Old Man Winter

_Elsa_

That was very interesting to learn about Jack Frost. Now it’s time to find out more about Old Man Winter.

‘The Ancient Greeks In order to truly understand how “Old Man Winter” came to be, we must start with the Ancient Greeks. It was this culture that first personalized the weather-based elements by stating and believing that they were created by beings that held a high level of divinity. All of the meteorological-based forces had a specific name and was worshiped by the Greeks.

As time progressed, the Greeks believed that a specific god ruled over the wind that flowed from the north. The name of this god was, “Boreas”. In all of the art of the time, this god was depicted as an extremely old male. It was believed that he had a short temper and a very harsh personality. He was believed to be the one god that brought the winter and brought in the cold. The severity of the season would heavily depend on his temperament that particular year.

The Celtics - While it seemed that the Ancient Greeks had a firm grasp on the personification of the seasons, the Celtics believed that the deity known as the, “Oak King” was responsible for the cold months, but, also responsible for the life that occurred during the spring and summer. 

According to legend, this strong deity would wage war against the ruler of the summer. This deity was known as the “Holly King”. The Oak King would win the battle and would reign over the fall and winter months; however, though a challenging time of the year, it was believed that his rule, ultimately, led to the spring and summer months – in which life abounded.

The Norse - The Norse culture had their own opinion regarding winter. Ullr was the god associated with winter in their culture. This deity was the son of a magnificent frost giant. During the winter, it was believed that the god Odin would leave and Ullr was responsible for ruling Asgard. Most believed that Ullr helped to compensate for the extremely short days of winter and the darkness that prevailed over the land by creating the ever-popular and awe-inspiring northern lights.

Fast Forward to the Future - As time moved forward, the stories of the Ancient Greeks, the Celtics, and the Norse started to transform in such a way that new winter season personifications were created. One such adaptation was the “Father Frost” who is currently recognized among Russians and “Old Man Winter” who is currently recognized in North America.’ (Source)

Let’s continue here - Winter Fun Facts

Start at the beginning – Elsa shares some winter facts