Perkūnass House is one of Lithuania's most valuable late Gothic structures. It is thought that the piece was built in the fourteenth century. Finally, in 1818, a figurine of a crowned man was uncovered during renovations and was given the name Thunder House. According to folktales, the house previously belonged to the Hanza trading group. However, the general belief is that the mansion was built by a wealthy individual. In 1546, the first owner, Steponas Dulkė, sold the property to Bernard Bitner, the city's mayor. Three Kojalavičiai brothers were raised there and became Jesuits. Albertas wrote first history of Lithuania in Latin.
The house was bought by Jesuit monks in the 17th century, and they built a chapel. The Perkūnas house was used for numerous purposes after the monastery was closed by tsarist authorities, the first drama theatre in Kaunas was operating there. Over time, the building became very neglected. In the Soviet era, it was restored and belonged to the Kaunas History Museum.
Another legend: In ancient times, immense forests grew around Kaunas, and a variety of animals lived there, including the largest deer, hares, and sable. Taurus is one among the most honoured wild animals in Lithuania. Dukes were often the only people allowed to hunt them. In our country, it symbolizes strength, honour, and nobility. An ancient Lithuanian tradition mentions an animal with a cross between its horns.
During one of their hunts in ancient times, the Lithuanians were fortunate enough to chase the lord of the woodlands, Taurus, into the thicket of the forest at the confluence of the Nemunas and Neris rivers, which were known as the father and mother of Lithuania's rivers. At this point, the beast was pierced with a spear. A cross was right away found between the huge horns of the taurus, sticking out of the branches of a tree. The ancient Lithuanians were terrified of the gods' revenge and decided to sacrifice the king of the forest. On a clear moonlit night, they built a massive bonfire of oak trees and solemnly burned the king of animals in honor of their great gods. It is thought that this happened where the Thunder House now stands. This news also reached the ears of Grand Duke Vytautas.
At the time, Kaunas became one of the first cities in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. When Duke Vytautas awarded Kaunas Magdeburg's rights in 1408, a municipal seal quickly appeared, without which no major document could be valid. The city's earliest seal was shortly replaced by a heraldic seal depicting a taurus wandering on the ground. And if you come here on a serene starry night with a full moon in the sky, you might hear our ancestors' silent pagan pleas to the God Thunder.
Reviews