An east wind is a wind that originates in the east and blows in a westward direction. This wind is referenced as symbolism in culture, mythology, poetry, and literature.
In Islam, the east wind Saba holds religious significance as it is said to have assisted Prophet Muhammad in the Battle of the Trench, [1] and makes frequent appearances in the Quran.
In Chinese culture, east wind (东风; Dongfeng) is often used as a metaphor for the driving force or momentum of revolution and progress. The People's Liberation Army thus uses "east wind" (Dongfeng) as the name of its tactical missile series.
In Greek mythology, Eurus, the east wind, was the only wind not associated with one of the three Greek seasons. Eurus is also the only one of these four Anemoi not mentioned in Hesiod's Theogony or in the Orphic Hymns.
In Roman mythology the east wind was represented by Vulturnus.
In Native American Iroquois culture, the east wind is said to be brought by O-yan-do-ne, the Moose spirit, [2] whose breath blows grey mist and sends down cold rains upon the earth.
The Authorized King James Version of the English Old Testament makes some seventeen references to the east wind. In Chapter 41 of Genesis, the Pharaoh's dream, which is interpreted by Joseph, describes seven years of grain blasted by the east wind. In Chapters 10 and 14 of Exodus, Moses summons the east wind to bring the locusts that plague Egypt and to part the Red Sea so that the Children of Israel can escape Pharaoh's armies. Several other references exist, most associating the east wind with destruction. Often, this is destruction of the wicked by God. [3]
A dragon is a magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in Western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as winged, horned, and capable of breathing fire. Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence. Commonalities between dragons' traits are often a hybridization of feline, reptilian, mammalian, and avian features.
A solar deity or sun deity is a deity who represents the Sun or an aspect thereof. Such deities are usually associated with power and strength. Solar deities and Sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms. The Sun is sometimes referred to by its Latin name Sol or by its Greek name Helios. The English word sun derives from Proto-Germanic *sunnǭ.
In Greek mythology, Europa was a Phoenician princess from Tyre and the mother of King Minos of Crete. The continent of Europe is named after her. The story of her abduction by Zeus in the form of a bull was a Cretan story; as classicist Károly Kerényi points out, "most of the love-stories concerning Zeus originated from more ancient tales describing his marriages with goddesses. This can especially be said of the story of Europa."
The Crossing of the Red Sea or Parting of the Red Sea is an episode in The Exodus, a foundational story in the Hebrew Bible.
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.
A sphinx is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle.
A compass rose, sometimes called a wind rose, rose of the winds or compass star, is a figure on a compass, map, nautical chart, or monument used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions and their intermediate points. It is also the term for the graduated markings found on the traditional magnetic compass. Today, a form of compass rose is found on, or featured in, almost all navigation systems, including nautical charts, non-directional beacons (NDB), VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) systems, global-positioning systems (GPS), and similar equipment.
Lot was a man mentioned in the biblical Book of Genesis, chapters 11–14 and 19. Notable events in his life recorded in Genesis include his journey with his uncle Abraham; his flight from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, during which his wife became a pillar of salt, and being intoxicated by his daughters so they could have incestuous intercourse with him to continue their family line.
Hud or Hood or Eber in other traditions, was a prophet and messenger of ancient Arabia mentioned in the Quran. The eleventh chapter of the Quran, Hud, is named after him, though the narrative of Hud comprises only a small portion of the chapter.
In Egyptian mythology, Pakhet, Egyptian Pḫ.t, meaning she who scratches is a lioness goddess of war.
Euroclydon is a cyclonic tempestuous northeast wind which blows in the Mediterranean, mostly in autumn and winter. It is the modern Gregalia (Gregale) or Levanter. From the Ancient Greek word eurokludōn [εὐροκλύδων], from Euros and either the Ancient Greek word akulōn, or kludon or the Latin word aquilō (aquilon). Euroclydon is not to be confused with the term nor'easter, which is a separate storm system that forms in the northeastern portion of the United States.
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.
Sirius B is the twelfth studio album by Swedish symphonic metal band Therion. The album title refers to the star Sirius B. It was released simultaneously with Lemuria. The cover artwork was by Thomas Ewerhard.
Jewish mythology is the body of myths associated with Judaism. Elements of Jewish mythology have had a profound influence on Christian mythology and on Islamic mythology, as well as on Abrahamic culture in general. Christian mythology directly inherited many of the narratives from the Jewish people, sharing in common the narratives from the Old Testament. Islamic mythology also shares many of the same stories; for instance, a creation-account spaced out over six periods, the legend of Abraham, the stories of Moses and the Israelites, and many more.
The Quran contains references to more than fifty people and events also found in the Bible. While the stories told in each book are generally comparable, there are also some notable differences.
The Situations and Names of Winds is a spurious fragment traditionally attributed to Aristotle. The brief text lists winds blowing from twelve different directions and their alternative names used in different places. According to the manuscript version of the work, The Situations and Names of Winds is an extract from a larger work entitled On Signs likely written by a pseudo-Aristotle of the peripatetic school. Situations is notable as an ancient text which reproduces the concepts of the Anemoi or "wind gods" and classical compass winds, both of which have been historical components of western culture.
In the ancient Mediterranean world, the classical compass winds were names for the points of geographic direction and orientation, in association with the winds as conceived of by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Ancient wind roses typically had twelve winds and thus twelve points of orientation, sometimes reduced to eight or increased to twenty-four.
There are a number of deities and personifications associated with seasons in various mythologies, traditions, and fiction.