Persephone's Descent into the Underworld Mystery Play: Samhain 2004

…and now the Earth descends into darkness.

All candles are snuffed and silence reigns as the actors get ready.

 
Demeter: (Enters in blackness) (Whispers)  Where is my daughter?  I can’t find her!  Where is Persephone?!

Chorus of repetitive whispers, questions, not too loud.

Demeter: (Cries)  Where is she??!!

(Lights up.  Glowing ball held aloft.  Persephone’s candle is lit.  Demeter freezes.  In the foreground is Hermes.  In background are Persephone and Hades.)

Hermes: (To audience.)  Watch how the Mother before you grieves for her daughter.  The maiden Persephone was taken by Hades to the Underworld to be his Dark Queen, and Demeter searches for her unceasingly as the world around her withers and dies from her grief.

(Everyone unfreezes)  Demeter, I come with instructions from Zeus- cease your hopeless searching; cease your grieving; release the land from its funeral pall and let it thrive once more!

Demeter: Listen, Messenger- tell your Master I hear not, I care not.  Let it die.

(Demeter turns off orb, and passes it to Persephone.  Throughout this, Hades is pulling the petals from the flower Persephone holds.  On the word ‘die’ he reaches forward and snuffs out her candle.)

Hermes: (To audience) And so, the Earth will sleep in eternal Winter, until Persephone is returned to her Mother and Demeter ceases her bitter grieving.  I shall bring her back.

(Turns off orb.  Complete darkness.)

Hades: (In darkness)  Who enters my domain?

(Hermes turns on orb.)

Hades: Speak.  What do you want, Messenger?

(Persephone turns on orb.  She and Hades are throned.  She wears a red cloak.)

Hermes: I have come to bargain.  Give me Persephone.

Hades: You will not have her!

Hermes: Release her from this realm!

Hades: Ask her yourself…

(Hermes turns to Persephone, who holds a red orb.)

Hermes: Persephone, I have come to release you.  Come with me, return to your Mother.

(Persephone looks over to Hades, and smiles.)

Persephone: I shall not go.

Hermes: Return to your Mother!

Persephone: I will not go!

Hermes: As long as you remain here, your Mother will cover the world in Winter’s cloak.  The sun will not shine, the crops will not grow, and no seed will take root until your return.  The land is dying without you.

P: (To Hades) I cannot stay.

Hades: (To Hermes) Go then, Messenger.  She will follow you shortly.  (To Persephone) Farewell, my Lady.

Persephone: Farewell.

(Hades and Persephone kiss hands)

Hades: Before you leave- take this gift.

(Produces pomegranate seeds)

Persephone: (Accepts seeds, and consider them for a few seconds before eating them.  Lights out.  Complete darkness.  Silence reigns.)

Demeter: (In darkness) (Whispers) Where is my daughter?  (Other whispers)

The land is dying, where is your daughter?

Persephone: (After about 15 seconds of whispers, turns on red orb.)  I am here, Mother.  (Lots of hugs.  Freezes.)

Hermes: (Entering) The Maiden became the Crone; the Crone became the Maiden, and was reunited with the Mother.  Demeter’s joy after so many months of grief rejuvenated and blessed the land with fertility. (Pause)

But wait!

(Demeter and Persephone unfreeze)

I know what Hades has done!  Persephone, did you eat any pomegranate seeds?

Persephone: Yes, just a few…

(Demeter gasps and covers her face)

Hermes: You have partaken of that which is his- you are bound to him and must dwell in the Underworld again. 

(Demeter cries out)  How many seeds, Persephone?

Persephone: Six…

Hermes: Then six months you shall stay in the Underworld every year.  Six months you shall be dead to this world.  Six months every year you shall rule as Queen of the Dead, and your Mother shall mourn you Descent.  In your absence, the land will be shrouded in darkness and no new life shall grow.  But time after time you shall return to us, and pull the land from its death throes into life and abundance.

(All lights snuffed)

Hades: Here ends the outer mystery of Persephone’s descent into the Underworld.  Here ends the mystery of Winter.