"Night marshmallow streams ether", - said in one of the poems of A. S. Pushkin. Here the word "marshmallow" acts as a designation of the wind in general, but usually this word meant a specific wind.
Zephyr belongs to the category of local winds that differ from the main direction of the general atmospheric circulation. Such winds are constant for a specific area, where they have a significant impact on the weather. Along with marshmallows, such winds include barguzin on Lake Baikal, garmsil in the foothills of the western Tien Shan, mistral in Provence.
Zephyr - west wind
The word "marshmallow" is translated from Greek as "western". This wind has been prevailing in the east of the Mediterranean since spring. It reaches its greatest strength by the time of the summer solstice.
The wind patterns differ in the eastern and western parts of the Mediterranean. In both regions it is a warm wind, but in the east its dominance is associated with rains and storms, while in the west it does not bring any worsening of the weather, remaining a pleasant, “caressing” warm wind. This wind is so strong and fast that the ancient Greeks considered it a messenger of the gods.
Such a difference in the properties of marshmallows in the eastern and western parts of the Mediterranean is even reflected in ancient Greek mythology. In the far west, the Greeks "placed" the Isles of the Blessed - a happy country where righteous people live, as well as those to whom the gods have bestowed immortality. In these parts, where there are never storms or rains, it is the marshmallow that blows.
Marshmallow myths
In ancient mythology, Zephyr was represented as the god of the west wind, to whom an altar was erected in Attica. The father of the marshmallow was Astraeus, the god of the starry sky, the mother was Eos, the goddess of the dawn, and the brothers were Boreas, Not and Evrus (gods of the north, south and east winds).
Zephyr is present in many mythological subjects, both Greek and Roman.
Zephyr's beloved is the nymph Chloris (in Roman mythology, Flora, the goddess of flowers, corresponds to her). Seduced by the beauty of the nymph, the god of the west wind kidnaps her - this plot is reflected in S. Botticelli's painting "Spring". The fruit of the love of Zephyr and Chlorida is Karpos, the god of fruit.
Zephyr is also present in the plot of Apollo and Hyacinth. The god of the west wind sees how Apollo and Hyacinth are amused by throwing a disc, and this bites him - after all, not only Apollo but also Zephyr likes a beautiful mortal youth. Zephyr, overwhelmed by jealousy, directs the disc at Hyacinth's head, and the beautiful young man dies.
In Roman mythology, after the birth of Venus, Zephyr brings her to Cyprus by waves, takes Psyche to her beautiful lover - Cupid, and later helps her to make peace with Cupid's mother - Venus.
