Patollo, Perkuno, Potrimppo ...

Of the field banner and wappen of king Vaidevutis (Witowudi/Widowuto).

Simon Grunau (“bruder Symon Grunaw von Tolckemitte”)  in his Cronika (1526), Second tractat Lf.77 Capitel V §1 von dem felt banner und wopin des konigs Witowudi. Of the field banner and wappen of king Vaidevutis (Witowudi/Widowuto).

 “Das bannir war ein weisz tuch 5 elen langk, 3 elen brett und hett in sich gewurcht 3 bilde der gestalt wie mennir, blo waren ire cleider und woren brustbilder in solcher formen: das eine war wie ein man junger gestalt ane bardt, gekronett mit sangelen und frolich sich irbot und der gott vom getreide und hies Potrimppo. Das ander war wie ein zorniger man und mittelmessigk alten, sein angesicht wie feuer und gekronet mit flammen, sein bart craus und schwarcz, und sogin sich beide an noch iren geschiglichkeiten, der eine frolich wie er des andern zornigen lachete und der ander auff geblosen in zornn. Das dritte bilde war ein alter mann mit einem langen groen bardt und seine farbe gantz totlich, war gekronet mit einem weissen tuche wie ein morbant unde sag von unden auff die andern an unde his Patollo mit namen. Sust aber wu es ein schilt war, woren stetis 2 weise pferde, die in hilden zwischen in, auff dem schilde war ein brust bilde wie ein mensch und ein angesichtt wie ein beer mit offenem munde. So woren im schilde und im bannir buchstaben und schriffte unsz unbekant noch solcher form und weise, wie hie undene ist gemerckt und gesehen:  [then the writing] ...”.

"The banner was a white cloth five ells long, three ells wide and had wrought in it three likenesses in the shape of men, blue were their clothes and they showed only the  head and shoulders in shapes thus: one was shaped as a young man without a beard, crowned with corn- ears, and happy looking and a god of grain, called Potrimppo. The second [Perkūnas depicted] was like an angry man of middle age, his face was like a fire, crowned with flames, his beard was curly and black: and so both of them still have their own qualities, the merry one, as he laughs at the angry, and the other is swollen in anger. The third likeness was an old man with a long grey [I read groen as grauen, not grün] beard, and his hue  was quite deathly, he was crowned with a white cloth, as if it were a turban, and looked from beneath on the others,and is with the name Patollo. But also where there was a shield, were always two white horses,  that held it between them, on the shield was a head and shoulders like a man but a face like a bear with an open mouth.     There were also letters on the shield and on the banner but the writing is to us unknown, in the form and wise that can be seen and marked below [the book then shows a picture of the writing]. "

 

 

Although the three gods are often shown on the banner of Vaidevutisas in a row Grunau areacheth them as two, then one with Patollo looking on the other two from beneath.  So by rights more like as shown on this shield:
 

 

Of the layout of the oak, in which were the gods.

The three gods in a row come from Grunau's areaching of them in the oak tree shrine, thus Second tractat Capitel V Lf. 78 §2 Vonn der gelegenheit der eichenn, in welchin de worenn die götthe. Of the layout of the oak, in which were the gods.

“Die grosse dicke und mechtige hohe eiche, in welcher der teuffel sein gespenst hette und die bilde der abgötte ynne woren, halt ich ausz vorplendungk des teufels, war stetis grün, winter und sommer, und war obene weit und breit so dicke von lobe, damit kein regen dardurch kunt fallen, und umb und umb woren hubscbe tuchir vorgezogen ein schrit aber 3 von der eichen wol 7 elen hoch, do mocht niemandt eingehen ag der kirwaito und die obirsten waidolotten, sonder so imandes quam, sie die tuchir wegk zogen. Und die eiche warb gleich in 3 teil geteilet, in iglichem wie in eim gemachten fenster stundt ein abgott und hett vor sich sein cleinott.   Die eine seite hilt das bilde Perkuno inne, wies oben ist gesagt wurden, und sein cleinott war, domit man stetis feuir hette von eichenem holtze tag und nacht, und so is von vorseumnis ausginge, is koste dem zuge eigenten waidlotten den hals, auff man brandte die oppherungk. Dy andre seite hilt ynne das bildt Potrumppi und het vor sein cleinot eine slange, und die wardt in einem grosen toppe irnert mit milch von den waydolottinnen und stetis mit garwen des getreides bedeckt.  Das dritte bilde Patolli hilt inne die dritten seitte, und sein cleinott war ein todten Kopff vonn eim menschin, pferde und ku, und diesen zu zeiten in iren festen in eim toppe unslitt brandten zur erungk. Umb und umb in ihren gezelten wonten die wadolotten.”

 “The great, thick, and mighty oak in which the devil had deceived them and where the idols of the gods were in, was always green in the winter and summer (I think it was a devil's delusion), and was so tall and wide and so thick of leaves above,  that no rain could fall through. And around and about there were beautiful curtains, but one or three steps from the oak, and about seven ells high. There must no one  go in but the Kriwait and the eldest Waidolotten, and if anyone came especial, they would draw away the curtains. And the oak tree was divided alike into three parts, each of which stood an idol in a window that had been made for it and its possessions.   On one side was Perkunas (Perkunas), as was said above, and his possession was that a man always had a fire of oak wood,   day and night, and if it went out, the outcome was that it cost the owning waidlotten a stretch of the neck - on that a man burnt the offering. On the other side of the [oak], the image of Patrimp was placed, his dearest possession [kleinot] was a serpent, and it lived in a large pot, fed with milk by the priestesses [waydolottinnen] and [the pot] was always bedecked with sheaves of cereals. The third, Patullo's idol had a third part, and his sign was a human, horse and cow's skull, and occasionally, at their feasts, they were burnt in an uneven pot in their honor.  Around and about them dwelled the priests [wadolotten]  in their tents."”

 

Of the names of the Prussian gods before the time of their Conversion.

Third tractat (“Dritte tractat”) Capitel III Von dem namen der Preuschen abgöttir vor der zeit der bekehrungk. Of the names of the Prussian gods before the time of their Conversion.

“Von anbegin die einwoner des landes zu Preussen wusten noch von gotte noch von gotthin zu sagin, sundir die sonne sie geerht haben. Do aber die Cimbri qwomen, die brochten mit ihn 3 bilde ihrer abgotte, den einen Patollo sie nanten, das ander Potrimpo, das dritte Perkuno. Diese zu wirdigen sie haben gezwungen ire nogwer und sie moste sie fur almechtige gotthe halten.

Patollo der obirster abgott der Bruteni also ettwan genant die einwoner Brudenie itzundt Preussen genant. Dieser war ein irschrocklicher got des nachtes spuck im hause zu treiben sunderlich in den hofen der edlinge. ...

Potrimppo der ander abgott der von Brudenia war, und dieser war ein gott des gluckis in streitten und sust in anderen sachin.  Wen man diesem Potrimppo sust ein ehr solt thun, der waydlotte muste 3 tage fasten und auff der blosen erden schlaffen, und weiroch zum irsten must man in dem feuer burnen, das mit waxe irnehrt werde, ....

Perkuno war der dritt abgott, und man in anruffte umbs gewitters willen, domit sie regen hetten und schon wetter zu seiner zeit und in der donner und blix kein schaden thett, und so is qwam, und ein gewitter war im gantze lande und wo dy woren, die diesen gott anbeten, sie knitten sich nieder und schrien: dewus Perkuno abselo mus, wen sie dis vor ein festes hilten, zu der zeit des gewitters ire götthe mit dem kirwaiden und mit anderen waidlotten redte, und sie gobin is auch ausz vor ein worheit, und sie mit in geret hetten und dem folcke stetis wu was neues einsatzten zu halten.”

" In the beginning, the inhabitants of the Prussian country  did not know anything about worshipping gods or goddesses except the worship of the sun.   But then the Cimbri came and brought with them three likenesses of their gods, the first is named Patollo, the second Potrimpo, and the third Perkuno.   To worship these they have forced their neighbours and they must hold them for almighty gods.

Patollo - the highest idol of Bruteni so named by the inhabitants of Brudenie, now called Prussians. This [God] was a terrible god of the night haunting  especially the halls of athelings.  ...

Potrimppo was the second god of the Bruteni, and he was the god of luck in disputes and in all other matters. When Patrimp had to be worshiped, the waydlot had to fast for 3 days and sleep on the bare earth, and a  fire first had to be burnt that had been fed by wax, ...

  Perkuno was the third god, and a man would call on him about storms, so that they had rain and fair weather in their time and in the thunder and lightning did no harm, and so is pleased, and in a storm  in the whole country and wherever they were, they worshiped this god, they knelt down and cried: "dewus Perkuno abselo mus" ("god Perkuno have mercy us", see Latvian "dievs pērkons, apžēlojies par mums") as they steadfastly held to this.  At the time of the storm their gods counselled with the kirwaiden and with other waidlotten, and so they also found out things for truth, and what they had in counsel the folk later held to as it was a new mission."

Historical Worth?

“patollum Natrimpe” is/are (some think patollum an adjective) marked in the 1419 Collatio episcopi Warmiensis.  If a god, Patollo is likely to be for *Patulas, and this  made up of “pa- “ “under” and “*tul(a)-“ “earth” Old Prussian “talus” “room floor”.  "Natrimpe" might be a mis-spelling.  In the Episcoporum Prussie Pomesaniensis atque Sambiensis Constitutiones Synodales (1530), another work many scholars set aside,  where ten gods are listed we find the following which seem the most noteful to us here:

4. Autrympus,     Neptunus,

5. Potrympus,      Castor et
6. Bardoayts,             Pollux,
7. Piluuytus,         Ceres,
8. Parcuns,          Juppiter,

Piluuytus is a god, notwithstanding he is glossed as the goddess Ceres, and may well be another name, (or the right name?) of, Grunau's Potrimppo, who in the above list is "Potrympus" glossed as Castor.  Grunau's  Perkuno is, needless to say,  the "Parcuns" glossed as Jupiter.

*Patulas is taken as another name for Pikulas, and Pikulas Velnias.   Thus Marija Gimbutas The Lithuanian God Velnias in Myth in Indo-European Antiquity (1974) edited by Gerald James Larson, C. Scott Littleton, Jaan Puhvel Lf.88: 

“One of the most abundantly used alternative names of Velinas, mentioned in dictionaries since the sixteenth century, is Pikulas, Pikis, Piktis. "Velnias yra Piktis" (Velinas is Piktis), explains Szyrwid in his dictionary of the seventeenth century.2 'Zorngott' (god of anger) stands in Mielcke's dictionary of 1800, and ‘Höllengott’ (god of the underworld)   in the dictionary by Kurschat of 1874. 4 There are about 100 place-names in Lithuania having the root pikt-.”

2 C. Szyrwid , Dictionarium trium linguarum (Vilnius, 1629).

3 C. G. Mielcke, Littauisch-deutsches und deutsch-littauisches Worterbuch, 1 (1800), 199.

4 F. Kurschat, Wörterbuch der litauischen Sprache, 2 (1874).