The ancient Slavs, who lived in and around
Russia, had numerous deities who ruled
with great power over the Earth. Their
control extended all the way from the sky,
where the thunder god Perun held sway, to
deep down into the Earth, the domain of MatiSyra Zemlya. The Slavs worshipped these gods
by giving them offerings and assigning special
days to them, occasions that combined holiday
with devotion. Although their myths were
orally transmitted, many of these powerful
stories survived the coming of Christianity.Slavic Gods of Power
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEThe sky god
In addition to his weapons and his eagle, Perun
was associated with many other attributes. Among
the most important of these were the stone and
metal that Slavic people used to make weapons.The world tree
In Slavic mythology, the world was represented
as a vast oak, with the Underworld in its roots.
Perun was symbolized by an eagle that sat in
the uppermost branches of the tree.Veles the dragon
The Slavs imagined Veles, the god of the
Underworld, as a dragon or serpent, who
spent much of his time coiled among the
roots of the sacred oak tree.PERUN
Perun was the god of thunder and lightning. Although he was primarily
a war god and his power was terrifying, he also represented the forces
of good. When the sun was threatened by storm clouds that concealed
it in their shadows, Perun smashed them with his thunderbolt, allowing
the sun to reappear and ensuring that life on Earth could continue.
The Slavs believed that humanity was constantly threatened by Veles,
the god of the Underworld, who was always stealing cattle, kidnapping
people, or otherwise causing mischief. At such times, Perun would
strike him with his thunderbolt, sending the evil god hurrying back
to his refuge. When Christian
missionaries came to the Slavic
regions, some of the attributes
of Perun were transferred to the
prophet called Ilyal, or Elijah.80