The levanter
The levanter is the wind that blows from the east across the Mediterranean, and in The Alchemist it becomes a recurring symbol of destiny, transformation, and the connection between Spain and Africa. It first appears as the wind that carried the Moors to Spain, and it later carries the scent of Fatima to Santiago, marking the completion of his journey.
Origins and Cultural Associations
The levanter is named for the Levant, the eastern Mediterranean, and in the novel it is explicitly linked to the Moorish invasions of Spain. When Santiago first feels the wind in Tarifa, he knows it by name: people called it the levanter, because on it the Moors had come from the Levant at the eastern end of the Mediterranean. The wind thus carries the historical memory of conquest and cultural exchange between Africa and Europe. In the distant land the boy came from, they called it the levanter because they believed that it brought with it the sands of the desert, and the screams of the Moorish wars. The wind is also known by other names in different regions: in the part of the world where the alchemist and Santiago travel, it is called the sirocco, because it brought moisture from the oceans to the east.
The Levanter as a Symbol of Choice and Destiny
The levanter first becomes a decisive force in Santiago's life when he sits atop the old fort in Tarifa, feeling the wind on his face. At that moment, he is torn between returning to his familiar life as a shepherd and pursuing his dream of treasure. The levanter increases in intensity, and Santiago reflects: "Here I am, between my flock and my treasure." The wind brings with it the smell of the desert and of veiled women, the sweat and dreams of men who had once left to search for the unknown, and for gold and adventure—and for the Pyramids. Santiago feels jealous of the freedom of the wind, and sees that he could have the same freedom. The wind thus becomes the catalyst for his decision to sell his sheep and follow his destiny. Later, Melchizedek, the king of Salem, sits on the same wall of the fort, feeling the levanter blowing in his face as he watches the boy's ship depart, hoping desperately that the boy will be successful.
The Levanter as a Messenger of Love
At the very end of the novel, after Santiago has found his treasure at the abandoned church in Spain, the wind begins to blow again. It is the levanter, the wind that came from Africa. But this time it does not bring the smell of the desert, nor the threat of Moorish invasion. Instead, it brings the scent of a perfume he knows well, and the touch of a kiss—a kiss that came from far away, slowly, slowly, until it rested on his lips. The boy smiles, recognizing that it is the first time Fatima has done that, and he says, "I'm coming, Fatima." The levanter, which once carried the Moors to Spain and which once carried the call of adventure to Santiago, now carries the physical presence of his beloved across the sea, completing the circle of his journey.
The Levanter and the Language of the World
The levanter also participates in the novel's theme of a universal language that transcends words. When Santiago first feels the wind in Tarifa, he is learning to read omens, and the wind itself becomes an omen of his destiny. The wind knows everything, because it blows across the world without a birthplace and with no place to die. It is stronger than the desert, and it carries the voice of the loved one. The levanter thus embodies the principle that "all things are one," connecting the physical world, human emotion, and spiritual destiny into a single, flowing force.
