Friday, June 12, 2015

Perun - Slavic God



In Slavic mythology, Perun is the highest god of the pantheon and the god of thunder and lightning.
 His other attributes were fire, mountains, the oak, iris, eagle, firmament , horses and carts, weapons , and war. He was first associated with weapons made of stone and later with those of metal.
 Perun is described as a rugged man with a copper beard. He rides in a chariot pulled by a goat buck and carries a mighty axe, or sometimes a hammer. The axe is hurled at evil people and spirits and will always return to his hand.

Essentially, Perun is not only the god of thunder and lighting, he is also the patron of soldiers and noble warriors, the ruling god and keeper of the law and the standard of male power and dominance as well. Perun occupies a familiar place in mythology as a powerful, temperamental god whose actions were based in part on his temper. As with much of mythology in all cultures, the stories of Perun were meant at least in part to help explain the world in which the Slavs lived. Earthquakes, violent storms and other unpredictable acts of nature were often attributed to Perun and his fiery temper. As leader of the gods, Perun was the most visible example of how their power influenced the world in which the Slavs lived.

Perun is the son of Svarog and Lada whose birth was heralded with a might earthquake. Perun is also the most famous of the Svarozhich brothers who rule the heavens. But Perun is also the most powerful and most temperamental of them all which may be why he was chosen to be the leader of the gods in Slavic mythology.  

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