page_title: Perkūnas
section_title: Latvian Pērkons
hierarchical_section_title: Perkūnas / Latvian Pērkons
caption_attribution_description: One of the oldest oak in Europe - Stemužė, Lithuania
context_page_description: Perkūnas was the common Baltic god of thunder, second most important deity in the Baltic pantheon after Dievas. In both Lithuanian and Latvian mythology, he is documented as the god of sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, fire, war, law, order, fertility, mountains, and oak trees.
context_section_description: Pērkons was strongly associated with Dievs, though the two were clearly different. The people sacrificed black calves, goats, and roosters to Pērkons, especially during droughts. The surrounding peoples came to these sacrifices to eat and drink together, after pouring beer onto the ground or into the fire for him. The Latvians also sacrificed cooked food before meals to Pērkons, in order to prevent thunderstorms, during which honeycombs were placed into fires to disperse the clouds.
  Pērkons' family included sons that symbolized various aspects of thunderstorms (such as thunder, lightning, lightning strikes) and daughters that symbolized various kinds of rain.
  Pērkons appeared on a golden horse, wielding a sword, iron club, golden whip and a knife.  Ancient Latvians wore tiny axes on their clothing in his honor.
caption: According to the legends, Perkūnas has been worshiped beneath this over 1500-year-old oak tree in Stelmužė
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