God of rain, wind, thunder among the Slavs

Perun - the god of thunder, rain and wind in Slavic mythology. Long since it was considered one of the most powerful inhabitants of the pagan pantheon. He was worshiped almost all of Kievan Rus, with the exception of only some eastern regions. In his glory, Perun prevailed even Svarog, once considered an 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. One day Mother Swah (the original name of Lada) ate a huge pike, in which the spirit of the god Rod was imprisoned . And then an incredible force 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 all those who live in this world. And indeed, soon Lada gave birth to a boy. On the day of his birth, the lightning and wind were furious. They rattled so that the world seemed to crack into pieces. And when, it would seem, the end came to an end, Perun appeared. The boy ordered the weather to calm down, and then everything died down.

Since then, the rain god daily practiced in the management of the elements. Growing up, he was able to curb not only the wind, but also lightning. Since then there was no deity more powerful than he, since no one could stand against the power of the heavenly light.

The image of Perun

Today it is rather difficult to say what the god of rain was like. Mythology of the Slavs is very blurred. For the most part, because the ancient tales were passed from mouth to mouth. This has corrupted them. In addition, some of the myths were completely lost during the baptism of Rus, as Christians forced the Slavs to forget about the old gods.

Nevertheless, some details of Perun's appearance could be preserved to the present day. For example, initially the god of lightning was portrayed as an adult, strong man with gray hair. Later the opinion of the Magi divided. Some said that he had a golden beard, and instead of whiskers clots of lightning, others said that he was no different from mere mortals, in addition to a well-built body.

The only thing that everything agreed to is the warrior outfit of God. He always walked in skillfully forged armor and helmet. In addition, the heavenly warrior always held a huge club in one hand (sometimes it is depicted with a sword or a spear), and in the other - an oak shield.

The power of the celestial

He controlled the forces of rain, wind and lightning. However, people rarely asked him to send water from the sky in droughty times. This is due to the fact that for the Slavs Perun was the embodiment of a warlike god. He used his powers for battle, and not for agriculture.

And over the years, he turned into a patron of warriors. Therefore, going to war, men and women asked Perun for favor. They believed that if the spirit of God touched their weapons, then no enemy could defeat them in a fair fight. And the storm on the eve of the battle testified that the celestial had heard the prayers of believers.

In addition, the Slavs believed that Perun protects Mother Nature. Day after day, he walks through the woods and fields, watching people use their wealth wisely. Moreover, the rain god had a wonderful power. It could turn into any beast or bird.

Perun Attributes

The rain god of the Slavs was often associated with the oak tree. In general, this is not surprising. After all, the Russian people have always considered this tree to be majestic. Therefore, it was with his trunk that the Magi were carved out by totems, personifying the image of the god Perun. The most famous of them is on the island of Khortytsia, which is in Ukraine.

Another attribute of God is the battle ax. He is the symbol of the warlike beginning of the thunderer. Therefore, all Russian soldiers carried an amulet in the form of an ax, which guarded them in battle.

No less significant in the cult of Perun was the flower of iris. He was painted on all the totems dedicated to God. Moreover, the sacred objects themselves were built in such a way that they resembled the six petals of this plant.

In later centuries of paganism the Magi added one more symbol to the treasury of the celestial - a special fleece, which was called Perun's star. The Slavs believed that its power is able to protect against any disaster. Therefore, it was cut out not only on totems and idols, but also painted on clothing and combat shields.

Worshiping Perun

The rain god quickly eclipsed the other gods of the Slavic pantheon. This was due to the fact that he helped the soldiers in the battles. Therefore, the princes and governors sought to coax him with all their might, erecting altars in his honor. Moreover, even the peace-loving people asked Perun for blessings. After all, according to legend, it could bring success and luck in any endeavor.

As for the rituals, most of them were conducted under the strict supervision of priests and magi. Only selected people could receive this sacred title. Most often it happened in childhood, when one of the priests noticed a mysterious power in the child. In practice, this indicated that the priests could be called the Magi of anyone who liked them.

Holy holiday

The rain god, like any other deity, had his own day in the Slavic calendar. Celebrated it on July 20. On this day, the Magi gathered people together near the main altar. Here they sang ritual songs, conducted dances and presented Perun with their gifts. As a ritual sacrifice, a bull or a cock was used.

After that the people returned to the city or village and continued to celebrate. It is remarkable that on that day the first parades of troops were held in Russia. The soldiers marched along the streets of the city in a friendly manner, demonstrating their strength and unity around them.

At the end of the day a huge bonfire was lit on the outskirts. It burned the gifts that were brought to the altar during the day. The resulting ash was scattered across the fields in the hope that Perun would not leave them without rain.

The myth of Perun

There are many ancient tales of the Thunderer. Most of them glorify the power of Perun. For example, the most famous of them tells how the Skinner-beast (a scorpion man) was stolen along with his sisters by a young god. He possessed a terrible sorcery: he immersed the monster in an eternal dream, and turned defenseless girls into monsters.

But over the years, older brothers found Perun. Having awakened an adult man from a dream, they handed him a miracle sword. Thanks to him the celestial battled the monster wild, and afterwards he disfigured the sisters.