| The Four Winds in Mythology |
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AEolus, the king and god of the winds, AEolus was the ruler of the islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, where be reigned as a just and pious king, and taught the natives the use of sails for or ships, and how to tell from the signs of the atmosphere the changes of the weather and the winds. Cadmus, who sowed the earth with dragon's teeth, from which sprang a crop of armed men, was from Phoenicia, and brought the knowledge of the letters of the alphabet. From this sprung civilization, which has been describe as a deterioration of man's the Golden Age of innocence and simplicity. It was said that Zephyrus (the West wind), who was also fond of Hyacinthus and jealous of his preference of Apollo, blew the quoit out of its course to make it strike Hyacinthus. The Four Winds Roman names were Boreas or Aquilo, the north wind; Zephyrus or Favonius, the west; Notus or Auster, the south; and Eurus, the east. Boreas loved the nymph Orithyia, and tried to play the lover's part, but met with poor success. It was hard for him to breathe gently, and sighing was out of the question. Weary at last of fruitless endeavors, he acted out his true character, seized the maiden and carried her off. Their children were Zetes and Calais, winged warriors, who accompanied the Argonautic expedition, and did good service in an encounter with those monstrous birds the Harpies. Zephyrus was the lover of Flora. Last Modified on: |