The Mistral and Its Mythology

The mistral, Provence's fierce north wind, carries its own mythology. This isn't merely weather but a living force with personality, purpose, and ancient pacts with the land's inhabitants.

The Wind's Origin

Multiple legends explain the mistral's birth:

The Giant's Breath: The giant Tarasque (distinct from the dragon) lived in the Alps, so enormous that his head touched clouds. He fell in love with the Mediterranean Sea, but she rejected him for being cold and harsh. He sighed continuously, his breath becoming the mistral, still seeking his love across Provence.

The Bargain of Saint Caesarius: When Arles suffered from plague-bearing vapors, Bishop Caesarius climbed Mount Ventoux and negotiated with the Wind King. The mistral would blow away disease but demanded payment: three days of each week to blow freely, plus the first fruit to fall from every tree. The bargain holds—the mistral still claims its days and its fruit.

The Punishment of Pride: Provence grew so beautiful and fertile that its inhabitants became proud, claiming they needed neither gods nor God. In punishment, the mistral was sent to remind them of forces beyond human control. It will blow until Provence learns humility—so essentially, forever.

Living with the Wind

Provençal architecture evolved to cope with the mistral: windowless north walls, trees bent permanently southward, stones weighted on roof tiles. But folklore developed its own protections:

- Iron horseshoes over doors (the mistral fears cold iron) - Olive branches blessed on Palm Sunday (the wind respects sacred trees) - Never curse the mistral directly (it remembers and retaliates) - Burn rosemary during the wind's height (its smoke confuses wind spirits)

The mistral also brings gifts. It clears skies to crystalline clarity, preserves meat hung in its path, and carries messages to the dead (words spoken into the mistral on All Souls' Day reach departed loved ones).