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Perun’s Oak – part 4

Boar worship evidence was repeatedly found in multiple archaeological sites. In the burial mounds of the Dnieper region, wild boar tusks amulets are often found. In the Kiev necropolis, they were found both in ordinary and in rich graves.

In 1908, 1975 and 1984 ancient oak trees with boar jaws affixed in them, were elevated from the bottom of Dnieper and Desna rivers. These sacred oak trees are dated from VIII to X century. They confirm a close connection between the cults of the boar and the sacred oak in Slavic mythology. Researchers believe that these sacred oaks with embedded boar tusks were dedicated to the god of thunder and lightning Perun. It was also observed that, as a rule, pagan sanctuaries were located at the intersection of trade routes, before and after especially dangerous and difficult parts of a caravan path (for example, the Dnieper cascades), or at the beginning of the next stage of a long (and often dangerous) journey.

Sources:
G. Yu. Ivakin «The sacred oak of the pagan Slavs», 1979
K. V. Bolsunovsky «Perun’s oak», 1914
Photo: ancient oak bark with affixed boar jaws in the Kiev History Museum

Perun oak

Perun’s Oak – part 3

Along with the cult of trees, the ancient Slavs also worshiped certain animals, for example, a wild boar. Old Russian chronicles and epic tales repeatedly tell about the wild boar hunts and the festive eating of the boar meat at duke’s feasts. Thus, in 1255, duke Daniel Galitsky “personally killed three of them with a spear” while hunting on boars. Some researchers believe that duke’s feasts were the “echoes” of ancient public sacrifices, culminated in a ritual feast. It is also noted that usually the ritual eating of pork meat fell on Thursday, a day dedicated to the God of Thunder and Lightning.

The ceremonial eating of pork was widespread not only among the Slavs. It is known that during a thunderstorm, the Balts had a custom to take out a leg of ham in the field and address Perun: “Abstain, Perkun, from destroying my field – and I will give you this ham for it.” When the thunderstorm stopped, the ham was eaten as a sacrificial meal.

To be continued…

perun oak

Boars in Slavic tradition

Today we are giving an answer for the previous post’s question, as well as we will reveal a title of our first story about a life of Slavic tribes in the Early Medieval times… Guessed already? 😉 Indeed it is a BOAR! Introducing a concept art of one of the leading characters in the story…

According to archeology, the worshiping traditions of the Boar (Wieprz) by the Slavs are ancient. In 1908, 1975 and 1984 ancient oak trees with boar jaws affixed in them, were elevated from the bottom of Dnieper and Desna rivers. These sacred oak trees are dated from VIII to X century – covering a long period of history when sacrifices were made to the Slavic gods near these trees (an oak – is the tree of Slavic god Perun).

Well, this is about forest boars, but there were marine as well …In the very first years of XI century, Thietmar of Merseburg in his “The Chronicon” talks about a legend of the Slavic tribe Ratari, whose principal city of Rethra (Ridegost) was located on the Baltic Sea: “An old legend, enmeshed in various superstitions, testifies that when they are in a grave danger, a huge boar with white glistening fangs comes out of the sea… to reveal itself to many.”

Thus, the boar was specially honored by our Slavic ancestors.

Boar