Perun is the ancient Slavic god of thunder and lightning. He is the supreme ruler in the pantheon of pagan higher powers, who patronizes the prince and the fighting squad. Perun gives men strength, and severely punishes for non-compliance with military laws.
Birth Story
According to legend, the parents of the pagan deity were not ordinary people, but higher powers. His mother, Lada, the patroness of all Russia, the supreme female deity, was in charge of family relations, childbearing, love and spring. Bereginya and the keeper of the hearth, she became a symbol of female beauty, but not so much physical as internal, spiritual. Father, Svarog, was a representative of the heavenly forces, a skilled blacksmith who forged the Earth with his own hands. It was he who became the progenitor of all other deities worshiped by the Slavs.
The pagan god Perun was born on that rainy day, when thunder shook the earth, and frightening lightning pierced the firmament. These forces of nature became the best lullaby for the baby: only during a thunderstorm did he sleep sweetly, did not cause unnecessary trouble. The legend says: when little Perun grew up a little, he ranracing with lightning and trying to shout down the thunder. But only when he became absolutely adult, he learned to control these forces of nature, to manage them. Hardened by his father's work in the forge, he fell in love with the weapons that were made there. Therefore, he took on another task: to protect the valiant warriors during the battle.
Appearance
The pagan gods of the ancient Slavs were depicted in a guise that inspired fear and respect for mere mortals. Perun was no exception. Often he was presented as a respectable man of 35-40 years old with a golden mustache and beard that shone like lightning. At the same time, her hair was black, with silver grey, the color of a thundercloud. Like her, they swirled around his face.
God moved across the sky on a huge chariot: the roar of its wheels was the thunder that frightened people on Earth. The symbol of Perun is a black and white magpie, so his divine transport was harnessed not only by winged horses, but also by these birds. In addition, the Thunderer could appear before people in different guises. For example, in the image of the formidable bull Tura, which was considered an inviolable animal, guarded by Perun. The deity was depicted in a red cloak fluttering in the wind: this attire later became the main distinguishing feature of the image of any ancient Russian prince.
Iris and oak
These are the main symbols of the Thunderer. Like all the gods of the Slavs, Perun had his own signs, which were invariably associated with his character, habitat and activities. For example, a mighty oak. ancientthe Slavs in the annals documented the rituals of which this tree was a part: usually the tallest in the area, with thick branches and a thick crown. Near it, sacrifices were made in honor of Perun: they killed roosters, left pieces of meat, stuck arrows in the ground.
Another symbol of Perun is a sky-colored iris. The blue flower was used not only in rituals associated with the deity. It was also part of the temple where the idol was placed. They made it in the form of an iris, the petals of which smoothly fell to the ground and were supplemented at the ends with pits. A sacred fire burned in these recesses, and in the middle of the cup was a statuette of Perun. Another plant dedicated to God is the color of a fern. The mythical element was searched for on the night of Ivan Kupala. The Slavs believed: to those who can overcome all dangers and find it in dense thickets, Perun will give countless treasures.
Other characters
The well-known sign of Perun is the so-called thunderstorm. It is a symbol similar to the Sun. Six rays extend from the center, directed in different directions. The sign was often painted over the front door of the house. People believed that it protects native walls from evil spirits and the evil eye. For the same purpose, it was carved on shutters and roofs. Women embroidered a symbol in the form of a flower: such "towels" were given to men on a military campaign to protect them from enemy swords and arrows, to endow them with strength and courage. Later, this sign of Perun transformed a little and became like a wheel - the one that was part of the Thunderer's chariot.
The main weapon of God was considered an ax withmiraculous power. Inserted into the jamb of the door, with images of the Thunder and the Sun, it also served as a talisman of the human dwelling, prevented the penetration of evil forces, troubles and misfortunes. Interestingly, after the baptism of Russia, all the symbols and properties of Perun passed "by inheritance" to the prophet Elijah - a saint who is revered by the entire Orthodox world.
Attributes
The day of the week of Perun is Thursday, during which the Slavs worshiped him and made sacrifices. Conducting rituals, people asked the deity for the opportunity to change their lives for the better. Since then, it is believed that Thursday is the most successful day for change, new beginnings. Ideally, when the moon is growing at this time: it only accelerates steps in the right direction, facilitating the whole process.
Like other gods of the Slavs, Perun patronized the world of flora and fauna. In addition to the aforementioned oak, iris, fern, bull and magpie, wolves, boars, bay horses, as well as boletus, peas and oats were under his protection. The number of the deity is 4, the metal is tin, the stone is lapis lazuli, sapphire. The planet of the solar system is Jupiter, under the influence of which rich crops grow, livestock gives offspring. When the science of astrology became popular on the territory of modern Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, it was believed that it was better to start all agricultural work invariably during the period during which Jupiter dominates.
Abilities
Based on the fact that Perun was a thunderer, he knew how to cause severe thunderstorms. God not only threw lightning for his own pleasure: with their help, he punished people,who angered him. Usually objectionable burned alive on the spot. Those who managed to survive were considered almost saints. The lucky ones were called "marked by Perun", because after the incident they usually discovered hidden magical powers, healers' skills and psychic abilities.
Yes, and Perun himself - the god of thunder and lightning - was an excellent magician. He flew across the sky in a chariot, knew how to transform into different animals, birds, people. At will, he created ghostly creatures, which he sent to mortals with a specific mission. In addition, Perun possessed great physical strength, it was not without reason that he was compared with an oak tree. By the way, the Slavs were so afraid of the Thunderer that they never cut down these trees. The oak, which was hit by lightning, they revered with double rapture: wands and clubs carved from its trunk were considered the best weapons not only in the battle with mortal enemies, but also with magical creatures from the underworld Navi.
Enemies of the god
They were dark entities that tried to penetrate from the underworld into people's lives in order to harm them, to bring evil. For example, according to an old legend, the god of lightning Perun kills a three-headed snake that tried to kidnap his beloved Diva. To defeat the enemy, he even steps over his pride and joins forces with the girl's father - his old adversary, the god Veles. After the overthrow of the monster, Perun becomes engaged to the beautiful Diva, from this union the brave Devana is born - the goddess of hunting, the wife of the patron saint of the forests Svyatobor.
Perun and Veles constantlythey competed with each other: either they could not divide the herds of animals, or they argued who was stronger and more powerful. Their hostility cannot be called enmity, rather it is the story of two brothers who do little dirty tricks to each other, while maintaining respect and even experiencing hidden kindred love. By the way, Veles was the god of cyclic movement. In humans, he was associated with a bear with strong magical abilities.
First feat
It was he who elevated Perun to unprecedented heights in the divine pantheon. And this is not surprising. The gods of the Slavs - Perun in particular - were not indifferent to battles and battles. The thunderer passed his baptism of fire during a fight with the ugly Scepter - half a snake, half a scorpion. By overthrowing him, he earned the respect of higher powers, as well as mere mortals. This was followed by other battles of Perun: he killed the children of Chernobog, the evil lord of the dark forces, overcame griffins and basilisks. For indomitable fearlessness and boundless rage, he was made the main defender of the worlds of people and gods - Reveal and Rule.
Reading old written sources, for example, the manuscript of Procopius of Caesarea, dating back to the 6th century, we can assume that Perun was considered the supreme god. With the rays of his glory, he overshadowed even his father and grandfather - Svarog and Rod. And this is natural: Perun was the patron of combatants. And Russia for most of its history was in a state of bloody war, so the poet Perun was regularly and generously gratified with gifts and sacrifices.
Day of God Perun
Our ancientancestors celebrated it on June 20th. On this day, men cleaned their weapons - axes, axes, knives, spears - and marched with them through the main streets of the city. At the same time, the warriors sang ritual songs that glorified the deity. In a kind of parade, they reached the edge of the forest, where a temple was built - a place in which sacrifices were made. Having slaughtered a rooster or a bull, people sprinkled the brought armor and weapons with their blood - it was believed that after the ritual it was blessed by God himself for a victorious war. In addition, they smeared the heads of combatants with it to protect them from death in an unequal battle.
When the ceremony ended, the soldiers returned to the city, where staged battles between Veles and Perun took place on the main square, of which the latter invariably emerged victorious. Many gifts were prepared for the deity, which were put into a boat and set on fire. The ashes were buried, after which they sat down at the festive table. The priests advised the warriors to spend this night with women, as they should be victorious not only on the battlefield. Also on Perun's Day, people caused rain: they poured water over the chosen girl so that their harvest would not be destroyed by the summer drought.
Serving Perun
This process was called sorcery, or burning. Only specially trained people who were prophesied this role from birth could perform rituals and ceremonies. They were called accordingly: magi or priests. Some chronicles say that princes or other high-ranking persons often acted in their role. Boys also fell into the honorary caste, to whom this title was inherited, as well asyoung men gifted with unusual abilities.
The pagan gods of the ancient Slavs always had a high priest, who was the link between the higher powers and the people. This also applies to Perun. The high priest was served by other sorcerers who were one step lower on this hierarchical ladder. Their duties included maintaining the sacrificial fire in pagan temples, organizing and conducting sacrificial rites, walking around the villages and talking about the power of the deity. People often turned to priests for help. They brought gifts and asked the sorcerer to put in a good word for them before Perun: to heal from wounds received in battle, to give invulnerability to enemy arrows, to make the born baby courageous and strong.
At the end of the pagan era
At this time, the Thunderer was especially honored. In every house hung a talisman of Perun in the form of a small hatchet or a brace. Even Prince Vladimir, before christening Russia, ordered to place a huge idol depicting a deity in the very center of Kyiv, not far from the prince's chambers. Only later, when he adopted a new faith and began to spread Christianity in all Russian lands, he ordered to throw the idol into the river. People who were brought up on pagan traditions ran for a long time along the shore and shouted after the floating statue: "Father Perun, blow it out!" ("blow out" meant - swim out).
Years later, on the very spot where the waves threw the idol onto land, they built the Vydubai Monastery, whichstill exists today. Also today, the fashion for ancient traditions has returned. Scientists have found the so-called Santi Perun - a book that supposedly sets out the main teachings of God, his laws and commandments. Although some researchers doubt the reliability of the find. They say that this is an analogue of the Indian and Aryan Vedas, only altered and veiled. Although the original source is more informative, besides, its true origin has long been proven.
Perun-Ilya
As already mentioned, after the baptism of the Russian lands, the gods of the Slavs were transformed into other higher powers. Perun, for example, is an analogue of the prophet Elijah. In lamentations, he was called "thunderous", since he is considered the manager of the thunderous forces of nature. The main reason for this mixing is described in the biblical story: at the prayer of the prophet, fire fell from heaven to the earth and burned the enemy, and with its help, water sprinkled dried fields and saved the harvest. In the minds of ordinary people in our time, Ilya is considered more of a pagan deity than a saint from the Orthodox religion.
When a thunderstorm comes, people say that he rides his celestial chariot. During the harvest, they always leave a few spikelets - for Elijah's beard. This is also something like ancient sacrifices. We can conclude that no matter how hard we try, pagan traditions, rites and rituals continue to exist in our daily lives. The memory of them is passed down through the genes from generation to generation. Recently, young people have been uniting in groups: with common efforts they are reviving Slavic rites, including those that glorify the mighty andcourageous Perun.
