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56-484: Bavaria Slavica is a historiographic term used to denote the areas populated by West Slavic people ( Wends ) between the 6th and the 12th centuries in northeastern Bavaria . The Wends settled in Bavaria in several waves between the 6th and the 9th centuries and then in the 10th and the 11th centuries. The settlement of loyal West Slavic Wends and other minor tribes was favoured under Frankish Emperor Charlemagne . Later,

112-581: A gens , Sclavini merely a genus , and there was no "Slavic" gens . He further states that " Wends occur particularly in political contexts: the Wends, not the Slavs, made Samo their king." Other such alleged early West Slavic states include the Principality of Moravia (8th century–833), the Principality of Nitra (8th century–833), and Great Moravia (833–c. 907). Christiansen (1997) identified

168-514: A Christianization , people reconcile the mental conflict in their minds after changing their religion, substituting heathen gods with Christian saints , making it easier for them to virtually adhere to the old cult, traditions, symbolism and values without betraying the Christian religion . In the case of Novgorod, the imago of Perun was substituted with the figures of God the Father and Elias

224-449: A burial mound , not a shrine. They have not submitted any crucial counterarguments, though; they rather suggest an alternative version to interpret the findings. Nevertheless, graves discovered by Sedov within the construction are from later periods, Sedov took part in the excavation himself, his results are fully consistent with all the ancient written sources and appear to be justified. He asserts in his survey: “undoubtedly, these are

280-676: A character who had been overthrown by the Christian religion; the one defeated in the name of the God and displaced in the underworld , who is opposed to the God, ruling his own (pagan) world . Thus, the image of Perun in Novgorod is a complicated social phenomenon. In 1951 an archaeological expedition under the direction of Valentin Sedov revealed the remains of a pagan temple complex. According to

336-661: A peninsula when floods arrive in the spring. Novgorod was a centre of Slavic paganism in the Dark Ages. Accordingly, the Peryn island appears to have played a role similar to that of the Vatican Hill in the sense of its functions in the medieval Novgorod and its later history. The name "Peryn" is related to the Slavic god Perun , whose shrine was there in the 10th century. The results of archaeological excavations under

392-650: A result, he was removed from Saint Petersburg and sent to Novgorod in 1821. In 1822 he was appointed head of the Yuriev Monastery . He was no longer considered an oppositionist when the new emperor , a deeply religious person, came to the throne in 1825. He undertook extensive repairs of the Yuriev Monastery and on Peryn Islet, relying on financial support from Duchess Anna Orlova-Chesmenskaya, his rich god daughter. At first, Photios asked that Peryn Islet should be returned to Yuriev Monastery . After this had been agreed in 1824, he arranged for major repairs to

448-475: A sharp internal edge, and a flat external edge. The ditch has eight bulges with the radius of 7 m (23 ft). The bulges are aligned to the points of the compass . The circle's centre has a hole of 65 cm (26 in) in width. Sedov in his survey suggests that the shrine's shape reflects the symbols of Perun. The excavations disproved the opinion that the Peryn Chapel was erected right on

504-558: A smaller size to the sides of the main shrine. Sedov asserts the constructions to be arranged there "not later than in the 9th century "., meaning that the main shrine seems to replace some more ancient ones. Russian historian Rybakov in his survey presumes a more ancient cult existed in Peryn before the cult of Perun. Sedov found other constructions of later periods around the shrine, including graves and dugouts. There are other interpretations of Sedov's findings. Russian historians Vladimir Konetsky and Lev Klein argue that Sedov had found

560-518: Is at the confluence of Lake Ilmen and the River Volhov , 6 km (3.7 mi) south of the city of Veliky Novgorod . In the Dark Ages , the city was developed not far from Peryn, at Ruerikovo Gorodische also known as Holmgård , but its business and social activities were later moved to form today's city centre. The area south of Novgorod, including Peryn, is therefore considered part of

616-435: Is known about the cult of Perun, and suggests that the bulges in the ditch were for ritual bonfires. The eastern bulge is remarkable with an especially large heap of charcoal, indicating that an eternal flame might have been located there. The remaining pyres are likely to have been in use from time to time (probably for ceremonies). The samples of charcoal analyzed were from oak wood, Perun’s tree. The excavations showed that

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672-576: The Chronicle of Fredegar and Paul the Deacon are neither clear nor consistent in their ethnographic terminology, and whether "Wends" or "Veneti" refer to Slavic people, pre-Slavic people, or to a territory rather than a population, is a matter of scholarly debate. The early Slavic expansion reached Central Europe in the 7th century, and the West Slavic dialects diverged from common Slavic over

728-470: The Bavarian Geographer made a list of West Slavic tribes who lived in the areas of modern-day Poland , Czech Republic , Germany and Denmark : Peryn Peryn (Russian: Перынь , IPA: [pʲɪˈrɨnʲ] ) is a peninsula near Veliky Novgorod (Russia), noted for its medieval pagan shrine complex, and for its later well-preserved monastery. The Peryn peninsula

784-533: The Church of Boris and Gleb , and Nikon the Metropolitan burned them down in 1652, stopping “ that devilish trizna [after the deity]”. The tradition is described by Sigismund von Herberstein , who visited Novogorod in 1517 and 1526. " Even now it happens from time to time on certain days of the year, that this voice of Perun [a special Novgorodian name for battle-cry] may be heard, and on these occasions

840-696: The Cyrillic alphabet . Linguistically, the West Slavic group can be divided into three subgroups: Lechitic , including Polish , Silesian , Kashubian , and the extinct Polabian and Pomeranian languages ; Sorbian in the region of Lusatia ; and Czecho–Slovak in the Czech lands . In the Early Middle Ages , the name " Wends " (probably derived from the Roman-era Veneti ) may have applied to Slavic peoples. However, sources such as

896-554: The Early Modern Russian text) To sustain and support the monastery after it had been ravaged in 1611 - 1617, it was merged with the Yuriev Monastery (the main monastery of Novgorod ). According to one source, this occurred in 1634, according to another, in 1671. After the secularization undertaken by Catherine the Great in 1764 , the monastery was abolished, its assets were transferred to Yuriev Monastery , and all

952-594: The East Frankish Empire also settled largely- Christianized Wends in regions that were rural or unpopulated or threatened by uprisings. After the migration had ended, they were quickly assimilated by the local Franks , who had always continued to constitute the majority, and by the Baiuvarii . This German history article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . West Slavs Today, groups which speak West Slavic languages include

1008-551: The Pagan sanctuaries of the closed (long) type, while the East Slavic sanctuaries had a round (most often open) shape ( see also : Peryn ). Early modern historiographers such as Penzel (1777) and Palacky (1827) have claimed Samo's Empire to be first independent Slavic state in history by taking Fredegar's Wendish account at face value. Curta (1997) argued that the text is not as straightforward: according to Fredegar, Wends were

1064-663: The Poles , Czechs , Slovaks , Silesians , Kashubians , and Sorbs . From the ninth century onwards, most West Slavs converted to Roman Catholicism , thus coming under the cultural influence of the Latin Church , adopting the Latin alphabet , and tending to be more closely integrated into cultural and intellectual developments in western Europe than the East Slavs , who converted to Eastern Orthodox Christianity and adopted

1120-473: The historic surroundings of Veliky Novgorod . Historically, Peryn was an islet formed by the River Volkhov and two small rivers called Rakomka and Prost . It could only be reached by boat. The conditions changed significantly after a dam was constructed in the 1960s to provide access for vehicles. After the 1960s Peryn looked like a peninsula but now it looks more like a hill which only becomes

1176-619: The old religion along with the cult of Perun were not easy to oust from the social mind of the city. It was displaced at the level of social underself, rising in Novgorodian fables, sagas, oral tales and traditions. One of the legends, about the mace of Perun , is fixed in the Novgorod Fourth Chronicle . [During the process of the ravaging, the idol of] " Perun was possessed by a demon, who started to scream: “O woe! O me! I am in malicious hands!”. And he [the idol]

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1232-574: The Novgorodians so that they would not be left to the followers of Dmitry Donskoy, the great duke of Moscovy who acted against Novgorod in 1386. The wooden Church of the Trinity was the second church to be built on Peryn Islet. It was accompanied by a wooden refectory built in 1528. All the wooden buildings were destroyed during the Swedish occupation of Novgorod in 1611 – 1617 : the monastery

1288-510: The Peryn Chapel: the walls were repaired thoroughly inside and out; the church’s interior was redecorated; an outbuilding was built up from the west side of the church; the floor and the dome were replaced. The church was sanctified once again in 1828. The monastery was extended in the 1830s and in the beginning of the 1940s: the red-bricked cells for the monks were erected along with two small buildings for an abbot and an archimandrite in

1344-514: The Prophet . In the first case it is plays the role of Perun with the head of a pantheon; in the second, Elias the Prophet carries the attributes of Perun: he moves across the sky on a chariot, thundering and flashing (lightning) like Perun. Simultaneously, as explicitly shows The Saga of Sloven and Rus (1634) cited above, the imago of Perun incorporates the peculiarities of the Devil , embodying

1400-528: The Russian writer Pavel Yakushkin , when he was near Novgorod , wrote down an oral legend about Perun the serpent and Peryn, told to him by a Novgorodian fisherman. In fact, the oral legend is cognate with the plot of the Saga of Sloven and Rus . Even at the turn of the 20th century there was a tradition to drop a coin in the river Volhov while passing Peryn by boat. " ...The elder son of Sloven called Volhv

1456-500: The altars, chopped down the idol of Perun, and ordered it to be dragged into Volhov , tying [it] with ropes, dragging [it] on dirt, beating [it] with sticks, and [Joachim the Korsunian] ordered everyone not to accept it [the idol] anywhere [i.e. not to pull it ashore]. A settler of the valley of Pitba [a river] went to the river in the early morning, preparing to go to the city to sell pottery; [the idol of] Perun hit

1512-526: The ancient language, Old East Slavic ] thunder is called “Perun”. He, the damned wizard, erected a small burg for the sake of midnight dreamings and devilish assemblies in a certain place called Peryn [in the original variant - Perynia] , where an idol of Perun stood [before] . And they gossip about the wizard ignorantly: " [He] was appointed to [the pantheon of] gods, embodying the Vicious ". We venture to take our true Christian word to announce about

1568-479: The bonfires and the ditch were buried when the shrine was ravaged in ancient times. The hole in the centre of the circle is interpreted by Sedov as a groove for the wooden idol. He found pieces of putrefied wood inside the hole and argues in his report: the data from the Novgorod First Chronicle are confirmed, and the idol was hacked down during the process of destruction, leaving the base of

1624-639: The buildings except the Church of the Nativity were disassembled. The monastery was revived in the 18th century thanks to Anna Orlova-Chesmenskaya and Photios the Archimandrite . Photios the Archimandrite, when he was a hieromonk in Saint Petersburg , dismissed the popular idea of the times emphasizing direct communication between a man and the God outside the influence of the church. As

1680-481: The citizen suddenly run together and lash each other with ropes, and such a tumult arises therefrom, that all the effort of the governor can scarcely assuage it. " Novgorodian society has carefully guarded its memories of Perun and Peryn throughout the centuries. The Saga of Sloven and Rus , created in 1634, contains one more legend on the matter; the excerpt from the Saga below also describes certain Slavic heathen traditions and rituals. Two centuries later, in 1859,

1736-404: The damned wizard and the demon: he was overthrown and drowned in the river Volhov, and by devilish tricks his corpse was belched ashore against his burg on [the bank of] the river Volhov still called Peryn. And he was buried at that place by heretics with a loud death wail and a great pagan trizna , and they made a large mound on his grave according to the pagan custom. And on the third day of

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1792-769: The domination of the Holy Roman Empire after the Wendish Crusade in the Middle Ages and had been strongly assimilated by Germans at the end of the 19th century. The Polabian language survived until the beginning of the 19th century in what is now the German state of Lower Saxony . Various attempts have been made to group the West Slavs into subgroups according to various criteria, including geography, historical tribes, and linguistics. In 845

1848-931: The following West Slav tribes in the 11th century from "the coastlands and hinterland from the aby of Kiel to the Vistula, including the islands of Fehmarn, Poel, Rügen, Usedom and Wollin", namely the Wagrians , Obodrites (or Abotrites), the Polabians , the Liutizians or Wilzians, the Rugians or Rani, the Sorbs, the Lusatians, the Poles, and the Pomeranians (later divided into Pomerelians and Cassubians). They came under

1904-590: The following centuries. The West Slavic tribes settled on the eastern fringes of the Carolingian Empire , along the Limes Saxoniae . Prior to the Magyar invasion of Pannonia in the 890s, the West Slavic polity of Great Moravia spanned much of Central Europe between what is now Eastern Germany and Western Romania. In the high medieval period, the West Slavic tribes were again pushed to the east by

1960-413: The guidance of Valentin Sedov described in his survey of Peryn, suggest that Peryn was a sacred place from ancient times. It is likely that the area has seen several pagan shrines, replacing one with another over time. The best known is the heathen shrine, established there in 980. Early Slavs used to set up anthropomorphic statues of wood, picturing their gods to serve the cult, and in 980 in Peryn it

2016-399: The house of Dobrynya , who was appointed to Christianize Novgorod, and beat up his wife. However, Dobrynya with the help of Putyata the warlord stifled the riot and completed his Christianization by force. Subsequently, the Peryn shrine, being the main spiritual complex in the second most important city in the Russian state , was ravaged and destroyed. No doubt, the process of ravaging

2072-440: The idol inside the hole. Sedov in his survey draws a more complete and detailed picture of the destruction. Based on the results of the excavations he claims: while one group of people was engaged in chopping the wooden idol down, another was covering the bonfires with soil and destroying the altar . Then they all together buried the ditch. In 1952 Sedov continued the excavations and discovered two circle-shaped constructions of

2128-1071: The idol stood, and the monastery holds the name of the idol and is called the Perunic monastery. The deity looks like a man with a lightning- or ray-shaped flint in his hand. Day and night they kept an eternal flame burning with oak firewood as a sign of worship to the deity. And if the priest of the cult allowed the fire to go out accidentally, he was put to death. " ____________________ " Новгородцы, когда были еще язычниками, имели идола, называвшегося Перуном. т. е. богом огня, ибо русские огонь называют "перун". И на том месте, где стоял этот их идол, построен монастырь, удержавший имя идола и названный Перунским монастырем. Божество это имело вид человека с кремнем в руке, похожим на громовую стрелу (молнию) или луч. В знак поклонения этому божеству содержали неугасимый ни днем, ни ночью огонь, раскладываемый из дубового леса. И если служитель при этом огне по нерадению допускал огню потухнуть, то наказывался смертью " (Modern Russian translation) As paganism implies many deities, Perun

2184-451: The incipient German Ostsiedlung , decisively so following the Wendish Crusade in the 11th century. The early Slavic expansion began in the 5th century, and by the 6th century the groups that would become the West, East , and South Slavic groups had probably become geographically separated. One of the distinguishing features of the West Slavic tribes was manifested in the structure of

2240-529: The mace of Perun, thrown down on the Great Bridge, was seminal and linked with the Novgorodian tradition of arranging wrestling matches between the citizens of different districts of the medieval city. The significant attribute of the wrestling battles were maces (a symbol of Perun): a sidenote in the Book of Royal Degrees tells us that the maces with tin pips for use in the wrestling matches were kept inside

2296-495: The remains of the Perun’s shrine” . On the other hand, the debates are about whether Sedov discovered the very shrine, but the fact that a shrine to Perun was located in Peryn is widely accepted and causes no doubt. The monastery was probably founded in Peryn soon after the pagan shrine was destroyed, when a wooden church was reportedly erected there. The remains of the church were presumably discovered by Vasili Sedov while excavating

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2352-480: The report by Sedov, the shrine was located in the centre of Peryn Islet, on the historical top of the Peryn Hill. The remains were preserved quite well, though some parts were spoiled significantly by diggings many centuries ago. The shrine is circular-shaped with a diameter of 21 m (69 ft), encompassing a shallow ditch a metre in depth. The construction is of regular (geometrical) forms. The ditch has

2408-421: The same architectural style. The monastery was provided with two utility buildings and surrounded by a brick wall; the complex was completed with a bell tower housing six bells. The buildings (apart from the bell tower and the fence) still form part of the monastery complex today. Finally, Photios succeeded in giving the monastery the status of skete in 1828 - a monastery with severe regulations, isolated from

2464-870: The shore, and [the man] pushed away the idol with a stick, saying: “You say, Perun, you had enough to eat and drink, so get away now”, and the vicious floated away " ____________________ " В лѣта шесть тысящь четырѣста деветьдесятъ седмаго. Крѣстися Володимеръ и вся земля Руская. И поставиша в Киеве митрополита, а Новугороду архиепископа… И приидѣ Новугороду Акимъ архиепископъ Коръсунянинъ, и требища раздруши, и Перуна посече, и повеле волочи Волховомъ, поверзавше оужи, волочаху по калу, бьюще жезьлиемъ; и заповѣда никомуже нигдѣже не приати. Идѣ пидьблянинъ рано на реку, хотя горонци вести в городъ; оли Перунъ приплы ко берви, и отрину и шесътомъ: «ты, рече, Перушиче, досыть еси пилъ и ѣлъ, а нынѣ поплови прочь»; и плы съ свѣта окошное " ( Old East Slavic language , Old Novgorod dialect , adopted writing) The Christianization and ravaging of

2520-531: The shrines was a great tragedy for the people. They wept and cried out for mercy with their gods, and Dobrynya reportedly mocked them in response: "What, madmen? Are you mourning those who are not able to protect themselves [on their own] ? What benefits do you expect from them?" . Some people, who did not will to betray their deities , started to pretend they have already been baptized. In response, Dobrynya ordered to check crosses and “ not to believe and to baptize ” those who wear no cross. Whatever it was,

2576-586: The site of the pagan shrine according to the Old Russian tradition of erecting churches on the places of pagan shrines. The results of Sedov are consistent with those of Artemi Artsihovsky , who was looking for the remains of the shrine in the chapel's basement two years earlier (in 1948), and had not found them. The excavations confirmed the chronicle data that bonfires had burnt around the idol. Heaps of charcoal and/or evidence of fire were revealed in every bulge. Sedov in his survey ties that fact with what

2632-498: The small northern shrine in 1952. The wooden church had approximately the same dimensions as the present church of stone. It had reportedly been preserved well for about 200 years, until it was replaced with the Peryn Chapel which existed until contemporary times. Nevertheless, the first chronicled reference to the monastery was not made until 1386. The chronicle tells us that the monastery was one of 24 cloisters burned down by

2688-1617: The trizna the ground slumped in, absorbing the crocodile’s odious body, and the grave fell down into the depths of hell, and still the hole has reportedly not been filled. " ____________________ " Больший же сын оного князя Словена Волхв бесоугодник и чародей и лют в людех тогда бысть, и бесовскими ухищреньми мечты творя многи, и преобразуяся во образ лютаго зверя коркодила, и залегаше в той реце Волхове путь водный, и не поклоняющих же ся ему овых пожираше, овых же испроверзая и утопляя. Сего же ради людие, тогда невегласи, сущим богом окаяннаго того нарицая и Грома его, или Перуна, рекоша, руским бо языком гром перун именуется. Постави же он, окаянный чародей, нощных ради мечтаний и собирания бесовскаго градок мал на месте некоем, зовомо Перыня, иде же и кумир Перунов стояше. И баснословят о сем волхве невегласи, глаголюще: "В боги сел, окаяннаго претворяюще". Наше же християнское истинное слово с неложным испытанием многоиспытне извести о сем окаяннем чародеи и Волхове, яко зле разбиен бысть и удавлен от бесов в реце Волхове и мечтаньми бесовскими окаянное тело несено бысть вверх по оной реце Волхову и извержено на брег противу волховнаго его градка, иде же ныне зовется Перыня. И со многим плачем тут от неверных погребен бысть окаянный с великою тризною поганскою, и могилу ссыпаша над ним велми высоку, яко же обычай есть поганым. И по трех убо днех окаяннаго того тризнища проседеся земля и пожре мерзкое тело коркодилово, и могила его просыпася с ним купно во дно адово, иже и доныне, яко ж поведают, знак ямы тоя не наполнися " ( Early Modern Russian ) As frequently occurs after

2744-470: The well-known deities, Perun was the head of a pantheon. He was a thunder god too, who overthrew his enemy Veles down under the roots of the World Oak . Adam Olearius , who visited Peryn in 1654, describes the cult of Perun in Peryn as follows: " Novgorodians, when they were pagans, had an idol called Perun, i.e. the god of fire, as Russians call fire “Perun”. A monastery is erected now in the place where

2800-423: Was a devil worshipper and a wizard, and was ferocious towards people. He [used to] achieve many dreams by means of devilish tricks and turn himself into a ferocious beast, a crocodile, lying down deeply in the river Volhov on a waterway, devouring some who did not worship him, and lacerating and drowning others. For that sake, people called him the real god of the thunder, or Perun, as in Russian [the author means

2856-947: Was carried out this way: " In the year 6488 [980] <...> Vladimir appointed his uncle Dobrynya to rule in Novgorod . And Dobrynya came over in Novgorod. [And he] set up an idol of Perun above the Volkhov River [i.e. on a high bank] , and Novgorodians offer him [Perun] sacrifices as to a deity " ____________________ " В лѣто ҂s҃.у҃.п҃и [6488 (980)] <…> Володимиръ же посади Добрьиню оуӕ своєго в Новѣгородѣ . И пришєд Добрынѧ Новугороду. Постави Пєруна кумиръ надъ рѣкою Волховомъ , и жрѧхуть єму людє Новгородьстии акы Бу҃ " ( Old East Slavic language ) The Perun cult can be considered an aspect of Slavic mythology combining Greek and Scandinavian mythology with authentic Slavic features. Parallels can therefore be seen between Perun, Jupiter , Zeus , and Thor . Like

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2912-638: Was indifferent towards their religion, until Vladimir the Great was baptized in 988. By contrast to the folk cults of Volos and Jesus , the cult of Perun was probably seen as the royal (official) cult, arranged on Peryn Island close to the royal residence on the Holmgård Hill . When the Russian state was Christianized in 989 , the heathen religion was subjected to persecution. The citizens of Novgorod first tried to protect their deities, reportedly saying: "We would rather die than allow our gods to be outraged" . The Novgorodians ravaged and plundered

2968-526: Was not the only god in the heathen pantheon of Novgorod. Volos , whose shrine was presumably located on the site of the Church of St. Vlasi , was another deity worshipped in the city. But it seems that his cult was not favoured by Vladimir the Great , who excluded Volos from his pagan pantheon. The first Christians erected the Church of the Transfiguration in Novgorod, but the government in Kiev

3024-761: Was ravaged. The Novgorod inventory for 1617 reported: " The Perynsky monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The church in the monastery of the Nativity of Our Lady has been ravaged. There are no cells or fence near the monastery. The elder Maxim is the only monk in the monastery. All his assets of the God's mercy [i.e. funded with donations] are a crucifix and five books. " ____________________ " Пречистыя Богородицы Перынский монастырь. Храм в монастыре Рождество Богородицы разорен. Келей и ограды около монастыря нет. В монастыре старец один Максим. Церковной монастырской казны Божия милосердия у него крест благословящий да пять книг... " ( modern Russian adaptation of

3080-478: Was ritualized in Peryn, demonstrating that the new religion had overthrown its predecessor. According to the chronicle, it happened this way in Peryn: " In the year 6497 [989] Vladimir was baptized, and all Russian land [as well] . And [they] appointed a metropolitan [to serve] in Kiev, and an archbishop – in Novgorod. <…> And the archbishop Ioakim Korsunianin came over to Novgorod, and destroyed

3136-784: Was thrown into Volhov . He [the idol] swam over [the pillars of] the Great Bridge, throwing a mace down on the bridge and saying: “Let Novgorodian children remember me with that”. Now crazy people fight themselves with maces, entertaining demons. And everyone was ordered not to accept him [i.e. not to pull the idol ashore]" ____________________ " Вшелъ бѣаше бѣсъ въ Перуна и нача кричати: «О горѣ! Охъ мнѣ! Достахся немилостивымъ симъ рукамъ». И вринуша его въ Волховъ. Онъ же поплове сквозѣ Велии мостъ, верже палицю свою на мостъ и рече: «На семъ мя поминаютъ Новгородьскыя дѣти». Еюже нынѣ безумнiи убивающиеся утѣху творять бѣсом. И заповѣда нiкомуже нигдѣже не переяти его " ( Old East Slavic language , Old Novgorod dialect , adopted writing) The legend about

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