The primitive religions of the inhabitants of the ancient world abound in a large number of gods. Most often, each of them was responsible for some kind of phenomenon of the surrounding world, for example, for thunder, rain, as well as for the development of man and civilization. So there were patrons of fertility, hunting, love, war, beauty and others. Very interesting are the gods of the air, who, to one degree or another, were present in the pantheons of ancient peoples. Get to know them, find out the common features and differences.
general characteristics
The air element means not only the air itself, that is, the invisible substance that people use for breathing, but also the sky, winds, clouds, and therefore the gods of air are very numerous in ancient religions. In the most primitive beliefs, for example, animism, totemism, air was not given much attention, because people still could not guess that oxygen was needed for breathing. Air spirits first appeared in shamanism, sorcerers called upon them for shamans, they were asked for help and protection for their tribe.
Later, the god Shu, the god of wind and air, appeared in the pantheon of Ancient Egypt, several interesting myths are associated with his name.
An extensive system of deities is represented among the ancient Greeks, in the pantheon of which there is not only the god of the sky, but also the deities of the winds and clouds. The gods of the Romans are similarly built, who used the Greek religion as a basis.
The deities responsible for the air are also among the Scandinavians, Indians, Chinese and some other nationalities.
General and differences
There are a number of key features that are characteristic of the gods of the wind in the mythology of antiquity:
- They played an important role in the pantheon, they were considered, if not supreme deities, then at least ancient and important.
- Often, several functions were performed at once, for example, Eekatl, the Aztec deity of air and sky, with his breath moved the sun across the sky, and also swept the paths for the rain god Tlaloc.
Distinctive features are as follows:
Every nation or civilization, the deities associated with the air element had differences in appearance. For example, among the Greeks, they resembled people - with an impeccable figure and blond hair. Among the Egyptians, Shu was often depicted in the image of a man, but on separate frescoes you can see this god in the guise of a lion or with the head of a predator. The Chinese used the image of a dragon.
Each god, despite the commonality of meaning, was distinguished by the nuances and subtleties of the functions performed. For example, in Greece, the god Zephyr was considered the patron saint of the west wind, and Noth - the south.
Further, each deity had its own attributes, with which it was depicted on murals or statues. So, the distinctive signs of Shu was a beard, characteristic of the pharaohs, a rod and ankh in his hands, a snake - a symbol of wisdom - on his head.
Variety of deities
There were a lot of patrons of the air element in the world of ancient religions. For example, in Greece, one can include Zeus the Thunderer, who led the pantheon and ruled not only over people, but also over other immortal inhabitants of Olympus. We will get acquainted with the names of the Greek gods and their meaning. First of all, it is Uranus, the oldest deity, the father of the god Kronos and the grandfather of Zeus. In addition, there was the god Boreas, who symbolized the cold north wind, Aura directly patronized the air, and Aeolus was the lord of the winds in general.
In ancient Rome, the functions of Zeus were performed by the god Jupiter, his wife was Juno, corresponding to the Greek Hera. In the Scandinavian countries, the god Nyerd was responsible not only for the air, but also patronized fertility.
In the mythology of ancient Egypt, several deities were associated with heaven, air, and winds. First of all, this is the god Shu, who will be discussed separately, then - this is Horus, the patron saint of heaven, the son of the gods Isis and Osiris, courageous and courageous, not afraid to challenge his uncle, the treacherous but powerful deity of the sand of the Setu desert. The more ancient representative of the "heavenly family" is Nuth, the mother of Osiris, the patroness of heaven. Often depicted in frescoes in the form of a cow.
God Shu: appearance and functions
The Egyptian sky god was often depicted in the guise of a man in a crown decorated with feathers. He also imagined himself as a man sitting on a throne decorated with sculptures of lions, with arms extended upward, as if supporting the vault of heaven, which is why it is considered a possible prototype of the Atlanteans. The role of God was significant - he helped the sky not to fall to the earth, provided order and a normal course of life.
Initially played the role of the patron saint of the air element, later acquired the functions of the god of the scorching sun. In individual papyri you can find hymns telling how the mighty Shu defeated the enemies of the world with a spear. Later, God became the patron saint of heaven and the head of the pantheon, this happened after the departure of Ra. He was also responsible for winds, floods and seas.
Pantheon spot
Shu, the god of heaven among the Egyptians, a member of the great Ennead, was the son of the god Atum, as well as a husband and at the same time brother of the goddess Tefnut. Later, when the gods Ra and Atum merged together, Shu became the son of the supreme Ra. He is the father of two other important representatives of the pantheon, Hebe and Nut.
God played a crucial role in the creation of the world. According to the cosmogony of the Egyptians, it was he who raised the sky - his daughter Nut - above the earth, and then began to maintain the vault of heaven, performing the functions of the patron of airspace. Another myth tells that Shu, together with the god of wisdom Thoth, helped to return the goddess Tefnut to the family, angry that people did not revere it enough. The proud Tefnut took the form of a lioness, began to hunt in the desert and tear to pieces its victims, and the land was tormented by drought. After its pacification in Egypt, the long-awaited spring came.
So, the role of Shu, the god of air, in the mythological concept of the world of Ancient Egypt is great. This deity took a direct part in the creation of the world, more than once saved humanity from death, contributed to the normal course of life, supporting heaven and thus preventing the death of all living things.
Reaching Images
We can quite well imagine what Shu looked like, due to the fact that time has mercifully preserved a large number of frescoes and bas-reliefs with his participation. Sometimes God was portrayed standing, holding a baton in his hands, but more often - sitting, with arms raised up, which forced the ancient masters to work fairly well - such a pose did not fit into the Egyptian canons.
Some headrests that adorned the bed of the pharaohs also reached us. So, one of them belonged to Tutankhamun and is now in a museum in Cairo, on which the god of air, separating heaven and earth, appears on his knees, holding the head, like a vault of heaven, on outstretched arms, an unknown master placed figures of two lions, sacred animal shu.
Greek traditions
We continue the consideration of the names of the Greek gods and their meanings. First of all, this is Aeolus, the patron of winds and storms. He was considered the father of King Sisyphus, known by the expression "Sisyphus labor" - the actions are meaningless, but tiring. Aeolus himself, in spite of his divine status, in the full sense was not a god, his mother was a mortal woman, and the nurse was a cow. Myths endow it with such features:
- It is considered the ruler of the island of Aeolia.
- He has 6 sons and 6 daughters, who amounted to 6 couples and led a rather idle lifestyle.
- According to some sources - the son of Poseidon, according to others - the great-grandson of this god.
- He is considered the inventor of sails, although, according to some myths, this discovery was made by man, Daedalus.
According to Homer, the first meeting of this god of air with the wandering Odysseus was auspicious, the hero was favorably received by Aeolus and even received furs with fair winds as a gift. However, when the companions of Odysseus untied the bag, thinking that there were treasures, and the ship again went astray, Aeolus was not so kind and drove the hero away.
Variety in Hellas
Consider the other air gods that were present in the myths of ancient Greece. First of all, this Aura, the patroness of airspace, was portrayed in the image of a beautiful girl, often in fluttering robes, sometimes sitting on a swan. According to one version, she was the daughter of the mythical Ether, according to another - the titan Hyperion, the sister of Helios (patron of the sun) and Selena (deity of the moon). On behalf of this goddess, the name Aurora occurred.
God Zephyr is another popular deity of the lower echelon in Ancient Greece, the patron of the west wind, and his function was to bring news to the gods. It was this god who was in furs bestowed by Odysseus Aeolus and so senselessly squandered by the greedy companions of the wandering king. In ancient Rome it was called Favonius. The Zephyr brothers are Boreas and Noth, the north and south wind, respectively.
The wisdom of the Slavs
We will get acquainted with the names of the Slavic gods of the air, first of all, this is Svarog, the first incarnation of the Family, even the supreme deity according to separate sources. Legend has it that Svarog threw a stone in Alatyr, the vast ocean, which formed the land, and then created other gods. According to Slavic beliefs, this gray-haired old man was considered the protector, patron of blacksmithing, it was he who endowed people with fire and taught them how to work, forged the first plow, gave his Slav children bowls for making drinks and weapons for protection against enemies. In addition, he gave people commandments that helped to understand the value of family and peaceful life. These include the following:
- It is necessary to honor the parents and the spouse, which the person should have one.
- To honor the race, the gods, to follow the truth.
- Observe Lent, Holy Week, Perunov day.
- After the harvest, honor the gods.
- Respect the elders and protect the babies.
- To honor nature and to respect its riches, since they are the basis of life.
As we see, many Svarog's commandments do not lose their relevance in our days.
Also considering the names of the Slavic gods of heaven and air, we should name Rod, the patron saint of thunder, lightning and heaven, in functions similar to the ancient Zeus, it was he who was revered as a creator god. The Slavs did not know what Rod looked like, since he had never appeared before his creatures. Often, the creator was accompanied by female deities, the Mother of God, the patroness of fertility and procreation.
We met some of the air gods in the pantheons of civilizations of the past, all of them played a significant role in the formation of world religions, since it was these deities that were often supreme and became the basis for the emergence of faith in a single god.