Maruts

The Maruts (Sanskrit मरुत् marut m.Sg. ) or Marutas, also called Rudra, are Vedic subordinate deities of storms, wind and rain. They are either the sons of Rudra with the cow Prisni or more rarely of the Vayu and form the retinue of Indra. Within the various Vedic gods classes include the Maruts to the air deities. Her character is aggressive, wild, unruly, greedy, stormy and moody. Their number is specified differently; soon you are speaking of 27 Maruts, soon Portrayed by 60 or 180, they are in golden armor with golden helmets and breastplates. They carry thunderbolts and lightning arrows. With their golden axes they cut the clouds and provide for rain. That is why you identified the Maruts sometimes with the clouds themselves can also cause great harm, so they burn down whole forests, for example, cutting trees or shake the mountains. In the 66th hymn of the VI. Code of the Rigveda is portrayed to their creators Rudra in the image of a tempestuous storm, the relationship of the Maruts.

Birth

A famous story tells of their birth: the goddess Diti wanted to stay pregnant one hundred years, so that their sons be as powerful as possible. The god Indra, however, their huge belly cut open with a thunderbolt, so that the sons Ditis - the Maruts - are born prematurely. Henceforth, the Maruts were the servants of Indra at court and his constant battle companions. However, they do not interfere actively in hostilities, but instead support Indra morally by their very presence and their bard songs.