Perun and Veles: The Battle Above the World
A story within The Echoes of the Old Country: Forgotten Tales of Ancient Croation Folklore Series

In the earliest days of the world, before rivers found their beds and before mountains carried their familiar shapes, two ancient powers shaped the forces of nature. Perun ruled the sky with thunder in his hands. Veles moved through the earth and water with the ease of a serpent slipping between shadows. One stood for order. The other thrived in mystery. Together they kept the world in balance.

That balance shattered the day Veles crept up the great Tree of Life and stole what Perun treasured most. His theft ignited the first storm, a chase that tore across clouds, forests, and rivers. Lightning struck the ground like falling stars while Veles shifted shape to escape the fury above him. Their struggle filled the sky, and the echoes of that battle became the thunder and rain people still know today.

This retelling draws its inspiration from the fragments that survived in Croatian countryside folklore. It reflects a time when storms were not just weather, but signs of a cosmic conflict taking place just beyond human sight. Villagers once believed that thunder rolling across Medvednica meant Perun had found Veles again, and that soft rain falling over the fields was Veles returning to earth.

Listeners who enjoy Slavic folklore, cultural legends, or atmospheric storytelling will find a meaningful journey in these pages. This tale opens the door to a world where gods once walked above the forests, where lightning carried purpose, and where every storm reminded the people that ancient powers still moved in the sky.

Step into the old world and discover one of the oldest Slavic myths ever told. The battle never ended. It only changed shape.