The primitive religions of the inhabitants of the ancient world are replete with a large number of gods. Most often, each of them was responsible for some phenomenon of the surrounding world, for example, for thunder, rain, as well as for the development of man and civilization. So the patrons of fertility, hunting, love, war, beauty and others appeared. Very interesting are the gods of the air, who were present to one degree or another in the pantheons of ancient peoples. Let's get to know them, find out their common features and differences.
General characteristics
The air element implies not only the air itself, that is, an invisible substance that people use for breathing, but also the sky, winds, clouds, therefore the air gods are very numerous in ancient religions. In the most primitive beliefs, for example, animism, totemism, air was not given much attention, since people could not yet guess that oxygen was needed for breathing. The spirits of the air first appeared in shamanism, they were called upon by sorcerers during rituals, theyasked 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 by the ancient Greeks, in whose pantheon there is not only the god of the sky, but also the deities of the winds and clouds. The gods of the Romans, who used the Greek religion as a basis, were built in a similar way.
The Scandinavians, Indians, Chinese and some other nationalities also have deities responsible for the air.
Common 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, were considered, if not the supreme deities, then at least ancient and important.
- Often they performed several functions at once, for example, Eekatl, the Aztec deity of air and sky, moved the sun across the sky with his breath, and also swept paths for the god of rains, Tlaloc.
Distinctive features are as follows:
For each 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 as a man, but in some 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 the dragon.
Each god, despite the common meaning, was distinguished by the nuances and subtleties of the functions performed. For example, in Greece, the god Zephyrwas considered the patron of the western wind, and Noth - the south.
Further, each deity had its own attributes, which were depicted on frescoes or statues. Thus, the hallmarks of Shu were a beard, characteristic of the pharaohs, a rod and ankh in his hands, a snake - a symbol of wisdom - on his head.
Diversity of deities
There were a lot of patrons of the air element in the world of ancient religions. For example, in Greece, Zeus the Thunderer, who headed the pantheon and ruled not only over people, but also over other immortal inhabitants of Olympus, can be counted among them. Let's get acquainted with the names of the Greek gods and their meaning. First of all, it is Uranus, the most ancient 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 patronized the air directly, and Eol was the lord of the winds in general.
In ancient Rome, the god Jupiter performed the functions of Zeus, his wife was Juno, corresponding to the Greek Hera. In the Scandinavian countries, the god Njord was responsible not only for the air, but also patronized fertility.
In the mythology of ancient Egypt, several deities were associated with the sky, air, and winds. First of all, this is the god Shu, which will be discussed separately, then it is Horus, the patron of the sky, the son of the gods Isis and Osiris, brave and courageous, not afraid to challenge his uncle, the insidious but powerful deity of the desert sands Set. The more ancient representative of the "heavenly family" is Nut, the mother of Osiris, the patroness of heaven. Often depicted in frescoes in the form of a cow.
God Shu: appearance and function
This god of the sky among the Egyptians was often depicted in the form of a man in a crown decorated with feathers. He also appeared as a man sitting on a throne, decorated with sculptures of lions, with arms outstretched upwards, 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 ground, provided order and a normal course of life.
Initially played the role of the patron of the air element, later acquired the functions of the god of the scorching sun. In separate papyri, one can find hymns telling how the mighty Shu defeated the enemies of light with the help of a spear. Later, the god became the patron of the sky and the head of the pantheon, this happened after the departure of Ra. Winds, floods and seas were also in his charge.
Place in the pantheon
Shu, the god of the sky among the Egyptians, a member of the great ennead, was the son of the god Atum, as well as the husband and brother of the goddess Tefnut. Later, when the gods Ra and Atum merged, Shu became the son of the supreme Ra. He is the father of two more important representatives of the pantheon, Geb and Nut.
God played a major 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 support the vault of heaven, acting as the patron of the airspace. Another myth tells that Shu, along with the god of wisdom Thoth, helped return the goddess Tefnut to the family, angry that people revered hernot enough. Proud Tefnut took the form of a lioness, began to hunt in the desert and tear her victims to shreds, and the lands were tormented by drought. After her 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 was directly involved in the creation of the world, more than once saved humanity from death, contributed to the normal course of life, supporting the sky and thus preventing the death of all life.
Extant images
We can imagine quite well what Shu looked like, thanks to the fact that time has mercifully preserved a large number of frescoes and bas-reliefs with his participation. Sometimes the god was depicted standing, holding a wand in his hands, but more often he was sitting, with his arms raised up, which made the ancient masters work hard - such a pose did not fit into the Egyptian canons.
A few headrests that decorated the bed of the pharaohs have come down to us. So, one of them belonged to Tutankhamun and is now in a museum in Cairo, on it the god of air, separating heaven and earth, appears kneeling, holding the headboard, like a vault of heaven, on outstretched arms, next to the unknown master placed the figures of two lions, sacred Animal Shu.
Greek Traditions
Let's continue our consideration of the names of the Greek gods and their meanings. First of all, this is Eol, the patron of winds, storms. He was considered the father of King Sisyphus, known by the expression "Sisyphean labor" - deeds are meaningless, but tedious. Eol himself, despite his divine status, was not a god in the full sense, his mother was a mortal woman, and his nurse was a cow. Myths endow it with such features:
- Considered the ruler of the island of Aeolia.
- Has 6 sons and 6 daughters, who made 6 couples and led a rather idle life.
- According to some sources, the son of Poseidon, according to others, the great-grandson of this god.
- Reputed to be the inventor of sails, although according to some myths, this discovery was made by a man, Daedalus.
According to Homer, the first meeting of this god of air with the wandering Odysseus was favorable, the hero was favorably received by Eol 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 went astray again, Eol was no longer so kind and drove the hero away.
Diversity in Hellas
Let's consider other air gods that were present in the myths of Ancient Greece. First of all, this is Aura, the patroness of airspace, depicted as a beautiful girl, often in a flowing robe, 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 (the patron saint of the sun) and Selene (the deity of the moon). From the name of this goddess came the name Aurora.
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,granted to Odysseus by Aeol and so senselessly squandered by the greedy companions of the wandering king. In ancient Rome it was called Favonium. The Zephyr brothers are Boreas and Noth, the north and south winds respectively.
Wisdom of the Slavs
Let's 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. The legend says that Svarog threw a stone into Alatyr, the boundless ocean, which formed the land, and then created other gods. According to Slavic beliefs, this gray-haired old man was considered a protector, patron of blacksmithing, it was he who endowed people with fire and taught them to work, forged the first plow, gave his Slavic children cups for making drinks and weapons for protection from 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 parents and a spouse, which a person should have one.
- Honor the family, the gods, follow the truth.
- Observe Great Lent, Holy Week, Perunov Day.
- After the harvest, honor the gods.
- Respect elders and protect babies.
- Honor nature, respect its riches, because they are the basis of life.
As you can see, many of Svarog's commandments do not lose their relevance today.
Also considering the names of the Slavic gods of the sky and air, one should name Rod,the patron of thunder, lightning and heaven, similar in function to the ancient Zeus, it was he who was revered as the creator god. The Slavs did not know what Rod looked like, since he never appeared before his creatures. Often the creator was accompanied by female deities, women in labor, patronesses of fertility and childbirth.
We met some gods of the air in the pantheons of past civilizations, they all played a significant role in the development of world religions, since these deities were often the supreme ones and became the basis for the emergence of faith in a single god.
