Anemoi facts for kids

The Anemoi are the gods of the winds in Greek mythology. Their name means "winds" in Greek. There are four main Anemoi: Boreas (north wind), Notus (south wind), Eurus (east wind), and Zephyrus (west wind). They were the children of Eos, the goddess of dawn, and Astraeus. Each wind god was linked to a specific season and its weather. Sometimes, they pulled the chariot of Zeus as horses.

Mythology

Boreas: The North Wind

Boreas was the god of the north wind. He brought cold winter air. In Roman myths, he was known as Aquilo. Boreas was married to Orithyia, a princess from Athens. They had two sons, Zethes and Calaïs, and a daughter named Khione, who was the goddess of snow.

Boreas was known for being very strong and having a fierce temper. He was often shown as an old man with wings, shaggy hair, and a beard. He usually held a conch shell and wore a flowing cloak. Some ancient writers said he had snakes instead of feet. However, in art, he was usually shown with winged human feet.

Boreas' sons, Calaïs and Zetes, were famous heroes. They were part of the crew of the Argo, sailing with Argonauts on their quest. Boreas was also strongly connected with horses.

Zephyrus: The West Wind

Zephyrus was the god of the west wind. He brought gentle rain and warm breezes in early summer. He was known as the kindest of the wind gods. Zephyrus appears in many Greek myths. His Roman name was Favonius.

Notus: The South Wind

Notus was the god of the south wind. He brought late summer and autumn storms. People often feared him because his storms could destroy crops. His Roman name was Auster.

The name Australia comes from Auster. It means "southern land."

Eurus: The East Wind

Eurus was the god of the east wind. People believed he brought bad luck. His Roman name was Vulturnus.

Eurus was a stormy wind. He was described as a wild wind during storms, tossing ships on the sea. In an ancient Greek poem, he was called the "savior of Sparta." Eurus was also known as the "hot wind." He was closely linked to Helios, the sun god. Eurus was said to live near Helios’ palace, where the sun rose in the east.

Images for kids

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  This is an ancient Greek wind rose. It was made by a scholar named Adamantios Korais around 1796.

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  This picture shows a detail from the Tower of the Winds in ancient Athens. It shows the Greek wind gods Boreas (north wind, on the left) and Skiron (northwesterly wind, on the right).

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  This is a Greco-Buddhist carving of the god Boreas. You can see his flowing cloak. It was found in Hadda, Afghanistan.

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  Zephyr and Flora, made around 1720 by Antonio Corradini. It is now at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

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  A statue of Notus, the south wind god.

See also

In Spanish: Dioses del viento griegos para niños