Lithuania
Thunder
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In the pagan Balt pantheon, Perkünas (Thunder) is one of the major gods. He is a menacing and implacable god of justice. Perkünas can strike a man dead, kill his animals, burn down his home, split rocks, and crush the strongest of trees. He can transform the surface of the earth, excavate craters, and fill them with water. Water is under his domain — he has inexhaustible reserves of it stored above the arch of the stony heavens. With this water and the first bolts of lightning, in the spring Perkünas awakens and impregnates the ground. And when evil powers hide the water and bring on drought, Perkünas vanquishes them and revives the flora. Perkünas also tends to the morals of man — when humans transgress, he sends his deadly arrows. Out of fear and respect, it is forbidden even to mention his real name — instead, he is called Dundulis, Bruzgulis, or Akmeninis kalvis (Stone smith).
In the sculpture, Perkünas is depicted as a caring and just benefactor.
