How the god Perun, alien to them, was imposed on the Eastern Slavs

Many are sure that Perun is a primordially Russian pagan deity, who was worshiped by our ancestors from time immemorial. In fact, this fact is imposed on us by official history. In Rus', Perun appeared only in the 10th century, thanks to Prince Vladimir, shortly before the adoption of Christianity. He was a stranger to the Eastern Slavs, but the Baltic peoples revered him, calling him Perkunas.

Perun was known in Rus' even before Prince Vladimir, however, in the pagan pantheon he was simply called “thunderer” or “lightning creator”. Procopius of Caesarea, secretary of the Byzantine commander Belisarius, wrote about this god in the 6th century AD:

The name of the god "Perun" appeared only in the 10th century. The Tale of Bygone Years says that during this period, the agreements between Rus' and Byzantium were secured by an oath to this deity.

Researchers still do not have a single version of the origin of the name Perun. Most believe that it comes from the verb perti (hit, beat) and the suffix unъ, denoting activity. The Lithuanian version of the deity, Perkūnas, derives its name from the words perkūnas (thunder) and perkūnija (lightning). Latvian also has the word pērkons (thunder).

For the Lithuanians, Perkunas was a very significant deity, unlike the inhabitants of Rus'. Similar gods, striking the recalcitrant with lightning, have other backgammon. In Vedic mythology, this is Parjanya, the deity of thunder and the patron of heaven. The Greeks, Hittites, Chinese and Japanese also had their own Thunderer.

Prince Vladimir began to rule in 970. At first he reigned in Novgorod, and later extended his influence to other principalities, including Kiev. We know this monarch as the baptizer of Rus', but at first he was a pagan and actively promoted the cult of Perun.

Among the Slavs, the god of thunder was one of several supreme deities. He owned the heavens and was in charge of thunder and lightning. Having received the name Perun, God began to position himself also as the creator of all conceivable earthly goods. The rest of the gods were lower and were in his submission.

Idols depicting Perun appeared in Kyiv and Novgorod. The deity was supposed to make sacrifices, including human ones. Those who received this honor were chosen by lottery on 25 July. This day was called so - the Day of the choice of the victim to Perun. In rare cases, a prisoner could be slaughtered on the altar.

Not everyone in Rus' happily accepted the religious reform. In Kyiv, they are accustomed to revere the god of light and life Svetovit, the god of darkness and wealth Veles and others. The worship of Perun seemed strange and seditious to many. There were also those who categorically did not want to be stabbed on the altar after the draw. The first Kyiv Christians became especially ardent opponents of idolatry.

The story described in The Tale of Bygone Years can be considered indicative. In 983, the Kyiv boyars once again decided to choose a victim among the townspeople by lottery. This time, the young man Ivan, the son of the Christian Fedor, was not lucky. Fedor himself lived for some time in Byzantium, where he was baptized. When they came for the young man, the father refused to give him up and said:

After that, Fedor and his son locked themselves in the house and flatly refused to let the envoys of the priests of Perun. Furious pagans began to cut the corners of the building with axes. They destroyed, the pillars and the roof of the house collapsed on the besieged. Everyone inside was killed.

Very soon, Prince Vladimir baptized Rus' and became an enemy of paganism. The idol of Perun was chopped with swords and dragged, tied to horse tails, through the mud, and then thrown into the Dnieper. Fedor and John, who died in their home, began to be revered as the first Orthodox martyrs who died for their faith in Rus'.