Father Winter is coming

Boreas/Aquilon/ Father Winter

God of the North Winds

God of Winter

Boreas is one of the four seasonal wind gods that work for Aeolus, the master of all winds. Boreas is the Greek God of the North Wind and Winter who lived in a fertile region of Greece called Thrace. Boreas blew from the north, whistling through his conch. He often is depicted as being amber-winged, extremely strong, sporting a beard, and normally clad in a short pleated tunic. Boreas can change to his Roman form, Aquilon. Here he becomes more warlike and militaristic. As Aquilon, he is described as thinner, no beard, and a gladius at his side, and a toga lined with purple. He still has amber wings.

Boreas is the son of Eos (Goddess of Dawn) and the Titan Astraeus and the brother of Zephyrus, Eurus and Notus. Unlike the gentle Zephyrus, however, the violent and stormy North Wind was capable of terrific destruction. Gods often appealed to him to torment mortals, such as the time Hera asked him to shipwreck the hero Heracles (Roman name Hercules) on the island of Cos. Still, he often helped sailors by providing them with a friendly breeze. Him and his brothers works under Zeus, King of the Gods, and Aeolus, Master of the Winds.

Boreas once disguised himself as a dark-maned stallion and mingled with twelve of the 3,000 mares grazing beside the river Scamander. These famous horses belonged to Erichthonius, and from the union were born twelve fillies. They were so fleet that they could race over ripe ears of field corn without bending them, or over the crests of waves.

Boreas is notorious for kidnapping Oreithyia, who was the daughter of Erechtheus and Praxithea, Rulers of Athens. The North Wind had long loved the young girl and had repeatedly asked her parents for her hand in marriage. However, they kept putting him off, telling him to wait, and using delaying tactics on Boreas.

The North Wind began to lose patience and decided to abandon his modest wooing: One day, Boreas saw Oreithyia playing beside the river Ilissus. Taking advantage, he swooped down unseen by anyone, tucked her beneath his amber wings, and carried her off to a rock near the river Ergines. Wrapped in a mantle of dark clouds, he then proceeded to ravish the helpless maiden.

Oreithyia became his wife and they settled down at the city of Thracian Cicones. They had twin sons, called Calais and Zetes (the Boreades), who were born normal but grew golden wings on their shoulders upon reaching adulthood. These swift men took part in the famous Quest for the Golden Fleece, accompanying Jason as part of the Argonauts, but were later killed by the great hero Heracles (Hercules). Boreas and Oreithyia also had immortal daughter named Chione, Goddess of Snow.

From then on, the Athenians saw Boreas as a relative by marriage. When Athens was threatened by Xerxes, the people prayed to Boreas, who was said to have then caused winds to sink 400 Persian ships. A similar event had occurred twelve years earlier, and Herodotus writes:

Now I cannot say if this was really why the Persians were caught at anchor by the storm wind, but the Athenians are quite positive that, just as Boreas helped them before, so Boreas was responsible for what happened on this occasion also. The grateful citizens built Boreas a splendid temple sanctuary on the banks of the River Ilissus and a great festival, called the Boreasmi, was held annually in his honor to commemorate the Persian defeat.

Let hope for a good air travel condition so everyone can be home for Christmas.