⟐ PERUN VS VELES ⟐ The Sky. The Deep. The oldest rivalry in Slavic myth. In early Slavic belief, the world was shaped by two opposing forces. Perun, the god of thunder and storms, ruled the sky. He stood for order, strength, protection, and the fiery power of lightning. Veles, the god of the underworld, moved through the waters, roots, and shadows. He governed magic, death, cattle, and all things hidden beneath the earth. Their rivalry was more than a story. It explained why storms existed. When