There is no wind. It is the movement of air. But for humans, the wind has always been alive. It blows, howls, whistles, whispers. It brings rain or drought, destroys houses or fills sails. In culture, art, and language, the wind is a symbol of change, freedom, and elusiveness. It is invisible, but its presence is felt. We tell you how the wind has inspired people for millennia. Wind in mythology and religion In ancient Greece, the gods of the winds were ruled by Aeolus. He kept them in a sack, as in "The Odyssey": Odysseus' companions opened the sack, released the storms, and the ships were scattered. The four main winds: Boreas (north), Notus (south), Zephyrus (west, warm), Eurus (east). They were depicted as winged men with bloated cheeks. In Scandinavian mythology, the wind was created by an eagle sitting on the top of the world tree Yggdrasil. In Hinduism, the god Vayu (wind, breath of life). In Christianity, the wind is the symbol of the Holy Spirit ("breath"). In Islam, the winds are signs of Allah. Among the Slavs, the winds were ruled by Stribog. Mariners and farmers prayed to him (so that the wind would not break the crops). In Russian fairy tales, the wind helps the heroes: "Go there, I don't know where, bring that, I don't know what" — there the wind carries the hero. The wind has always symbolized a force that cannot be controlled. It was worshipped and feared. Wind in painting It is difficult to depict the wind on a canvas. Artists show its consequences: bending trees, flying hair, sails, and turbulent water. A classic example is "The Ninth Wave" by Aivazovsky (1850). Wind and waves, a ship on the brink of destruction. Here, the wind is the enemy. Vincent van Gogh, "Starry Night" (1889). The sky whirls like a whirlwind. That is the wind — invisible, but creating movement. "Wheat Field with Cypress Trees" — the wind bends the grass. William Turner, "Snow Storm" (1842). Wind and snow mix in chaos. Turner said that he was tied to the mast of a ship to feel ... Read more