The Winds

The Winds (Anemoi) were honoured as divine powers — chief among them Boreas, the cold north wind; Zephyros, the gentle west wind that brings the spring; and Notos, the storm-laden south wind. Sons of the Dawn and the starry heavens, they sweep across sea and land, driving the clouds, raising the storms, and filling the sails of ships.

The Orphic hymns address Boreas, Zephyros, and Notos each in turn, praying that they bring fair weather and calm. As the breath and motion of the air, the winds stood between the still earth and the turning heavens — the restless messengers of the sky's changing moods.