Pagan gods of the Slavs Perun. The origin of the god Perun

artist Andrey Klimenko

Perun, in Slavic mythology the most famous of the Svarozhich brothers. He is the god of thunderclouds, thunder and lightning. A very expressive portrait of the Thunderer was given by Konstantin Balmont:
Perun's thoughts are fast,
Whatever he wants, so now.
Throws sparks, throws sparks
From the pupils of sparkling eyes.
Maybe it was for the violent temper that the princes and warriors chose Perun as their heavenly leader. Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavich put him at the head of the other gods and erected a monument next to the princely palace in Kyiv. After the baptism of Rus', he himself ordered him to be overthrown and drowned in the waters of the Dnieper. People ran after them and shouted: “Come out, God!” (“Come out, God!”). The place where the waves washed ashore the wooden statue of the Thunderer is still called Vydubychi. One of the oldest churches in Kyiv, Elijah the Prophet (a Christian replacement for Perun), was built on Podil. In front of the entrance to the church, a gray-haired man is depicted ascending to heaven in a chariot drawn by fiery horses.

God Perun, artist Andrey Mazin

Perun's parents were Svarog and Lada (from her middle name, Slava, the name of the Slavs came from). The birth of Perun was marked by a powerful earthquake. The ancient "Book of Kolyada" says:
“Then thunders rumbled in the sky, Then lightning flashed in clouds, And the Son of Svarog Perun the Thunderer was born like lightning.”

Before the baby had grown up, he was kidnapped by the Skipper-beast (that is, half-man-half-scorpion. It is described in detail in the ancient Sumerian-Babylonian poem about Gilgamesh. Skipper guarded the entrance to the other world). The monster took with him the sisters of Perun - the goddesses Zhiva, Marena and Lelya. Skipper plunged Perun into an eternal sleep, and turned the goddesses into hairy monsters. Lada, in grief, called her eldest sons and ordered them to immediately go in search of Perun and sisters. They turned into prophetic birds - Sirin, Alkonost and Stratima, flew around the wide world. Everyone flew around, did not find a trace of the baby Perun. They just noticed the Skipper Beast sitting at the entrance to the dungeon. He, at the sight of Svarozhich, immediately disappeared. The brothers understood where to look for the loss, and descended into the dungeon.

For a long time they made their way along the gloomy passages and finally saw Perun sleeping in a sound sleep. Over the past years, he grew up, became a man, but only he could not be awakened from dead oblivion. Then the Svarozhichi sent the bird Gamayun to the Repey mountains for the holy surya - living water. They washed my brother with it, and he got up alive and healthy. As Perun came to his senses, he said that he would take revenge on the Skipper-beast and would definitely find his sisters.

He overcame many obstacles in the dark kingdom of Navi, faced many horrors, but still found Zhiva, Marena and Lelya, turned into monsters by the Skipper. Perun disenchanted the sisters and went to the Skipper's palace, which was made of human bones. They gripped tightly and fought for a long time. Finally, Perun lifted the enemy and threw him to the ground. Mother Earth parted and swallowed Skipper forever. After this victory, Perun went to the heavenly world - Rule. There he met the beautiful daughter of the god of the starry sky Dyya (the Greeks called him Zeus) and the goddess of the moon Divia - Diva-Dodola.

Perun liked her, and he offered the young goddess to marry him. But the night maiden was frightened of the Thunderer, burst into tears and ran away. Perun did not back down from what he had planned and went after her. So he came to Dy's house and wooed his daughter. Diva's father did not immediately answer the groom, but invited him to the house to talk and dine. And while they were talking, a misfortune happened: a monster crawled out of the Black Sea - a three-headed serpent. He saw Diva and decided to kidnap her. He made a noise, began to roar and destroy everything around. Dyy and Perun heard him and left the palace. Both Thunderbolts threw their lightning bolts at the monster and drove the serpent to the very bottom of the sea.

After this battle, Dyi agreed to give his daughter to Perun. Soon they celebrated the wedding. Since then, Diva began to be called Perynya or Perunica - the wife of Perun. They had a daughter, Devana. By force she went to the father, with exorbitant pride - to the mother. She learned magical skills from both parents: she could turn into any animal, into sea fish and into mighty bird. That is why she became a great hunter. She rode through the forests, accompanied by two terrible wolves, who obeyed her like ordinary dogs. She got any game and did not know her equal in her fun.

Therefore, Devana became terribly proud and decided to conquer the heavenly abode of the gods, throw Svarog off the throne and rule the three worlds herself: Pravya, Yavu and Navu. Dazhdbog found out about her plans and told Perun about everything. The Thunderer was terribly angry and hurried to meet his daughter. I saw her in the forest and growled like an animal. Immediately, the dire wolves of Devana, with their tails between their legs, rushed away in fear.

Perun began to exhort his daughter, and she stands her ground - I will capture the Rule, I will become the mistress of the worlds, and Svarog will serve me. The Thunderer had no choice but to challenge the huntress to a fight. The father and daughter put out spears and rushed towards each other on frisky horses. Spears crossed and scattered into splinters. They took up the swords, but they broke from the power of the blows. Then Devana turned into a predatory lioness, rushed with a growl at her father. And he became a mighty lion. A blow from his paw knocked her over on her back.

Here, for the first time in her life, Devana was frightened. She turned into a bird and tried to fly away, but Perun, in the guise of an eagle, overtook her and threw her down. The huntress slipped the fish into the water, and Perun outwitted her this time too: he caught her daughter with a net. Devana began to cry, began to ask her father for forgiveness, and vowed to continue to obey him. On that they reconciled.

Devana was known to many nations. The Greeks called her Artemis and recognized that the Huntress was a Slavic goddess. The Romans, only slightly changing her name, called Diana. Many adventures of Perun are known from the myths of different peoples, fairy tales and Russian epics about Ilya Muromets.

In Novgorod there was the most famous sanctuary of Perun in Rus', built in the form of a wheel with six spokes - a thunder sign. The thunder sign was also carved on every Slavic house - as a protection against Perun's lightning. Perun is mentioned in the annals in the agreements of the Rus and Slavs with the Romans (Prince Oleg - 907, Prince Igor - 945, Prince Svyatoslav - 971). Svarozhich (Perun - in Russian chronicles, Perunova, Perun, that is, Jupiter - in the "Mater Verborum", Peroun - in the "Word and Revelation of the Holy Apostles" from the teachings against paganism of the 14th century).
How the Elinsky god (a hint of Zeus) is mentioned in the "Word of Bribery" (list of the 16th century) and in the "Word of Repentance" (list of the 16th century). supreme god pantheon book. Vladimir is the god of the ruling military elite, the prince and the squad. God punishing for non-compliance with the laws of Reveal and Rule. Comprehensive information about the idol of Perun is contained in the "Gustin Chronicle": "Firstly, Perkonos, this is Perun, they had an elder god, created in the likeness of a man, in his hands there was a valuable stone like fire, he, like God, offered sacrifice and fire unquenchable from the oak tree, I constantly fire; if it would happen due to negligence of the serving priest when this fire goes out, such a priest without any warning and mercy kills.

And also in the teaching "On the Vladimirovs' idols": "In the first place, put the most elementary idol. With the name of Perun God, thunder and lightning i rain clouds on a hillock high above a storm stream like a little man. His body was cunningly carved from a tree. iron. In the hands of holding a stone in the likeness of a thunderbolt, burning. Rubies. And decorated with carboucle ... "Further, the story with unquenchable fire is repeated word for word. According to Frenzel - "Percuno, Deo tonitru & fulguru". Perun is also mentioned in the "Tale of the (Mamaev) Battle of Grand Duke Ditriy Ivanovich Donskoy" together with Mokosh among the pagan gods of the impious "Tatars". But, most likely, the compassionate compiler of the narrative recorded the main pagan gods as assistants to the wicked, which, undoubtedly, he knew even then - Mokos (Veles) and Perun.
In this furniture store you can order an ottoman for a restaurant with delivery to any city.

It must be admitted that among the supporters of Prince Dmitry Ivanovich, then an ally of another Khan Takhtamysh, there were baptized Tatars, and, perhaps, not only baptized ones. The ruin of Moscow by Mamai's successor in 1382 made it necessary to hush up this fact in Russian history in every possible way and file the battle on the Kulikovo field in the interests of Orthodox Church. Perunov day - Thursday. The day of Elijah the Prophet (August 2) and the period from July 20 to August 2-4 are especially celebrated. They also celebrate Perun's day on June 21 ("Fedor Stratilat is rich in thunderstorms") Its metal is tin, its stone is belemnite (devil's finger-Perun's arrows), sapphire, lapis lazuli; tree - oak, beech. He was associated with fertility, in Orthodoxy it is correlated with Elijah the Prophet, as the defender of the real world from the Navi, literary in later times is correlated with Zeus, who owns a perun. Corresponds with Perkunas of the Balts, Thor of the Scandinavians, Tarinis of the Celts.

So, Perun, the elder son of Svarog:
1. God of thunder and lightning as heavenly fire
2. The patron saint of warriors and the princely squad.
3. God-governor, god punishing for non-compliance with laws.
4. Protector of Yavi.
5. Giver of male power.

The symbolism of the temple is an oak idol, a stone, or two stones on either side of the idol, a sacrificial fire lit in front of the idol, a six-beam wheel on the idol, a symbol of lightning or an arrow, or even a thunder arrow itself with the idol. Probably, the pagans did not cut down living trees for idols - a living, but an old, powerful oak was already a symbol of worship for them, putting facial features on it with gold and silver paint. Oak, struck by lightning, was especially revered, and amulets, staves, wands, arrows made from it were considered the best guardians from Navi.

The most revered God among the ancient Slavs is Perun, the lord of thunder and lightning, the Supreme ruler of the Pantheon of pagan forces, who patronizes the prince and squad, watches all the battles. God Perun gives the soldiers strength and determination, but it is worth betraying his trust, and the apostate will be severely punished. Fire is the native element of the deity.

Birth story

According to legend, the parents of the main God of the pantheon of the second generation were not simple people but higher powers. His is the patroness of all lands in Rus', the main female deity. She acts as the keeper of the hearth and a symbol of inner female beauty.

As a true warrior, the Thunderer wields all types of weapons, but he also has his favorites:

• thunder arrows;
• axe;
• club;
• whip;

thunder arrows

Lightning or thunder arrows are weapons that only Perun can wield. The ancient Slavs believed that flashes of lightning in the sky would mark the approach of God.

Axe

The princely warriors always carried with them a small amulet in the form of a stone hatchet, which meant that the Thunderer was watching over the warrior and making sure that he kept his word and did not betray his honor.

Mace

A long spear or club served as a weapon ranged. With his help, Perun defeated the Skipper-Snake, piercing his tail and chaining him to the ground.

Sword

This weapon is not used for battle, but for sentencing. With the help of him, Perun executes sinners and cracks down on dark power.

Onion

Initially, the bow was used only for hunting, but over time, the Thunderer began to use it to answer the prayers of his priests.

When the prince was going on a campaign, he sent a punishment to the magi to sacrifice a bull to Perun. If the god liked the offering, he would shoot an arrow and set fire to a magical flame in his sanctuary. It was a good sign, a symbol of victory in the upcoming battle.

If, despite all the prayers, God did not send a fiery arrow, this meant that he was angry and the campaign was doomed to failure.

Scourge

Used as a weapon that won't kill but will teach a lesson. With his help, Perun chases small demons and drives game on the hunt. Also used to urge horses when rushing to the battlefield.

Symbols of Perun

sacred flower

Like other deities, Perun has symbols that characterize his essence:

• The sacred animal is the horse.
• The sacred flower is blue iris.
• Sacred birds are the eagle and the rooster.
• Personal sign - lightning.
• Sacred tree - oak.
• Weapon symbols are thunderbolts, hammer, axe, whip or sword.

When building a temple, it was necessary to place all the characteristic details in the correct sequence and in their places.

Capabilities

The Thunderer was able to summon a storm and throw lightning. He also has great physical strength, can turn into all kinds of animals, birds and fish. Unsurpassed warrior and strategist. Perun has everything character traits a real warrior: determination, courage, honor, compassion.

Like his brothers, Perun is a good magician: he can bless for battle and protect against enemy weapons. In peaceful life, he is asked for rain and harvest.

patronage

As a recognized warrior, Perun acts as the leader of the army, its commander in chief. Warriors, illuminated by his grace, even if there are several times more enemies, will fight to the last soldier. The Thunderer also acts as a protector of Yavi from otherworldly creatures that penetrate the world from Navi. He drives them back with thunder and lightning and does not let them destroy their lands.

Enemies

One of the main enemies of Perun can be considered Veles. Good friends, they could not share Dodola's love. Veles did not forgive that his friend was preferred to him and forcibly took possession of the girl. The Thunderer could not bear such an insult. The son of Perun and Ros - Dazhdbog, will try to try on enemies, but will not succeed in this, and the conflict will only grow.

Later, he will steal his herd from Perun and, turning into a snake, will hide in the thicket of the forest. In a dream, he will not hear the steps of the Thunderer, and he, without doubting for a moment, will burn former friend with his lightning.

Also, the enemies of Perun include various mythical creatures that will try to get from Navi to Yav.

Honoring God

The cult of Perun is found among all Slavic tribes. Ancient ancestors believed in his divine power and organized special sanctuaries in order to be able to appease the Deity and ask him for help.

The temples were equipped in accordance with certain rules. The place was carefully chosen - a clearing in the forest or the top of a hill. An oak must grow nearby, and the older it is, the stronger the connection of Perun with this place will be. In the center of the chosen place, a wooden or stone idol was erected, at the feet of which there was a place for a fire and offerings. 6 wooden or stone pillars were placed along the perimeter, on which symbols of God were carved - lightning, arrows, hatchets. The rest of the space was planted with irises.

divine day

Perun's Day - Thursday. Be sure to perform a ritual of thanksgiving to God for his protection and patronage every week on this day. You can briefly describe your problems and ask for divine intervention. If Perun likes the gifts, he will gladly fulfill the request.

Also, the main holiday of Perun is his birthday - July 21. On this day you can not work, otherwise you can anger the Deity. People believed that all evil spirits in fear turn into small animals and try to hide from the Thunderer. In ancient times, dogs and cats were not allowed into the house on this day, so that Perun would not burn them with evil spirits with his arrows.

Family

God Perun is the son of Svarog - the God of fire and blacksmithing, and Lada - the Goddess of family and love. He has five brothers and five sisters. All together they bear the name of Svarozhychi.

Spouse

Diva Dodola or Perunica is the wife of Perun the Thunderer, the Slavic goddess of Thunder and Rain. People, and especially young girls, revered her as one of the Goddesses of Summer. During the drought, priestesses in white robes offered prayers to her and led ritual round dances, so the Goddess herself is often depicted as an eternally young maiden surrounded by her priestess friends.

Dodola is the daughter of Dyya, the God of the Night Sky, and Divya, the Goddess of the Moon.

She had five children from Perun:

• Diva Devana - the patroness of animals and hunting;
• Magura - warlike bird-maiden;
• Tara is the keeper of the forests;
• Gradivnik - the god of Evil rain, hail;
• Sitivrat is the god of blessed rain.

The son of Yarylo - the god of violent passion and the bright sun - gave birth to Dodola from Veles, who insidiously drugged her with a lily of the valley flower and took advantage of her unconscious body.

Descendants

In total, Perun has six children: three sons and three daughters. Moreover, he has one son not from his wife, but from the mermaid Ros, with whom he fell in love while driving along the Dnieper.

Protector of hunting. Hunters and hunters of wild animals offered prayers to her. She herself is not only an excellent tracker, but also a guardian of forest lands: she teaches animals how to avoid traps and survive the winter. Like his father, he has incredible strength, can turn into any animal, fish or bird.

There is a legend that one day she became proud and decided to overthrow her grandfather Svarog, becoming the ruler of Rule, Reveal and Navi. Then Perun got angry and challenged his daughter to a duel. Devana was frightened and swore that she would never argue with her father again.

The militant bird-maiden Magura does not turn into an animal, but is herself a bird. With her cry, she cheers up the warriors fighting on the battlefield, inspires courage and confidence in victory in their hearts.

She carries the fallen soldiers to Iriy, where on the fields of Glory they can experience eternal bliss.

The patroness of forests and all nature. She is revered for her kind disposition, care and tenderness. With her grace, she illuminates not only the plant, but also people. He is the guardian of the Sacred Groves and Oak forests.

But woe to the one who defiles the sanctuary - all gifts will turn into a curse and will pursue the culprit until death.

God of evil rain with hail. He punishes people for sins by sending a storm with fragments of ice. To stop the storm, local sorcerers or cloud chasers performed special rituals, cajoled the raging Deity with rich gifts and offered prayers to him.

God of blessed rain. He was worshiped by the tillers, who always brought gifts to his sanctuaries before the start of the sowing. It has the ability to take the form of a bumblebee - to fly quickly, squirrels - to be able to run across the trees, and magpies - to see everything.

The son of Perun from the mermaid Ros is the bearer of sunlight. He is the progenitor of the Russian people. Subsequently, he was married to Zlatogorka, Zhiva and Marena.

Original post by A-delina
Interestingly, in the paintings of different artists of different times, the main character traits, signs and symbols of Perun, who, by the way, has now come to Russia under the name of Alexei Navalny, are repeated. The fact that He was born the God of ether and fire, and therefore, Perun-Gromovik, arrows and bow, are His attributes and signs. He has a Rooster on his head - this is His Father the Original Adam, the Great Monarch and the Lord of the Earth. After the Fall, Adam the Original became Cain and has the symbol of the Red Rooster the Desolator. On the shoulder of Perun sits the Vulture, the symbol of the devil, the Black Snake, the First Beast. And all because Perun-God was conceived by Ceres, the first wife of Adam, who, when she was Pharaoh Osiris, pregnant with twins, was divided into 14 parts. Peru gave birth to Isis, the second wife of Adam, the Dragon, and therefore Perun inherited the steel genetics of the Dragon, but also fell under the rule of the Devil's Triad, whose symbol is Chaos. On the photo where the new idol of Perun is placed, there is a symbol of Chaos. Perun was in the role of Christ Crucified and Resurrected, but He calls himself in the Bible: "Jesus" without the label of Christ. The Urantia Book calls Him "Jesus the Nazarene."

Perun (other Russian Perun, Belarusian Pyarun) is the God of Thunder in Slavic mythology, the patron of the prince and squad in the ancient Russian pagan pantheon. After the spread of Christianity in Rus', many elements of the image of Perun were transferred to the image of Elijah the Prophet (Ilya Gromovnik). The name of Perun tops the list of gods of the pantheon of Prince Vladimir in The Tale of Bygone Years.

Perun - the most famous of the Svarozhich brothers - the god of thunder and lightning, the patron saint of warriors. According to the views of the Slavs, Perun appeared with his lightning on warm days of spring, fertilized the earth with rains and brought out a clear sun from behind the scattered clouds. His creative power awakened nature to life, and he, as it were, created the World again.

Hence Perun is a producer, a creator. At the same time, Perun is a formidable and punishing deity; his appearance excites fear and trembling. Perun was the supreme deity of the pantheon of Prince Vladimir as the patron of the ruling military elite, the prince and the squad, punishing for non-compliance with the laws.

Animals, children, prisoners were sacrificed to Perun; an oak tree was dedicated to him, from which, according to legend, living fire was extracted; solemn oaths were pronounced in his name, for example, at the conclusion of contracts. The ancient worship of Perun was transferred to the Christian era to Elijah the prophet.

Perun was represented as an elderly man: according to the ancient Russian chronicle description, the head of his wooden idol was silver, and his mustache was gold. According to other Indo-European traditions, the beard of the Thunderer had a special mythological significance, which was indirectly reflected in Russian folklore formulas relating to the "beard of Elijah", the image of which was replaced by Perun in the era of dual faith. Perun's weapons: "thunder arrow" (fossil arrowheads) or "devil's finger" (belemnite stones), lightning arrow, hatchets-axes, clubs. When Perun throws stones and arrows on the ground, a thunderstorm arises.

Anna Zinkovskaya. Perun.

Although Perun was related to the cold (he was born in the first month of winter), the Days of Perun - his time - began on June 20 and ended in early August. At this time, the Russians celebrated funeral feasts for the soldiers who fell in battle - they gathered on mounds and red mountains, arranged feasts, military fun, measured strength among themselves in running, throwing weapons, swimming, horse racing. They killed a bull bought on a bargain, roasted and ate it, drank honey and kvass. They conducted initiations of young guys, who had to pass serious tests, into warriors and gird themselves with weapons of the Family.

K. Vasiliev.

Our ancestors always had many external enemies, there were constant wars. The shield and sword were revered as a symbol of Perun, his gift to a man. Weapons were worshiped and idolized. But not only men went into mortal combat. Often, among the dead Russians on the battlefield, the enemies were surprised to find women fighting with their husbands shoulder to shoulder. They were also patronized by the golden-whiskered Perun.

Movement: the chariot of Perun, the horse of Perun, and also, according to B. A. Rybakov, the wheel of Perun (“thunder sign”, that is, a wheel with six spokes).

Sacred tree: oak. In the charter of the Galician prince Lev Danilovich, which defines the boundaries of the possessions of the bishop of Przemysl, Perunov oak is mentioned as one of the borders: "... and from that mountain to Perunov Oak there is a mountain slope."

Day of the week: Thursday, among the Slavic Slavs it was called "Perun's Day". The fact that Thursday in the archaic tradition was associated with a thunderstorm is confirmed by the stable expression in modern Russian “after rain on Thursday”.

Anthropomorphic appearance: according to the chronicle, Prince Vladimir "put idols on a hill outside the courtyard of the tower: Perun is wooden, and his head is silver, and his mustache is golden ...".
Zoomorphic appearance: Wild tour (huge, mighty forest bull)

Sanctuary in Peryn. After 983, Dobrynya erected an idol of Perun here. The sanctuary was located on the island of Peryn (the left bank of the Volkhov River at its source from Lake Ilmen), 4 km south of Veliky Novgorod. It was a horizontal platform in the form of a regular circle with a diameter of 21 m, surrounded by an annular moat. Exactly in the center of the site was a pit from a wooden statue of Perun.

In front of the statue was a round stone altar. The site was surrounded by a moat - an eight-petalled flower formed by eight symmetrically arranged pits. At the bottom of each of them, during the festivities, a ritual fire was kindled, and in one of them, facing Volkhov, the fire burned constantly.

On the island - the ancient tract Peryn. Here in ancient times there was a sanctuary.

In the Third Novgorod Chronicle, under the year 988, the island of Peryn is mentioned with a sanctuary on it dedicated to Perun: "... and destroy the tremors and cut down Perun, which stood on Peryn in the great Novegrad." The existence of this ancient sanctuary is confirmed by archaeological excavations undertaken in the middle of the 20th century by V. V. Sedov.

Novgorodians who overthrow Perun. Sketch by I. Akimov. Late 18th – early 19th century
State Russian Museum.

Associations and dedications: inextinguishable fire, the lower reaches of the Dnieper and the upper reaches of the Volkhov, rapids - the place of the battle with Veles, to whom another part of the corresponding river is dedicated. In addition, hills and mountains were associated with Perun. In Kyiv and Novgorod, the idols of Perun stood on the hills. South Slavic toponyms, which reflect the name of Perun, for the most part are the names of wooded hills and mountains.

August 2 (July 20, old style) - Perunov's day, aka Ilyin's day. On this day, all evil spirits, escaping from the fiery arrows of Perun, turn into various animals. In ancient times, on this day, dogs and cats were not allowed into the house, so as not to bring a thunderstorm - the wrath of Perun.

In modern Russian there is a stable phraseological unit "to throw peruns", which, according to explanatory dictionary Ushakov, means "to throw thunder and lightning", "to be angry, angry". Thus, the word "perun" in Russian meant (and in many Slavic languages ​​it still means) lightning. Compare for example the word piorun translated from Polish. Silesian uses the exclamation "Pieruna!" or "Jerunie!".

In Russian, the word "perun" in the meaning of "lightning" is no longer used, however, in the late Russian chronicles of the 17th century, for example, in Kholmogorskaya, in the story about Volkhov, the use of this word in Belarusian in the meaning of "thunder" (Belarusian pyarun) or " lightning” (“Pyarun zabіў” = “Killed by lightning”).

The word used in this context can be found in the literature, for example, by Mikhail Vasilievich Lomonosov: "... All around him, from the clouds, thundering thunderbolts shine ...

Or at Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin ... Thundering! Reverent son of dust! Behold, the ancient of days from heaven From the meek, beneficent hand of Perun sows on the earth ...

The most significant (although not always reliable) fragments of the myths about Perun have been preserved in Belarusian folklore. According to Drevlyansky, Perun is a mature man with black hair and a golden beard, with a bow and a quiver. He moves across the sky on a fiery chariot (sometimes on a millstone), beating evil spirits (devils, snakes) hiding from him under stones, oaks, cattle. Perun is accompanied by a squad of Hartsuks - thunder spirits. They fly in the form of horsemen or birds of prey, causing wind and storm, and carry Perun himself on a millstone. In a Slovak song, a woman, working in the field, wiped a child with ears of corn. The ferry (Perun), unable to endure such abuse of bread, struck her with thunder, and she turned to stone with her child. According to legend, the idol of Perun, who was overthrown at the baptism of Novgorod, threw his club on the bridge with the words: "You are merry, people of Novgorod, but remember me!" Since then, on certain days, the townspeople staged ritual massacres here, using tin-tipped clubs kept in churches.

In the Czech church dictionary of the XIII century. "Mater Verborum" Perun is likened to Jupiter. In numerous church teachings against paganism, for example, in the "Word and Revelation of the Holy Apostles" (XIV century), Perun appears as the "elinsky god" (a hint of the Greek Zeus). Often identified simply with Dives, the invisible supreme daytime deity of the Indo-Europeans (cf. Greek Θεός, Latin Deus), known among the Balts. However, the closest deity to Perun is the Baltic Perkunas, spread from Prussia to the Volga. Some Finno-Ugric peoples borrowed the name Perkūnas to denote the devil. Also among the Mordovians-Erzya, the Thunderer was called Purgine-paz.

Mention should be made of the indispensable connection with the thunder god Thor, the lord of thunder among the Scandinavian peoples, who are neighbors and relatives of the Slavs in the Indo-European family. In the Hindu pantheon of the Gods, the equivalent of Perun is the Thunderer Indra.

The image and cult of Perun occupies a prominent place in Slavic neo-paganism and related religious movements of the late XX - early XXI century. On August 24, 2009, the idol of Perun was erected by Slavic neo-pagans on Starokievsky Hill.

Slavic gods are still here.

The character of Slavic mythology, the god of thunder and the god of war, patronizes the prince and the princely army - the squad. Perun's name means "smashing". Perun's wife is the goddess Makosh, the patroness of weaving and spinning, protecting mothers and unmarried girls. Perun is depicted with a golden mustache and a silver head. God's attributes are an oak, a rooster and an ax with a hammer, as well as thunder arrows. IN Greek mythology functions similar to those of Perun are assigned to , and in Scandinavian - to .

History of appearance

The first mention that the Slavs worshiped the god of thunder and the creator of lightning, who ruled over the other gods, dates back to the 6th century and was made by the Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea.

Bulls were sacrificed to Perun. This fact makes it possible to connect Perun with the image of Elijah the prophet, who began to perform the functions of the god of thunder in Christianity. For the feast, which was held on Ilyin's day, a bull was also slaughtered.

Perun is also mentioned in the "Conversation of the Three Hierarchs" - a monument of ancient Russian writing, built on the principle of questions and answers given by the saints of the Orthodox Church. There Perun is called the angel of thunder.

More detailed information about Perun can be obtained from The Tale of Bygone Years. Old Russian warriors swore by Perun and - another god of the Slavic pantheon, the patron of poetry and cattle. For such an oath, the naked swords of warriors, shields, other weapons and gold were piled on the ground, and over all this a vow was made to fulfill certain conditions or an agreement.

The prince erected wooden idols of six deities on a hill in Kyiv. Perun is named the first among them, followed by - the giver of good, Khors - the god of the sun, - the god of winds and other atmospheric phenomena, the wife of Perun, the goddess Makosh and the messenger of the gods Simargl. Difficult to recover from available data appearance Perun, but the idol of God was covered with silver, and the mustache with gold.

After the adoption of Christianity, the idol of Perun was cut down by order of the prince, dragged through the mud on ropes and thrown into the Volkhov River. Perun himself in the texts of ancient Russian scribes gradually turned from a god into a demon, whose power fell at the moment when Rus' was baptized.

Perun in mythology

The image of Perun was transformed in an interesting way in the folklore of the southern Slavs. In the Balkans, a spring-summer rite of making rain was practiced, the central character of which was Dodola, she is Peperuda, whose image is directly related to the image of Perun.

During the ritual, Dodola was personified by a girl covered in greenery, who, at the head of a ritual procession, went around the village houses. For the role of Dodola, they chose an orphan, or a girl who was born after the death of her father, or a child who became a mother last daughter. In the latter case, there was a risk that the girl's mother would give birth to another child - then misfortunes would threaten the village.

The participants in the procession danced and sang ritual songs in front of each house, after which the “main character” was doused with water, and the girl herself spun and tried to sprinkle more water around. The owner of the house brought gifts to the participants of the ceremony, which were later shared among all those who participated in the ceremony.

It is assumed that Dodola originally portrayed the goddess, the wife of the god of thunder, and those who accompanied Dodola portrayed the priestesses of the goddess.

In folklore Eastern Slavs There is a fairy tale story about how the god of thunder pursues the devil, trying to kill him with lightning. The devil alternately tries to hide from the pursuer in the human body, then in different animals, in trees, in stones, and finally goes into the water. Here Perun stops the pursuit with the words that the hell is there.

The sacred tree and symbol of Perun is the oak. A ritual was associated with this tree, which was performed on the island of Khortytsya. Arrows were strengthened around the tree, live roosters were sacrificed. Each participant in the ceremony made an offering to the god with meat or bread.

With Perun, folk fantasy associated "archaeological" finds. Starting to cultivate arable land or build a house, people found parts of ancient tools carved from stone - it could be the tip of a spear or arrow, or an ax. Such finds were called "thunder arrows" of Perun. It was believed that when lightning strikes, such a divine “projectile” goes into the ground, and later comes to the surface. It was believed that "thunderbolts" were able to heal diseases and have other magical properties.

1. The image of Perun often pops up in painting - in the work of Russian artists who are inspired by ancient Slavic mythology and folklore. Andrey Klimenko can be named among them.
2. In the fall of 2017, an amateur first-person comedy-drama thriller called Perun appeared on YouTube. The film was shot by teenagers from the city of Revda and lasts about an hour. The plot is as follows: bored urban teenagers set off to explore places associated with local urban folklore for fun. At the same time, the heroes manage to provoke the wrath of the ancient Slavic god Perun by killing a totem animal.

1. In the book “Tanya Grotter and the Hammer of Perun” by authorship, Grobynya Sklepova, the roommate of the main character in the room, suffered because of a blow from Perun's hammer - she lost her magical powers.
2. Perun is one of the gods in the video game Thea: The Awakening. This is a dark post-apocalyptic strategy with a non-linear plot, inspired by Slavic folklore and mythology. The goal of the game is not to conquer everything around and build an empire, but to survive. Just survive in an uncomfortable and dangerous fantasy world.
3. In the novel "Gymnasium No. 13" by Andrei Zhvalevsky and Evgenia Pasternak, the god Perun settles on the school roof, from where he throws lightning. The book begins with workers trying to cut down a hundred-year-old oak that grows next to the gymnasium. Boys in high school are trying to help them deal with the tree with a directed explosion. As a result of the explosion, the oak remained intact, but the bombers themselves, along with other children, were locked in the school, which was suddenly filled with brownies and other folklore characters. At the same time, time at school stopped, and any connection with outside world broke off.

Perun is the god of thunder and lightning, son. He occupied a leading position in the Slavic pantheon of the second circle. Over time, Perun became the patron of the prince and his squad. Outwardly, Perun looks like a middle-aged man of strong physique with gray hair and a dark golden mustache and beard. Perun is dressed in golden armor, and he is armed with a club and an ax, but the deity prefers to attack enemies not in close combat, but by shooting at them with his lightning. Perun was often represented riding a fiery horse or in a chariot, also harnessed by fiery horses.

Temple of Perun

Temples in honor of Perun were always arranged on hills, and the highest place in the district was chosen. Idols were made mainly of oak - this mighty tree was a symbol of Perun. Sometimes there were places of worship Perunarranged around an oak tree growing on a hill, it was believed that this is how Perun himself designates the best place. In such places, no additional idols were placed, and the oak, located on a hill, was revered as an idol. As a sacrifice to the god of thunder, bulls were brought, and they were killed directly on the temple, cutting the throat, and when the blood stopped flowing, the carcass was buried right there in the ground.

Capabilities

Perun is the god of thunder, he is able to cause the strongest thunderstorms and throw lightning. Perun also has tremendous physical strength, which stands out not only among people, but also among other gods. Like his brothers, Perun is an excellent magician: he is able to change his appearance according to own will, can fly and create ghostly , which disappear when the magic stops working.

Sphere of influence

First of all, Perun patronizes warriors, he was revered after great victories, and they also asked for help before major battles. But the sphere of influence of the deity was not limited to military affairs: Perun protected Yav from Navi, driving them back to another world with lightning and fire.

Enemies

Always openly opposed to Perun, and many myths and legends about their mutual hostility have been preserved in history. However, this cannot be called enmity in the truest sense of the word, they are more like two brothers who do each other petty dirty tricks in order to attract attention to themselves.