Where is Chechenian Perun from — Iran or Ancient Rus? Cover Image
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Откуда Перун у чеченцев — из Ирана или Руси?
Where is Chechenian Perun from — Iran or Ancient Rus?

Author(s): Leo S. Klejn
Subject(s): History, Cultural history, Middle Ages, 6th to 12th Centuries, History of Religion
Published by: Издательский дом Stratum, Университет «Высшая антропологическая школа»
Keywords: Perun; Vainakhs (Checheno-Ingush); Caucasus; mythology; folklore; Mervan II; Iran; Rus'

Summary/Abstract: Vainakh (Checheno-Ingush) folklore hero Pirion is characterised by features that allow to treat him as a thunder god (he climbs the sky, pours reign from there etc.). On this basis and by homophony of the names the author has connected him with the Slavic pagan god Perun. The penetration of the image to the Caucasus he dated to Russia’s pre-pagan time when the Arab caliph Mervan II made raid into Khazar state, captured 20 thousand Slavic families and transported them to the Caucasus. Recently P. Lajoye suggested another hypothesis. He connected Pirion with the epic Iranian padishah Piran who by means of magia had sent rain and thunder to his enemies, and this Iranian image derived from the Indo-European god Perun — Perkunas — Pardjanya etc. This hypothesis has right to existence but it does not change the main conclusion: the image is not local and not connected with the Biblical image of pharaoh (as it was proposed earlier), but it originates from Indo-European thunder god.

  • Issue Year: 2013
  • Issue No: 5
  • Page Range: 237-238
  • Page Count: 2
  • Language: Russian