Mistral (wind) prehistoric site called Terra Amata, at the foot of Mount Boron in Nice, showed that in about 40,000 B.C. the inhabitants had built a low wall of rocks and beach stones to the northwest of their fireplace to protect their fire from the power of the mistral. The "mas" (farmhouse) traditionally faces south, with its back to the mistral. The bell towers of villages in Provence are often open iron frameworks, which allow the wind to pass through. The traditional Provençal Nativity scene usually includes a figure of a shepherd holding his hat, with his cloak blowing in the mistral.
Gabriela Mistral in her early poetry and earned Mistral her first recognized literary work in 1914 with "Sonnets on Death" ("Sonnets de la muerte"). Mistral was awarded first prize in a national literary contest "Juegos Florales" in the Chilean capital, Santiago. Writing about his suicide led the poet to consider death and life more broadly than previous generations of Latin American poets. While Mistral had passionate friendships with various men and women, and these impacted her writings, she was secretive about her emotional life. She had been using the pen name Gabriela Mistral since June 1908 for much of her writing. After