Reply #14: I agree, a beautiful analogy

[Withywindle]

...especially with her pain of losing her beloved child to the Underworld, and her refusal to budge until the ruler had met with her and heard what she had to say.

I have read that in Druid times there was a similar custom in ancient Britain -- if anyone had a severe grievance, no matter how poor or "unimportant" the person was, he or she could go sit on the local ruler's doorstep (basically, sit-in and maybe hunger-strike) until his or her concerns were addressed somehow.

Unlike now, it was actually considered a great dishonor by ALL for the ruler to refuse or avoid the meeting. It just wasn't done.