List of wind deities explained
A wind god is a god who controls the wind(s). Air deities may also be considered here as wind is nothing more than moving air. Many polytheistic religions have one or more wind gods. They may also have a separate air god or a wind god may double as an air god. Many wind gods are also linked with one of the four seasons.
Africa
- Tradito, the goddess of wind, storms, and transformation.
- Oya, goddess of storms, strong winds, lightning, and air.
- Mamlambo, a South African goddess who dwells in water and is roughly equivalent to the Western mermaid.
- Nomkhubulwana/Nomkhubulwane, an spirit associated with rain.
- Amun, god of creation and the wind.
Henkhisesui, god of the east wind. In art, Henkhisesui appears as a winged man with a ram head, or a winged, ram headed Scarab.[1]
Ḥutchai, god of the west wind. In art, Hutchai appears as a winged man with a snake head.- Qebui, god of the north wind[2] who appears as a man with four ram heads or a winged ram with four heads.[3] [4]
Shehbui, god of the south wind.[5] In art, Shehbui appears as a winged man with a lion head.
Pokot
Europe
Albanian
- Shurdhi, weather god who causes hailstorms and throws thunder and lightning.
- Verbti, weather god who causes hailstorms and controls the water and the northern wind.
Balto-Slavic
Lithuanian
- Vejopatis, god of the wind according to at least one tradition.
Slavic
- Dogoda is the goddess of the west wind, and of love and gentleness.
- Stribog is the name of the Slavic god of winds, sky and air. He is said to be the ancestor (grandfather) of the winds of the eight directions.
- Moryana is the personification of the cold and harsh wind blowing from the sea to the land, as well as the water spirit.
- Varpulis is the companion of the thunder god Perun who was known in Central Europe and Lithuania.
Basque
Celtic
- Sídhe or Aos Sí were the pantheon of pre-Christian Ireland. Sídhe is usually taken as "fairy folk", but it is also Old Irish for wind or gust.[7]
- Borrum, Celtic god of the winds.
Germanic
- Kári, son of Fornjót and brother to Ægir and Logi, the personification of the wind, much like his brothers personify sea and fire respectively.
- Njörð, god of the wind, especially as it concerns sailors.
- Odin, thought by some scholars to be a god of the air/breath.
- Sylph, a wind elemental that represents the element of air, according to Paracelsus.
Greco-Roman
- Aeolus, keeper of the winds; later writers made him a full-fledged god.
- Anemoi, (in Greek, Ἄνεμοι—"winds") were the Greek wind gods.
- Boreas (Βορέας), god of the north wind and of winter.
- Eurus (Εὖρος), god of the east or southeast wind.
- Notus (Νότος), god of the south wind.
- Zephyrus (Ζέφυρος), god of the west wind.
- Aura, the breeze personified.
- Aurai, nymphs of the breeze.
- Cardea, Roman goddess of health, thresholds, door hinges, and handles; associated with the wind.
- Tritopatores, gods of wind and marriage
- Thraskias (Θρασκίας), god of the north-northwest wind
- Venti, (Latin, "winds") deities equivalent to the Greek Anemoi.
Western Asia
Persian Zoroastarian
- Vayu-Vata, two gods often paired together; the former was the god of wind and the latter was the god of the atmosphere/air.
- Enlil, the Sumerian god of air, wind, breath, loft.
- Ninlil, goddess of the wind and consort of Enlil.
- Pazuzu, king of the wind demons, demon of the southwest wind, and son of the god Hanbi.
Uralic
Finnish
- Ilmarinen, blacksmith and god of the wind, weather and air.
- Tuuletar, goddess or spirit of the wind.
Hungarian
- Szélatya, the Hungarian god of wind.
- Szélanya, the Hungarian goddess of wind and daughter of the primordial god Kayra.
- Zada, keeper of the precious Yada Tashy stone.
Sami
- Bieggolmai, unpredictable shovel-wielding god of the summer winds.
- Biegkegaellies, god of the winter winds.
Asia-Pacific / Oceania
South and East Asia
India
- Vayu, god of the winds and air.
- Rudra, Vedic god of storms, winds, and the hunt.
- Swasti, consort of Vayu and shakti or power that of Vayu.
Hindu-Vedic
- Maruts, attendants of Indra, sometimes the same as the below group of gods.
- Rudra, wind or storm god.
- Rudras, followers of Rudra.
- Vayu, god of wind.
Chinese
- Fei Lian, the Chinese wind god; Feng Bo is the human form of Fei Lian.
- Feng Po Po, the Chinese wind goddess.
- Feng Hao, general of the wind.
- Han Zixian, assistant goddess of the wind.
Japanese
Korean
Vietnamese
Austronesia
Philippine
- Amihan, the Tagalog and Visayan goddess of the northeast winds. She is also known as Alunsina.
- Anitun Tabu, the fickle-minded ancient Tagalog goddess of wind and rain.
- Apo Angin, the Ilocano god of wind.
- Buhawi, the Tagalog god of whirlwinds and hurricanes' arcs. He is the enemy of Habagat.
- Habagat, the Tagalog god of winds and also referred to as the god of rain, and is often associated with the rainy season. He rules the kingdom of silver and gold in the sky, or the whole Himpapawirin (atmosphere).
- Lihangin, the Visayan god of the wind.
- Linamin at Barat, the goddess of monsoon winds in Palawan.
Polynesian
Hawaiian
- Hine-Tu-Whenua, Hawaiian goddess of wind and safe journeys.
- La'a Maomao, Hawaiian god of the wind and forgiveness.
- Pakaa, Hawaiian god of the wind and inventor of the sail.
Winds of Māui
The Polynesian trickster hero Māui captured or attempted to capture many winds during his travels.
Māori
Native American
North America
Anishinaabe
Cherokee
- Oonawieh Unggi, the ancient spirit of the wind.
Iroquois
- Da-jo-jo, mighty panther spirit of the west wind.
- Gǎ-oh, spirit of the wind.
- Ne-o-gah, gentle fawn spirit of the south wind.
- O-yan-do-ne, moose spirit of the east wind.
- Ya-o-gah, destructive bear spirit of the north wind who is stopped by Gǎ-oh.
Inuit
- Silap Inua, the weather god who represents the breath of life and lures children to be lost in the tundra.
Lakota
- Okaga, fertility goddess of the south winds.
- Taku Skanskan, capricious master of the four winds.
- Tate, a wind god or spirit in Lakota mythology.
- Waziya, giant of the north winds who brings icy weather, famine, and diseases.
- Wiyohipeyata, god of the west winds who oversees endings and events of the night.
- Wiyohiyanpa, god of the east winds who oversees beginnings and events of the day.
- Yum, the whirlwind son of Anog Ite.
Navajo
- Niltsi, ally of the Heroic Twins and one of the guardians of the sun gods.[8]
Pawnee
- Hotoru, the giver of breath invoked in religious ceremonies.[9]
Central American and the Caribbean
Aztec
Mayan
Taino
- Guabancex, goddess of the wind and hurricanes.
South America
Quechua
Brazil
- Iansã goddess of wind and air
See also
Notes and References
- Book: Coulter. Charles Russell. Turner. Patricia. Encyclopedia of ancient deities. 2000. Fitzroy Dearborn. Chicago. 1-57958-270-2.
- Book: Hall, Adelaide S.. A Glossary of Important Symbols in Their Hebrew, Pagan & Christian Forms. Bates & Guild. 1912. 15.
- Book: Anthony S. Mercatante . Who's who in Egyptian Mythology . C. N. Potter . 1978 . 127.
- Book: Alfred Ernest Knight . Amentet: An Account of the Gods, Amulets & Scarabs of the Ancient Egyptians. Longmans, Green . 1915 . 133.
- Book: Budge, Ernest Alfred Wallis. The Gods of the Egyptians: Or, Studies in Egyptian Mythology. Methuen & Company. 1904. 2. 296. Miscellaneous Gods 2. The South Wind was called Shehbui, or....
- Web site: Tipsywriter .
- [W. B. Yeats|Yeats, William Butler]
- Web site: Navajo Myth (Clear). 22 March 2012.
- Web site: The Path on the Rainbow: (A Pawnee Ceremony).
