Perkūnas

Pērkons redirects here. For the rock band, see Pērkons (band).

Lithuanian Perkūnas, Latvian Pērkons, Prussian Perkūns was the common Baltic god of thunder, one of the most important deities in the Baltic pantheon. In both Lithuanian and Latvian mythology, he is documented as the god of thunder, rain, mountains, oak trees and the sky.

The name survives in Modern Baltic as Lithuanian perkūnas ("thunder"), perkūnija ("thunder-storm"), and the Latvian pērkons (both "thunder" and "thunderstorm"). Alternative names in Latvian are Pērkoniņš (diminutive), Pērkonītis (diminutive), Pērkona tēvs, Vecais tēvs.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology

The name possibly continues PIE *Perk^wunos, cognate to *perk^wus, a word for "oak", "fir" or "wooded mountain". Slavic Perun is a related god, but not an etymologically precise match. Finnish Perkele, a name of Ukko, is considered a loan from Baltic.

Baltic paganism

The information about Baltic paganism in general is very sketchy and incomplete. Lithuanians hadn't developed a literature before Christian times, so all the myths, stories, and customs had to be relayed to future generations verbally. Most of the early written accounts are very brief and made by foreigners, usually Christians, who disapproved of Pagan traditions. Some academics regard some texts as inaccurate misunderstandings or even fabrications. In addition many sources list many different names and different spellings, thus sometimes it is not clear if they are referring to the same thing.

Formally, Lithuania was baptised between the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century, but pagan religion survived yet for two centuries, gradually losing its cultural influence. The Evangelical Religion, established in Prussia by Albert of Brandenburg Prussia promised to preach to people in their own language, rather than the Latin. Duke Albert established the Albertina (university) in Königsberg, where languages of the neighboring countries were also taught and the first books in those languages were printed. The last conceptions of the old religion survived approximately until the beginning of the 19th century. However, as it was the tradition, they were never documented by followers of the religion themselves, and all known facts are from documents left by outsiders. From the beginning of the 19th century, in contrast, relics of the old religion were interwoven with other stories of folkloric mythology, and were subsequently documented quite well, including many testimonies written by storytellers themselves. However, the more syncretic character of this mythology raised some uncertainties and, subsequently, hypotheses and discussions, as to what the pagan Lithuanian religion actually was.

Perkūnas in written sources

Most information about Perkūnas comes from folklore songs, legends, and fairy tales. Because most of them were collected rather late in the 19th century, they represent only some fragments of the whole mythology.

The earliest attestation of Perkūnas seems to be in the Russian translation of the Chronicle of John Malala (1261) where it speaks about the worship of "Перкоунови рекше громоу", and in the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle (around 1290) which mentions the idol Perkūnė.

In the Constitutiones Synodales (1530) Perkūnas is mentioned in a list of gods before the god of hell Pikuls and is identified with the Roman Jove (Jupiter). In the Sudovian Book Perkūnas (Parkuns) is mentioned in connection with a ritual involving a goat. In Christian compositions, Perkūnas is a malicious spirit, a demon (as in the Chronicle of John Malala or in the 15th century writings of Polish chronicler Jan Dlugosz.

Other names

Lithuanian Perkūnas has many alternative onomatopoeic names, like Dundulis, Dundutis, Dūdų senis, Tarškulis, Tarškutis, Blizgulis, etc.

Representation in mythology

Perkūnas is the god of lightning and thunder and storms. In a triad of gods Perkūnas symbolizes the creative forces (including vegetative), courage, success, the top of the world, the sky, rain, thunder, heavenly fire (lightning) and celestial elements, while Patrimpas, is involved with the ground, crops, and cereals) and Patulas, with hell, and death. As a heavenly (atmospheric) deity Perkūnas, apparently, is the assistant and executor of Dievas‘s will. However, Perkūnas tends to surpass Dievas because he can be actually seen and has defined mythological functions.

Perkūnas' family relations

In songs about a "heavenly wedding" Saulė (the Sun) cheats on Perkūnas with Mėnulis (the Moon); Perkūnas splits Mėnulis in half with a sword. According to another, more popular, version, Mėnulis cheats on the Sun with Aušrinė (the morning star) just after the wedding, and Perkūnas punishes it. However, it does not learn and repeats the adultery and is punished again every month. Other explanations say it is why the Sun shines during the day and the Moon at night. Though divorced, both want to see their daughter Žemyna (the Earth).

In other songs Perkūnas, on the way to the wedding of Aušra (dawn; the daughter of the Sun), strikes a golden oak (most likely in order to expel evil spirits - velnias or snakes - that usually hide below the roots of an oak). The oak is a tree of the thunder god in the Baltic mythology. Lithuanian Perkūno ąžuolas or Latvian Pērkona ozols ("oak of Perkūnas") is mentioned in a source dated to the first half of the 19th century).

Other myths say that Perkūnas and one Laumė (or Vaiva (rainbow) in some other accounts) were supposed to get married on Thursday, but the bride was kidnapped by velnias (devil) and Perkūnas hunts velnias ever since.

Some myths mention four sons of Perkūnas, who, apparently, is connected with the four seasons or with the four directions of the world (east, west, south and north). Sometimes there are seven (in connection to seven days of the week?) or nine Perkūnai referred to as brothers. It is said in Lithuanian "Perkūnų yra daug" (there are many thunders).

In some myths Perkūnas expels his wife (and in some cases his children too) and remains in the sky by himself. Some myths offer a very different story: Dievas lifts Perkūnas from the earth into the sky. Perkūnas has stones in the sky (which rumble during storms) - the motive connected to Indo-European mythology. Perkūnas dwells on high hills or mountains: compare Lithuanian toponymy of Perkūnkalnis, "mountain of Perkūnas", or Griausmo kalnas, "mountain of rumble."

Perkūnas and the Devil

An important function of Perkūnas is to fight the devil (in Latvian, velns, Lithuanian velnias). The image of velnias is affected by Christianity. It is placed as an opponent of Perkūnas. It is the god of hell and death. Its other names in Latvian and Lithuanian include Vels, Velnias, Velinas.

Perkūnas pursues his opponent velnias for picaroon or theft of fertility and cattle. Velnias hides in trees, under stones, or turns into various хтонических or demonic animals: a black cat, dog, pig, goat, lamb, pike, cow (compare to the Latvian representations of velnias a creature with the cow hoofs) or a person.

Perkūnas pursues an opponent in the sky on a chariot, made from stone and fire (Lithuanian ugnies ratai). Sometimes the chariot is made from red iron. It is harnessed by a pair (less often four or three) of red and white (or black and white) horses (sometimes goats). Compare the Lithuanian deity of horses and chariots Ratainyčia (Ratainicza mentioned in Lasick‘s works; from Lithuanian ratai - "wheel"). It is a mythologized image of a chariot of Didžioji Meška (Ursa Major). It agrees with Samogitian representations, in which Perkūnas is a horseman on a fiery horse. On his heavenly chariot Perkūnas appears in the shape of a gray-haired old man with a big beard of many colors, in white and black clothes, holding a goat on a cord in one hand and a horn or an axe in the other.

Perkūnas possesses many weapons. They include an axe or sledgehammer, stones, a sword, lightning bolts, a bow and arrows, a club, birches (scourges, Dievo rykštė, "a scourge of the god," is mentioned in Diverikjzj, the Russian annals), and an iron or fiery knife. Perkūnas is the creator of the weapons (Akmeninis kalvis, "the stone smith") or he is helped by the heavenly smith Televelis (Kalvelis).

In some representations, lightning (Prussian: melde) is created by heavenly millstones (compare the general Indo-European root *mel|d| for the Balto-Slavic words meaning "lightning", "молот" (sledgehammer), "молотьба" (beating by sledgehammer)). An opponent of Perkūnas hides itself in the hollow of a tree or a stone (attributes of Perkūnas). The culmination of Perkūnas' hunt for his opponent is a thunder-storm; it not only clears the ground of evil spirits, but returns the stolen cattle or weapons.

Perkūnas is also connected to Thursday. Thursday is the day of the Thunderer in many traditions: compare Polabian Peräune-dǻn ("day of Perun"), Lithuanian Perkūno diena. Perkūnas is associated with the Roman god Jupiter in early sources. Thursday is a day of thunder-storms and rains, and also of weddings.

Prussian Perkūns

The Chronicle of Simon Grunau (around 1520) describes a Prussian banner with Perkūns on it. The god is represented as an angry middle aged man with a twisted black beard, topped with a flame. It stands between young Patrimpas and old Patulas. Perkūns maintains the same central position in the description of the sacred oak in Romowe sanctuary. In front of the oak, the eternal fire (symbol of Perkūns) was burned. Special priests served at the sanctuary. Old Prussians would try to appeal to the god by prayers. Perkunatete was the mother of Perkūns. It is believed that some attributes of Lithuanian Perkūnas are borrowed from Prussian Perkūns of Prussian mythology.^{[citation needed]}

Latvian Pērkons

Pērkons was strongly associated with Dievs, though the two were clearly different. The people sacrificed black calfs, goats, and roosters to Pērkons, especially during droughts. The surrounding peoples came to these sacrifices to eat and drink together, after pouring beer onto the ground or into the fire for him. The Latvians also sacrificed cooked food before meals to Pērkons, in order to prevent thunderstorms, during which honeycombs were placed into fires to disperse the clouds.

Pērkons' family included sons that symbolized various aspects of thunderstorms (such as thunder, lightning, lightning strikes) and daughters that symbolized various kinds of rain.

Pērkons appeared on a golden horse, wielding a sword, iron club, golden whip and a knife. Ancient Latvians wore tiny axes on their clothing in his honor.

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