Perun: The Supreme God

According to Slavic mythology, Perun is the supreme god, the son of Svarog – the creator of all. He is the god of lightning and thunder, the god of oaths, the god of spring and fertility, and the god of rain and agriculture. In the Prekmurje region, there is a well-known saying that "Perun sends a terrible hour" – a storm, as he fertilizes the earth with rain. The name of the god Perun comes from a root meaning "the one who strikes."

Houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum) is Perun's plant; in the past, they were planted on thatched roofs to protect houses from lightning and fire. One of Perun's signs is the symbol of the six-petaled flower – the "flower of life" or "perunika." This symbol can be found on houses and hayracks (kozolci) and, like the houseleek, has symbolic protective power against fires. Perun's tree is the oak. Perun possesses the power of a warrior; our ancestors turned to him before battles, and we can do the same today, as his energy can help us in the personal battles we fight in the present. The flower named after Perun is the Iris (perunika). One of the symbols associated with the god Perun is the axe.

Perun's Day is celebrated on July 21st. According to folk tradition, there is a belief that anyone who climbs a tree on this day will die.