Metanira

Metanira is a figure in Greek mythology, appearing primarily in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. She was the wife of King Celeus of Eleusis and the mother of several children, including Demophon.

Metanira is best known for her role in welcoming Demeter, disguised as an old woman named Doso, into her home. Demeter, grieving the abduction of her daughter Persephone, was taken in by Metanira and offered a position as nurse to Demophon.

Impressed by Demeter's care for her son, Metanira allowed Demeter to attempt to make Demophon immortal by secretly anointing him with ambrosia and placing him in the hearth fire at night. However, Metanira, one night, spied on Demeter and, horrified by what she witnessed, interrupted the ritual. Demeter, angered by the interruption, revealed her true identity and demanded that the people of Eleusis build her a temple. Although Demophon did not achieve immortality, Demeter instructed Metanira and Celeus in the performance of her sacred rites, which became the Eleusinian Mysteries.

Metanira's actions highlight the themes of hospitality, motherhood, and the conflict between mortal and divine realms in Greek mythology. Her fear and interruption of Demeter's ritual demonstrate the limitations of human understanding in the face of the supernatural.