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There are a number of deities and personifications associated with seasons in various mythologies, traditions, and fiction.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(August 2023) |
There are a number of deities and personifications associated with seasons in various mythologies, traditions, and fiction.
In ancient Greek mythology Anemoi were the gods of wind, three of which were associated with seasons:
In Greek mythology and religion, Notus is the god of the south wind and one of the Anemoi (wind-gods), sons of the dawn goddess Eos and the star-god Astraeus. A desiccating, hot wind of heat, Notus was associated with the storms of late summer and early autumn, wetness, mist, and was seen as a rain-bringer. Unlike his two more notable brothers, Boreas and Zephyrus, Notus has little to no unique mythology of his own.
In Norse mythology, Skaði is a jötunn and goddess associated with bowhunting, skiing, winter, and mountains. Skaði is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; the Prose Edda and in Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in the works of skalds.
In Greek mythology and religion, Zephyrus, also spelled in English as Zephyr, is the god and personification of the West wind, one of the several wind gods, the Anemoi. The son of Eos, the goddess of the dawn, and Astraeus, Zephyrus is the most gentle and favourable of the winds, and is also associated with flowers, springtime and even procreation. In myths, he is presented as the tender breeze, and he is known for his unrequited love for the Spartan prince Hyacinthus. Although he along with Boreas are the two most prominent wind gods, their role in mythology is relatively limited.
In Greek mythology and religion, Eurus is the god and personification of the east wind, although sometimes he is also said to be southeast specifically. He is one of the four principal wind gods, the Anemoi, alongside Boreas, Zephyrus and Notus. Eurus is featured rarely in ancient literature, appearing together with his three brothers as part of a whole if at all, and virtually has no individual mythology of his own. Often he is excluded entirely, leaving Boreas, Zephyrus and Notus to represent the Anemoi. His Roman equivalent is the god Vulturnus.
In Greek mythology the Horae, Horai or Hours were the goddesses of the seasons and the natural portions of time.
Jarylo, alternatively Yaryla, Iarilo, Juraj, Jurij, or Gerovit, is alleged East and South Slavic god of vegetation, fertility and springtime.
Euhemerism is an approach to the interpretation of mythology in which mythological accounts are presumed to have originated from real historical events or personages. Euhemerism supposes that historical accounts become myths as they are exaggerated in the retelling, accumulating elaborations and alterations that reflect cultural mores. It was named for the Greek mythographer Euhemerus, who lived in the late 4th century BC. In the more recent literature of myth, such as Bulfinch's Mythology, euhemerism is termed the "historical theory" of mythology.
In ancient Greek religion and myth, the Anemoi were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction from which their respective winds came, and were each associated with various seasons and weather conditions. They were the progeny of the goddess of the dawn Eos and her husband, the god of the dusk, Astraeus.
Old Man Winter is a personification of winter. The name is a colloquialism for the winter season derived from ancient Greek mythology and Old World pagan beliefs evolving into modern characters in both literature and popular culture. He is usually depicted as an old man, often blowing winter over the landscape with his breath, or simply freezing the landscape with his very presence.
In Greek mythology, Chione was the daughter of Boreas, the god of the north wind, and Orithyia a daughter of Erechtheus, king of Athens. Chione was the sister of Cleopatra and the Argonauts, Calaïs and Zetes. According to a late, though generally accepted tradition, Chione was the mother of Poseidon's son Eumolpus whom she threw into the ocean for fear of her father's reaction; however, Eumolpus is rescued and raised by Poseidon.
Boreas is the Greek god of the cold north wind, storms, and winter. Although he was normally taken as the north wind, the Roman writers Aulus Gellius and Pliny the Elder both took Boreas as a northeast wind, equivalent to the Roman god Aquilo or Septentrio. Boreas is depicted as being very strong, with a violent temper to match. He was frequently shown as a winged old man or sometimes as a young man with shaggy hair and beard, holding a conch shell and wearing a billowing cloak. Boreas's most known myth is his abduction of the Athenian princess Oreithyia.
Ba Jia Jiang originated from the Chinese folk beliefs and myths, and usually generally refers to eight members of the godly realm. The general understanding of the origin of Ba Jia Jiang is that it is derived from the existence of eight generals who performed exorcism of evil spirits for the Wufu Emperor (五福大帝). These eight generals became revered as the gods of the underworld, and are represented as the bodyguards or attendants for the temples of the nether Gods such as the Dongyue Emperor (東獄大帝), Yama and Cheng Huang. Gradually Ba Jia Jiang evolved to appear also as bodyguards to Wang Ye and Matsu (媽祖), and at many other temples. Later on, believers at those temples dressed up as Ba Jia Jiang in order to defend the Gods. These actions evolved into Taiwanese folk activities, which are part of the Wu Array in Din Tao. Ba Jia Jiang is responsible for the capture of ghosts and evil spirits, bringing safety and good luck, and providing protection. They contain a strong religious nature, and Din Tao often seem as mysterious, threatening and serious. Some Ba Jia Jiang members have relations with Taiwanese gangsters.
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Opora is a minor goddess connected to fruit, the harvest, especially wine harvest, and the season of autumn. She is a fairly obscure goddess, although she features in a little-known myth centered around her romance with the stellar god Sirius, the Dog Star.