Hades, one of the most feared names in Greek mythology, is actually the god of the underworld and the dead, but neither is death itself nor is he as terrible as one might think. Let’s take a closer look at Hades, the powerful Greek god who rules the underworld in his own right, and see his role in mythology in all its details.
Every culture of the world has its own mythological stories. Greek mythology, on the other hand, is one of the most well-known with the influence of popular culture. Hades, whose name we hear most often in Greek mythology and always feared, is the god of the underworld and the dead, but he is not death itself. Although his name is always referred to as a terrible person, In fact, Hades was the ruler of the underworld in his own right. and a harmless Greek god.
Although we refer to it as mythology today, these stories once told the religious beliefs of the Greek people, and one of the gods most feared by the local people was Hades. Because Hades also owned the mines in the underworld, his name was associated with wealth. It was one of the other gods and it wasn’t bad at all, it was just a little dark in its place. Bride Hades, one of the most famous Greek gods Let’s take a closer look and see its role in mythology in all its details.
Who is Hades?
Hades is one of the 12 Greek gods, the children of Cronus and Rhea. The name Hades means invisible in Greek. He is the god of the underworld and the dead. but not death itself. Hades is also known as Pluto, which means wealthy in Greek, because he has all the riches of the underworld. Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus, is the wife of Hades.
It is his helmet that makes Hades invisible. With his helmet, he carries a double-edged spear, one end representing death and the other life. Hades is also the name of the land of the dead. Contrary to popular belief, Hades is not an evil god. He does not go out much from the underworld and does not attend meetings of the gods. Anyone who only wants to escape from the underworld or steal the souls of the underworld will get angry and their wrath will be great.
Appearance of Hades and other Greek gods:
All Greek gods are children of Cronus and Rhea. Cronus is a serpent-shaped titan, fearing that his descendants would seize the throne. He devours all his children, including Hades. When her last child, Zeus, was born, Rhea swaddled a rock instead, and Cronus thought it was a child and swallowed it. Thus, Zeus had a chance to grow.
When Zeus grew up, he confronted Cronus and asked him to remove his brothers. When Cronus refuses to accept it The war between the titans and the gods, called the Titanomachy, has begun. After ten years of war, the gods won. Cronus had to pull out all the children he had swallowed. Although Hades was the firstborn, he was the last child to be hatched by Cronus.
With the retreat of the Titans, many areas to rule were left to the gods. hero of war Zeus was declared the king of the gods and settled on his throne on Mount Olympus. Zeus became the god of the sky, Poseidon became the god of the seas, Gaia became the god of the earth, and Hades became the god of the underworld. In other words, Hades is the god of the underworld and the dead, not because he is evil, but only because such a task is shared with his brothers.
What is Hades doing?
When he dies in the underworld of which Hades is his god, the good go to Elysium, neither good nor bad go to Asphodel, and those who are enemies of the gods and murderers go to Tartarus. Contrary to popular belief, Hades does not make this judgment because the underworld has its judges. Again Contrary to popular belief, Hades does not torture the wicked. Hades rules only the underworld.
god of the underworld like Zeus, king of the gods Hades can also send dreams to people living in it. Dreams coming out of the horn door of the underworld are beautiful, dreams coming out of the ivory door are bad, that is, nightmares. All living beings who enter the underworld die. Because of this, Hades would get angry and his wrath would be terrifying if anyone tried to escape from the underworld or try to steal the souls here.
Few heroes such as Odysseus, Orpheus, Theseus, Hercules and Evridiki entered the underworld and managed to come out alive. Hercules even fought the three-headed dog Cerberus, who guarded the underworld. Cerberus in the underworld He is one of the many names who worked with Hades. Thanatos, the god of death itself, also works with Hades.
Except for routine underworld affairs, Hades is rarely seen. He does not boast like other gods, He does not travel around the world, does not interfere with the living, does not speak much, and does not even go to the feasts held on Mount Olympus with the other gods. Hades loves the invisibility of the underworld. One day, his brother, the god of the sea, Poseidon, broke the ground and revealed the underworld to anger him. Hades was so angry that he destroyed Atlantis with his army of the dead.
The story of Hades’ abduction of his wife, Persephone:
Demeter, the wife of Zeus, the king of the gods, is the goddess of fertility and agriculture. daughter of Zeus and Demeter Persephone is very beautiful and Hades falls in love with her. According to a rumor, the only reason for Hades to leave the underworld is to watch Persephone. In another rumor, he asks Zeus to sacrifice a daughter to be his bride. As a result in both stories, Hades somehow kidnaps Persephone and makes her the goddess of the underworld.
Demeter, the goddess of fertility and agriculture, heard of her daughter’s disappearance. He wanders all the lands in search of Persephone. Hearing that he is with Hades, he quits his job and asks Zeus to talk to Hades to get him. But now Persephone is the goddess of the underworld and it is impossible to leave it completely.
Hades made a deal with Zeus and Demeter. According to this agreement, Persephone would spend certain times of the year with her family and other times in the underworld. They say Spring and summer are experienced when Demeter reunites with her daughter. the world will be blessed. When Persephone returns to the underworld, there are barren winter and autumn seasons, as Demeter becomes mourned.
Why is Hades badly known?
Other gods in Greek mythology were recognized for mingling with the common people, and were understood even if they were wrathed. However Hades was feared because he rarely left the underworld. Considering that the underworld is a dark place and death is the greatest fear of the living, it is normal for Hades to be known as an evil and terrible person. However, as we see from the stories, he is only a humble god who is the ruler of an evil place.
god of the underworld and the dead who is Hades Answering the question, we talked about its place in Greek mythology. Meaning both wealth, invisibility and death, Hades is undoubtedly one of the most interesting characters in Greek mythology. You can share your thoughts in the comments.