Drekavac is commonly sighted in the forests of Mount Zlatbor in Serbia. The most powerful repellent against Rusalke is wormwood or garlic. In general, they are acting like every canine with rabies. During day, he rests in decorated lair, while at night he pulls down unlucky people down into water, especially married men, so they can steal their women and make them into servants. Sergei is snatched by the geese and brought to Baba Yagas hut to be eaten. It is represented as tiny hairy creature with long sharp claws and long fur, which he stomps upon and yells in mixture of child's cry, scream and wolf's howling. He lived often in corner close to hearth, on attic or in garden. If human befriends Lesnik, they could learn everything about magic. They like to seduce men and to drown them, or to kill them with loud laughter. Beda (or bijeda or misery) is demon from Southern Slavic folklore that is far descent from ghosts and close to Chuma. If human approaches him, he could jump on their back and force them to run until first calls of rooster. Polish Vampires: Bloody Truth behind Dark Myth. A depiction of the Vampir from "Russian National Fairytales" by Boris Zabirohin (2008). var container = document.getElementById(slotId); In the 1993 adventure game Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness, the player-character encounters a rusalka and helps free her from her eternal undeath by completing a sequence of tasks: The leshy is a forest garden who is very difficult to spot, though his voice is sometimes heard. Likho is demon of misfortune known in all Slavic countries. And their faces turn red when they are full. Gamayun is prophetic bird from Eastern Slavic folklore. Besomar is demon that is connected to disgust and hatred that had similarities with Werewolf or Vampire. This creature takes the form of a gnome with a long beard and lives behind the stove or the benches where people sit. var slotId = 'div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-medrectangle-3-0'; Some people believed that werewolves are siblings with Vampires, because they both are immortals, stuck between Yav (world of humans and mythical creatures) and Nav (world of dead) and they both share same food - human blood and flesh. Name is made from bes (anger, rage) with mora (torture, death). Dwarves in Serbian folklore had magical powers, as well and ability to transform into frog. is creature known among Southern Slavs. Kikimora is female house spirit that is known in Eastern Slavic countries. Sometimes she appears as owl. container.style.width = '100%'; He was refered to as a Voivode. Belief in tsikavats originated in Serbia. Wearing a crucifix and making the sign of the cross before approaching a body of water could bestow some degree of protection. It's said that on Apple Feast of the Saviour day (the Slavic name for the Feast of the Transfiguration), the crying of the Sirin can be heard in apple orchards in the morning but is replaced by the joyous laughter of the Alkonost by evening. Represented as tiny middle-aged man with fur cloak, he guarded houses and cared for cattle and therefore connected with God Veles. His role was to protect forests and wildlife that inhabited them. Thanks to Petar Blagojevi, Vampires became known and beyond Slavic territory. They live in caves or mountains, from where they escape and cause hailstorms or devour humans or cattle.
It could steal honey or milk from nearby beehives or cows, then give it to its master. It likes to drown people and animals who happen to walk close to their watery lair at late night. She can become loyal to human by stealing her clothes or she can become ordinary woman if somebody takes out her wings. A depiction of the Bukavac by Veronika Kozlova (2017). In majority of tales, she is represented as evil being who ride either broom or mortar, wields a pestle and scares and eat children, however in very few tales she gives her wisdom to protagonists. 2022 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. While they are passing trough villages and towns, they kill everybody on their path by stomping them. Sirin is creature from Eastern Slavic folklore. She is able to cause storms and prevent them.
He was killed by the serbian hero Milo Vojinovi when he tried to kidnap princess Roksanda, the bride of Tsar Duan. var ins = document.createElement('ins'); When Austrian doctors came to that village and dug him out from grave, his corpse had fresh, red face and had blood on his mouth. He could be heard, but it was dangerous to be seen. Word bauljati is used when somebody walks weirdly. https://www.worldhistory.org/Baba_Yaga/, Kaleb Horton. Here is a list of (almost) all Slavic mythical creatures. Stratim is the mother of all birds in the world. Milosnitse are demons of plague, known in all Slavic countries. They don't do tribal stuff (tattoos, jewelry, decorative feathers and religious rituals like Native Americans). That village was under reign of Austro-Hungarian Empire and every human died every day from plague that was apparently caused by him. Baba Yaga is a witch who flies on a floating mortar and pestle. She is created from girl baby that is born with blood and had habit to sit on people's chest while they are sleeping and drink their blood. They created cookies that looked like horse hooves and portion of those cookies was always given to horses. var lo = new MutationObserver(window.ezaslEvent); But Slavic Vilenjak is as tiny as flower of clover and could be summoned only if somebody finds or eats four-leaf clover. var asau = '7414240333'; Poludnitsa would appear amid hot summer days, in the form of whirling dust clouds, carrying scythes or shears. ins.style.display = 'block'; Sudjenitse (or Sudjaye) are trio of spirits known under different names across all Slavic countries. This is one of the reasons why the Alkonost was the protector of the weather.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'meettheslavs_com-box-4','ezslot_5',113,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-box-4-0')};if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'meettheslavs_com-box-4','ezslot_6',113,'0','1'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-box-4-0_1')}; .box-4-multi-113{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:20px !important;margin-left:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-top:20px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. They were so known in Slavic (and in European) Pagan folklore that Christianity adopted it as perfect image for devil - being greedy and hungry all the time and extremely hostile to all living beings. Beda is bony and slimy creature that breeds very quickly, likes to steal things from people and to dig them deep into the ground. var cid = '6354310426'; ins.style.minWidth = container.attributes.ezaw.value + 'px'; Alkonost comes from Russian folklore and she lives in Iriy (Heaven). } A depiction of the Chort from "Russian National Fairytales" by Boris Zabirohin (2008). ins.dataset.adClient = pid; A Tsikavat or Cikavac is a bird-like creature with a long beak and pelican-like sack that, according to belief, could be created when woman stole egg of black hen and put it under her armpit for 40 days. Nezhit is tiny demon that could cause physical sicknesses in humans, making their teeth to fall out, making flu, deafen them and blind them. 202, 28 October. The Alkonost is a siren who brings joy to her hearers instead of death. It is said that she can be identified by her wet footprints. In some stories, he plays a benevolent role, taking care of lost children or bestowing gifts on people who care for the forest. Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. She is represented as woman in white clothes. In depictions, the Vodyanoy appears to be part frog, part catfish, part human. A depiction of the Kikimora by Ivan Bilibin (1934). When home builders wanted to cause harm to someone buying a house, they would bring in Kikimora. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); ins.style.height = container.attributes.ezah.value + 'px'; In most of the tales, Yaga is depicted as an evil old woman that rides a mortar or a broom, wields a pestle, and loves chasing, scaring, and eating little children. window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId, 'stat_source_id', 44); The exact features of this entity have been long debated by folklorists. While Werewolves had human shadow and mirror image, Vampires don't have it at all. One way for man to become werewolf is to skin killed wolf and to cover himself without tanning it (killing wolf in Slavic belief was the biggest sin, like rising hand against ancestor and being werewolf is considered as embodiment of Dazbog's punishment). container.style.width = '100%'; Acording to folktales, one day Usud lives a luxurious life in a castle and then when midnight comes a voice is heard saying "Oh Usud! The mythological folklore heritage of each Slavic country has supernatural and demonic characters. Slavs had habit to welcome them with clean house and clothing for mother and child who is surrounded by already made bread, wine, picked basil plant and gold and silver coins as tribute to them. They also could attack and cattle and steal milk from them. While this blog predominately focuses on Slavic traditions, it celebrates the diversity of world cultures with equal respect and recognition they deserve. Nobody ever saw their faces. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The banya (Russian sauna) was highly valued in Eastern Europe, such that it was said to be inhabited by a spirit known as the Bannik.
And news that Vampire appeared caused massive panicking among people of Austro-Hungary. Baba Yaga - A witch-like character who eats small children and lives in a house which stands on chicken feet, Bagiennik - Water demons who lived in lakes and rivers, Bannik - A bathhouse spirit with the ability to predict the future, Blud - An evil spirit who causes disorientation, Boginki - Polish spirits who were said to steal babies and replace them with Odmience, Dola - Protective spirits who embody human fate, Drekavac - A creature believed to come from the soul of a dead unbaptised child, German - A male spirit associated with rain and hail, Kikimora - Female household spirit, sometimes said to be married to the Domovoi, Koschei - An evil being who cannot be killed because his soul is hidden separate from his body, Leshy or lesovik - Woodland spirits who protect wild animals and forests, Likho - A one-eyed embodiment of evil fate and misfortune, Polevoi or polevik - Field spirits who appear either at noon or at sunset, Polunocnica - Lady Midnight, a demoness said to frighten children at night, Pscipolnitsa - Lady Midday; a noon demon who roamed the fields and struck down workers with heatstroke, Rarg - Creature who turns himself into a whirlwind, Rusalka - Often-malevolent female ghosts, water nymphs, succubi or mermaid-like demons that dwelled in waterways, Shishiga - Female creature who harasses people and brings misfortune to drunkards, Stuha - A demonic, mountain-dwelling creature, Topielec or utopiec - Malevolent spirits of human souls that died drowning, Vampir - A revenant that feeds on the blood of the living, Zduha - A man with extraordinary supernatural abilities. Serbs know dwarves from stories, like one when Gods decided to create them, but they didn't have any purpose, then they decided to create Giants, who also proved to be useless, then in the end they created humans that are neither giant or tiny. It was believed that she healed the wounds of warriors in battles and had in her possession the elixir of eternal youth. She is imagined as very beautiful and eternally young girl with bird or butterfly wings, golden hair, white dress and armed with bow and arrows. She lives far from humans, in forests, close to lakes and rivers or in clouds. Vilenjak (Elf) is male version of Vila, known in all European beliefs. She is an assistant of the god of wind, Stribog. She could transform into any animal, especially falcon, wolf, swan or mare. ins.style.height = container.attributes.ezah.value + 'px'; And to say - wolf in Slavic folklore was as much feared as it was worshipped. Vukodlak (or Werewolf) is actually human that shifts into half-wolf creature every night. It is represented as pale girl in white dress.
Among them there was Great Todor, who was lame, white demon covered in white cloak and carried rattling chains. Farmers and shepherds usually made pact with him, so he could take care of their animals and farms. Usud (Fate) is a being from South Slavic folklore. Lesnik (Leshiy or Lesovik) is creature known in all Slavic countries. The Rusalka occasionally appears in the modern culture of Slavic countries as a mermaid or a nymph. They are created from souls of drowned people, especially ones that didn't meet funerary rites. She could seduce heroes in fairytales or sometimes be their sisters-in-law, healing their wounds with various herbs that are created in battles. Lesnik is known that he could lead people to wrong way in forest, where he could tickle them to death and people had habit to wear their clothes upside-down, so they won't get lost. They could take form of hair or straw and could pass trough keyhole. Three days after child is born, they appear in their home. Them not being able to answer would eventually lead to their death. The mysterious forests of Eastern Europe have inspired tales of terrifying monsters, tormented souls, and mischievous spirits. People tended to wash their dishes before sleep, because Chuma had habit to scratch them with her dirty nails and to poison them. Vila are belived to perform rituals next to small bodies of water like streams, ponds and even wells. The one that comes from the house is married to the Domovoi. It is usually represented as human with goat's hind legs, long tail and goat's horns, known to bring misery to anybody that it encounters or to destroy their property. In many tales, Baba Yaga is depicted as a guardian of the underworld, whose hut lies on the boundary between the land of the living and the realm of the dead. In Vasilisa the Beautiful, Vasilisa seeks Baba Yagas aid in dealing with a tyrannical stepmother. He could transform into dog, cat and cow, rarely and into snake or frog. Even in cases when she causes evil things, she still remains beautiful and seductive. var cid = '6354310426'; She is also known as Bijeda, translated as misery or Chuma which means plague. However Zmaj in Slavic folklore is represented as rather benign creature, created from certain animals which lived up to 30 or 100 years (rooster, carp, horse, ox, ram or dog). In serbia it is thought that St. George killed an azhdaya, not a dragon. It is believed that they bring good luck to people. The rusalka is a tragic figure. Todorats is the most powerful and evil demon from Balkan folktales that is half-human, half-horse. Her role in house is juxtaposedwith Domovoi, and is usually bad in comparison with him. They hunt alone and are craving for flesh once they transform. It is represented as human with long claws and tail, covered in moss or grass, or as old man with green beard and hair or as fish covered in mud. if(ffid == 2){
Chuma is embodiment of Black Death disease from Serbian folktales. But in Slavic mythology, being werewolf is far different than Hollywood thing like getting bite or scratch. Many of these share the same storyline or features. They do agree on one thing Rusakla stems from pagan times, where it was regarded as a benevolent spirit. Bes is evoked when somebody threads on Sunday or spits on fire. Artist unknown (18th-19th century CE). ins.className = 'adsbygoogle ezasloaded'; The name of a single being may be encountered with a different spelling or transliteration according to a specific language of a specific Slavic country. The creature was given new life in The Witcher 3. They also believed in the existence of many Slavic demons and spirits that you will be reading about in this article. She has been depicted riding the sky in a flying mortar and pestle, the very mortar and pestle she uses to grind the bones of her victims (usually children) before she cooks and eats them. Although these stories contain evident Christian elements they are still considered pagan sources and are often used by historians and folklorists who investigate Slavic mythology. Rusalki were believed to be the souls of women who had been drowned by men (in many cases, their lovers). A depiction of the Vodyanoy from "Russian National Fairytales" by Boris Zabirohin (2008). She is usually found in fairytales. A lubok print, which were typically used to decorate houses and inns, depicting a Sirin. Azhdaya is demonic version of Zmaj (Zmaj, Dragon). During the 1900s locals reported sightings of this creature on the shores of the Sava river in the region of Syrmia. Baba Yaga is a witch popular in all the Eastern Slavic countries (though she should not be mistaken with the creature known as Babaroga). var alS = 1021 % 1000; It ate people, sometimes and dug their graves to feast on their corpses. People could light fires on crossroads and on village's entrance and they could share food and drink and even sing before fire. Everybody knows them as human-shaped undead blood-drinkers with fangs that pops up in almost all RPG games, cartoons, animes and movies. By her look, she is similar to Gamayun and Sirin. Oh Usud! German (or Djerman) is creature from Southern Slavic folklore tied to weather. He is called Vodnik in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Wodnik in Poland and Vodyanyk in Ukraine.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'meettheslavs_com-box-3','ezslot_1',110,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-box-3-0')}; There is a small amount of written evidence about Slavic demons and spirits in the pre-Christian period. Usually, people pick second option that is neutral. He could change his size from size of grass to the tallest tree. His wife is called Lesovika. In Slavic countries, it is imagined as tall, otherworldly beautiful bird that sleeps during day and gets out at night. It was believed that some people could hear her, but those people lost their minds and followed her until death. If people don't bring tribute to him (in form of bread or wheat), he could abandon their home and cause sickness of inhabitants and cattle. He was under the rule of Mihailo the king of Leane. Nav is a demon who rose from the souls of dead, unbaptized, newborn children. She has gold crown and feathers without shine. The most known Vampir is Petar Blagojevi - villager that lived in Serbian village of Kisiljevo who died in 1725. and became vampire few weeks later. Keep that in mind before you click the "Follow" button. The Vodyanoy emerges from the souls of wicked people who are denied entry to heaven. We are the most comprehensive English language resource dedicated to educating the world about ancient Slavs and modern Slavic nations alike. Anyone who approaches the water's edge after dark risks being dragged into the icy cold waters. Also, her screams can cause storms. Relationship between Zmaj and human women could bring zmajevite children (Dragonborn children) and they differed from humans by having large head or eyes and tiny wings under their armpits. Rusalka is imagined as someone who is often malicious towards people [2]. It's believed that vampires originated in Slavic folklore, although they took a very different form from the reclusive aristocrats and sophisticated socialites so familiar to modern audiences. Beda is a Southern Slavic demon who is a descendant of evil ghosts.
There are sayings that Beda found them or Beda follows them from cradle to grave. The Azhdaya is a version of the mythological dragon known as Zmay or Zmey. The only way to banish bauk is to use light or noise. She wanders across the world, attacks people and torture them. It is believed that seeds of garlic plant give her eternal youth. He ensures that proper bathhouse etiquette is observed. The witch asks Vasilisa to perform several tasks for her and, in exchange, provides a skull containing a fire that our heroine uses to burn her stepmother to ashes. The other one comes from the swamp and is married to Leshy.