Deities and personifications of seasons

There are a number of deities and personifications associated with seasons in various mythologies, traditions, and fiction.

Jean Goujon, The Four Seasons, reliefs on the Hôtel Carnavalet, Paris, c. 1550s.

Winter

edit

Spring

edit
 
Staffordshire figure of Spring, from a set of the Four Seasons, Neale & Co, c. 1780, 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)

Summer

edit
  • Áine, Irish goddess of love, summer, wealth and sovereignty, associated with the sun and midsummer
  • the Great Summer God (夏大神), of Ba Jia Jiang (The Eight Generals), originated from the Chinese folk beliefs and myths
  • Freyr, Norse god of summer, sunlight, life and rain

Autumn

edit
  • the Great Autumn God (秋大神), of Ba Jia Jiang (The Eight Generals), originated from the Chinese folk beliefs and myths

Anemoi

edit

In ancient Greek mythology Anemoi were the gods of wind, some of which were associated with seasons:

  • Boreas (Septentrio in Latin) was the north wind and bringer of cold winter air
  • Zephyrus or Zephyr (Favonius in Latin) was the west wind and bringer of light spring and early summer breezes
  • Notus or Notos (Auster in Latin) was the south wind and bringer of the storms of late summer and autumn. Notos not only brings rain and heavy downpour, but he can also bring extremely hot air (avg. 45°C) especially in the southern parts of Greece.
  • Eurus (Eurus in Latin) was the East Wind & bringer of warmth & rain

References

edit
  1. ^ H. Nettleship ed., A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1891) p. 238
  2. ^ "Flora". Myth Index. Archived from the original on 2016-05-03.
  3. ^ source of Jarilio name in IAU Nomenclature
edit