Holidays of the Slavs - Election of the sacrifice of Perun

The day of choosing a victim for Perun falls on July 25th. Perun's Day is a pagan holiday; during it, the Slavs chose a victim to slaughter on the altar. Some historians question the possibility of human sacrifice rituals. They believe that the fact of the sacrifice was invented to discredit the pagan gods during the period of early Christianity. One way or another, there is chronicle evidence that until the 10th century, the Slavs held lots in July (Lipene) and chose a victim for Perun. Perun is a pagan god, the patron of warriors, he was honored, wanting to achieve victory on the battlefield. This deity is similar to the Roman god of war, Mars. Perun was considered the lord of thunderstorms, thunder and lightning, which terrified the ancient Slavs. According to pagan beliefs, Perun walks through the Slavic land in the form of the forest bull Tour. The symbol of this god is the iris. The temples of Perun are built in the form of a flower of this plant, containing six or eight petals. The function of the petals was performed by the pits in which the sacred fire burned. A statue of Perun was placed in the middle, and in front of it was an altar, where the bloody sacrifice was performed. If it was necessary to urgently ask Perun for good luck during a difficult battle, then the sacrifice could be made not at the temple, but near a centuries-old powerful oak tree. On the day of Perun, every man present at the temple had to be armed with bladed weapons. The latter was necessarily sanctified. The young men underwent initiation rites and were dedicated to the defenders of their native land. The priests supervised all these sacred actions. The choice of sacrifice and demand was made by drawing lots. A bull, a red or motley rooster, and sometimes even captured warriors were sacrificed. In later times, the human sacrifice was replaced by a symbolic one: a doll or other objects. Requirements were also brought to the altar: food or money, intoxicating drinks. After the ceremony, the fight between Perun and Veles was staged. The latter was raised by the dark forces of Navi, often caused harm to the Slavic Family, but he was still revered by the pagans. Veles and Perun were brothers who defeated the Scepter of the Serpent, which brought many troubles to the Slavs. Then the young men and women began a ritual meal, competitions in prowess and games.