Perun – Slavic God of Thunder, Justice, and War – Slavic Mythology Saturday

After last week’s jump into a Polish fairy tale, Carried Away by the Wind, this Slavic Saturday we’re returning to Slavic gods with one you might know the name of: Perun, god of thunder, justice, and war.

If you’ve been following me since early 2020, you might have seen my original post about Perun, but I’ve learned a lot in the past year. Because of that, I’m giving the god a new article (and video) that fit the higher standard he deserves (and that I expect of my posts nowadays).

(June 2021 Updated) Note: If you enjoy Slavic mythology, check out A Dagger in the Winds, the first book in my Slavic fantasy series called The Frostmarked Chronicles. You can also join my monthly newsletter for updates and free novellas (such as the prequel, The Rider in the Night) set in the world of the series.

Chief Among Gods

Even during pre-Christian pagan times, Slavs controlled most of eastern Europe, and this led to a wide variety of tribes and customs. Some of their myths and folktales overlapped while others stayed within a region. Perun is one of the few who was worshiped among nearly every tribe. Not only was he worshiped – he was crowned chief of the gods.

At first glance, Perun fills a similar role to other thunder deities, particularly Zeus and Thor. He is pictured as a strong man with a beard, often a winged helmet, and his weapons of an ax and golden, lighting-tipped arrows. He was the enforcer of justice and order in the sky, both feared and loved by his people. When the Slavic tribes marched to battle, they prayed that he would strike down their enemies, and like Zeus as well, Perun ruled over the other gods… mostly.

Because of the divide among Slavic tribes, there was and is no unified “Slavic Pantheon” of gods. Perun and his arch-nemesis, Weles/Veles (god of the underworld, lowlands and cattle), may have been worshiped by most tribes, but others such as Dziewanna/Devana (goddess of the wilds and hunt), Dadźbóg/Dazhbog (god of the sun), and Żywia/Vesna (goddess of spring and fertility) were only known in particular regions. This variation by region means stories are often inconsistent – if we have stories at all. Perun, though, surpasses these divides.

The eldest of the Slavic gods is typically believed to be Swaróg/Svarog (god of fire, blacksmithing, sky, and creation). He either created Perun at the world’s beginning or his Perun’s father. Regardless, though Swaróg was worshiped by some eastern Slavic tribes as the chief deity, he was often believed to play a more passive role. Perun, on the other hand, was symbolized as the powerful eagle, perched on the branches of the World Tree in Prawia/Pav (the realm of the gods) as he oversaw order in Jawia/Yav (the realm of the living). None of the Slavic gods were thought to play as much of an active role as they do in Greek myths. They were often distant giants. Among them, though, Perun was not one to anger.

According to some stories (varies by region), Perun has familial connections to many of the other gods. Mokosz/Mokosh, the Great Mother and goddess of women, was typically considered his wife. Combining stories, his children have been mentioned as Jaryło/Jarilo/Yarilo (god of spring, agriculture, war, and fertility), Marzanna/Morana (Jaryło’s twin and goddess of winter, pestilence, and death), Dziewanna/Devana (goddess of the wilds and hunt), and (speculatively) Żywia/Vesna (goddess(es) of spring and fertility).

The Battle of Mountains and Valleys

As Perun ruled the gods in Prawia and mortals in Jawia, a great enemy faced him. His mountains were contrasted with valleys, the branches of the oak tree at the center of the world contrasted with roots beneath the earth. So, Perun himself was contrasted by Weles.

The great battle between these two gods is unlike that of Zeus and Thor or the Christian God and the Devil. Perun is not “good” and Weles “evil.” The former brought rain to farmers and protection to warriors. The latter aided shepherds in the lowlands and was associated with magic and divination that was popular among the people. They, besides perhaps Swaróg, were the only two gods to be worshiped by nearly every Slavic tribe.

How did such a war start between these powerful gods then?

There are a range of stories that answer that question. Some claim Perun was angered when Weles stole his golden cattle. Others claim it was Perun who stole Weles’s cattle. And others still claim Weles stole Perun’s wife (presumably Mokosz/Mokosh or Dodola) or his son, Jaryło. The story of the stolen son fits with that of Jaryło returning Nawia to marry his twin sister, Marzanna (more on that story in their respective articles). Regardless, theft is thought to be what triggers the war – Perun’s thunder and order against Weles’s magic and deception.

This battle was so prominent that folktales and songs talked of lightning striking at the serpent (a form Weles often took) hundreds of years after the Christianization of most of the Slavic tribes. Perun’s golden arrows rained from the sky alongside his golden apples (thought to act like a lightning grenade). Their war raged on until Weles retreated to his realm of Nawia, restoring order in the world.

The Rebellious Daughter

Dziewanna was most prominently only a western Slavic goddess, but her story as Perun’s daughter gives insight into what was believed to be his personality.

Perun was a dominating and tough father. Yet, Dziewanna held to her rebellious nature as goddess of the wilds. She believed her father ruled the three realms poorly, so she fought against his reign. In response, he attacked her in her woods, scaring away her wolf allies and overpowering her.

As the gods were shape-shifters, though, Dziewanna changed into a lioness to trick him, but Perun shifted too. So she turned into a bird, but Perun transformed into an eagle and caught her. Finally, she transformed into a fish and slipped free. Perun called to Mokosz, though, and she caught Dziewanna in a fishing next, ending her rebellion.

Perun decided to punish Dziewanna by marrying her to Weles. Considering the war between the two gods, was Perun offering him Dziewanna in return for peace or hoping she fought with him instead? The stories don’t say, but once again, Perun proved he is a stern enforcer of order.

Worship and Symbols

Perun was worshiped in the highest of places, where it was believed one could get closer to him. As the eagle, he rested in oak trees – another of his symbols – and tribute was given to him often. Sacrifices of animals or various, meaningful, objects were common among the early Slavs. There were claims of human sacrifice as well, specifically attributed to Perun, but it is difficult to say whether they are legitimate or not, as Christian and Roman sources often painted the Slavs as generic barbarians.

Perun has some of the starkest symbols that have survived since pagan times. Small, often iron, ax heads would be worn on a necklace to offer protection. The thundermark, his most predominant symbol, was also worn on jewelry and painted on the shields of warriors.

The last symbol of him was also that of what was called “thunderstone.” These were the remnants of his lightning arrows that had struck the ground, turning it to thunderstone as well. People wore these arrowheads as protection, much like his ax, but considering they thought it was actually the god’s arrows, one can imagine it was a very significant find.

In The Frostmarked Chronicles

The god of thunder is almost a requirement in my Slavic fantasy series. His distance his felt, though, as the younger generation of gods (particularly Marzanna, Jaryło, and Dziewanna) takes the forefront in the first book, A Dagger in the Winds. As chaos threatens Jawia, though, there will come a time where Perun can no longer simply let his children squabble. The thunderer will come, and gods help whoever stands in his way.

That’s all for this week’s Slavic Saturday. Be sure to keep a lookout for more posts next week, and if you haven’t seen the full series of posts, be sure to check them out.

*As always just a quick disclaimer. Slavic mythology is broad and not written in many if any primary sources, so there’s a variety of interpretations. The interpretations I’m using here are from the sources I’ve found to be reliable and as well as some creative freedom for my book series.