Perun

Symbol: thunder and lightning; fire; oak; eagle; axe or hammer

Culture: Slavic

Mother: Lada

Father: Svarog

Overview

Perun is a powerful thunder deity and the supreme god of ancient Slavic mythology. Perun was often associated with the Norse god Thor, though his position as king of the gods was more closely related to the Norse Odin or the Greek Zeus. Perun was portrayed as a mighty warrior, wielding a giant axe or hammer. His name has its roots in ancient Slavic and can be translated as “he who strikes,” or “he who hits.” Some myths tell of a great battle between Perun and a fellow god who represents chaos. Perun emerges victorious from the battle and restores order to the world. Perun was likely worshiped among all the Slavic peoples throughout eastern Europe and northern Asia. After the rise of Christianity, he was either rejected outright or replaced by Christian saints.

In Mythology

Perun is depicted as a muscular, rugged warrior with a thick, copper-colored beard. He drives a chariot pulled by a large male goat and carries an enormous battle axe. In some versions of the myth, his weapon is a large hammer. It is said that when Perun throws the axe at his enemies, the weapon always returns to his hand. In addition to his role as the god of thunder, Perun represents military might and divine justice and order.

Perun was one of several sons born to the god Svarog and the goddess Lada. One myth has Lada becoming pregnant with Perun after eating fish containing the embodiment of the creator god. Many stories associated with Perun show him using his power to overcome great obstacles. In one story, a sleeping Perun is kidnapped and taken to the underworld as an infant. As his mother searches the world for him, Perun remains asleep and grows into manhood. When he wakes, the ground shakes as he begins to walk. Perun battles his way through the beasts of the underworld until he is able to reach his home in the heavens. Once there, he takes his place as the leader of the gods. He is also said to have married the daughter of the sky god and moon goddess.

In Slavic mythology, the universe is seen as a giant oak tree, with its trunk and branches representing Earth and heaven and its roots representing the underworld. Perun is shown as an eagle keeping watch over the world from his perch in the highest branches of the tree. Living among the roots of the tree is the god Veles, the Slavic deity of water and chaos who is depicted as a serpent. According to myth, Veles is said to have stolen Perun’s cattle. Some versions of the story have Veles taking Perun’s wife or children.

An angry Perun chases Veles around the world, hurling lightning bolts at Earth to strike his enemy. The shapeshifting Veles was able to avoid the bolts by changing into various animals or hiding under rocks or behind trees. It is said that if lightning strikes Earth, it is Perun taking aim at his archenemy. Some versions of the myth have Perun eventually killing Veles, while in others Veles flees back to the underworld. In the latter version, Perun returns to the top-of-the-world tree and tells his foe, “That is your place, stay there!”

Origins & Cults

While the worship of Perun dates back thousands of years, recorded evidence of him is scare as the ancient Slavs did not have a system of writing. The first written accounts of the deity were compiled by the Byzantine historian Procopius who lived in the sixth century CE. Stories of Perun were more common among the Slavic people living in eastern Europe, though he was revered by Slavs in western regions as well. A similar thunder deity named Perkūnas was worshiped by some Balkan tribes, leading to speculation that both gods may have originated from a common source. However, many experts believe that the people of the Balkans likely “borrowed” their deity from the neighboring Slavs.

Perun is often associated with the day Thursday, due to his affiliation with the Norse god Thor. As a storm god, Perun was viewed as the bringer of rain and called upon by farmers in times of drought. The Slavs also associated Perun with success in war and prayed to him to strike down their enemies. Because the oak tree is a symbol of Perun, Slavic idols to the deity were often made from oak wood. Before many Slavic festivals, people would carve an image of Perun into the largest nearby oak tree. Temples dedicated to Perun were built on hilltops, owing to his position as king of the heavens.

To the Slavs, the relationship between Perun and Veles was representative of the battle between two primal forces of nature. The arrival of the yearly rains signified Perun’s victory over Veles. A particular strong storm was a sign that the two deities were engaged in battle, while a delay in the rainy season meant that Perun had yet to defeat his enemy. It was also believed that the coming of spring marked Perun’s triumph over the demon of winter.

As the Slavs began to encounter Christianity, Perun was initially seen as an equal of the Christian god. As late as the tenth century, Slavic leaders were still building statues dedicated to Perun. However, Christian beliefs eventually overwhelmed pagan religions across most of Europe, and Perun was pushed aside as the supreme deity of the Slavs. In many parts of Slavic territory, worship of Perun was banned and idols to the deity were destroyed. In western Europe, Slavs were encouraged to worship St. Michael the archangel in place of Perun. The Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church attempted to coax the Slavs to Christianity by combining Perun with the biblical prophet Elijah. Perun became a saint known as Elijah the Thunderer. He was portrayed driving a flaming chariot through the sky—an image meant to evoke both Perun’s chariot and the fiery chariot that carried Elijah to heaven in the Old Testament.

Bibliography

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