in a state of unhappiness. In one such instance, her despair led to the occurrence of famine when her daughter Persephone was abducted by Hades.
Power To Protect Harvesters From Adverse Circumstances
Being the patron of harvest and agriculture Demeter is able to protect farmers and harvesters in various circumstances. She had the power over life, including the fertility of the fields and the vitality of nature. Moreover, as a mother goddess, Demeter was associated with the mysteries of birth, death and rebirth.
Immortality, Eternal Youth And Superhuman Strength
The Olympian Gods are the twelve most important deities in Greek mythology who reside atop Mount Olympus. Being a sister of Zeus, the king of the Gods, Demeter is one of the twelve Olympian Gods. All the Olympian gods, including Demeter, possess super-human strength and are immortal. Moreover, Demeter, like most Greek goddesses, has the gift of eternal youth. This meant that, unlike mortals, she would always look young and beautiful.
Ability To Bless And Curse
Being a major goddess and one of the twelve powerful Olympian deities, Demeter has the ability to bless and curse. It was common for Demeter to curse people when she was annoyed or angry. In case of Ascalabus, Demeter changed him into a lizard for making fun of her. In another instance, she cursed Erysichthon with an insatiable hunger for cutting down a tree solely dedicated to her. On the contrary, Demeter also had the power to bless anyone. Like, she blessed Triptolemus by educating him about the art of agriculture.
Ability To Change Her Form
Demeter could take the form of a young or an aged woman, totally depending on the needs of the hour. Before Hades, the god of the underworld, abducted her daughter Persephone, Demeter was a beautiful goddess with long red hair. However, when Persephone was taken away Demeter fell into despair and disguised herself as matronly looking old woman to aid her search for her daughter. Moreover, when her brother Poseidon was trying to pursue her, Demeter took the form of a mare to hide from him.