Greek Mythology ~Hades~

History

In Greek mythology Hades is portrayed as being the god of the underworld. Having three sisters and two brother’s Zeus and Poseidon altogether they were known as the original six Olympian Gods. The brothers defeated the titans obtaining rulership of cosmos being the air, sea and earth. They divided this between them and Hades took ownership of beneath the earth/ the underworld and ruled all it’s wealth being it’s fertile soil, gold, silver and other metals.

Appearance

Hades is represented with a vigourous dark-beard and with his hair falling down over his forehead. He appears holding a bird tipped sceptre in sculptures with his dog Cerberus longside him.

Adventures

Hades kidnapped Persephone (goddess of fertility) the daughter of Demeter. It was love at first site as he saw her whilst he was riding in a chariot on earth. He asked his brother Zeus for permission for Persephone’s hand in marriage, but his brother was adement that her mother Demeter wouldn’t give her consent. Zeus however agreed to help capturing her.

Persephone was flower picking one day and as she went to pick a fragrant blosum, the earth cracked open and Hades arose in a chariot. She was grabbed and taken to the underworld unwillingly and raped. Demeter found out of her daughters disappearance and was distraught and created drought and devastation in her path. She made threats against Zeus and the gods that mortals would go without food.

Zeus feared Demeter’s threats and sent the news to Hades that he must return Persephone. Hades allowed Persephone to leave however gave her a pomegranite to eat. Persephone ate it and was unaware that whoever ate food in the kingdom was to stay there­

Zeus intervened and an agreement was made, Persephone was to spend some of the year with her mother, during harvest season on earth and the winter months in Hades kingdom as queen of the underworld.

Relationships

Hades was married to Persephone.

Symbols

Symbols that are associated to Hades are his bird tipped Sceptre, his three headed dog Cerberus (the protector of the underworld gates and Styx river) and the helm of darkness (a helmet given as a gift by the Cyclopes as a way of becoming invisible to supernatural eyes.

Evolution and sport

Being the king of the underworld, the colour red would be appropriate in the development of a sporting logo. Hades is depicted through Greek Mythology  as being a powerful god making the logo suite contact sport teams like rugby, grid iron and boxing or for a non-contact sport but still an intense game, ­basketball.

Bibliography

Books

The Folio Society: Greek Myths, Volume 1

Web

http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Go-Hi/Hades.html#b

http://www.theoi.com/Khthonios/Haides.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus

­http://gogreece.about.com/cs/mythology/a/mythhades.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hades