BISL 04-Weather and Climate

76 CLIMATE CHANGE GRAN ATLAS DE LA CIENCIA ENFERMEDADES Y MEDICINA 77

Gods and Rituals

P

redicting the weather was a subject of interest to all the early

civilizations that populated the Earth. Greeks, Romans, Egyptians,

pre-Columbians, and Orientals venerated the gods of the Sun, the

Moon, the heavens, the rain, storms, and the wind for centuries. In their

own way, with rituals and praise, they tried to influence the weather to

improve the bounty of the harvest.

WEATHER AND CLIMATE 77

The Orient

Hinduism has various

weather-related gods. The

most popular is Surya (god of the

sun). Next come Chandra (god of the

moon), Indra (the god who governs

heaven), and Parjanya (god of rain).

Japanese mythology emphasizes the

following: Fujin (god of wind),

Amaterasu (goddess of the sun),

Tsukiyomi (god of the moon),

Amatsu-kami (god of heaven),

Susanoo (god of storms), and Aji-

Suki-Taka-Hi-Kone (god of thunder).

SURYA

Hindu god of the sun. In

India the sun

personified as Surya

was considered to be

harmful by the

Dravidians of the south

but benevolent by the

peoples of central

regions. These peoples

attributed great healing

power to the god.

The Romans

The Romans worshiped many gods

because they inherited them from the

Greek oracles. The gods of weather were

Jupiter (wise and just, who reigned over the

earth), Apollo (the god of the sun), Neptune

(the god of the sea and storms), and

Saturn (the god of agriculture). Each god

had a specific function. As a result, any

human activity could suffer or benefit

from the attitude of the god in charge

of that particular function. Thus, the

purpose of ritual worship and sacrifice

to the gods was to gain their favor.

Egyptians

As in all ancient civilizations,
the gods of weather were
very much a part of Egyptian life.
Civilization extended along the
banks of the Nile, where water
was crucial for survival—that is,
where cities, temples, pyramids,
and the entire economic life of the
kingdom were concentrated. The
weather influenced the rising of
the river and the harvests.
Therefore the Egyptians venerated
Re (the god of the sun), Nut (the
god of heaven), Seth (the god
of the storm), and Toth (the god
of the moon).

FUJIN

Japanese god of wind.

Drawn as a dark

monster, covered with

leopard skin, he carried

a bag of wind on his

shoulders.

Pre-Columbians

The pre-Columbian population

believed water was a gift from

the gods. For the Aztecs, Tlaloc was the

god of rain, whereas the Incas called

him Viracocha. Among the Mayans, he

was known as Chac. He was the divinity

of the peasants because water was the

essential factor for stability and

organization for these indigenous

peoples. The calendar made it

possible to forecast certain

astrological events and

rainstorms.

VIRACOCHA

For the Incas, he was

all powerful. Creator

of the universe and of

all the earth, he was

linked with rays of

light, thunder,

lightning, and snow.

CHAC

Mayan god of agriculture. The

Mayans performed ceremonies

petitioning Chac for rain when

drought threatened the harvest.

TLALOC

Venerated by the Aztecs, he was

known as the provider because he

had the power to bring rain,

which made the corn grow.

THE SCEPTER

A symbol of command

consisting of ornamented

short sticks, the symbol

of authority

RE

Egyptian sun

god, the

primordial

creator. His

center of

worship was

Heliopolis, or the

City of the Sun.

Greeks

The powerful Zeus was the king of the Greek

gods and dispenser of divine justice. He was

the sovereign of heaven (his brothers Poseidon and

Hades governed the ocean and the underworld,

respectively). He carried a thunderbolt to represent

his power, associated with the weather. Zeus lived

on Mount Olympus, from where he could observe

and often intervene in the affairs of humans. The

Greeks believed that Poseidon, when annoyed,

would break up the mountains and throw them into

the sea to form islands. Uranus was a

personification of heaven for the Greeks, and Apollo

was the god of the sun, light, and creation.

ZEPHYRUS

The Greek god of the west

wind had an important

presence. At times he was

beneficial, and at other

times catastrophic. Though

the ancient Greeks were not

sure whether the winds

were male or female, they

did believe the winds had

wings.

SETH

Egyptian god

of the storm,

represented

by a jackal, a

dog, or a wolf.

The son of Re

and brother of

Osiris.

THE EAGLE

Jupiter is the Roman

supreme god,

represented by the

figure of the eagle.

He is also first in

wisdom and power.

THE LIGHTNING BOLT

Jupiter reigned over the

earth and heaven, and

he had the attributes of

an eagle, a lightning

bolt, and a scepter.