One of my current obsessions is the webtoon Lore Olympus. I really can’t articulate how awesome this series is. This unique take on this tale is so inventive and the artwork is amazing. And the author/artist is very good about giving trigger and content warnings for specific episodes. Which is amazeballs. Side note: It’s not a spoiler when someone does this; it’s a kindness. This has always been one of my favorites of the Greek tales. In the more popular version of the myth, Hades kidnaps Persephone and there is a certain amount of Stockholm Syndrome there. And she’s sad and doesn’t eat and eventually Hades is ordered by Zeus that she has to be returned to Demeter, provided she hasn’t eaten anything. Right when this decree is being made, Persephone suddenly decides to nom on something. And when she finally breaks her fast, she picks the pomegranate; a fruit that is so difficult to eat, it is like the food equivalent of Fort Knox. And I’m not exaggerating. The first time I ate one I got super frustrated at the amount of effort it took. After that experience, I began to have questions. She could have had a plum, or an apple. But nope, she chose a pomegranate. Poet Danielle Michalleni touched on this in her haunting “Persephone Speaks” poem where it turns the myth around and says that she chose to eat the fruit. Now, I do understand that the idea behind the myth is to explain the changing of the seasons. But it’s still, if you’ll pardon the pun, food for thought. And with that in mind, on to the recommendations for this week! Which, surprising no one I’m sure after that introduction, is Hades and Persephone retellings that I was able to find when searching on the interwebs. Honorable mention goes to sigeel’s Punderworld, which is also available on the Webtoons app. However, their attraction is undeniable and both decide a fling is a suitable way to make the best of the situation. But when the time comes for Persephone to return home, will they be able to trust each other enough to have a real chance at love?
