Velnias Under the Turf: Lithuanian sakme

During a storm in a plowed field a strip of turf is turned back, and beneath it hides a dark shadow of Velnias

Genre

Mythological sakme

Source status

folkloric

Motifs

Perkūnas pursues Velnias, overturned turf, search for a hiding place, storm taboos, plowing

The sakme

Velnias once asked Perkūnas where he could hide from his strike. He said he would crawl under a house, into a tree, under a stone, under a hill, into a bathhouse, even into a church.

Each time Perkūnas answered that he would strike there too. Velnias was left with no place, neither high nor low, neither sacred nor everyday.

At last Velnias said he would crawl under a strip of earth’s turf turned back on itself. Perkūnas answered that there he would not strike. Since then Velnias hides under such turf.

Therefore in old times plowmen took care that the turf not turn back, and when a storm approached people arranged their clothes and avoided places where Velnias might be hiding.

Interpretation: what does Velnias under the turf mean?

The sakme explains very concrete prohibitions and fears: why it is dangerous to stand where Perkūnas may strike, and why one must be orderly in the field.

Overturned turf is a sign of reversed order. Earth that should lie in its proper way turns the opposite direction and becomes a hiding place for Velnias.

Perkūnas acts here as a guardian of order, but even his strike has a limit. Velnias finds shelter not in the strongest place but in the smallest crack in order.

History, variants, and recording

The enmity of Perkūnas and Velnias is one of the most widely attested fields of Lithuanian mythological sakmes. VLE notes that about 500 variants have been recorded.

This sakme joins cosmic combat with everyday plowing. It shows how mythology explained concrete agricultural actions and rules of caution.

The pursuit of Velnias by Perkūnas is a core Baltic mythological plot, what Toporov and Ivanov called the “basic myth” of the thunder god’s fight with a chthonic being. This sakme is also etiological: it explains the prohibition against leaving turf turned back. Norbertas Vėlius studied Velnias in Lithuanian sakmes (Chtoniškasis lietuvių mitologijos pasaulis, 1987), and variants are classified in Bronislava Kerbelytė’s catalogue (Lietuvių pasakojamosios tautosakos katalogas, vol. 3, 2002).

Storm and the farmer’s world

For a farmer the storm was both danger and condition of harvest. Perkūnas could bring rain, but his lightning could destroy.

The sakme helps explain why a storm was read as a system of signs: tree, stone, turf, clothing, or eaves might not be neutral places.

Velnias Under the Turf: frequently asked questions

What is "Velnias Under the Turf"?

A sakme about Velnias asking Perkūnas where he might hide, and finally finding safety under a strip of turf turned back on itself.

What motifs are most important in "Velnias Under the Turf"?

The main motifs are Perkūnas pursuing Velnias, overturned turf, the search for a hiding place, storm taboos, and plowing. They show the fear, belief, origin explanation, or boundary that the sakme brings into view.

What does "Velnias Under the Turf" explain or warn about?

As a mythological sakme, "Velnias Under the Turf" shows a human encounter with a mythical force, being, or dangerous boundary. Its meaning therefore lies not in a general moral statement, but in the specific danger of the plot and its consequence.

Why is the central motif important here?

The motif is a key to the plot: through it the sakme shows what threatens people, what boundary is crossed, or what unusual feature the community is trying to explain.

Is this text a word-for-word old source?

No. This page gives an original retelling based on recorded motifs and the listed sources, so the plot is clear to a modern reader.

How is a sakme different from a fairy tale?

A sakme is usually told as something plausible or at least possible: it explains an origin, a taboo, a mythical being, or a dangerous encounter. A fairy tale more often works through wonder, entertainment, and a freer adventure plot.