A. Answer the following questions.
1. What kind of a person was goddess Ceres? When was she most happy?
2. Where was Pluto from? Describe his kingdom.
3. What did Pluto do after he fell in love with Proserpine?
4. Why didn't Proserpine eat anything in Pluto's kingdom?
5. What did Ceres do when Pluto took her daughter away?
Answers
Answer:
A2 Goddess Ceres was a loving, doting and extremely protective mother. When angry she would kill all the crops and that is why everyone tried to keep her happy.
She was the happiest when she was with her daughter, Proserpine.
A2 Pluto was the king of underworld. His kingdom was strange, dark and gloomy. The sun never shone and the only light was from the underground fires. There were black lakes and large caves.
A3 As Pluto fell in love with Proserpine, he carried her away on his chariot forcibly and took her to his kingdom. He wanted to marry her and make her his queen.
A4 Proserpine did not eat anything in Pluto’s kingdom because she was scared that if she ate there then, she would never be able to leave that kingdom. Even if she left, she would have to come back there again.
A5 After Pluto took Goddess Ceres’ daughter away, she declared that nothing on Earth would grow until Proserpine was returned to her. The Earth would be uncultivable and crops would die. Famine would destroy all mankind and there would be none to honour the Gods.