Perun is the god of thunder, rain and wind in Slavic mythology. It has long been considered one of the most powerful inhabitants of the pagan pantheon. Almost all of Kievan Rus worshiped him, with the exception of only some eastern regions. In his glory, Perun overcame even Svarog, once considered the unshakable stronghold of the Slavic state.
God of wind, rain and thunder
Perun is the son of the great god Svarog and the goddess Lada. Legends describe his appearance as follows. Once Mother Sva (the original name of Lada) ate a huge pike, in which the spirit of the god Rod himself was imprisoned. And then an hour of incredible power pierced her body. She felt that a new life was born in her womb.
Her husband Svarog understood - they will have a son, whose strength will surpass everyone who lives in this world. And indeed, soon Lada gave birth to a boy. On the day of his birth, lightning and wind went wild. They rumbled so that it seemed the world would crack into pieces. And when, it would seem, the end of everything came, Perun appeared. The boy ordered the weather to calm down, and theneverything is quiet.
Since then, the rain god has practiced controlling the elements every day. Having matured, he was able to curb not only the wind, but also lightning. Since then, there has been no deity more powerful than him, as no one could stand against the power of the heavenly light.
The appearance of Perun
Today it is quite difficult to say what the god of rain was like. The mythology of the Slavs is very blurred. Mostly due to the fact that ancient legends were passed from mouth to mouth. It corrupted them. In addition, some of the myths were completely lost during the baptism of Russia, as the Christians forced the Slavs to forget about the old gods.
Nevertheless, some details of the appearance of Perun could survive to this day. For example, initially the god of lightning was depicted as an adult, strong man with gray hair. Later, the opinion of the Magi was divided. Some said that he had a golden beard, and instead of a mustache, clots of lightning, others said that he was no different from ordinary mortals, in addition to a well-built body.
The only thing everyone agreed on was the warlike outfit of a god. He always walked in skillfully forged armor and a helmet. In addition, the heavenly warrior always held a huge club in one hand (sometimes he is depicted with a sword or spear), and an oak shield in the other.
Power of the Celestial
Perun controlled the forces of rain, wind and lightning. However, people rarely asked him to send water from the sky during dry times. This is due to the fact that for the Slavs Perun was the embodiment of a warlike god. He used his powers to fight, notfor agriculture.
And over the years, he completely turned into the main patron of warriors. Therefore, going to war, men and women asked Perun for favors. They believed that if the spirit of the god touched their weapons, then no enemy could defeat them in a fair fight. And the thunderstorm on the eve of the battle testified that the celestial had heard the prayers of the believers.
Besides this, the Slavs believed that Perun protected Mother Nature. Day after day, he walks through the forests and fields, observing that people use the we alth given to them wisely. Moreover, the rain god had miraculous power. He could transform into any animal or bird.
Attributes of Perun
The god of rain among the Slavs was often associated with oak. In general, this is not surprising. After all, the Russian people have always considered this tree majestic. Therefore, it was from its trunk that the magi carved totems, personifying the appearance of the god Perun. The most famous of them is located on the island of Khortytsya in Ukraine.
Another attribute of God is a battle axe. He is a symbol of the warlike beginning of the Thunderer. Therefore, all Russian soldiers carried an amulet in the form of an ax with them, which guarded them in battle.
No less significant in the cult of Perun was the iris flower. He was painted on all totems dedicated to God. Moreover, the shrines themselves were built to resemble the six petals of this plant.
In the later centuries of paganism, the Magi added one more symbol to the piggy bank of the celestial - a special rune, which was called the star of Perun. Slavsbelieved that its power is able to protect from any trouble. Therefore, it was carved not only on totems and idols, but also painted on clothes and battle shields.
Worship of Perun
The god of rain quickly overshadowed the other gods of the Slavic pantheon. This was due to the fact that he helped the soldiers in battles. Therefore, the princes and governors sought to appease him with all their might, erecting more and more altars in his honor. Moreover, even peace-loving people asked Perun for blessings. After all, according to legend, it could bring success and good luck in any endeavor.
As for the ceremonies, most of them were carried out under the strict supervision of priests and sorcerers. Only a select few could receive this sacred title. Most often this happened in childhood, when one of the clergy noticed a mysterious power in the child. In practice, this meant that the priests could call anyone they liked a sorcerer.
Holy holiday
The god of rain, like any other deity, had his own day in the Slavic calendar. They celebrated it on July 20th. On this day, the Magi gathered people together near the main altar. Here they sang ritual songs, danced round dances and brought their gifts to Perun. A bull or a rooster was used as a ritual sacrifice.
After that, the people returned to the city or village and continued to celebrate. It is noteworthy that on this day the first parades of troops took place in Russia. Warriors marched in a friendly formation through the streets of the city, demonstrating their strength and solidarity to those around them.
At the end of the day ona huge fire was lit on the outskirts. Those gifts that were brought to the altar during the day were burned on it. The resulting ashes were scattered over the fields in the hope that Perun would not leave them without rain.
The myth of Perun
There are many ancient legends about the Thunderer. Most of them glorify the power of Perun. For example, the most famous of them tells how the young god, along with his sisters, was stolen by the Skipper-beast (scorpion-man). He possessed terrible sorcery: the monster plunged the boy into eternal sleep, and turned defenseless girls into monsters.
But over the years, the older brothers found Perun. Having awakened an already adult man from sleep, they handed him a miracle sword. Thanks to him, the celestial slain a wild monster, and then disenchanted the sisters.
