Perun is the god of the Slavs, the patron saint of warriors and blacksmiths. Perun, god of thunder and lightning among the Slavs, god of war

Slavic God Perun

The canvas of heaven is dark, black, and with a lace of silver lightning. Thunder and winds call the enchanted mountains into the ring for judgment. And the grinding
The rule shakes with fear, but only all the immortal magicians and the majestic gods hid. In his anger, Perun is mad, the primordial fire is raging in his eyes. But his immortal and eternal heart is torn into pieces, under the paw of an unknown beast.
He no longer has a brother or a queen. They betrayed us with a grave sin that neither the blood nor the waters of Iria could wash away. And in the belly of his defiled Dodola, his brother’s seed, like chaff, grows in the middle of the garden. And rage pours like a river of fire into the abyss of his chest.
Do not cut off the head of the accursed Veles, he will fall at the hands of his brother, for Perun, in his revenge, is mad and intoxicated with righteousness. And no one else will see his Queen, Dodola’s beautiful face, for she will not live among the gods now. He will become a small and flying creature in order to amuse mortal people and amuse their children. From now on she will not sit on his heavenly throne.
Let Perun endure it and curb his anger until a son is born to his enemies, for he is destined to become the sun. So Makosh told him that night by the ship, and ordered him to forget his pain, for his path leads to her palace. And only the Thunderer blindly believes her, because she cannot betray and deceive, the one who gave birth to this world.

Perun - where did this name come from?

The name Perun, despite its similarity with the European names of other thunder gods, has purely Slavic roots. It comes from the Slavic word "perti", which means to strike. There is a relationship between this word and the Russian “peret” and the Bulgarian “pera”, which means to beat. The basis of the name is action, a manifestation of strength and power, which, incidentally, is characteristic of the god Perun. The second component of the name is the particle “un” (“un”), which characterizes the character. So, we have in the literal translation “Perun” - the one who strikes strikes with his strength. The word formation “Perun” in Old Russian means “lightning,” which only once again emphasizes what the essence of the god Perun was.
Holding lightning and thunder in his hands, striking with lightning, striking with lightning - all this is about Perun, the Slavic prototype of the Greek Zeus and Roman Jupiter.
Many researchers find a connection between the Slavic Perun and the names of the thunder gods of the Indo-European peoples. Let's take for example “Perkunas”, who was revered by the Lithuanians and “Perkons”, the same god, but among the Latvians. Yes, there is undoubtedly a similarity, and it lies in the root “per”, but in the Slavic version of the name of God there is no particle “k”. Thus, we can safely say that “Perun” is an original name that belongs only to the Slavs.

Perun - God of the Slavs.

The son of Svarog and Lada, born on the wildest night, under the light of lightning and thunder, Perun himself was the most unstoppable among gods. Violent, furious, passionate - he is a primordial power that knows no boundaries. And the gods chose him as their leader, for his will was unbending, and his hand did not tremble in the face of the demonic enemy. Knowing no barriers, Perun is unstoppable both in his love and in his rage.
The Thunderer and warrior, who crushes hordes of demons, protects the prince and his army. Strength and courage in battle is his finger. Prince Vladimir himself proclaimed him the head of all the gods of Rule and erected his idol next to the princely chambers in Kyiv. Perun was revered more than his father Svarog and even more than Rod himself. There is a very simple explanation for this: this god patronized warriors, and the entire history of Rus' is a series of endless and bloody wars. Therefore, Perun was the embodiment of strength and freedom for the Slavs, their most important defender from enemies.
Perun - washed by fire, as he was called by the common people, because from infancy Svarog the Light-Bearer and Simargl, in the heavenly forge, tempered the will of the Thunderer with the sacred Irian fire. This is where Perun's ability to forge arrows and spears from lightning came from. From his father, the Thunderer also inherited the ability to understand the language of steel and any weapon that in his hands sang the song of death for his enemies.
Each of the Slavic peoples had their own image of the militant god Perun, but everyone saw him as a tall, stately man in adulthood. Some saw him as fair-haired with blue eyes, others believed that Perun was gray-haired and his eyes were gray, like a stormy sky. The idol of the Thunderer in Kyiv had a golden beard and a silver head, apparently there was a belief that Perun was gray-haired, but had a golden beard. Belarusians even revered the god Perun in the guise of a young man with hair blacker than a raven’s wing, but he also had a golden beard. Whatever the color of Perun’s hair and eyes, in every image he was handsome and menacing, broad in the shoulders, with a frantic gaze.
Perun is warlike and unrestrained. He is prone to love affairs and drinking intoxicating drinks. However, like God, so are his admirers, because despite their exploits, both the prince and his squad were by no means distinguished by exemplary behavior. Those were mighty and strong warriors, defending their land from enemies, but mad and furious in the world. That’s why the warriors revered Perun because he was furious and strong.
Perun rode across the sky in his fiery chariot and destroyed demons and other evil spirits with his lightning arrows. But the Thunderer also had other weapons, a stone ax and a heavy club, which only Perun could lift. There is a belief that when, on the orders of Prince Vladimir, the idol of God was dragged into the river to drown, Perun threw his club onto the bridge and told people to make fun of his weapon, but only forget his name forever and not speak out loud with mortal lips.

Queen for the Thunderer.

Researchers disagree about who Perun was married to. Some claim that the wife of the Thunderer was the beautiful goddess Diva Dodola, daughter of Dyya and granddaughter of the Light-Bearer Svarog. If you believe some sources, when Perun was driving around the sky in his chariot, he saw a beautiful black-winged swan, which he wanted to kill. And after his threats, the swan turned into a beautiful maiden, the goddess Dodola, who shed rain over the fields.
If you follow this version, then this is quite logical, since throughout the world every thunderer had a wife, a lunar goddess, the one to whom water obeyed. In this way, an opposing but also creative pair was built - fire and water. In the case of Perun and Dodola, the first is the thunderer, the second patronizes farmers and sends their rains to the fields, giving fertility and productivity. This version looks quite plausible, considering that the father of Diva Dodola was the lunar Dyi.
The legend about the love of Perun and his Perunitsa also tells that Veles was in love with Dodola. He kidnapped the wife of his named brother, turning into a wild flower, which enchanted Dodola and lured her further from the Irian gardens. From Veles, Queen Perun gave birth to a son - Yarilo, the god of the spring sun and fertility, as passionate and uncontrollable as his father. In his anger, Perun turned his wife into a ladybug and challenged his brother to a fight. Veles and Perun fought for three days and three nights, but their strength was equal, so then Perun expelled his brother from the Irian gardens to the underworld of Navi and cursed him to eternal wanderings. Whether Perun ultimately forgave his wife remains unclear to Dodola, as sources again differ on this matter. Some claim that I forgave, and some say the opposite.
Other sources even call the wife of Perun, the goddess Makosh. Very often Dodola and Mkosh are confused. For example, in some sources, Diva Dodola is described as a goddess who commands human souls and allows them to be reborn. Let us remember the goddess Makosh: she is the Great Spinner of Fates, and the keeper of all gates and transitions. Dodola's concerns include bringing rain to the fields in order to obtain a good and rich harvest. Makosh is the goddess of Mother’s Damp Earth, giving everything that grows from the earth and everything that walks or floats above it.
Unfortunately, over time, the real evidence has been lost. There are many hypotheses about these two goddesses, but the fact that these are two completely different characters is absolutely clear. The legend of the battle of Perun and Veles is present in both cases. It seems more plausible that Diva Dodola was Perun’s first wife, but after betrayal she was expelled by her husband and turned into a ladybug. In this case, Makosh acts as the second wife of Perun, who became his eternal queen. But these are just arguments that may run counter to the ideas of many.

Children of Perun.

The cult of Perun is not relics of the ancient past, but a legacy of the present. Every day the world is going more and more crazy, true values ​​are being replaced with surrogates, words cease to carry their true meaning. More and more people are trying to find an outlet by clinging to the heritage of their ancestors. How else? Roots are the true path to finding yourself. In Russia, the cult of departed ancient Slavic gods is increasingly gaining momentum. The most striking example of this is the organization “Children of Perun”. This is what the followers of the Slavic Orthodox Inglingistic Church call themselves. The main minister to whom the church is subordinate is Boguslav. The goal of the children of Perun is to promote the faith of their ancestors and return to their roots. Ynglings perform entire rituals performed by the Slavs in ancient times. According to the followers of this church, they have preserved ancient secret messages and books. Everyone must make a choice for themselves whether it is right or not, but in any case, nothing gives a person the right, no matter what faith he professes, to harm another person and consider himself superior to others.

Book of Wisdom by Perunov.

Perun was not only strong and powerful, but also very wise. He left his children, the Slavs, a legacy that is known as the Santia Veda of Perun. This is a way to return to the origins, to your roots and to know true wisdom, clearing yourself of the weed of doubts of today. At its core, the Vedas of Perun are not even a book, but a collection of plates made of noble metals, which, due to their resistance to temporary corrosion, conveyed messages to us in the form of runic records.
The Santi Vedas of Perun are a kind of message that God left to mortals during his third coming to earthly Midgard on the heavenly ship Vaitman. Perun spent nine days on earth and all these nine days he held conversations with his ancestors about the laws of nature, about what had been lived and what was destined to happen. Thus, the Vedas of Perun consist of nine books, which correspond to all the days that the Thunderer spent in Midragd. Each book is a dialogue between God and man, in which he reveals to his children the great wisdom and secrets of the universe.
About santia are the plates themselves made of gold or other durable metal, which were fastened with three metal rings, which symbolized the unity of laws for all three worlds: Rule, Reveal and Navi. Each sign on this plate appeared by minting it and then filling it with paint. The creation of Santi occurred about 40,000 years ago. It contains the history of mankind, which calculates 40167 years, that is, it describes events that will occur over the next 167 years. These predictions are of great importance for all descendants of the ancient Slavs. In order to ensure that the heritage of the great ancestors is not lost by people and that the knowledge of ancient runes is passed on from generation to generation, the Old Russian Ynglistic Church of the Orthodox Old Believers-Ynglings is training young people.

Perunov Tsvet.

Perun's color is called the flower of life and, according to legend, it blooms on the sacred night of the Solstice. He has the power to open a great treasure for those who are not afraid to go through a difficult path and find it. But that treasure is not gold or precious stones, but knowledge.

The Perun flower was also popularly called the Fern, and they believed that the person who found it could not be afraid of a thunderstorm, a storm, or a hot fire, for with him was the flower of God Perunius, which would take any trouble aside and save him from all misfortunes. According to legend, when Perun’s flower blossomed, a cracking sound was heard and the flower itself seemed to be burning with a bright flame that it was impossible to look at it.
As a symbol, Perun's color was depicted in the form of an eight-pointed swastika, which, like any other solar sign, personified the victory of light over darkness, life over death.
According to legend, Perun's brother Semargl, the guardian of sunlight, fell in love with the Bathing Lady, who was the patroness of summer nights. Semargl could not leave his place, for he defended the light from the encroachments of evil, but only love leapt up in him with incredible force and for the sake of his beloved, he still left the sunny throne. It was then that the night became equal to the day, and then became even longer. The lovers had children - Kostroma and Kupala, to whom Perun gave his flower to protect them from all adversity. Therefore, Perun’s color is a huge heavenly grace, which bestows its owner with strength, health and enlightenment.

Symbols of Perun.

Perun is the god of warriors, striking his enemies with lightning. The Thunderer has his own rune, which is called by his name - Perun. In fortune telling, this rune means divine protection from all adversities and protection.

Runa Perun, like a flash of lightning, can open a person’s consciousness and snatch hidden forces from his very depths. There are two types of this rune: the straight Perun rune and the inverted Perun rune. The first means that a person’s consciousness is ready to open up and discard all illusion and deception. This is the time when a person finds the strength to gather himself and change not only his destiny, but also the destiny of his future descendants. The inverted rune Perun means clogging of consciousness. A person completely withdraws into himself and stops striving to correct his mistakes. He cannot understand that the whole problem lies with him. He is unable to accept other people's help and takes out his anger on those around him.

The thunderer Perun also has his own amulets. When they wanted to protect themselves and their family, they usually chose Perun’s shield, because it was
a powerful amulet that could protect not only from physical, but also from mental misfortunes. He was also chosen by warriors going into battle. It was believed that Perun’s shield had the power to ward off a mortal wound from a warrior and preserve him. But its most important purpose was that it gave courage and led the warrior’s spirit to the very end, driving out even the faintest echoes of fear.
Perun's ax is a symbol of power, a lightning strike that can defeat any enemy. He was chosen not for defense, but for attacks, in order to gain strength.

The ax of Perun is entirely a military amulet. This amulet also symbolizes concern for the Family and one’s heritage. Perun's ax is the key to

unification of peoples. The Slavs have long had to defend their home from enemies. In order to give a man not only physical, but also spiritual strength, many wore a talisman made in the form of the Ax of Perun. This amulet not only protects a man on the battlefield, but also guards intangible values ​​- family, love, faith. It symbolizes such a talisman of the God of angry skies, lightning and thunderstorms, which is ready to punish the invader or enemy, and, if necessary, provide support in mortal combat, giving the believer additional strength.

Perun's sword is also a powerful amulet. According to legend, Perun, with the blessing of the great Family, forged himself a miraculous sword, which was called “Kladenets”. The name meant that with this sword, even alone, one could lay down the heads of a huge horde of enemies. They believed that it was with this sword that Perun overcame the snake and swallowed daylight. This sword became a symbol of invincibility for the ancient Slavs and mutilation for enemies. What is significant is that Perun’s sword was not only a military amulet, but also a protector for the entire family of its bearer. Anyone who dared to encroach on the one who wears this amulet or his family would face terrible punishment and severe injuries.

Modern times are experiencing a revival of the faith of our ancestors, in which the Slavic god Perun played an important role. Perun's faithful companion, lightning, was revered as a symbol of strength and power.

There are quite a lot of signs and attributes that are associated with the deity. This article will help you understand the differences between the symbols of the Thunder God and teach you how to use them correctly.

Perun is one of the most recognizable deities of the pantheon of our forefathers. Strong, brave and warlike, the son of Svarog and Lada patronizes all the offended and disadvantaged, rewarding them with strength that helps them overcome obstacles.

But the Thunderer does not tolerate liars and cowards, bestowing his mercy only on the strong and those who strive to become such. You can receive the patronage of the god of thunder and thunder by using one of his symbols as a talisman.

The attributes of Perun take pride of place among. Let's take a closer look at the main ones.

Sign of Perun - Gromovik

The sign of Perun Gromovik, or Gromovnik, is the central symbol among all those related to this deity. It is also called the Wheel of Perun or the Thunder Wheel. It looks like a six-pointed cross with blades, enclosed in a circle. This symbol is easily recognizable as six-rayed.

God himself, although he stood on the side of the forces of light, had the image of a warrior and was an analogue of the ancient Greek Zeus. He was tough, but not cruel, he protected people from injustice and gave them strength to move forward.

Most of all, he favored the warriors, providing them with every possible support and helping them fulfill their purpose - to protect their family. That is why Gromovik was one of the priority symbols for fighters.

Sign of Perun Gromovik.

During the times of ancient Rus', when the Slavic land was tormented by civil strife between princes, the Thunderer enjoyed special honor, because his patronage could bring victory in political intrigues. The Slavs applied the Wheel of Perun to clothing, armor and weapons, and even wore it as body jewelry. Most often these were pendants made of wood or various metals.

From the above, it becomes clear that Gromovnik is a talisman for young men and mature men. It is strictly not recommended for children to wear it, as it may develop an overly violent character. The main function of the symbol is to cultivate fortitude.

Perun's Wheel will help:

• protect yourself from wounds inflicted by the enemy;
• cultivate courage;
• become more confident;
• receive protection from damage and the evil eye;
• become more resilient and physically strong.

But there is an additional meaning. The Thunderer amulet knows how to protect from unkind people. Wherever a person with unclean thoughts enters, he will not be able to harm others if this sign is nearby. Therefore, our ancestors hung a talisman on their homes, as well as on buildings related to the military department.

Charms - symbols of Perun

In addition to Gromovik, there are other amulets of Perun that provide support to anyone who wears them even for a short time. The symbolism of this deity is mainly used by men. This is facilitated by the combat energy itself, emanating from the god of lightning and his signs.

Women are only allowed to wear some of these charms, such as the Rune, Star or Fern. Other symbols are mainly related to military affairs, in which girls were not previously found, and are now present in the minority. Some of the signs are not suitable for children, which is also important to consider.

Ax

Perun's ax is suitable exclusively for men.

Perun's attributes include a whole arsenal of bladed weapons. This is a sword, a spear, and arrows. And even the ax with which, according to legend, he defeated the Serpent who swallowed the daylight. Subsequently, the ax acquired special magical powers, turning into something more than a simple weapon of Perun.

The combat energy of this sign is capable of completely destroying femininity. For this reason, we strongly discourage women from wearing an axe. But, despite all its belligerence, this primordially masculine amulet can be used not only by the military. The amulet is suitable for any man who needs extra strength. For people with a strong character, the ax will add unnecessary harshness, but for those who are unsure, it will enhance masculine qualities and strengthen the spirit.

Shield

Like a regular shield, this amulet protects the owner.

Another popular symbol of Perun is the shield. Traditionally it is depicted in the shape of a drop, the pointed end of which is directed downwards. Craftsmen most often painted an image of Perun himself on the surface of the pendant in the shape of a shield. His sign Gromovik was often found there. Sometimes the shield was additionally decorated with attributes of the Thunderer - axes, swords or lightning.

Perun's shield is one of the amulets that are not intended to be worn by women. Even in exceptional situations. Most of all, the amulet is suitable for men and young men related to military affairs. Previously, this sign of the Thunderer was worn by warriors.

The main functions of the amulet are similar to those of a real shield. It protects its owner from enemy weapons. The Shield will also help to reflect energetic negativity and shelter the family hearth, protecting the family from troubles and misfortunes.

Perunov color

This amulet of Perun is one of the most famous among the people. The sign symbolizes a fern flower. The same one that our ancestors were looking for on the day of the summer solstice.

Both women and men can wear this sign.

Popularly simply called “fern flower”, it is often confused with Odolen grass. There is nothing strange here, because Overpowering grass is the reverse side of this sign. But their meanings are different. Perunov's color promotes the revelation of spiritual powers and the search for life goals, assisting in their achievement. Overcome the grass, protects against diseases sent by evil spirits and envious people.

Helmet

The helmet is another symbol of the god Perun. The purpose of this item itself speaks about who should wear it. Like the Shield, the Helmet was originally used by warriors. It was believed that such a talisman would make its wearer stronger and help overcome all difficulties.

He endowed the weak with confidence and determination, and gave luck to the carefree daredevils. The amulet in the form of a helmet was not intended for youths, but for mature men capable of defending their clan. However, the Helmet was often given to boys by fathers in order to instill fortitude in their sons and prepare them for the performance of male duties.

Nowadays this sign is not so important. But it may, for example, be useful to those who participate in military conflicts.

Rune

The Perun rune should not be worn constantly.

Upright and inverted, runes have different meanings. The first causes the emergence of powerful energy that must be subdued and directed in the right direction. And the second symbolizes the chaos and troubles that appear in a person’s life due to inaction at a turning point in life.

Both are used in fortune telling. But it would be wise to use only the Direct Rune of Perun as an amulet. You should not assume that this runic sign fulfills wishes. It just helps attract opportunity. How successful the outcome will be depends only on the efforts made.

Amulet Perunitsa

Perunitsa has a feminine essence.

The Perunitsa amulet stands out strikingly among other symbols. After all, almost all the signs of Perun are intended only for men, but this one is essentially female. But the image of the woman here is very different from the canonical portrait of a mother giving new life.

Perunitsa is, first of all, a warrior maiden. Some sources claim that she was the wife of the lord of lightning, others are more inclined to believe that Perunitsa was his daughter. The image of this warlike maiden very much resonates with the Scandinavian Valkyries, who pick up fallen warriors.

But according to our ancestors, Lightning-Perunitsa did not send soldiers to a posthumous feast, but helped them defeat their enemies - maintained morale, and sometimes resurrected the dead. The amulet helped overcome dark periods in life and brought good luck. The most powerful amulet will be the one where the lightning symbol is enclosed in the Star of England.

Star of Perun

If the Shield patronizes exclusively the military, then the Star of Perun is more favorable. This sign can become an assistant for anyone who regularly faces difficult choices, regardless of profession.

In ancient times, the Star of Perun accompanied rulers, military commanders and even guards. This symbol helped to find the truth, promoting clarity of thoughts and the successful implementation of plans.

The sign helps make the right decisions and is useful for managers, judges and doctors.

Sword

Perun's sword is a symbol of justice.

Perun, despite his harshness, is a just god. He does not tolerate lies and deceit. This is one of the reasons why the signs of this deity should not be worn by people prone to cheating and deception. They will not wait for anything other than punishment for what they have done.

Perun's sword symbolizes the triumph of justice and will help everyone who needs it.

By purchasing an amulet and asking for help from a patron, you can:

• bring order to all areas of life;
• restore vital energy;
• protect yourself from witchcraft;
• achieve justice in a certain case;
• protect yourself and loved ones;

The Seal of Perun was given to men by women.

It was customary to receive the Helmet amulet from older men, but the Seal of Perun was traditionally given by women. Usually, such signs of attention were accepted by the head of the family. It was considered very honorable to receive such a gift from a beloved woman.

Not only mature men, but also young guys could wear it. It was believed that a child whose mother had given an amulet with the sign of Perun from infancy would grow up brave and strong. The seal gave protection from the cunning of enemies, helped to avoid death during battle, and also protected from envious ill-wishers.

How to choose the symbol of Perun for a tattoo

Perun's sign, applied to the skin as a tattoo, will become an excellent protector for a person who honors his family and preserves the heritage of his ancestors. A tattoo with one of the symbols of the Thunder God will help you gain his strength, courage and wisdom, and become more just and strong in spirit.

The choice of signs of the patron saint of warriors should be approached carefully, because, despite the general warlike magical energy, each of them has a certain “shade”. It also has its own important features.

When choosing a symbol, you should also take into account the incompatibility of the signs of Perun and Veles, the opposition of which is legendary.

Let us note once again that women are allowed to wear the symbols of the Thunderer only as a temporary amulet or amulet - and even then not all of his signs. The Rune is also undesirable as a tattoo. If the runic symbol turns over during movement, its meaning will become reversed. This can have serious negative consequences.

Slavic God of Thunder And patron of warriors. He is considered one of the most important characters in the Slavic pantheon of Gods. Perun was revered by many peoples. The cult of God Perun was attested among the southern Slavs. Among the Polabian Slavs it was reflected in the name of the day of the week Thursday - "perendan", just like, for example, Thursday (Thursday) is Thor's day. By the way, and Thor and Slavic Perun are thunder gods, and it is no coincidence that the same day of the week is called by their names. Perun is the god of warriors. Today many people think so. But in reality this is not entirely true.

There are many modern sources that tell the Legends of Perun. But the key word here is "modern". There are no ancient books from which one can be inspired by the myths about the Thunder God. Everything that is described in literature today is most likely an invention of contemporaries. What are they offering us? They write that the god Perun was the son of Svarog and Lada. Legend says that the birth of Svarozhich was accompanied by an earthquake and thunderstorm:

“Then thunder rumbled in the sky, then lightning flashed in the clouds, and the Son of Svarog, Perun the Thunderer, was born like lightning.”

Even in infancy, together with his sisters the goddesses Zhivaya, Marena and Lelya, Skipper-beast (half-man, half-scorpion) was kidnapped by the guard of the other world. The beast plunged the baby into eternal sleep, and turned the goddesses into monsters. The eldest sons of Lada went to save their brother, turning into prophetic birds - Sirin, Alkonost and Stratim throughout the world. They searched for the baby for a long time, but could not find him. The Svarozhichs were completely desperate, but suddenly they noticed the Skipper-beast at the entrance to the dungeon. When he saw the Svarozhichi, he immediately disappeared... The brothers rushed into the dungeon and found God Perun, sleeping soundly. Over the past years, he grew up and matured, but his brothers could not awaken him from his sleep. Then the Svarozhichi sent the bird Gamayun to the Burdock Mountains for the holy surya - living water. They washed my brother with it, and he stood up alive and well. When God the Thunderer came to his senses, he immediately said that he would take revenge on the Skipper-beast and free the sisters. The Slavic Perun overcame many obstacles before reaching the lair of the Skipper-beast. He found his sisters and broke the spell. He himself went to the Skipper-beast in order to destroy the monster. They fought for a long time, but finally God the Thunderer raised his enemy and threw him to the ground. The Earth opened up and swallowed Skipper forever. After this victory, God Perun returned to the world of Rule.

Many more legends are associated with the Patron of Warriors. How he fought with the Sea Monster to prove his valor to the father of his future Wife, how he turned Diva-Dodolu into a ladybug for betrayal, how he went into the world of Navi to fight with the children of Chernobog and much more.

God of Thunder and Lightning among the Slavs

The name of the god Perun comes from the Proto-Slavic "Perun", which means "to strike, to strike". The Thunderer was revered by a significant part of the Indo-European tribes of antiquity. Its management can be divided into two components. The first component was associated with agriculture, the second - with the patronage of the army. Given the Slavs' desire for agriculture, God Perun was a deity who protected the harvest and increased it. Cutting through the clouds with a sword, he sheds rain on the fields, which ensures good growth of crops. It depended on the God of Thunder whether the Slavs would have a hungry year or a well-fed one, which is why our ancestors revered him so much. Sometimes you can hear that Perun is considered the god of fire. This is not entirely true. The full-fledged god of fire is Svarog. But partly the God of thunder and lightning borrowed fire abilities. After all, lightning also symbolizes fire.

Due to frequent attacks by enemies on the lands of the Slavs, our ancestors relied on the protection of the Thunderer-Defender. And thus the thunder god received another important purpose - to be the patron saint of warriors. He throws fiery arrows and strikes enemies with a fiery lightning sword. Special role Slavic Perun played in the patronage of the princely squad. It is not surprising that such a characteristic feature of the god Perun as a red cloak became an integral sign of the military princes. As for the image of the god of thunder and lightning, they imagined him as a tall, stately, fair-haired warrior with blue eyes. In golden armor, a red cloak, as we already said, and with an ax in his hands. Sometimes in battle he used a shield and a spear. His appearance was accompanied by peals of thunder and lightning. He protected the Slavic warriors on the battlefield, but did not appear as the gods of war. The patron of warriors did not crave battles, like, for example, the ancient Greek Ares. He was only a talisman for the warriors of Rus'.

A historical example of how the Slavic squad revered the god Perun can be cited in a fragment of the treaty of 945 between Rus' and Byzantium, mentioned in "Tales of Bygone Years":

“And whoever thinks from the Russian country to destroy such love... as long as they are not baptized, they will not have help from God, nor from Perun, and may not defend themselves with their shields, and may they be cut with their swords and from arrows and from their other weapons, and may you be servants throughout this age and in the future"

Cult of Perun

Speaking about the God of Thunder, as the patron of the prince and his squad, we should mention the period when the Slavic Perun, in terms of its importance, came to one of the first places among the other Gods. This period dates back to the time of Kievan Rus, when Prince Vladimir, the son of Svyatoslav Igorevich, ruled. The Russian chronicle names the gods whose cult Vladimir "Red Sun" established in 980 - these are Perun, Stribog, Dazhdbog, Khors, Simargl and the Goddess Makosh:

“Volodimer began to reign in Kiev alone.

And place the idols on the hill outside the castle courtyard:

Perun is wooden, and his head is silver, and his mustache is gold,

and Dazhbog,

and Stribog,

and Semargla,

and Makosh.

And I feed them, I call them gods and bring my sons and daughters

and I will eat the demon and desecrate the earth with my demands"

Why Vladimir singled out and placed certain gods above the rest remains a big question. It is possible that by such measures he tried to enlist the support of these deities, feeling guilty for those misdeeds that are known to everyone who is familiar with the history of Kievan Rus... Prince Vladimir left the righteous path and, not finding support among the gods of his ancestors, tried to find support in another faith? Maybe that's why he decided to convert to Christianity...

About the god Perun and Elijah the Prophet

After the advent of Christianity, God Perun was replaced by Ilya the Prophet riding a fiery chariot across the sky. It was he who received the duties of the god of Thunder and Protector. Many people know that July 20th is Ilya's Day. In turn, on "Clay calendar" Chernyakhov culture July 20, marked with a "thunder sign"" (a wheel with six spokes), which is the symbol of the patron saint of warriors. In the 19th century, such thunder signs were carved on the piers of huts to protect them from lightning strikes. After Vladimir converted to Christianity, the Thunder God was given special honor. The idol of Perun with a silver head and golden mustache was not burned, like other idols, but was escorted along the Dnieper by an escort of 12 warriors to the rapids, where the village of Perunovo later arose.

Attributes and signs of Perun

The most famous attribute of the god Perun is Oak. It is the strongest and most durable tree. Therefore it is The oak is the sacred tree of the Patron of warriors. Until the 18th-19th centuries, oak retained a leading role in rituals. For example, N. M. Galkovsky wrote in his works that after the wedding, village wedding trains drove around a lonely oak tree three times. In a word "Oak" The scribes of our ancestors named not only a specific tree species, but also trees in general. Most often this is found in translations of holy scriptures, when the Russian translator, brought up in the veneration of oak, considered it necessary to call every tree oak. Therefore, the forest in such translations was called oak groves.

Konstantin Bagryanorodny wrote in 948 about the worship of the Rus to Perun's oak on the island of Khortitsa:

“Having passed this place (crossing), they reach an island called St. Gregory, and on this island they make their sacrifices, since there is a huge oak tree there. They sacrifice live roosters, stick arrows all around, and others bring pieces of bread, meat and what everyone has, as their custom requires. As for the roosters, they cast lots - whether to slaughter them (as a sacrifice), or eat them, or let them live..."

This place was called "Perunya Ren". According to legend, it is a wooden idol of Perun was thrown ashore here, which was launched by Prince Vladimir. Even today, near the Verkhnyaya Khortitsa River, you can see an oak tree that is many hundreds of years old. The trunk has a girth of more than 6 meters, a height of about 36 meters - this stunning sight will not leave anyone indifferent. Such a tree gives an excellent idea of ​​the Great Sacred Oak of the Slavic god of the Thunderer and Protector of Perun.

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God (Perkunas, Perkon, Perk, Purusha) - Patron God of all warriors and many Clans of the Great Race, protector of the Lands and Clans of the Svyatorus (Rus, Belarusians, Estonians, Lithuanians, Latvians, Latgalians, Semigallians, Polans, Serbs, etc.) from the Dark Ones forces, God the Thunderer, ruler of Lightning, son of God Svarog and Lada the Mother of God, grandson of God Vyshenya. God Perun has already arrived on Midgard-Earth three times to protect it and the Clans of the Great Race from the dark forces of the Pekel World. Dark forces come from different Halls of the Pekel World in order to lure people from the Clans of the Great Race to their full by deception, flattery and cunning, and if this does not help, then they kidnap people in order to turn them all into obedient slaves in their dark World and not let them opportunities to spiritually develop and move along the Golden Path, as was established by God Svarog.
Dark forces penetrate not only Midgard-Earth, but also other Light Lands in Svarga the Most Pure. And then a battle occurs between the forces of Light and Darkness.
Perun, already once, freed our Ancestors from Pekelnoye captivity and blocked the Interworld Gates on Midgard-Earth leading to the Inferno with the Caucasian Mountains.
These battles of Light and Darkness took place at certain intervals: “...after the end of the Svarog Circle and the Ninety-Nine Circles of Life”, i.e. in 40176 years.
After the first three Heavenly Battles between Light and Darkness, when the Light Forces won, God Perun descended to Midgard-Earth to tell people about the events that had taken place and what awaited the Earth in the future, about the onset of dark times and about the upcoming Great Assas, t .e. Heavenly Battles.
Fluctuations in time between the Third and the upcoming decisive Fourth Battle of Light and Darkness can constitute, in addition to the time mentioned above by Perun, only one Circle of Life, i.e. 144 Leta.
There are also Legends that God Perun visited Midgard-Earth several more times in order to tell the Hidden Wisdom to the Priests and Elders of the Clans of the Holy Race, how to prepare for dark, difficult times, when the Arm of our swastika galaxy will pass through spaces subject to forces from Dark Worlds Inferno.

Dark forces that have secretly penetrated Midgard-Earth are creating all sorts of false religious Cults and are specifically trying to destroy or denigrate the Cult of God Perun, erase it from the memory of peoples, so that by the time of the Fourth, decisive battle between Light and Darkness, when Perun arrives on Midgard-Earth , people did not know who He was and for what purpose He came.
In our time, a large number of “true” prophecies have appeared about the End of the World or the End of Time, especially in the Lunar Cults, about the coming of the Supreme God the Savior to Midgard-Earth. Followers of one world religion call him Christ, and other religions call him Messiah, Mosheach, Buddha, Matreya, etc.
All this is done so that during the coming of Perun to Earth, white people do not recognize Him as their Supreme God and reject His help, and thereby doom themselves to complete humiliation and destruction.

Perunov Day – Thursday, coinciding with the day of Veles the Pure, which is why our ancestors said that “Perun drives away demons and washes the body”. Perunov Day is also the “Day of Changes”, so if you decide to change something in your life, then it is best to make such decisions on Thursday. However, it should be remembered that new cases are accepted only on the waxing moon.
Perun's weapon - lightning, hammer (axe), a short Slavic sword, as well as a bow with a quiver full of fire and stone arrows.
Hidden animals - bay horses, cheetah, wolves and boar.
Hidden birds - rooster and eagle.
Perun's plants - oak, peas, oats, fern and boletus.
Perun's figure - "4".
Perun's requirements - porridge (especially pearl barley), flatbread, pies, apples, peas and other legumes. Perun also loves the sounds of drums, trumpets, the clanking of weapons, the roar of cannonades and the peals of bells that instill terror in the enemy.
Perunova planet of the solar system - patron of the Earth Jupiter (YuPater). With its favorable influence, large harvests, rapid growth in livestock weight gain, good development of fruit seedlings, etc. are noted. Electrical discharges such as lightning periodically occur between Jupiter and its closest satellite Io. The energy of one such lightning is many times greater than the power of all modern power plants. Modern astrophysicists have found that these discharges generate electromagnetic radiation that has a beneficial effect on the Earth's atmosphere.
Perun - Patron God Hall of the Eagle in Svarog Circle.

Amulet of the Hall of the Eagle in the Svarozh Circle

Perun, as part of the Universe

- SKY
Perun is the Sky God, and therefore the entire sky, precipitation, winds and weather are in his power. Combining with Earth-Terra, he thereby becomes the Father of earthly Nature, and then of the Slavic-Aryans.
Perun is the formidable God of retribution for non-compliance with the Canons established by the Gods. He is the patron of honest, fair, courageous and noble people who defend the Truth and preserve their Native Faith. In particular, Perun favors warriors and princes. His winged Valkyrie daughter Magura meets the souls of soldiers killed in battles and escorts them to the Bright World of Navi - Glory. That is why it was so important for the warriors not to die in bed, but to fall in battle with weapons in their hands and immediately go to the World of Glory.
The symbol of Kolo Perun is an oblique feather cross, and the general symbol is an oblique linear cross. The oblique cross is sometimes represented in the form of a four-rayed star, which inherited a symbolic meaning from the cross, but of a lower order. Basically it is read as the “Star” of the Righteous Path.
In some Slavic communities, three-, six-, or eight-pointed stars are also used as Perun's star.

Perun as a real (incarnate) deity

At times, Perun turns into a wolf to help a person or punish him, therefore, in many Russian lands, the wolf is a sacred animal of the Russians and a protective totem of some clans. In folk legends, the wolf is also the personification of a dark cloud that stores the living water of rain. The concept of strength, health and beauty is inextricably linked with it.
The Slavs also have a legend about how Perun was born on Earth:

Perun's parents were Svarog and Lada. The birth of Perun was marked by a powerful earthquake. “...Then thunder rumbled in the sky, Then lightning flashed in the clouds, And the Son of Svarog, Perun the Thunderer, was born like lightning.”
Before the baby had time to grow up, he was kidnapped by the Skipper-beast (that is, half-man, half-scorpion. He is described in detail in the ancient Sumerian-Babylonian poem about Gilgamesh. The Skipper guarded the entrance to the other world).
The monster also took with it Perun’s sisters - 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 her sisters. They turned into prophetic birds - Sirin, Alkonost and Stratima, and flew across the world.
They flew around everything and found no trace of baby Perun. We just noticed the Skipper Beast sitting at the entrance to the dungeon. When he saw the Svarozhichi, he immediately disappeared. The brothers understood where to look for the loss, and went down into the dungeon.
They made their way through the gloomy passages for a long time and finally saw Perun sleeping soundly. Over the past years, he grew up, became a man, but it was impossible to awaken him from his dead oblivion.
Then the Svarozhichi sent the bird Gamayun to the Burdock Mountains for the holy surya - living water. They washed my brother with it, and he stood up alive and well.
As soon 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 Skipper. Perun disenchanted the sisters and went to the Skipper's palace, which was made of human bones.
They grabbed tightly and fought for a long time. Finally, Perun raised the enemy and threw him to the ground. The Mother of Cheese Earth parted and swallowed Skipper forever.

During his Third visit to Midgard-Earth, about 40,000 years ago, Perun told in Irian Asgard to people from various Clans of the Great Race and the descendants of the Heavenly Clans the Sacred Wisdom about the future, which the Priests of Belovodye wrote down in the X'Aryan Runes and preserved for descendants in the Nine Circles " Santiy Vedas of Perun" (in the nine "Books of Wisdom of God Perun").

Commandments of the Native Gods.
COMMANDMENTS OF GOD PERUN

1. Honor your Parents and support them in their old age, for as you show care for them, your children will also show care for you...
2. Preserve the memory of all the Ancestors of your Clans and your descendants will remember you...
3. Protect the old and the young, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, for these are your relatives, the wisdom and color of your peoples...
4. Foster in your children a love for the Holy Land of the Race, so that they are not seduced by overseas miracles, but can themselves create more wonderful and beautiful miracles, and for the glory of your Holy Land...
5. Do not perform miracles for your own good, but create miracles for the benefit of your Family and the Heavenly Family...
6. Help your neighbor in his trouble, for when trouble comes to you, your neighbors will also help you...
7. Do good deeds for the glory of your Family and your Ancestors, and find protection from your Light Gods...
8.Help with all your might to build Temples and Sanctuaries, preserve the Wisdom of God, the Ancient Wisdom...
9. Wash your hands after your deeds, for whoever does not wash his hands loses the power of God...
10. Cleanse yourself in the waters of Iriy, which is a river flowing in the Holy Land, in order to wash your white body, to sanctify it with God’s power...
11. Establish on your Earth the Heavenly Law that your Light Gods have given you...
12. Honor people, you mermaids, observe God’s holidays...
13. Do not forget your Gods, burn incense and incense for the glory of the Gods and you will find the favor and mercy of your Gods...
14. Do not offend your neighbors, you live with them in peace and harmony...
15. Do not humiliate the dignity of other people, and let not your dignity be humiliated...
16. Do not cause harm to people of other faiths, for God the Creator is One over all Earths... and over all Worlds...
17. Do not sell your land for gold and silver, for you will invite curses upon yourself, and there will be no forgiveness for you all your days without a trace...
18.Defend your land and you will defeat all the enemies of the Race with your right weapons...
19.Defend the Clans of the Russen and Svyatorus from Foreign enemies who are coming into your lands with evil thoughts and weapons.
20. Do not boast about your strength when going to Battle, but rather boast when leaving the Battlefield...
21.Keep the Wisdom of God secret, do not give the Secret Wisdom to the pagans...
22. Do not convince those people who do not want to listen to you and heed your words...
23. Save your Temples and Sanctuaries from the desecration of the pagans, if you do not save the Shrines of the Holy Race... and the Faith of your Ancestors, years of sorrow and resentment with suffering will visit you...
24.Whoever runs away from his land to a foreign land, in search of an easy life, is an apostate of his Family, may he not have forgiveness from his Family, for the Gods will turn away from him...
25. Do not rejoice, you, at someone else’s grief, for whoever rejoices at someone else’s grief calls grief to himself...
26. Do not slander or laugh at those who love you, but respond to love with love and find the protection of your Gods...
27.Love your neighbor if he deserves it...
28. Do not take a wife, a brother his sister, and a son his mother, for you will anger the Gods and ruin the blood of the Family...
29. Do not take wives with black skin, for you will desecrate the house and destroy your Family, but take wives with white skin, you will glorify your house... and continue your Family...
30. As a wife, do not wear men’s clothing, for you will lose your femininity, but as a wife, wear what you are entitled to...
31. Do not destroy the bonds of the Family Union, sanctified by the Gods, for you will go against the law of the One Creator God and lose your happiness...
32. Let no child be killed in the womb of the mother, for whoever kills the child in the womb will incur the wrath of the One Creator God... Love your husbands’ wives, for they are your protection and support, and that of your entire Family...
33.Do not drink too much intoxicating drink, know the limit in your drinking, for whoever drinks a lot of intoxicating drink loses his human appearance...

PERUN is the Thunderer god, who occupied in the pantheon of gods of pagan Rus', but for a very short time, a place similar to the one that the ancient Greeks assigned to Zeus, and since this literally refers to the eve of the introduction of Christianity in Rus', the name of Perun is known more than the names of other gods. During this period of time, especially among the princes, he was given the main place and the main role among all recognized gods. But we should not forget that the transformation of Perun into the ruler of the world occurs (his image was known, of course, much earlier and was, according to some researchers of Slavic mythology, probably borrowed from Scandinavia) almost simultaneously with the formation of the Kievan state.

Perun- god of thunder, lightning and rain. All the elements of nature are subject to him. He commands everything. He has a huge retinue of minions who carry out his will. Thunder and Lightning, Rain and Hail, Winds and Storms, including frosts, Dubynya, Duginya, Lesinya, Valigora, etc., etc., snakes - all these are Perun’s helpers. Subject to him are both and - and the ruler of the underworld, and therefore all his evil spirits, serve Perun. Rivers considered sacred were dedicated to him; Groves, oak forests and entire forests were dedicated to him, the cutting of trees in which was prohibited under penalty of death.

Perun- a cruel, terrifying god. Bloody sacrifices, including human ones, were made to him. It is not by chance, but as a means of intimidation and subjugation of the people, that the cult of Perun resonates and spreads primarily among the princes. Already initially, when he had not yet been elevated to the rank of the highest deity, according to B. Rybakov, Perun “he was, obviously, not so much the god of fertilizing clouds as Perun the Thunderstorm, the formidable deity of the first tribal squads, mounted shepherd warriors armed with battle axes, which for a long time became the symbol of the god of thunderstorms,” and with the beginning of the formation of the state, it becomes a symbol of the princely squads, a symbol of power - the princely thunderstorm.

The gods are great; but Perun is terrible;

The great foot is terrifying

How he precedes his lightning

Cloaked in darkness, surrounded by whirlwinds,

He leads menacing clouds behind him.

Steps on a cloud - lights from under your heels;

If he waves his robe, the firmament will turn purple;

If he looks at the earth, the earth will tremble;

He looks at the sea and it boils like a cauldron.

The mountains bow like blades of grass before him.

The official introduction of the cult of Perun as the supreme deity occurs shortly before the introduction of Christianity. Its temples were founded and the statues of Perun were installed only in 980 by Prince Vladimir. An eternal flame burned in front of the temple of Perun, the continuous maintenance of which was the responsibility of the priests. For negligent performance of this duty, the culprit faced the death penalty in the form of burning at the stake.

The proud temple of Perun was built high,

He spread shadows far across the mountains:

An unquenchable flame always burns before him,

At the entrance a cornerstone has been established,

And the people called it the stone of destruction;

He is drenched in black blood everywhere;

On it that unfortunate victim was trembling,

The ferocity of the priests which fueled:

There are deadly weapons hanging there,

The vessels are filled with blood.

"Vladimiriad"

This deity was clearly a lover of bloody sacrifices. So, even in order to prevent the destruction of the crop from thunderstorms, which were under Perun’s orders, “meat” sacrifices were made to him on July 20 (old style).

The body of the idol of Perun was carved from wood, the head was cast from silver, the ears, mustache and beard were made from gold, the legs were forged from iron, and in his hand he held an image of lightning made of precious stones.

This gloomy temple housed a terrible idol,

He wears a golden crown, crimson purple;

He held Peruns twisted in his hand,

Which he threatened to strike in anger;

He had huge golden horns on his forehead,

Silver chest, had iron legs;

His high throne burned with rubies,

And he was called the god of all gods.

Herald of something terrible for man:

It reeks of peruns, it sparkles with lightning,

Murder is on the brow, death is in the eyes.

His crown is a serpent, his robe is fear.

"Vladimiriad"

The introduction of Christianity in Rus' in 988 required the elimination of the worship of all pagan gods. According to the order of Prince Vladimir, all idols were to be destroyed. And they chopped and burned. (Is it any wonder that in Rus' monuments of the past, including church ones, were periodically destroyed, and are still being destroyed. It was the Orthodox Church that introduced this custom among us.)

The idols of Perun were dealt with somewhat differently. In Kyiv, he was tied to horses and dragged through the city, accompanied by an escort of twelve warriors to the Dnieper, thrown into the water and floated over the Dnieper rapids. Likewise with an idol. Perun was also treated in Veliky Novgorod, sending him on a voyage along the Volkhov: the river was considered the road to the other world, where Perun was sent.

Using the example of the introduction of the cult of Perun as the supreme deity, one can see how the form of religion changes under the influence of socio-political conditions, under the influence of the needs of the emerging state, how its social role changes, how religion is put at the service of those in power.

The Lord sits on the throne of thunder,

In his hand is a wild whirlwind,

He threw lightning into the abyss of the ramparts,

And the sea hit the rocks,

And the waves of his song from the beginning of time

The great one did not stop talking.

The Lord descends to earth in thunder,

And the heart of nature trembled:

The caves howled in the bottomless mountains,

The vaults of ether collapsed,

The universe is surrounded by swirling ashes,

And the peoples fell silent in horror.

A. N. Muravyov

In a less pronounced form, similar processes - the processes of the formation of religion in the service of dominant social groups - are also observed in modern Russia.
Perun is one of the most important Gods of the Slavs. God of Thunder, patron of warriors. The Russian ambassadors swore in the name of Perun when concluding a treaty with the Greeks in 911, which indicates his high status in the Divine pantheon of the Slavs. Igor’s warriors also swore by the names of these two Gods. They are also mentioned in the treaty of Svyatoslav in 971. Perun patronized the prince and the princely squad - this can clearly be traced in the history of a thousand years ago. Perun, as the God of thunder and lightning, meant superhuman strength and power. In the pantheon of Prince Vladimir, Perun was the main one among all the other Gods, and the Tale of Bygone Years clearly tells about this: “And Vladimir began to reign in Kyiv alone, and placed idols on the hill, outside the tower courtyard: a wooden Perun with a silver head and gold mustache, (and), Simargla and . The idol of Perun in the center of Kyiv looked majestic: its head was silver and its mustache was golden. An idol of Perun was also installed in Novgorod: “and Dobrynya came to Novgorod, placed an idol of Perun over the Volkhov River, and he worshiped the people of Novgorod like God.”

In honor of Perun, eternal fires were lit on the temples. The eternal fires, which never went out, were made of oak logs - a tree that directly relates to Perun. Live fire was produced from oak. Oak groves and forests also belonged to this God and were carefully guarded as sacred. When there was no rain for a long time, in such groves they called on Perun so that he would send down his fat herds (clouds) to people, which would water the earth with water, and with their arrows (lightning) defeat the enemy and evil spirits. In the 10th century, Constantine Porphyrogenitus even left a description of a ritual associated with oak, which he saw on the island of Khortitsa: “On this island they perform their sacrifices, since there is a huge oak tree there: they sacrifice live roosters, they strengthen arrows around [the oak], and others - pieces of bread, meat and what everyone has, as their custom dictates.” The science of archeology has twice found the sacred Oak tree with artifacts claiming that these finds were revered by our ancestors along with churs and idols. So in 1909, not far from the mouth of the Desna, a 150-year-old oak tree was pulled out of the water. It is noteworthy that at a relatively young age, four boar jaws, which were arranged in a square, were cut into the tree trunk and managed to grow into it. In 1975, not far from the first find, a second tree was found, only now there were 9 boar jaws embedded at a height of about 6 meters, and the bottom of the trunk bore traces of fire. Both finds date back to the 8th century AD. In one of the Ukrainian carols it is sung that two oak trees stood in the primordial ocean even before the creation of the world. One of the Russian fairy tales says that an oak tree grows to the very sky. In the Serbian-Bulgarian apocrypha of the 15th century it is said that the whole world rests on the iron oak: “the oak of iron, which is the first planting, is rooted in the power of God.”. All this tells us that the oak, as a symbol of Perun, was very revered among the Slavic tribes and had both a sacred and Divine appearance.

Information has reached us about the holidays of Perun, in which sacrifices were made either in the form of a bull or in the form of a rooster. Judging by some sources, the rooster must be red. During the study of the temple-altar of 980 in Kyiv, in which those same unquenchable fires from oak wood burned, a large number of bones were found, which mainly belonged to bulls. Bones of pigs and birds were also found in the altar. In addition, ceramics and an iron battle ax - a symbol of Perun - were found along with the bones. An analogue of this temple-altar-sanctuary was also located in Novgorod, in Peryn.
It is known that Perun existed under different variants of names in the traditions of different tribes and peoples. For example, in Lithuania he was called Perkunas, in Belarus - Pyarun, in India - Parjánya, and in India Indra was considered the God of thunder, thunder and lightning. In Scandinavia this God was called Thor, the Celts called him Tarinis. The Western Slavs called Perun Prove. This is how Helmold describes the cult of Prove: “Here, among very old trees, we saw sacred oaks dedicated to the god of this land, Prove. They were surrounded by a courtyard surrounded by a wooden, skillfully made fence that had two gates. All cities abounded in penates and idols, but this place was the shrine of the whole earth. There was a priest, and his own festivals, and various rituals of sacrifice. Here, every second day of the week, all the people used to gather with the prince or priest for judgment. Entry into the courtyard was allowed only to the priest and those wishing to make a sacrifice or those who were in mortal danger, for such people were never denied shelter here.”

Because historical sources report his name as Prove, the opinions of researchers differ. Some say that this is simply a distorted Perun, others argue that in this way the God of Thunder could also be the God of Right; it is not for nothing that courts were carried out in the place of his worship.

During baptism, the images of pagan Gods were transferred to the images of Christian saints. This fate did not spare Perun either. In a sense, people renamed their God and the image of Perun was transferred to Ilya the Prophet, who is also called Ilya the Thunderer.

The word Perun in one meaning or another appears many times even in such an ancient scripture as the Mahabharata, for example: “You are a cloud, you are Vayu, you are a fire that comes from lightning in the sky. You are the persecutor of crowds of clouds, it is you who are called Punarghana, you are the terrible and incomparable Perun, you are the thundering cloud! Indeed, you are the creator of worlds and their destroyer, O invincible one!” or: “Once upon a time a perun was created for the mighty Indra to kill Vritra; it shattered into tens and hundreds of pieces in Vritra’s head. And the broken part of Perun is revered by the Gods. Every means that exists in the world is considered the body of Perun. A Brahmana has such a particle of Perun in his hand, a Kshatriya has it in his chariot, a Vaishya has it in the form of his bounties, and a Shudra has it in their duties. Kshatriyas’ horses are also a part of Perun, so their horses are considered inviolable.”

Historians and linguists have quite accurately established that the name Perun comes from the ancient Slavic word perti or peret, which meant to hit, beat. Although here a question arises to which there is no clear answer - the name comes from the verb or vice versa. Thus, Perun means striking, beating. The word “Perun” in ancient Rus' was also used to describe simply lightning and thunder. The ancestors believed that Perun drove out the heavenly flocks (clouds) to graze in the heavenly fields, blew a loud trumpet, and threw lightning to the ground. Clouds and clouds were called “Perun’s trees”, on which lightning birds sit.

Mention of Perun in ancient sources occurs very often. In particular, some of them clearly state that the Thunderer was revered and sacrifices were made to him: “...They believe that one of the gods, the creator of lightning, is the ruler over all, and they sacrifice bulls to him and perform other sacred rites.” . In the scripture “Conversation of the Three Saints” Perun is called the angel of thunder and lightning. However, the first mention refers to the same Tale of Bygone Years, which talks about the oath of Rus' with the Byzantines: “And if anyone from the Russian side thinks of destroying such love... then the unbaptized will not receive help either from God or from Perun, and will not be protected by shields their own, and may they perish from their swords, from their arrows and from their other weapons, and may they be slaves in this life and in the afterlife.” After which the oath took place on a hill (this is very typical for the temples of Perun, which were located on a hill), near the idol of Perun, where Prince Igor and his warriors laid down their weapons, shields and gold. During the oath before the idol it was said: “And if we do not fulfill the above... let us be cursed by God in whom we believe, Perun and Volos, the god of cattle, let us be yellow as gold, and let us be flogged with our weapons.”

Slavic God Thunderer Perun

Lightning that strikes from the sky and causes thunder, splits trees and sometimes even hits living creatures - animals and people; in the Slavs' imagination - Perun's arrows or the ax that he throws at the hiding evil spirits. It is for this reason that after rain and thunder it smells so fresh and light on the soul. One of the Belarusian fairy tales tells how the Thunderer chases the devil, trying to strike him with lightning, but the devil hides in a person, then in animals, then in a tree, then in a stone, and finally hides in water. There is one belief associated with this. Evil spirits hide in the water most of the time and come out on land during the period from Kupala to Perun’s day (Ilyin). Therefore, you can only swim during this period, when all the evil spirits have left the rivers and lakes. For the same reason, it is during this period that there are a large number of thunderstorms - Perun shoots evil creatures that come to the ground.

The weapons of God Perun are called “thunder arrows”, “Perun stones”, “arrows”. The weapons of this God are considered to be an ax, a club, stones. By “stones” we mean a hammer from which it is possible to strike a spark by hitting another stone or by striking an iron. One of the beliefs says that fire once hid in stone from its enemy - water. According to the description of a certain Strijkovsky, “the idol of Perkun held in his hands a stone made like lightning.” The ancient Slavs believed that various mollusks, arrowheads, spears, axes, oddly shaped stones, which they occasionally found while cultivating the land, were Thunder Arrows, which were once launched by the Thunderer and went deep underground. Such things were revered as sacred, healing and capable of performing miracles. The sand alloy (belemnite) was also called Perunov Stone. Often amazing stones were found at the site of a lightning strike (melted sand) and they were called “arrows of Perun”, which were used to treat and cure those diseases that fear the wrath of the Thunderer.

Perunov color

The flower of Perun is considered to be the Iris. The South Slavic peoples, Bulgarians and Serbs call this flower - Perunika or Bogisha. Judging by the excavations, sanctuaries of Perun were also made in the form of a six-petalled Iris. In each petal an unquenchable fire was kindled or burned, and in the center stood an idol with an altar or altar. The symbol and amulet of the name of Perun is considered not only the Iris (thunder sign with six petals, thunder wheel, Perun's shield, thunder, Perunika, Perun's color), but also various hatchets and hammers. Hatchet amulets are often found at archaeological sites. It is believed that hatchets - amulets in the form of axes (hammers) - were given to young men and men as amulets, and were also a distinctive feature of the members of the royal squad, whose patron, as already mentioned, was Perun. In addition, the symbol of the Thunderer is the image of lightning and an eight-rayed star, which is called Perunitsa. Symbols in the form of hatchets, lightning, a six-pointed wheel or a thunder sign with six petals, arrows are depicted on the temples of this God and his idols. A wheel with six spokes used to be depicted on all huts, items of clothing, spinning wheels, weapons, utensils, etc. This symbol protected homes from lightning strikes and was considered protective. Similar symbols can still be seen today in some villages, where houses with old frames and traditional carvings are still preserved.

In connection with the study of the cult of this God, historians discovered that Perun’s day is Thursday. In the Indo-European tradition, this particular day is associated with the Thunder God. The Polabs call Thursday Peräunedån, which can be translated as Perun's Day. The Thursday before Elijah's Day in the Slavic tradition is considered a holiday of equal importance. There is also a saying “After the rain on Thursday”, which refers us to ancient beliefs.

Perunov Day

Even after the adoption of Christianity, the cult of Perun remained strong. For example, in the Life of St. Jacek writes that the inhabitants of Kyiv secretly gathered on one of the islands, where they venerated the old oak trees that grew there. The Galician-Volyn prince Lev Danilovich writes in one of his salaries: “And from that mountain to Perunov Oak there are Sklom mountains. And from Perunov Oak to White Beach." A certain Feofan Prokopovich, already in the Peter the Great era, in his “Spiritual Regulations” forbade “singing prayers before an oak tree,” which clearly tells us that paganism, and faith in Perun, in particular, did not disappear or die, but lived and lives until now.

Perun's Day is traditionally celebrated on July 20. Since Perun is the patron of warriors, all men carry weapons with them, which are blessed during the holiday. In ancient times, a bull or a rooster was sacrificed in honor of Perun. Also on this day, a ritual of making rain is often performed.