Hades, Ruler of the Underworld

After the overthrow of Cronus and the Titans by Zeus and his two brothers a drawing was held for control over the world. Poseidon drew the ocean while Zeus drew the heavens (making him the supreme deity of all gods and goddesses), thus leaving only the underworld for Hades. This suited Hades just fine, he spent very little time with his Olympian family and remained in the underworld. Hades being dark and cruel like, ruled the underworld of all those who had deceased from the Earth. But as time passed on his lonesome grew, till eventually he sought out for a wife.

As the legend goes, Persephone (also known as Kore) was in her garden when Hades abducted her and took her to the underworld to make her his wife. Zeus and Demeter being the parents of Persephone were angered by this act of distrust and dishonesty and sent Hermes to bring her back from the underworld. Demeter was so distraught and saddened by her daughters disappearance that she refused to let any plant life grow during Persephone's departure. This put mankind in a famine. But during Persephone's stay in the underworld she grew to love Hades and agreed upon Herme's arrival to eat six pomegranate seeds meaning that she would have to return six months out of the year to Hades. Once Persephone was reunited with her mother the world once again became bright and plant life started to grow again symbolizing spring and summer. But with her promise made to Hades she must return to him six months out of the year and once again plant life does not grow on Earth. This represents the changes in our seasons from spring and summer to fall and winter.

In some aspects the underworld is comparable to the Christians version of Hell, but in Greek mythology the underworld wasn't just a place of torture and punishment. Tartarus is the place where evil goes to endure an eternity of punishment, but within the compounds of the underworld there is a place called Elysian fields. Here souls that have been heroic in their lifetime would go for their reward after death, but in order to get there a debt had to be paid to the Charon or ferryman, a companion to Hades, to cross the river Styx. The river Styx which is also known as Acheron meaning "the river woe." This is where the practice of placing a coin (of any amount) upon the eyes or under the tongue of the dead so that they can be assured to pay the ferryman. If this task was not done then the departed soul would be forced to roam the Earth for more than a hundred years. Once reaching the underworld however, souls could choose to either rest there forever or be reborn in hopes of perfecting their next life to guarantee their entrance to the Elysian fields. It is rumored that everyone got three lives.

Symbols that represent Hades are the shadow, Cerberus (three headed dog), gold, silver, jewels, black horses and his helmet. The helmet is rumored to be made by the Cyclopes for Hades to be invisible during his fight against the Titans for freeing the Cyclopes from Tartarus. Poseidon respectfully was made the trident, and Zeus the lighting bolts. Hades Roman counterpart is Pluto.