"Perkunas and Vernias"

Feb 09, 2023

Gods and Evil in Lithuanian Mythology

Thunder God Perkūnas vs Devil Velnias

Perknas, the god of thunder, drove a chariot of flaming stone (or red-hot iron) through the skies, chasing the demon Vernias, the god of death. A chariot drawn by two red and white (or black and white) horses is said to be a symbol of the deity.

According to the descriptions of the Samogitia people of western Lithuania, Perknas was a wild horseman, a white-haired old man with a large multi-coloured moustache, dressed in black and white, and carrying a horn and an axe. It is said that there are

Perknas has many weapons. In addition to axes, there are sledgehammers, large stones, swords, lightning bolts, bows and arrows, clubs, and red-hot iron knives. A theory exists.

Meanwhile, the demon Vernias is desperate to escape Perknas. Large oak trees, which are common in Lithuania, develop hollows inside the trees over the course of hundreds of thousands of years, and Vernias hides in them and hides himself in the shadows of large rocks, which are also Perknas' weapons. They hide and escape, transforming into animals such as black cats, dogs, pigs, goats, sheep, fish, and cows to deceive people, and trick people into gaining wealth and beauty. It is said that

The chase reaches its climax when a thunderstorm strikes. The god of thunder, Perkunas, purifies the souls of evil, including the demon Vernias, and recovers stolen livestock and weapons.

Perkunas is also closely associated with "Thursday". Thursday is the day of the "Thunderer" in many traditions, and Perknas, god of thunder, is associated with Jupiter in Roman mythology and Zeus in Greek mythology. Thursday is said to be "the day of thunder and storms" and "the day of marriage".

It's very interesting that "thunder" and "storm" are associated with "marriage"... Kaunas also has a "Devil Museum" that collects sculptures related to demons from all over the world.

"Perkūnas vs. Velnias"