Velnias

Lithuanian · deity · mythic · deity

Lithuanian chthonic god of the dead, cattle, magic and craft, the cunning adversary the thunder god pursues; later conflated with the Christian devil.

Domains

underworld dead

Powers

Shepherd the souls of the dead (vėlės)
Flee Perkūnas across the sky after stealing fire
master cattle, hidden wealth, magic, and craft

Relations

rival: Dievas
enemy: Perkūnas
equated with: Veles

Sources

Lithuanian folk narratives of Velnias and the Perkūnas–Velnias chase
A. J. Greimas, Of Gods and Men: Studies in Lithuanian Mythology (1992)

Open in the interactive app →