Bangpūtys

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Vėjopatis, possibly identical to Bangpūtys
Vėjopatis, possibly identical to Bangpūtys
This article is about the Lithuanian deity. For the Lithuanian poet who used this name as one of his pen names, see Antanas Baranauskas.

Bangpūtys is the name of a masculine deity [1] in Lithuanian mythology. Basing on very scanty sources, some mythologists have reconstructed him as a god of sea and storm. According to the reconstructions, he is austere and unrelenting. He has a beard, wings and two faces. He is commonly portrayed as having a fish in his left hand, a utensil in his right hand, and a rooster on the head.

His sons are the gods of wind: Rytys, Pietys, Šiaurys and Vakaris (easterly, southern, northern and westerly).

Bangpūtys is considered a very vindictive god, for example one story talks of how Auštaras (son of Aušrinė and Mėnuo, the other god of easterly wind) was swimming in the sea and made a storm. Bangpūtys wanted to drown him.

Sometimes Bangpūtys is referred to as associating with Vėjopatis.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Straižys, Vytautas; Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Balts, Lietuvos Dangus (Sky of Lithuania), Vilnius, p.115, 1990.