It goes without saying that winter can’t make up its mind this year.
One moment it’s nice and sunny, then the next moment, we’re getting pummelled by tons of snow. My body has been trying to keep up with these fluctuations but ultimately, it longs for the tropical sun of my home country, Nigeria.
When I spoke to my mom last weekend, she said it was about 37 degrees celsius; her eyes widened in shock when I told her about the -6 degrees we were experiencing at the time. However, she loved the beautiful blanket of white when I sent her a video of last Saturday’s snow.
I’m not sure how mom would feel about the terrible snowstorm that the state of Texas endured. Many are still without power; some have resorted to sleeping in their cars for warmth or boiling snow on their barbecues for drinking water. I know I wouldn’t last long if I went without power in the middle of winter. Without my space heater, multiple cups of hot tea and trusty hot water bottle, it would have been extremely difficult to adapt to Canadian winters.
This doesn’t stop my sister from fiddling with the thermostat; she loves the cold almost as much as Cindy Day. There were many times I would come home from work, hoping to warm up in my apartment, only to stumble upon my sister with two fans on, my thermostat on the lowest setting, and her saying, “It’s so hot in here.” (cue the Benny Hill chase scene).
In an effort to chase away the cold, I decided to read up on some fire lore. In many cultures - from the Aztecs to the ancient Egyptians - fire plays a significant role in ancient religion. It is seen as a destroyer as well as creator; it is an avenger as well as a comforter.
One fascinating deity that I recently discovered is the Indian god of fire, Agni. In many Vedic mythologies, the sun became visible only when Agni was born (a sunrise). He is depicted as a strong-looking man with a red complexion, riding a red ram. He has a crown of fire, with golden hair, and a pot belly due to his penchant for devouring anything and everything - just like fire. He also seems to have a very strong liking for melted butter, but that’s for another day.
In Mahabharata, a story goes that Agni was entrusted to protect Puloma, the pregnant wife of a revered sage, Bhrigu, as he went for morning ablutions. When he was away, a rakshasa (demon) named Puloman came to their abode and was besotted by Puloma’s beauty. He asked Agni of her status and Agni confirmed that she was married to Bhrigu. This didn’t stop the demon from transforming into a boar and abducting Puloma.
In shock, Puloma went into labour and gave birth to a son who fell to the ground. The child was said to be so bright that when the demon laid his eyes on the infant, he was scorched to death. After Puloma told Bhrigu what had happened to her and her son, he blamed Agni for revealing Puloma’s status and endangering his family. In a fit of rage, he cursed Agni by saying, “May you be consumer of all things on this Earth.”
Agni felt the curse was unjust as he only spoke the truth, and in his anger, he disappeared. With no fire or sun, the world grew cold. The creator god, Brahma, intervened and modified the curse, saying he will only consume all things offered to him; this way he would not be compelled to eat impure things and pollute his godly body.
There are so many fire folklores out there that will keep you nice and cozy for the rest of winter. Feel free to send your favourite fire story (mythological or not) to [email protected].
Hopefully, Spring comes quickly. Stay warm!
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Cindy Day is the chief meteorologist for SaltWire Network
