The Legend of the Bull of Cold

In Sakha mythology, winter is born from the breath of a great spiritual being, the Bull of Cold.

Each autumn, the spirit rises from the Arctic Ocean, and with every breath the land becomes covered in frost and silence. His breath turns air to ice, rivers to glass, and the earth beneath his hooves grows still.

And as time flows, his crystal horns grow longer and sharper, carrying the chill further across the land. At the height of winter, when the cold is at its most intense, the Bull stands motionless, guarding the quiet of the frozen world.

When his horns begin to crack and fall, the frost loosens its hold. The ice softens, water returns to the rivers, and warmth spreads slowly over the land. Then the Bull of Cold returns to the depths of the Arctic Ocean, where he rests until the next call of winter.