Szélanya
Szelanya (Hungarian: Szélanya, Turkish: Yel Ana, Old Turkic: Çel Ene or Cel Ana) is the Hungarian goddess or deity of wind.[1] She is a Hun (Onoghur) goddess too. In Turkic languages Yel (or Cel / Çel) means wind. The word Anya (Turkish: Ana) has literally the meaning of mother. Also the name Szelanya means "Wind Mother".[2] In Hungarian folklore she is referred to as the "queen of wind" too. The wind is controlled by this old lady called Szélanya (Wind Mother).
In other languages
- Uzbek: Yel Ona
- Tatar: Җил Әни or Җил Ана or Cil Ana
- Kazakh: Жел Ана
- Chuvash: Ҫил Анне or Ҫил Абай
- Bashkort: Εл Апай
- Sakha: Тыал Ий̃э
- Turkmen: Ýel Ene or Yel Eje
- Ottoman: يل آنا
- Kyrgyz: Жел Эне
- Khakas: Чил Ине or Чил Иӌе
- Balkar: Джел Ана
- Hungarian: Szél-Anya
Its name is in Mongolian belief Салхи Ээж (Buriat: Һалхин Эхэ, Oirat: Салькн Эк, Altai: Салкын Эне, Tuvan: Салгын Ава). And this entities have many similarities. Each has the same meaning, "wind mother".
Mother of the Winds
The legend is about a wind that blows from a cave. This cave is there on top of a huge mountain somewhere at the end of the world. The cave guarded by the old woman Szélanya. She is a wise woman and riding the winds and creating storms. And she causes whirlwinds...
Szelanya is the Slavic version of nymph, who has power over wind, which she delight in causing storms of high winds. She lives around hills, mountains, and high mounds. In Hungarian mythology, Szelanya and in Turkic mythology Yel Ana is believed to be female fairy-like spirit who lives in the wilderness and sometimes in the clouds.
References
Bibliography
- Mitológiai enciklopédia I. Főszerk. Szergej Alekszandrovics Tokarjev. A magyar kiadást szerk. Hoppál Mihály. Budapest: Gondolat. 1988. ISBN 963-282-027-4 Template:Hu icon
- Türk Mitolojisi Ansiklopedik Sözlük, Celal Beydili, Yurt Yayınevi (Page - 608) Template:Tr