Demeter is the Greek goddess of agriculture. It is she who makes the crops grow—except for those months when her daughter Persephone is in the Underworld, for then Demeter weeps and leaves the earth bare. Together Demeter and Persephone symbolize the cycle of life and death, and their saga was the basis of the Eleusinian mysteries. Frequently the two goddesses are shown enthroned together, as in our illustration above. Demeter herself is invariably depicted with sheaves of wheat, and sometimes she holds a cornucopia. Her colors are the greens and golds of the bountiful earth.
The pieces we suggest, from left to right:
1. Solid color flannel sheet in evergreen. This is for your tunic. The Greeks wore simple draped tunics of dyed wool, a look which is easily replicated with sheets and safety pins. We give you instructions below on how to pin it together. A full size sheet will work for most people.
2. Iridescent orange faux-silk veil. Loop this under one arm and knot it on your opposite shoulder.
3. Artificial wheat garland. This is 48 inches long and made of vinyl, so it’s perfect for wrapping around your head a couple of times as a wreath. Another option would be to get one or two of these artificial wheat swags, which are from the same manufacturer. You could also try doing something with dried wheat sheaves, but they may shatter and get caught in your hair.
4. Orange Rings-and-Beads Necklace Set. Very geometric.
5. Cornucopia basket. This is a nice big basket, 21 inches long. You might want to fill it with Halloween candy or real fruit, depending on your plans. Our next item gives you some ideas for using artificial fruits and flowers.
6. Harvest fruits and flowers. Probably the best thing is to make a trip to a crafts store that has a silk flower section. We shopped online at Save-on-Crafts for a selection of items that would be especially appropriate for Demeter’s basket. Clockwise from top left in the composite picture below: Natural wheat stalks (Demeter’s symbol). Orange poppies (poppies grow in wheat fields, and Persephone is kidnapped while picking poppies). Bouquet of artichokes (a classic Greek crop). Pomegranates (Persephone eats pomegranate seeds while in the Underworld, and is thus doomed to spend part of the year there forever). Pears (colorful and another Greek favorite). Grapes (need we say more?).
Shoes: Simple leather sandals are best. Gladiators, thongs, something like that.
How to make the tunic: The simplest ancient tunic for costuming purposes is the Doric chiton, which is the oldest kind of Greek tunic. All you need is a flat sheet, some safety pins, and a belt or cord. (You can get a rope belt here in white, natural, or gold.) Here are your chiton instructions:
