Story of Proserpina

The Queen of Hell, Proserpina, is a Roman mythological goddess and is known for having a pretty interesting story that was used to explain many natural occurrences. It started when she was abducted by the god of the Underworld, Hades (Pluto). Her mother, Ceres (Demeter), the goddess of agriculture, was desperate to find her daughter and searched the entire world but was unsuccessful. Ceres became so upset that she stopped the growth of fruits and vegetables and even refused to go back to Olympus, creating desert wherever she stepped. Out of concern, Jupiter asked Hades to let Proserpina, who he had married, go back to her mother. However, before letting her go, Hades gave Proserpina six pomegranate seeds to eat. Because those who have ate the food of the dead cannot return to the world of the living, Proserpina was limited to only spending six months of the year with her mother. The remaining six months she was forced to live with Hades in the Underworld. Thus, for the six months of the year that Proserpina can reunite with her mother, Ceres is happy and vegetation on earth blooms (springtime). On the other hand, during the six months that Ceres cannot see her daughter, Ceres is upset and causes plants to wither (wintertime). There are variations of this story that exist to accommodate other seasons such as fall and summer; however, this story is still a great example of how mythology was used to explain natural occurrences such as the formation of deserts and seasons. There's also lots of artwork depicting Proserpina's abduction and implied rape. I attached a few pics below.
 
Rape of Proserpina by Ulpiano Checa


The Rape of Proserpina by Vincenzo de'Rossi