Persephone Rises, Thoughts and Lyrics

Since Tempest wrote the lyrics for this one I think it best that she write this:

This song was written in the week of the Vernal Equinox – the official beginning of Spring. Springtime always makes me think of Persephone rising from the Underworld, bringing back life from the grips of Winter. 

I have had a fascination with the myth of Persephone for over twenty years. As I grew up and experienced life, I could not help but find a personal parallel in the root of the myth. With the passing of time, my understanding of the myth changed, deepened, and unfolded. 


Myths are stories that evolved to explain the forces of nature and time upon the human condition – and our relationship to the divine. At the root of the Persephone myth is an explanation of the seasons – that she cycles through this world and the Underworld, her presence on Earth bringing Spring and Summer while her descent marked the marching of Autumn and Winter. The changes of the seasons are caused by the emotional state of her mother Demeter – goddess of earth, fertility, and life – celebrating the return of her daughter and then in turn mourning her loss.

The most common, traditional telling of the tale depicts Persephone as a victim – an innocent pretty young thing stolen from her mother's side. She was said to have been taken against her will, dragged down to the Underworld and defiled. In this story, she is essentially stripped of any agency or power, and needs to be rescued, in order for the world to be saved. 


The more I reflected upon the myth, the more I wondered if Persephone did indeed have a hand in her own fate. What if she hadn't been kidnapped by Hades, but instead had gone willingly, her heart full of love and desire? Maybe she was a willful young woman, disobedient and a bit reckless, as we tend to be as teenagers. We think we know everything, and the hormones do nothing to dissuade us of this folly. Then the reality of the situation sinks in, and we must realize that there is much responsibility that comes along with our choices. Whether in the end, her match with Hades is one made in heaven or in hell, she accepts the consequences, and helps to find a balance amongst the needs of her mother, her husband, the other gods, and humanity – as well as her own. 


So when I wrote the lyrics for Persephone Rises, I was not considering that hapless victim, bystander to her own fate – but a strong and determined woman, striving for balance, and most definitely owning her power.

Back to Nathan:

This song comes from the same place as Stone Women: that hypothetical folk metal bellydance album. There's a Discipline-era King Crimson vibe to this one that I really, really love. Erik just kills it on the melodic breaks and the bass groove. I kind of wish that I was able to play a Chapman Stick and could go all Tony Levin on this song but, hey, I can't have everything! :p

When Tempest showed me the lyrics I could hear that this music would work before even finishing her draft. The orchestration is much sparser that is usual for me. Just bass, percussion, and a touch of synth. A bit like Who Mourns Eos? in that respect. It's a vibe that I think I will revisit in the future.


The Lyrics

Out of the dark
Out of the night
Here she comes
Bringing the light
(chanted)


Tell you how it is I came to be
Kore, Maiden, Persephone
Child of Earth and Air, symbol of life
In a bed of poppies, I became death's wife

His burning eyes dark, heart of steel
Trapped my spirit, my dreams unreal
Six tiny seeds of jewel-tone red
Made me queen of all that is dead

Hekate above, show me the way

Hades my love, my path 'not delay

Oh mother dear I see your face
From below I rise, not a moment to waste


The gods conspired to keep me hid
The secrets ours, betrothal forbid
But earth withered, the mortals cried
My mother's grief could not be denied

And so a deal on Olympus was made
The divine, the mortals, the earth all saved
Six months in the land of the sun 

And the rest beyond Styx undone

Hekate above, show me the way

Hades my love, my path 'not delay

Oh mother dear I see your face
From below I rise, not a moment to waste


I Persephone, Hades' wife
I bring you love, I bring you life
I arise, set the clock and gear
I bring forth the lighter part of the year!


Out of the dark
Out of the night
Here she comes
Bringing the light
(chanted)