For more than five millennia, there has been a cult that personifies the Perun god. What just did not write about him for such a long time. Terrible malice and unconditional power were attributed to the Supreme Being. He was considered the master of the most formidable elements. In his power, it was believed that the very existence of the people. He could easily send a crop failure, destroy livestock and cause other troubles. Such was the idea of the ancient Perun-god.
What did he demand from his people?
Typically, people's beliefs are viewed from a different perspective. They are trying to figure out why this particular deity arose, what features it possessed, which in the psychology of people caused the appearance of precisely this image.
So, the god Perun among the ancient Slavs was considered the ruler of hostilities. That is, this old guy with a gray beard patronized the military. So is trying to imagine his modern history. Was Perun the god like that? What do those who stick out only the military side of the main symbol of the ancient Slavs achieve? The answer is obvious. They want to convince the world that this “barbaric” people are terribly aggressive from the very beginning, since this spirit of murder and annihilation is historically embedded in it.
Everything will look different if you consider the issue from the point of view of what people did according to the will of Perun, what he terrified them with, what he called for.
But in fact, this god cared for the farmers, took care of and protected them. He woke up the forces of nature in the spring, helped to grow crops with timely rains, and so on. But he could send pestilence to aggressive, evil people. Perun the god demanded harmony with nature from his followers. What more could you want for a normal and happy life?
A bit of history
The mention of Perun is found in the first written sources that speak of Russia. Historians suggest that a deity arose even at a time when the Indo-Europeans began to develop new lands. But its roots may be deeper, which so far no one is able to prove due to lack of sources.
Perun was described as a mature husband with a silver head, a golden mustache. The description speaks of his wisdom and experience. He possessed countless powers! Thunder and lightning are his weapons, rain and wind are his assistants, heaven is his abode. They did not dare to argue with him.
The ancient god Perun in the hearts of the Slavs
The fact that people respect him with respect is evidenced by the facts. For example, concluding an agreement, the prince swore by the name of Perun. In this way, he recognized that misfortunes and pestilence would overtake his people if he broke the word. People wanted to the enemy: "Grab you Perun." This meant that terrible diseases were sent to the whole clan. There were traditions of carving a figurine of God from a tree and putting it near a settlement. He protected people from the enemy and the beast. Holidays were arranged for him, gifts were brought. But not material was the basis of communication with Perun, but spiritual. That is, they did not bestow this god with gold, but with their love and reverence. For this, the "thunderbolt" thanked his people for their generous harvests and prosperity.
Later, the features of Perun were transferred to Christian saints. So, thunder is subject to St. Elijah, and defeats the enemy - George the Victorious. These images arose during the period of dual faith, when Christianity tried to supplant paganism in the minds of people.