Peryn () is a peninsula near Veliky Novgorod (Russia), noted for its medieval pagan shrine complex, and for its early 13th-century Orthodox chapel.
Location
The Peryn peninsula is at the confluence of Lake Ilmen and the River Volkhov, 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,: "Показательно, что крупнейшие погосты располагались, как правило, вблизи древнейших племенных центров: Гнёздово - под Смоленском, Шестовица - под Черниговом, Городище - под Новгородом") but its business and social activities were later moved to form today's city centre.: "...В Новгороде, где жизнь на городище временно затухает в XI в., княжеская резиденция переносится на Ярославово Дворище"): "...Russian chronicles dated to the second half of the 17th century and the 18th century <...> informed that Novgorod had been laid of a new place not far from Slovensk, the old capital of the Ilmen Slavs, which was identified with Gorodishche.") The area south of Novgorod, including Peryn, is therefore considered part of 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 a peninsula when floods arrive in the spring.
Pagan history
Cult of Perun in Peryn and in Novgorod
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 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 was carried out this way:
"In the year 6488 <...> 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"
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"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 Primary Chronicle, clmn. 67
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 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 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."
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"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)- "Travels of the Ambassadors sent by Frederic, Duke of Holstein, to the Great Duke of Muscovy and the King of Persia", 1656 pp. 80 - 81 pp. 254 - 255
As paganism implies many deities, Perun 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 was indifferent towards their religion, until Vladimir the Great was baptized in 988., pp. 108 - 109, clmn. 97 By contrast to the folk cults of Volos and Jesus, the cult of Perun was probably seen as the royal (official) cult,, pp. 768 - 769 arranged on Peryn Island close to the royal residence on the Holmgård Hill.
When the Russian state was Christianized in 989, the pagan 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". "Лучше нам померети, неже боги наша дать на поругание", (Old East Slavic language, Old Novgorod dialect, adopted writing) The Novgorodians ravaged and plundered 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 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 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 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 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 one floated away"
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"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)- Novgorod First Chronicle
The Christianization and ravaging of the shrines was a great tragedy for the people., pp. 80 - 81 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?".: "Что, безумен, сожалеете о тех, которые себя оборонить не могут! Кую пользу вы от них чаять можете!" (Early Modern Russian adoptation of the Old East Slavic) Some people, who did not will to betray their deities, started to pretend they have already been baptized. In response, Dobrynya ordered that the citizens be checked to determine which of them were wearing crosses and “not to believe and to baptize”: "Не вериши и крестити" (Old East Slavic language, Old Novgorod dialect) those who wore no cross.
Whatever it was, 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] 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]"
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"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)- Novgorod Fourth ChronicleCited via:
The legend about 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 the Church of Boris and Gleb, and Nikon the Metropolitan burned them down in 1652, stopping “that devilish trizna [after the deity]”.Cited via : "... последния палицы у святого Бориса и Глеба взем митрополит новгородцкии пред собою сожже, и тако преста бесовское то тризнище со оловеными наконечниками тяжкими" (Early Modern Russian, adopted writing) 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 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."- Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii, 1549, original English translation