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[[File:Prussian gods (Peckols, Perkunas, Potrimpo).jpg|thumb|The purported flag of Widewuto]]
'''Widewuto''' (also ''Viduutus'', ''Vidvutus'', ''Witowudi'', ''Waidewut'', ''Vaidevutis'') was a legendary king of the [[Old Prussians|pagan Prussians]] who ruled along with his elder brother, the high priest (''[[Kriwe-Kriwajto]]'') Bruteno in the 6th century AD. They are known from writings of 16th-century chroniclers {{ill|Erasmus Stella|de}}, [[Simon Grunau]], and [[Lucas David]].<ref name=mle/> Though the legend lacks historical credibility, it became popular with medieval historians. It is unclear whether the legend was authentically [[Prussia]]n (i.e. recorded from [[Prussian mythology]]) or was created by Grunau (possibly inspired by Biblical [[Moses]] and [[Aaron]]),<ref name=hast/> though Lithuanian researchers tend to support its authenticity.<ref name=beres/>

==Names==
Widewuto's name is found in literature in different forms: Veijdenutus, Vydevutis, Vidowuto, Viduutus, Waidewut, Wejdewut, Wenedut, Widewuto, Widewutte, Widiwutus, Wydowudo, Wydowudus, Widowuto, Wydowuto, Widowutus, Witoud, Witoudo, Witouito, Witowudus, Witowuto, Wotowudo, Vaidevutis (modern Lithuanian emendation). As for his brother Bruteno, his name is also written in many ways: Brudeno, Bruteno, Brutenus, Brutheno, Brutteno. [[Belarus]]ian scholar Siarhiej Sanko interprets their names as "Widow's Son" and "Brother".<ref>SAŃKO, Siarhiej, and Aliaksej Shota. "PODSTAWOWE SKŁADNIKI BIAŁORUSKIEJ NARRACJI SAKRALNEJ W PERSPEKTYWIE PORÓWNAWCZEJ." Politeja, no. 22 (2012): 179-811. Accessed March 3, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24920134.</ref>

==Legends==
According to the legend, Widewuto and Bruteno were kings of the [[Cimbri]], a tribe in [[Jutland]].<ref name=beres/> Driven out by the [[Goths]] from their homeland, the Cimbri arrived to Ulmiganea, an area inhabited by rather primitive people who had no agriculture or cities.<ref name=mle2/> Widewuto and Bruteno civilized the region and named it [[Prussia (region)|Prussia]] after Bruteno (Pruteno). [[Gintaras Beresnevičius]] noted that such arrival has a lot in common with the origin legend of the [[Lombards]].<ref name=beres/> Widewuto ruled wisely and issued laws regulating family life (for example, men could have three wives; burning of gravely sick relatives was allowed; infidelity was punished by death), public life (for example, slavery was prohibited; distinguished warriors with a horse were raised to nobility), and punishments for criminal activity.<ref name=mle/> Bruteno was the high priest (''[[Kriwe-Kriwajto]]'') in charge of religious life. Widewuto had twelve sons, whose names were memorialized in the districts of Prussia. For example, [[Lithuania]] was named after eldest son Litvas, [[Yotvingia|Sudovia]] after Sudo, etc. Aged 116, Widewuto [[self-immolation|burned himself]] together with Bruteno in a religious ceremony at the [[Romuva (temple)|temple of Romuva]]. After their deaths the brothers were worshiped as god Wurskaito.<ref name=mle/>

==Flag==
Widewuto had a white flag, measuring five by three [[ell]]s.<ref name=bojtar/> The flag had portraits of three Prussian gods, which Grunau reproduced in his work. On the left, there was the god of the underworld, [[Peckols]] – an old man with white beard and white scarf on his head. Middle-aged and fiery-haired [[Perkūnas]], god of sky, storm, and thunder, was in the middle. The god of sea, earth, and crops, [[Patrimpas]], was portrayed as a young beardless man wearing a wreath of [[Ear (botany)|grain ears]].<ref name=puhvel/> The flag also displayed mysterious symbols. Several linguists have unsuccessfully attempted to decipher the writing hoping to discover an ancient Prussian writing system.<ref name=bojtar/>

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name=beres>{{cite journal| first=Gintaras |last=Beresnevičius |author-link=Gintaras Beresnevičius |url=http://www.ceeol.com/aspx/getdocument.aspx?logid=5&id=f0cfcad8-0754-4f36-9cc9-d09de68a6d1b | title=Prūsijos amfiktionijos steigtis prūsų legendose ir germaniškasis kontekstas |journal=Tautosakos darbai |issue= XXXI |year=2006 |pages=190–191 |issn=1392-2831|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=PA210 |publisher=CEU Press |year=1999 |pages=210–211 |isbn=963-9116-42-4}}</ref>
<ref name=hast>{{cite encyclopedia| title=Old Prussians |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics]] |volume=9 |first=James |last=Hastings |author-link=James Hastings |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HT0TAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA488 |pages=487–488 |publisher=T. & T. Clark |year=1917 |isbn=9780567065131 |oclc=3065458}}</ref>
<ref name=mle>{{cite encyclopedia| title=Videvutis |encyclopedia=Mažosios Lietuvos enciklopedija | volume=4 |location=Vilnius |publisher=Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas |year=2009 |pages=714–716 |isbn=978-5-420-01470-7|language=lt}}</ref>
<ref name=mle2>{{cite encyclopedia| title=Ulmiganija |encyclopedia=Mažosios Lietuvos enciklopedija | volume=4 |location=Vilnius |publisher=Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas |year=2009 |page=594 |isbn=978-5-420-01470-7|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>
}}

==Further reading==
* Beresnevičius G. "[http://resbalticae.fileli.unipi.it/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/153-164.pdf Die Religionsreform des Brutenis]". In: ''Res Balticae'', Nr. 03, 1997. pp. 153-164.

[[Category:Legendary monarchs]]
[[Category:Old Prussian people]]
[[Category:6th-century monarchs in Europe]]