The Greek Gods ES

To me, Demeter seems like the embodiment of the mourning mother, and seems to show the power of a mother's love for her child. In the Homeric Hymn, after losing Persephone and in her grief, Demeter disguise herself as an old woman and is asked by the daughters of Keleos to nurse their brother Demophoon and she agrees willingly. Did she not perhaps hope that this task would be asked of her, wanting to fulfill her need to nurture? We have seen before, as with Dionysus and Aphrodite, gods disguising themselves in order to act out plans that they have preconceived. Demeter wants to make Demophoon a god, immortal, against his mother's wishes and in doing so keeps him from his real mother. Is she perhaps in some way recreating what she has lost? When Metaneira looks upon the flame-crib of Demophoon and cries out against what is happening, Demeter goes into a rage, shaming Metaneira for stealing her son's chance at immortality. Is it possible that this rage is triggered by Demeter feeling as though her coping mechanism (nurturing Demophoon) is being torn away from her? Demeter's state after the rapture of persephone seems like such a unique reaction- might not most greek mothers have been happy to have their daughters married to gods? Even Zeus tries to convince Demeter that this decision was made in love and if she will relent her resistance, all will be well. But Demeter does not.