{{Baltic religion}} thumb|The purported Flag of Widewuto (Potrimpo on the right) '''Potrimpo''' (also ''Potrimpus'', ''Autrimpo'', ''Natrimpe'') was a god of seas, earth, grain, and crops in the pagan Baltic, and Prussian mythology. He was one of the three main gods worshiped by the Old Prussians. Most of what is known about this god is derived from unreliable 16th-century sources.<ref name="urlOxford Companion to World Mythology - David Leeming - Google Książki">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iPrhBwAAQBAJ&q=Potrimpo+poseidon&pg=PA319 |title=Oxford Companion to World Mythology - David Leeming - Google Książki |isbn=9780190288884 |last1=Leeming |first1=David |date=17 November 2005 }}</ref>
He was first mentioned (as ''Natrimpe'') in a 1418 memorandum ''Collatio Espiscopi Varmiensis'' sent by the Bishop of Warmia to Pope Martin V.<ref name=matule/> The document reminded the Pope that the Teutonic Knights successfully Christianized pagan Prussians, who previously worshipped "demons" Perkūnas, Potrimpo and Peckols (and Patollo).<ref name=puhvel/> Simon Grunau claimed that Potrimpo was a god of grain and together with thunder god Perkūnas and death god Peckols formed a pagan trinity. He was depicted on the purported Flag of Widewuto as a young, merry man wearing a wreath of grain ears.<ref name=puhvel/> Grunau further claimed that snakes, as creatures of Potrimpo, were worshipped and given milk (cf. žaltys). The ''Sudovian Book'' (1520–1530) listed Potrimpo (''Potrimpus'') as god of running water and Autrimpo (''Autrimpus'') as god of the seas.<ref name=balsys/> The ''Constitutiones Synodales'', a church ceremony book published in 1530, likened Potrimpo with Pollux and Autrimpo with Castor and Neptune, from Roman mythology.<ref name=balsys/>
Later authors copied these descriptions, often merging Potrimpo and Autrimpo into one deity of earth and water. Jan Sandecki Malecki claimed that Prussians would pray to Potrimpo, pour hot wax into water, and predict the future based on the shapes of wax figures.<ref name=balsys/> Maciej Stryjkowski wrote that there was a copper idol (a twisted žaltys) to Potrimpo in the temple of Romuva. Simonas Daukantas described Potrimpo as the god of spring, happiness, abundance, cattle and grain.<ref name=balsys/>
According to Kazimieras Būga, the name was derived from the root ''trimp-'', which is related to Lithuanian verb ''trempti'' (to trample, to stomp).<ref name=balsys/> Following this research, Vladimir Toporov believed that initially there was a fertility god Trimps, who was later split into two deities.<ref name=bojtar/> Further researchers speculated that the name could be related to fertility ritual – stomping to scare away evil spirits and to wake the earth in spring.<ref name=balsys/><ref name=bojtar/>
==References== <references>
<ref name=balsys>{{cite book| title=Lietuvių ir prūsų dievai, deivės, dvasios: nuo apeigos iki prietaro |first=Rimantas |last=Balsys | publisher=Klaipėdos universitetas |year=2010 |isbn=978-9955-18-462-1 |pages=280–285|language=lt}}</ref> <ref name=bojtar>{{cite book |first=Endre |last=Bojtár |title=Foreword to the Past: A Cultural History of the Baltic People |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5aoId7nA4bsC&pg=PA304 |publisher=CEU Press |year=1999 |page=304 |isbn=963-9116-42-4}}</ref> <ref name=matule>{{cite book |first=Algirdas |last=Matulevičius |title=Baltų religijos ir mitologijos šaltiniai |url=http://www.sarmatija.lt/images/stories/Baltu%20religija.pdf |volume=I | page=475 |publisher=Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidykla |location=Vilnius |year=1996 |isbn=5-420-01353-3|language=lt}}</ref> <ref name=puhvel>{{cite book| title=Myth in Indo-European antiquity |first=Jaan |last=Puhvel |chapter=Indo-European Structure of Baltic Pantheon |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gsTW-RedBx8C&pg=PA79 |page=79 |publisher=University of California Press |year=1974 |isbn=0-520-02378-1}}</ref>
</references>
Category:Prussian gods Category:Baltic gods Category:Fertility gods Category:Sea and river gods Category:Agricultural gods Category:Snake gods