Poison or Prosperity?

Juicy and red, exquisite in its form. Nothing like any other fruit, the pomegranate has such a strong influence on many cultures. Some may say that the fruit Eve ate as well as shared with Adam was not an Apple but a Pomegranate. Large like an orange but red like blood what exactly is the background of this fruit? Lets take a trip from Greek Mythology all the way to the Islam faith.

White Coverings, golden skin, and statutes of ancient beings adored as gods. Greece is a

beautiful place of magic, tragedy, and mutated creatures where the human species mingles with beings beyond their own. Let us talk about a woman who is upsettingly seen as the wife of Hades but not everybody acknowledges how this came to be. The answer lies within one special fruit, the pomegranate. Being a source of many tasteful seeds, Persephone was tricked by Hades to eat one of them. The big dissension into the Underworld made Persophone the new goddess of the Underworld. Being by Hades' side, she is acknowledged as the light in the dark Underworld because of her innocence before she fell into her thrown. Many people understand that Hades adopted her uniqueness and often is a symbol of uniqueness just like the Pomegranate.

Even in many religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam the Pomegranate has a very significant role. Within Judaism, the pomegranates are seen as a symbol of sanctity, fertility, and abundance . Buddhism is one of the three blessed fruits and is seen as an essence of favorable influences. The background of the Pomegranate in the Buddhist culture is that Buddha had used it against a force of evil. There is a demoness known as Hariti who is extremely cruel in her corrupt behaviors. She was the demoness known for devouring children which is very scary to think about but Buddha was able to cure this. In offering the demoness a Pomegranate, Buddha cured her craving for children.

In Islam each pomegranate is thought to have at least one seed that fell from paradise. It is mentioned about three times in the Quran, the first time being referred to as being one of the fruits in paradise. The pomegranate is used as a reminder of God's sustenance in Earth, as well as his artistry. Pomegranate is called ‘rumaan’ because of the resemblance it has to fragments that result from the detonation of a bomb. The fruit has a positive meaning behind it. Suggesting those that eat it call on fertility, wedding, and many kids.

Finally we go to Christianity where the meaning of the pomegranate is a little different than the

rest. There are many mentions of the fruit in the Bible. While in other religions it is referred to for earthly abundance, it refers to Jesus and his suffering. The red juice represents his blood; and the seeds bursting forwards is his resurrection. Pomegranates represent spiritual abundance rather than earthly. The seeds also can be representative of the people of the church, royalty, and eternal life.

It’s interesting to see just how different the same fruit can be regarded differently in different cultures. No matter what faith you have it is symbolic of something important. So the next time you eat one stop and remember the meaning. No matter what the belief you’ll be calling in positive things towards you whether earthly, or spiritual abundance.

Works Cited

December, Najma Mohamed24, et al. “Plants of Qur'an (Part 3): Pomegranate.” About Islam, 10 Oct. 2019, aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/science-muslim-issues/plants-quran-part-3-pomegranate/.

“Persephone :: Queen of the Underworld.” Greek Mythology, www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/Persephone/persephone.html.

Pomegranate in Christianity – The Hope of Eternal Life, www.amazing-pomegranate-health-benefits.com/pomegranate-in-christianity.html.