Pērkons

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Pērkons ( lett . Pērkons , lit . Perkūnas , apr . Percunis m. "Thunder"), German Perkun , is a Baltic sky and god of thunder and is sometimes found as a term of thunderstorm use. The old Prussian word percunis only appears in the Elbingen vocabulary and is translated as "thunder", a mythical, religious meaning is unproven. Perkūnas is one of the most frequently mentioned characters in the Baltic pantheon and is well known today. In the neo-pagan movements, Perkūnas played an important role.

etymology

There are several etymologies, some of which are mutually exclusive. The most common etymology places the name of the Germanic deity Fjörgynn , who is only mentioned as Friggs father, to which it should be noted that the earth goddess Fjörgyn of the same name is considered the mother of the Nordic thunder god Thor . The Slavic god of thunder, Perun, and the Vedic god of rain, Parjanya, are also included, although the linguistic comparison of both is problematic and imprecise for reasons of sound. Nevertheless, research is reckoning with the possibility that an Indo-European god named * Percuh 3 nios could have existed. This name is associated with the Indo-European word * perku- "oak" ( Latin quercus), which is also preserved in the Celtic mountain name Hercynia silva . For this purpose, the Germanic clan with got . fairguni "forest mountains " calculated. The god of thunder would then have a further relationship with oak and mountains, for which there are several religious-historical evidence, such as the Donar oak or the holy oak of Zeus at Dodona .

Another suitable etymology puts the name to lit. perti "hit", spirti "kick, knock out"; thus Perkūnas would be the one who strikes with lightning ( Max Vasmer , Ernst Fraenkel ).

Evidence and function

The oldest evidence comes from a later, Church Slavonic insert (1261) in the Byzantine Chronicle of Johannes Malalas . Here he is called Перкоунови (Dat.) In a row with other deities Andajus , Žvorūna - the bitch, Teliavelis - the blacksmith and described as thunder. The next evidence comes from the Livonian rhyming chronicle of 1291:

to swurben they vûren ubir sê,
daz is called daz Ôsterhap:
as ez Perkune ir apgot gap,
never so hard gevrôs.

Around 1529, Simon Grunau reported that three main gods, whose images stood in an oak six cubits thick , were venerated in the Prussian sanctuary of Rickoyot . They were Patollo , Patrimpo , Perkuno . Jan Długosz explicitly compares with Jupiter in the 15th century :

Jovem autem in fulmine venerando vulgari suo illum Perkunum, quasi percussorem, appellabant

A more precise picture of the god of thunder can be obtained from folkloric evidence. He is addressed as "old father". Brothers, sons and daughters are ascribed to him, but they are all nameless and functionless and apparently only serve as poetic embellishments. On the other hand, the Lithuanian Perkunas is also described as an old, sinister loner with a copper-red beard who, due to his terrifying nature, cannot find a wife.

His weapon is often a stone ax, hammer or bullet. In this context he is also referred to as the sky smith who made the sun, which is reminiscent of the Greek blacksmith Hephaestus , who forges the lightning bolts of Zeus. His projectiles were considered to be magically charged and had healing powers.

In addition, the god of thunder fights harmful spirits and is also a protector of morals who persecutes injustice.

As a promoter of fertility, an autumn festival is dedicated to the Pērkons in Latvia:

What do we want to give Pērkons for summer rumbling? A load of rye, a load of barley, and half a pound of hops. Daina 28818

Based on the information provided by Dionysios Fabricius for the year 1610, the neighbors were invited to this autumn festival. A young black goat and a black rooster were sacrificed to Percunus at the festival. At the accompanying beer feast, he was served beer.

reception

Gintaras Beresnevičius calls Perkūnas the most important god in the Baltic pantheon. For Vladimir Toporov and Vyacheslav Ivanov he is the main character in the so-called, reconstructed main myth of the Baltic-Slavic mythology, which consists in the fact that Perkūnas pursues and ultimately defeats his opponent, the devil ( velnias ) or a snake or dragon.

Others

Several place and field names are named after Perkūnas.

Perkunos was the name of a dressage horse owned by Hannelore Weygand , who won the silver medal in the team competition at the 1956 Olympic Games in Stockholm with this horse. Perkun is the name of the black-haired German Shepherd in Günter Grass ' novel Dog Years . Perkun begets Senta, who throws Harras, the prince begets, who becomes Pluto and thus makes history as the leader's personal dog .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Haralds Biezais: Baltic religion. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1975, ISBN 3-17-001157-X .