2. Ancient Greek Mythology: The Dance of the Wind Gods
Although they are less frequent in Greece than on the North American Plains, the ancient Greeks had their own view of these strong storms. Tornadoes were sometimes connected in Greek mythology with the wind gods, especially Aeolus and his offspring, the Anemoi. These gods were supposed to be in charge of the winds from several directions and might let their wrath explode as severe storms.
Tornadoes were to the Greeks a theatrical dance of these wind gods, a show of their might and erratic nature. Many stories and legends mirror this view, where both heroes and people find themselves at the hand of these supernatural winds. The erratic character of tornadoes fit the Greeks’ conception of their gods as entities with human-like feelings and drives.
Like the Native Americans, some tales view tornadoes as a kind of divine punishment. They were also occasionally seen, though, as a means of divine intervention or transportation. Stories of gods transporting mankind to other worlds or saving preferred people from peril via whirlpools abound.
Greek art and literature have been shaped by this rich mythical background; images of whirling winds and tumultuous storms typically represent the strength of the gods or the turbulence of human emotions, hence guiding Greek art and literature throughout history. The Greek reading of tornadoes as divine expressions emphasizes the ubiquitous human search for meaning in natural events, particularly those as spectacular and forceful as these strong storms.[2]