Perkons

Perkons (The Thunderer) is perhaps an older deity than Dievs; he is described in the oldest Latvian chronicles and in poetic and epic folklore. He is not more powerful than Dievs, but they are both primary divinities. Like Dievs, sometimes he descends from the Sky Mountain to walk among the people. He is sometimes referred to as the Sky Smith, a mighty warrior and the scourge of evil, woo! The coals from his celstial forge fall to Earth and become silver, or gold.

None of the Dainas can agree about Perkons' forging abilities. In some, he forges the sun; in others, the sky itself. Perkons uses his hammer as a weapon in addition to hurling lightning, like Zeus, that bastard. It seems that he's a combined, wacky version of several Roman gods, but without the bickering.

Perkons controls the rain. This is the likeliest reason for his popularity. In any primarily-agrarian society, rain is considered all-important, equal with, if not greater than, the sun.

Sacrifices were periodically made to kiss Perkons' ass, in the name of preventing droughts and floods and plague and stuff. Farmers often called upon Perkons in Spring to deliver the rains, and it goes a little sumpin like this:

Perkons brauca pa jurinu,
Lietins lija jurina.
Arajs ludz Perkoniti:
Brauc, Perkoni, sai zeme,
Brauc, Perkoni, sai zeme,
Mieziem asni novitusi.

Sometimes his wife and sons help, bringing about dew and fog.

The sign of Perkons is that of a swastika, but please keep in mind that this was waaay before Nazis. Still pretty morbid that on the Day of Perkons, a Sign of Perkons is lit with candles.

Gee, thanks, http://pagan.drak.net/wwcrew/perkons.html!