#perkunas

Perkūnas

The Lithuanian god of Thunder

Attributes: lighting, storms, the sky, an axe or sledgehammer

Animals: goat

Plants: oak

Colours: black, white, grey

The sky deity of the Baltic religion, Perkūnas, is regarded as a fertility god and the guardian of law and order apart from being the god of thunder and lightning. Perkūnas is the most important Lithuanian god, and is the central figure in the Pantheon. The oak, which is the tree most frequently struck by lightning, is regarded as sacred to him.

Perkunas is usually depicted as a middle-aged man riding a two-wheeled cart with goats. In some accounts, the thunder god is seen driving a flaming horse or a cart of white and red horses through the skies. He would be identified by the constellation of Ursa Major.

On his heavenly chariot, Perkunas is holding a goat with one hand while he uses an axe or horn on the other.

Mythology

Folklore usually emphasises that Perkūnas is a patron of weather, he lives between the heaven and the earth in the clouds, he commands the thunder and lightning. Thus Perkūnas occupies the centre of the structure of the universe, becomes the master of the atmosphere (Perkūnas is correspondingly associated with the heaven and the devil - Velnias with the earth, underground, water). Perkūnas possesses a two-wheeled cart harnessed by two goats or horses , and rides through the sky , the sound of the wheels often causes thunder. Perkūnas strikes and chases the devil or devils, though often it is said that this animosity is based on personal grounds because of a certain act the devil committed (theft, insult, abduction of Vaiva, as mentioned below).

An important function of Perkūnas is to fight Velnias. He is sometimes considered the antithesis of Perkūnas and is the god of the underworld and death. Christianity considers "Velnias" akin to their "devil", though this is not in line with ancient beliefs.

Perkūnas pursues his opponent, Velnias, for picaroon or theft of fertility and cattle. Velnias hides in trees, under stones, or turns into various animals: a black cat, dog, pig, goat, lamb, pike, cow or a person to avoid Perkūnas.

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.

Perkūnas possesses many weapons. They include an axe or sledgehammer, stones, a sword, lightning bolts, a bow and arrows, a club, 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).

Perkūnas simultaneously is given the function of the patron of fertility, when he rolls his thunder for the first time in spring the grass starts growing, the processes of vegetation begin, Perkūnas also appears in the wedding symbolism. One other function of Perkūnas is keeping justice. He chases devils but he also punishes bad people, fights evil spirits and keeps the order of the universe.

According to ancient tradition, people who were struck by lightning were protected from devils. The objects that were struck by lightning were also used to cure various ailments, such as fever, toothache, and anxiety. Perkūnas is thus seen as a god of healing as well as destruction.

In some songs Perkūnas, on the way to the wedding of Aušrinė (dawn; the daughter of the Sun), strikes a golden 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.

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.

Family

In most myths, Perkūnas’s wife is Žemyna, the goddess of the earth. In some myths, Perkūnas would expel his wife and children and then remain in the sky by himself. The reason for this is that Perkūnas was given the responsibility of the stones in the sky whose rumbling and rubbing against each other tend to generate thunder and lightning during storms.

In songs about a "heavenly wedding" Saulė is married to Perkūnas amd cheats on Perkūnas with Mėnulis (the Moon); Perkūnas splits Mėnulis in half with a sword, which accounts for the moon phases we see today.

According to another, more popular version, Mėnulis cheats on the Sun with Aušrinė (the morning star) just after the wedding, and Perkūnas punishes him. However, he 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).

A study on baltic mythology

Perkūnas (Perkūnas or Dundulis, English: Thunder)

The God of Thunder is one of the most recognizable Gods throughout most  mythologies, and coincidentally the most important deities from the patriarchal Pantheon. Perkūnas controlled the atmosphere and the weather - he was feared, but respected by all. Children were forbidden to speak his name.

Perkūnas was also the husband of Žemyna, taking care of her growth and fertility, especially during the first spring rainstorms.

Known as a strict but just leader, he lived up high to watch over the goodness and  morality of Man, keeping them in their place. He would ride across the sky in his  carriage of horses, goats, and bulls, striking at evildoers and keeping the peace.