Potrimpo
Part of Baltic religion |
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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.[1]
He was first mentioned (as Natrimpe) in a 1418 memorandum Collatio Espiscopi Varmiensis sent by the
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.[4] 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.[4]
According to Kazimieras Būga, the name was derived from the root trimp-, which is related to Lithuanian verb trempti (to trample, to stomp).[4] Following this research, Vladimir Toporov believed that initially there was a fertility god Trimps, who was later split into two deities.[5] 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.[4][5]
References
- ISBN 9780190288884.
- ISBN 5-420-01353-3.
- ^ ISBN 0-520-02378-1.
- ^ ISBN 978-9955-18-462-1.
- ^ ISBN 963-9116-42-4.