Stribog

In Slavic mythology, Stribog (Stribozh, Strzybóg, Stribor, Стрибог), is the god and spirit of the winds, sky and air; he is said to be the ancestor (grandfather) of the winds of the eight directions.[1] He was a connector of heaven and earth. People believed that to a large extent they depended on his actions, because he could bring frost, but one way or another, also wealth, while he gave the right part for the deal to the right person.[2]

Stribog worship

Stribog, usually described as a thin old man with long tangled gray hair and a very thick beard, had many analogues in various mythologies around the world. He was often compared to the Hindu god Vayu, the lord of the winds.[2] He always lives in the Sea of Okiyan, on the island of Buyan.[3]

The winds were considered as the grandchildren of Stribog, but he controlled them, and, according to the Eastern Slavs, they were made requests for successful winds. As the powerful weather god associated with the atmosphere, Stribog could control lightning, whirlwinds, hurricanes, winds and storms over the oceans and seas on earth.[2]

The etymology of the name is disputed. The names of some lakes, rivers and villages on Russian and Polish lands are derived from Stribog or Strzybóg cf. the village Strzyboga near Skierniewice in Poland. Some consider this evidence of Stribog worship in those areas. There is a tale by Croatian writer and poet Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić called Šuma Striborova, meaning "Stribor's forest", as part of her collection of tales titled Croatian Tales of Long Ago.[4]