Art, obsession, and identity
In Mesopotamian mythology, Pazuzu is a personification of the southwestern wind. But this demonic god is also responsible for plagues, droughts, and famines.
Shu, the Egyptian god of light, air, and wind, was worshiped as one of nine deities in the ancient city of Heliopolis.
In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeolus was the divine keeper of the winds and king of the mythical floating island of Aeolia.
Aura is sometimes identified as the female figure carried by Zephyrus, the god and personification of the west wind, in Sandro Botticelli's 15th-century painting 'The Birth of Venus.' Light wind emerges from the mouths of a man and woman, winged, and embracing each other.
Odin is the principal pre-Christian deity of the Germanic peoples and thought by some scholars to be the Norse god of wind and war.
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Tritopatores are three benevolent wind gods worshipped in Athens as deities of marriage, childbirth, and the household. Their personifications can be admired in the Acropolis Museum.
A weather deity in Finnish mythology, Ilmarinen is also a blacksmith. He's mentioned in the 'Kalevala,' a 19th-century compilation of epic poetry and folklore.
In India, Vayu is worshipped as the Hindu god of the air and the guardian of the northwest wind direction.
Rudra is a god associated with storms. This Rigveda deity (deities mentioned in the sacred texts of 'Rigveda' of the Vedic period, 1500–500 BCE) is also associated with medicine, poison, the protection of cattle, and battle.
Fengbo, also referred to as Fengshi, is the personification of Fei Lian, the Taoist deity of the wind.
Fūjin is the Japanese god of the wind and one of the oldest Shinto gods. He is often portrayed as a terrifying dark demon carrying a bag of winds on his shoulders.
In Māori mythology, Tāwhirimātea is the god of weather; bad weather, mostly. He's generally associated with thunder and lightning, wind, clouds, and storms.
Native American mythology includes numerous references to wind gods. The Cherokee, for example, acknowledge Oonawieh Unggi as the ancient spirit of the wind. The Hopi call their wind god Yaponcha. And through animism, wind gods of the Iroquois include Ne-o-gah, the gentle fawn spirit of the south wind, and the destructive bear spirit of the north wind known as Ya-o-gah.
High up in the Arctic Circle, the Inuit recognize Silla as a spirit of the sky, the wind, and the weather.
In Central America, Ehecatl is a pre-Columbian deity associated with the wind and who features widely in Aztec mythology.
In Mayan mythology, it is Huracan who is the god of wind, storm, and fire. According to tradition, Huracan is another one of the creator deities who participated in all three attempts at creating humanity.
Ancient humans tried to offset Pazuzu's destructive and dangerous nature by offering prayers to him, hoping that he would contain the winds and funnel them into more benevolent purposes. Interesting fact: it's Pazuzu that possesses Linda Blair's character, Regan MacNeil, in the 1973 supernatural horror movie 'The Exorcist.'
Shu, seen here on the left, was almost always depicted as a bearded male crowned with a headdress of feathers and holding a scepter, the symbol of power.
In Homer's 'Odyssey,' Aeolus encounters Odysseus, the Greek king of Ithaca. To ensure safe passage for Odysseus and his men, Aeolus gives Odysseus a bag containing all the winds, except the gentle west wind. Within sight of land however, Odysseus' men, thinking the bag contains treasure, open it and they are all driven by vengeful winds back to Aeolia.
Aura appears in Greek and Roman mythology as a wind goddess whose name means "breeze." Pictured is a statue of Aura on horseback recovered from the Sanctuary of Asclepius in Epidaurus, Greece, today a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Odin, also revered as a god of the dead, was a patron of poets, bards, and scholars, too. This detail of a Viking-era stele (stone slab) depicts Odin astride his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir.
The trio are mentioned in the 10th-century CE Byzantine encyclopedia of the ancient Mediterranean world known as the 'Suda,' where they are identified as Athenian wind gods (or guardians of the winds).
In his capacity as a weather deity, Ilmarinen is responsible for the giving of rain and wind. His skill at the forge includes the crafting of the dome of the sky.
Vayu is a Sanskrit word meaning "wind." As a deity, Vayu is a divine messenger of the gods, associated as he is with Indra, the king of gods.
As a Vedic god of winds and storms, Rudra is praised as the "mightiest of the mighty" and is spoken of in the same breath as Shiva (pictured), one of the principal deities of Hinduism.
In the mythology of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), Fengbo was also known as the Count of the Wind. Fengbo is a title meaning "Wind Bo," where "Bo" is a rank of nobility.
New Zealand's weather is determined by three factors: wind, land, and sea. According to tradition, when the wind is howling it's said that Tāwhirimātea is set to release uaroa (long continuous rain).
Wind is also used as a clan symbol in some Native American cultures. According to Native Languages of the Americas, tribes with wind clans include the Muskogee Creek tribe (whose wind clan is named Hutalgalgi or Hotvlkvlke in the Muskogee language) and the Mohave tribe.
Silla is essentially a god of wind. Though identified as male, he is never depicted, and is thought to be formless (the Inuit shield seen here depicts a personification of the Moon). Furthermore, Silla also has a somewhat malevolent aspect: he is known to lure youngsters away from their play off into the tundra, never to be seen again.
Ehecatl is a master of movement and direction and often brings with him rain. More widely, he is regarded as a manifestation of the great feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl, helping to establish humanity in the Aztec creation myth.
The god Huracan is the source of the words hurricane and orcan (European windstorm).
Sources: (History Today) (Centre of Excellence) (China Beasts and Legends) (Native Languages of the Americas) (World History Encyclopedia)
This Japanese lacquered incense tray from the 1700s (Edo Period), which would have also been used for dinner service, depicts figures representing Fūjin (right) and Rajin, a god of lightning, thunder, and storms.
Humanity has been worshipping the wind since antiquity. This most beguiling and unpredictable of weather phenomena is personified by numerous gods, demons, and deities, many gentle and benign but others mischievous and malign! In fact, the name of one of these gods is the source of the word "hurricane." Wind has been, and still is, venerated around the world by different cultures and religions. But who are the mightiest and most mysterious movers of air?
Click through and you'll find the answers blowing in the wind...
Mighty and mysterious wind gods, demons, and deities
Who are the benign—and malign—movers of the air?
LIFESTYLE Culture
Humanity has been worshipping the wind since antiquity. This most beguiling and unpredictable of weather phenomena is personified by numerous gods, demons, and deities, many gentle and benign but others mischievous and malign! In fact, the name of one of these gods is the source of the word "hurricane." Wind has been, and still is, venerated around the world by different cultures and religions. But who are the mightiest and most mysterious movers of air?
Click through and you'll find the answers blowing in the wind...