From: tgpedersen
Message: 20848
Date: 2003-04-07
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Daniel J. Milton"<dmilt1896@...>
> wrote:name
> > *******
> > THe Finnish Devil 'Perkele'. Is his name borrowed from the
> > Baltic?
>
> Here is a snip from a Finnish Neswpaper. I may not be exactly
> academic but possibly interesting.
>
> "One of the principal gods of ancient Lithuanians was Perkunas
> (Perkons in Latvia), the god of thunder, fire, and warriors. The
> is the same as the Finnish perkele - one of the many colourfulHeyerdahl: Jakten på Odin quotes
> expressions for the devil, and a sign of the close ties between
> ancient Balts and Finno-Ugrian peoples.
> Though Perkunas is a positive character, his name is also used
> for swearing: "May Perkunas strike you down!"