Christopher Vogler The Writers Journey
neglects her duties in order to m o u r n and search for her daughter. Demeter becomes
the hero of an epic quest, playing many roles as she seeks out her daughter in the
Underworld and induces the gods to make a deal with Hades to allow Persephone to
return to the world of light and life, at least for part of the year.
Kore/Persephone s return was celebrated at festivals called the Lesser Eleus-
inia in February, marking the return of spring.
Every five years, the Greater Eleusinia, the greatest festival in the Greek calen
dar, was held in September. Some of the carvings from the pediment of the Parthe
non depict these jubilant ceremonies, when the young horsemen of Athens would
fetch the sacred objects from the temple of Demeter and march them to a special
shrine, the Eleusinion, at the base of the Acropolis. T h e story of Demeter and Kore
was acted out in secret ceremonies of great emotional impact for a select group of
annaabi.ee 
