THE SPECTACLE OF STREET THEATRE INSPIRED BY THE MYTH OF PROSERPINA: LE STAGIONI DELL'AMORE

NOTES ON THE MYTH OF PROSERPINA

The myth of Proserpina
The legend of Proserpina, typically Sicilian, was sung by the poet Claudian (370-408 AD). It is said that Pluto, God of the underworld, tired of the darkness of his reign, decided one day to emerge into the light and discover the world …
After a long and arduous journey he came to a beautiful plain, located in the middle of Mount  Enna.
Suddenly, turning his gaze, he saw in a meadow a group of girls who were picking flowers with graceful movements, flowers among the flowers, among which stood out Proserpina, daughter of the goddess Ceres. "

•  The god of the underworld burned with desire and love “... and he rushed toward her, he appeared in her eyes black and gigantic, with fiery eyes and hands outstretched to tighten his grip on her. The girl was seized with terror and fled. The god of Hades, in two strides was on to her and grabbed her voraciously”.
  Ceres, made desperate by the disappearance of her daughter, looked for her everywhere, and after days of pain she decided to call on Jupiter to beg him to help her get her daughter back but Jupiter refused to help her, how could he betray his brother?
  Ceres, full of pain, caused great drought.After the drought came famine and men and animals were dying in vast numbers. After that came diseases and finally war.

•  Jupiter sent Mercury to Pluto to force him to return Proserpina to her mother. Pluto had to obey. However, before he let her go, he made her eat pomegranate seeds, considered by the ancients the fruit of marital fidelity.
  “When Ceres saw her daughter, she rushed to meet her and embraced her with infinite love, she then discovered Pluto's dirty trick with the pomegranate seeds that had been played on her.
  She ran to Jupiter to complain and, as in all things of this world, they came to an agreement: for half the year Proserpina would be with her mother on earth and the other half by the husband under the earth, thereby starting the alternation of the seasons.”

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