As I have repeatedly argued, piorun is not the real name of the Polish Sky God. It is likely not even the name of any other Suavic Sky Deity though, in the Kievan Run and Novgorod only, that sobriquet appears to have superseded (perhaps under Baltic influence with its Perkunos (or Perkun-Os?)) the original which was some form of Iasion/Jasień/Usins.
That being said, there is the question of what does piorun really refer to? Obviously, in Polish the word means “thunder” but the question arises about the etymology of the word. Here Leszek Kolankiewicz provides a useful hint. He cites the Gothic fairguni – meaning hill covered with a forest – as well as the Hindu Parvati – referring to the mountain goddess – and, finally, the Hittite goddess Perunas (referring to sal-li-lis pi-ru-nas) who, according to him, was the mother of the stone giant Ullikummi.
This last claim is, to me, based on unclear sourcing. The University of Chicago Hittite Dictionary does have various – perun including words for “rocks” or “mountains” as well as a reference to a horse-associated Deity that is named Pirwa.
Thus, for example, Pirwan par-ha-an-d[a-an ausdu] is supposed to mean “[let him see] Pirwa galloping.” (for more check out an article by Ahmet Ünal).
A few things may be worth adding to the above. Kolankiewicz refers to the above Perunas as the Rock Goddess – bogini skała. As noted above, the real Deity is likely to have been Pirwa. Yet, curiously, a version of reconstructed “Friday” in Gothic is pareinsdags. That itself is, of course, interesting, as has already been noted. However, more curious for purposes of this post, another version is paraskaiwe which is a borrowing from the Greek παρασκευή (paraskeuḗ), in turn, perhaps, from παρασκευάζω (paraskeuázō, “to prepare”). Is this related to the Polish skała – meaning “big rock”? Brueckner does not connect these, giving, instead, the Greek skallŏ (“to dig”) and the Lithuanian skelti, skilti, skaldyti (“to split” and “broken”) but is he right? (BTW is that the exonym of the Celts?)
Of course, even here Brueckner’s own etymologies can be intriguing. The Baltic skylē he mentions may mean a “hole” but it is a hole in a rock such as a szczelina. He also brings up the Gothic skilja, “butcher” and the Anglo-Saxon scelian, “to split” as well as Anglo-Saxon scalu and Nordic skel referring to a sea shell (presumably a clam-type). A lightning bolt can and of course does sometimes split and melt rocks. Whether skel is connected with strzała (“arrow”) and strzelać (“to shoot”) or are those words rather connected with the German strāla or Strahl meaning “ray” (strahlen, meaning “radiate”, “Strahlung meaning “radiation” and similar) instead is another question. Maybe they are all related. Compare too, the seemingly opposite meaning of scalać that is “to combine” or “to make whole” (“whole” = cało also appear cognates). Of course, without hopefully being too nonchalant with these etymologies, lightning could also fuse rocks.
I have previously discussed that fulgurites (of course, the Latin fulgur itself meaning “lightning” and also likely cognate with piorun) are commonly known as “piorun arrows” among many Suavs (a point also noted by Kolankiewicz). Incidentally, already the Slovenian trio authors of the “Veneti” pointed out that the Strela Mountain in the Plessur Alps in Switzerland likely also refers to an arrow. Probably, Piorun’s, of course if Suavs were indeed to be found there which is a strong possibility.
This “rock” and “mountain” etymology is likely why we have the Pyrenees and the Pirin Mountains in Bulgaria and, for that matter, the many names of hills and mountains among the South Suavs. This makes the distinction between the mountain named for a Perun as in a deity and a mountain named for, well, a “mountain” or “rock mountain” perhaps, difficult to make. Perhaps where Suavs were present, the mountains are deemed to go back to piorun (but in reference to the deity or just the thunderbolt?) but where Suavs are not attested, other etymologies are sought. The same etymology quests might nevertheless point to an IE “rock” or “mountain”.
Parvati discussed above goes back to parvata a Sanskrit word for “mountain”. Indeed, the “father” of Parvati is Parvat (aka Himavat – hence Himalayas). Alternatively, Parvati is simply “she of the mountain.”
In any event, this Parvati, like the Hittite Pirwa mentioned above, ought to suggest another meaning for Piorun that is the meaning of pirwy or pierwszy or “first” (“first” being cognate with pirwy, of course – compare too piorun/Piorun or Perkunas with Fjörgyn or Fjörgynn). And this may well be the reason for why Piorun is merely, again, a nickname of Jasień’s.
Curiously, the Polish penny (?) today called grosz (German Groschen, both from the Italian grosso?) was referred to in the early 16th century by the name piorunek while the as or assarius was the name of a coin used in the Roman days. Also, curiously, the Republic as featured the head of Janus which also happens to be cognate with Jason and Iasion. Probably a coincidence… though the below (from Derksen) may suggest that Ja–sień is the pathway (foyer, entrance) into Ja? Note too the Latvian cognate signifies “face”. (On yaya in that Polish gloss we’ll have more later – suffice it say that Latvian suggests a riding etymology).
Also curiously, the Lithuanian name for lightning is a perko-like word but rather žaibas (but zibens in Latvian) which is obviously cognate with the Polish vulgarism zajebać, itself meaning “to kill” and a derivative of jebać meaning “to hit” but also “to plow” (sexually) which also brings up the agricultural aspects of Piorun/Jasień.
Finally, note that the above etymologies might also loop in the word “father” or, at least (and more in tune with today’s times), “parent”.
Of course, none of these observations about mountains, rocks, being first or parents exclude the “fork” etymology of piorun‘s found most obviously in Greek (πηρούνι, that is piroúni) and Venetic (piron). And, as already observed previously, the word “fork” itself likely shares the same etymology.
In fact, while we’re at it, let’s mention something else. Zeus apparently has been pictured on a few occasions with a trident (or a three-pronged thunderbolt) and yet he was Zeus not Poseidon (also the reason why if the trident were found to fit the Artemision Bronze, the sculpture could still be of Zeus). A Zeus with a trident might explain why Iasion and Demeter’s field was “thrice-ploughed” (see above for the ploughing concept in the words for lightning), that is, Zeus was identical with Iasion until the Greeks for whatever reason (old Gods versus new?) decided to elevate Zeus over Iasion.
Incidentally, Zeus has on other occasions been pictured with an axe. Such a Zeus while also holding a lotus scepter (for example, Zeus Labaundos) makes you think of the image of Esus with an axe (or really thunderbolt?) next to a tree.
But let’s get back to the stones to conclude. Another connection of Iasion’s “stony aspect” comes from Latvian mythology. I have little doubt that Iasion is Jasień is Ūsiņš. If you look at Haralds Biezais’ “The Lighgod of the Old Latvians” (Der Lichgott der alten Letten), you will note that the Latvian Ūsiņš rides auf einem steinernen Pferd. That is, on a “stone horse.” Incidentally, this is also true of another figure in Latvian mythology that is likely identical to Ūsiņš – the Latvian Dievinš. Of course, Dievinš is cognate with Deus Pater and hence Zeus. Thus, Ūsiņš brings us full circle to the stone-tossing and rock-breaking Jasień. As an aside, I think, as previously mentioned, Jasień is also reflected in the Greek Jason myth.Further, the Iranian word for “stone” is -asan (*garta means “cave” – “guard,” “protect – and hence your Assgard or “stone cave”). That -asan is cognate with Jasień and Jason is unlikely to need an explanation. Thus, we can say that Jasień and Piorun/Perun are likely the same Being.
I will close with a final observation that suggests that this Divinity is also connected with Mars – the warrior and Janus. Specifically, on the 15th of March, celebrations took place to the Anna Perenna. Anna Perenna (I can’t help it but: Marz-anna or Marsa żona?) had been connected with Mars. Mars too was seen as an agricultural deity initially (before he had “to go to war” – much as Gerovit/Iarovit/Iarilo was both an agricultural and war Deity). Curiously, these Anna Perenna celebrations took place in front of town gates. If this suggests a God of Passages, it should not be surprising. Janus certainly filled that role but so does Jasień (remember Jasieńczyk coat of arms consists of a key and compare the passage of winter – entry into “Jasień-time” or w jesna or vest/wiosna – with the entry into winter time – jesień). I will only note further that brama means “gate” in Polish).
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