Prussian creation myth

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The Prussian creation myth tells the story of how the pagan Old Prussians believed the world was created.

According to the Prussian belief, in the beginning, there was naught except mist and the misty, semi-corporeal God, Ukapirmas. Ukapirmas' feet laid into the waters of the deeper mists, and his head floated in the lighter mists. After many eternities, he thought about companionship.

Ukapirmas thought to create a life to whom he could give joy, and it was so : a bird (other myths liken the being more to an angel) was formed. Slowly, the bird came to be unnerved by the endlessness of the mists, with naught to rest upon. Ukapirmas created a tiny crumb of earth for it to hold. The bird tried to stand upon the crumb, but fell off at first. A second time, the bird tried, but fell off. On the third attempt, it was able to balance the crumb beneath its fingernail.

From the crumb, Ukapirmas created a patch of ground, on which the two could stand and rest whenever they tired of swimming in the mist. Slowly, the bird came to be unnerved that it had only a small piece of ground on which to stand; and it asked Ukapirmas to expand the ground so that the two might lie down.

On this ground, the two lay down to sleep; but the bird was unable to fall asleep. It struggled with an urge to push Ukapirmas off of the ground and into the water. After a time, it did decide to. As he fell, the earth grew larger and larger, until it became the large orb it is today; ceasing to grow only when Ukapirmas awoke.

Ukapirmas asked the bird why it had pushed him off, and the bird tried to defend itself, but he saw through the deception. He knew of the bad intentions of the bird, and therefore, he threw the bird into the air.