PĒRKONS. In Baltic languages, the proper noun Pērkons (Latv.) or Perkūnas (Lith.) corresponds exactly to the common noun meaning "thunder." There is no agreement among linguists about the word's original meaning. In earlier research the essence of the god who bears this name was determined purely through etymology. Consequently, three different schools of thought emerged, each claiming a different Indo-European root as the base.

The first school, using *perg- as the root, regarded Pērkons as the sky god who controlled rain and storm. Typologically he was then likened to the Vedic Parjanya ("rain cloud"). The second school, deriving the god's name from *pergu(o), asserted that Pērkons is linked with perkuu-s, or ozols, meaning "oak tree." Pērkons was then considered to be the god of trees, in particular the oak, which was his symbol of power. The third...