Monstrous
Monstropedia => Mythical Monsters => Topic started by: Nina on January 03, 2009, 12:13:56 PM
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Seeing this topic is missing, and due to late great threads made by leshy and blow fly, I think these creatures deserve topic of its own.
So there, Slavic monsters enter here!!!!
Little intro from Wiki:
Unlike Greek or Egyptian mythology, there are no first-hand records for the study of Slavic mythology. Despite some controversial theories (for instance, the Book of Veles), it cannot be proven that the Slavs had any sort of writing system prior to christianisation; therefore, all their original religious beliefs and traditions were likely passed down orally over generations, and potentially forgotten over the centuries following the arrival of Christianity. Prior to that, sparse records of Slavic religion were mostly written by non-Slavic Christian missionaries who were not very interested and/or objective in their descriptions of pagan beliefs. Archaeological remains of old Slavic idols and shrines have been found, but they do not tell us much more other than confirming existing historical records. Fragments of old mythological beliefs and pagan festivals survive up to this day in folk customs, songs, and stories of all the Slavic nations. Reconstruction of ancient myths from remains that survived in folklore over a thousand years is a complex and difficult task that can often lead researchers astray. This may result in misinterpretations, confusions, or even pure forgeries and inventions.
the rest of this very nice article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_mythology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_mythology)
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Love the info and the video was really cool!
Some time ago I read that Wikipedia article you gave the link to. It really is good and worth taking the time to read.
Thanks for taking the time to make all of those posts Nina!! :-)
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The myth about Perun and Veles is really fascinating since it has a striking parallel in Hindu mythology. The Rig Veda, a collection of sacred textes that Hindus generally revere, actually describes a pivotal conflict in which the thunder deity Indra unleashes his lightning bolt against the under-world being Vritra, who after having stolen the life-giving waters of the world, assumes the form of a monstrous serpent or dragon which is subsequently slain by Indra. If you compare the two mythical narratives with one another, the common Indo-European origin that underlies both of them is strikingly obvious.
Slavs have one peculiar ritual. On feasts they all drink from one cup, saying some words at the same time, I would say, not like a prayer, but more like a curse in the name of their gods: good and evil. They believe that all good comes from a good god and all that is bad comes from the evil one. And so they call that deity Crnobog (Dark/black God)"
I find it somewhat confusing that the same divinity revered as a god of fertility by the ancient Slavs, was also perceived by them as a malovelant being to be feared if Helmold's account is to be trusted. In the event that it is a reliable and accurate description of the popular sentiment towards Crnobog, it would be reasonable to assume that this particular god had a rather dark aspect to him that his devotees dreaded.
Great contributions to the new thread, Nina! They're chock full of useful and interesting information as leshy said. And the video is certainly an added bonus.
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Also, it is the same horned god that catholicism later described as Lucifer, and why Lucifer has horns. The only way they could destroy this old belief was to make it into something evil and sinister, so instead of god of fertility and life, we got Satan himself.....
That was the standard policy of the missionaries who spread the Abrahamic religions wherever they went. Villifying existing gods was an excellent way of winning new converst to the divine cause. As for the Christian fixation with an evil horned Satan, I suspect that it may have its roots in ancient Jewish accounts that speak of a certain tribe of demons or evil spirits that possessed the physical attributes typical of goats.
Old gods arent very happy about this, what do you think?
Assuming that they even existed to begin with, they can't be too thrilled with their drastic demotion in status.
And blowfly, thank you, its just that although Im not a mod any more,old habits really do die hard
Some habits are worth mantaining.
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If people dont say their names any more, that doesnt mean they werent powerful in ancient history. They where worshiped with the same fear and love people worship today. We always needed a powerful entity to pray to, and feel protected by.
I understand what you're trying to convey, but I can't really relate to that view point, being an agonostic myself.
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Exactly, but to return to the main topic of this thread, I'll be re-posting some of the previous material that both you and leshy contributed.
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Zodiac
Watchers
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Quote from: Zak Roy Yoballa on November 20, 2006, 05:24:07 PM
Baba Yaga:
AKA Jezi Baba:
Baba Yaga is from the Slavic regions and is sometimes viewed as an evil witch or a female demon. She is supposed to travel around flying in a black cauldron or on a freaky animated house that traveled on chicken legs! She would prey upon travelers and other unsuspecting folk with her huge mouth that was reported to stretch to the corners of the earth. Her form was that of an elderly wicked looking woman. As a side note the word 'baba' in Russian is short for grandma.
However, if you happened to catch her while she was in a good mood she would sometimes help travelers find their way home.
Regina Terra
Realized Monster
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The animated house pops up in a lot of legends, it is even pretty popular in modern day fiction. Just look at Howl's Moving Castle.
blow_fly
Moderator
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Some anthropologists have speculated that the Baba Yaga is the demoted version of a once powerful and widely worshipped underworld godess. That would probably explain the ''grand mother'' prefix attached to her name.
leshy
Young Beast
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Well, I just wanted to add to this. Everything said is true. Baba Yaga is from the Slavic regions and is also a very common source of stories throughout Russia. Baba Yaga is usually viewed as evil old witch, although not always. She also takes the form of a youthful woman.
She is known to be helpful to those who are pure of heart and seek her guidance and wisdom, although it is equally true that she is just as likely to make a meal out of you and has even been known to kidnap and eat children.
She flies through the air in a mortar, using the pestle as a rudder. She has a broom made of silver birch which she uses to wipe away her tracks. That the broom itself is made of birch is significant to me as the birch tree symbolizes both mystery and healing, among other things.
She does indeed reside in a cabin which is perched upon chicken legs. Her cabin gets up and moves about at will until a specific incantation is spoken to quiet it down. The keyhole to her front door is actually a mouth that is filled with very sharp teeth and her house is surrounded by a fence made of human bones. Some stories say that a part of the fence is left open for true “heroes” to pass, in other stories her door is invisible unless magical words are spoken to it.
Baba Yaga has three faithful servants:
The White Horseman - The Day
The Red Horseman - The Sun
The Black Horseman - The Night
Of course there are differences from region to region. In the Polish, her cabin stands on only one chicken leg. In the Russian Baba Yaga’s teeth are made from iron, but universally throughout the regions where stories of her are prevalent, she is completely unpredictable and one should always be wary of her!
Regina Terra
Realized Monster
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Are these all tall tales that come from a real person? Or is she just a completely "made up" myth?
leshy
Young Beast
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Traditionally she is portrayed as or perceived to be a goddess of death and regeneration. She is one of the most prevalent figures in Russian fairy tales where she is usually a witch. In the Polish, many of the stories very closely resemble the classic story of Hansel and Gretel.
blow_fly
Moderator
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Do you think that some of the more malovelant and grisly details that surround her are the result of the negative Christian propaganda that would have undoubtedly been unleashed against existing deities during the conversion of the Slavic peoples? Or has she always been a dangerously unpredictable being?
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Mr.Kreepy
Moderator
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Christianity definitely had something to do with it.
Of course, there have always been powerful, unpredictable female figures in the traditional spiritualities of European pagan peoples...So she might not have been a particularly nice figure, but by no means was she a baby-eating witch before Christianity raped the "primitive" tribes with "civilization".
blow_fly
Moderator
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That would make sense. An enigmatic underworld goddess with a wrath that was easily aroused would have fitted nicely into the convetional Christian paradigm pitting God against the Devil and his gruesome minions. A bit of exaggeration here and there and you have the perfect monster to intimidate ''unsaved'' souls with.
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leshy
Young Beast
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Absolutely, I think that the introduction of Christianity had a lot to do with the way that not only Baba Yaga, but all of the Slavic deities were perceived after its introduction. Even Perun, who was a major Slavic god; god of thunder, justice and war, was twisted into the personification of the prophet Elijah of the Bible.
All of the information that I’ve read on the subject thus far has indeed pointed to Baba Yaga being not only wise and helpful, but also cannibalistic, and indeed having iron teeth, or sometimes and iron nose, and still other times a nose that reaches up to the ceiling of her cabin. There are so many different stories about her and many of them do conflict. It is true that the true, original, pagan Baba Yaga was very close to nature, and controlled the elements as well. It is also true, of course and very unfortunately, that when Christianity was introduced throughout the region, Baba Yaga’s persona was twisted to make her nothing but an evil old witch or a demoness.
In the old, pre-Christian stories, she is not all bad. She is known to be not just Death but Renewal, and sometimes she is known as the Water of Life and Death.
When Christianity was introduced as early as the 7th century, many Slavs looked at it as an “addition” to their beliefs, not something to replace it, so on the positive side, all of the old stories pertaining to Baba Yaga still survive to this day.
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leshy
Young Beast
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This thread was started to include Nordic, Germanic and Slavic "Monsters", but there really isn't anything in the way of the Slavic, so I thought I'd start adding them.
Rusalka
The Rusalka are described as being the spirits of either unbaptized children, young women who commit suicide because they’ve been discarded by their lovers, unmarried women pregnant out of wedlock, or virgins who found their death through drowning. Sometimes they are described as being female ghosts, water nymphs, succubi, or mermaid-like demons. In all cases, the Rusalka reside in water.
The Rusalka are usually perceived as being evil, although in some of the cases were they take the form of female ghosts, it stems from young women who die in or near the water before their time and who haunt that particular waterway. They are allowed to die peacefully, but only if their deaths are avenged.
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leshy
Young Beast
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Mora
The Mora is, in ancient Slavic mythology, a malicious spirit and bringer of nightmares. Mora is depicted as being a beautiful woman who visits men in dreams in order to torture them with desire, just to suck the life from them. Men were not the only targets of this evil spirit. The Mora has the ability to send all humans to sleep, and with that sleep, nightmares. She is known to suffocate them and suck their blood, even that of children.
Other forms that the Mora is able to take are a white horse, a white shadow, straw, a leather bag, a white mouse, cat, and a snake.
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The following entry is about a sinister sorceror who once reputedly served the notorious witch Baba Yaga as her herdsman. A richly detailed creation of Slavic folklore, he is as compelling a character in his right as the more infamous Baba Yaga.
Koshchey the Deathless also known as Koshchey the Immortal
In Russian Koshchey is known as "Koshchey Bessmertny" which means deathless or immortal .
Variant spellings of his name are: Koschey, Katschei/Koshchey/Kashey
In Russian folklore Koshchey is an evil sorcerer of terrifying appearance who gallops naked around the wild Caucus mountain range on his magic steed.
He is also a shape-shifter, who takes the form of a whirlwind or a storm wind. He is a nature spirit representing the destructive powers of nature.
He is fond of stealing beautiful women, often the bride of the hero.
Like his female counterpart Baba Yaga, he also has powers over the elements. Dark clouds suddenly appear amidst thunder and lightning when he comes on the scene.
As a shape-changer, Kotschey usually takes the form of a whirlwind and makes off with his victims in this form. He may also come under cover of a mist or fog and can fly through the air.
Koschey is called the deathless, or immortal because his soul/spirit/life force or his "death" as he calls it, is hidden in a remote, inaccessible place, separate from his body.
Koshchey's soul/spirit/ is often hidden in a duck's egg, inside a hare, which in turn is inside a chest buried under the roots of a mighty oak tree, on an island in the middle of the ocean.
Sometimes his "death" may be hidden in the point of a needle inside the duck's egg. Although called deathless or immortal, Kotschey may die if the hero finds out where the egg that contains his life force or, as he calls it, his "death", is hidden.
If the egg is broken, it's goodnight for Kotschey too. Anyone possessing this egg has Koshchey in their power. He begins to weaken, becomes sick and immediately loses all his magic powers.
In one story the egg is thrown at his forehead and he drops down dead.
Imprisoned in the palace of the warrior princess Maria Morevna for ten years, Koshchey is freed by the unwitting hero.
In this story the egg with his soul/spirit/death in it is not mentioned at all. Instead, he receives a kick in the head from one of Baba Yaga's magical steeds. After the horse kills him, the hero Ivan cuts Koshchey's head off, burns it and scatters the ashes to the four winds, presumably just to be on the safe side.
Koshchey's appearance:
Tall, boney, fearful to look upon. As Baba Yaga says:
' Medusa's got nothing on you, Kotschey dear .'
Maria Morewnas description of him:
He sports a wild mane of tangled seaweed-like hair which stands up all around a lean and bony face. From beneath those craggy brows peer hooded, unblinking reptilian eyes. A raven's beak of a nose juts out over a cavernous mouth from which now and then one may catch a glimpse of several large crooked teeth. Mouth may change shape according to mood.
His beard: Mottled-grey and scraggly, unsightly after meals.
Skin: Scaly, rough, forever shedding, more snake-like than human.
Method of fighting: Wraps or coils himself around his foes. Finger nails and toe nails long and claw-like (he never cuts his hair, finger or toe nails - to preserve his 'life-force' as he calls it/his lack of clothing may also be attributed to these peculiar 'life-force preservation' reasons).
On the inside of Koshchey's scrawny long ape-like arms are venom glands. (His blames Maria Morewna for his arms being so long - he complained once that hanging out in her dungeon for 10 years didn't do his posture any good).
During battle he has been known to lick these venomous parts and then bite his adversary thus causing intense pain and immobility.
Can change his voice at will. Terrifies his opponents with blood-curdling cries. Has also been known to use his voice to charm and induce sleep when necessary.
When astride his magical steed, Kotschey likes to throw off his flamboyant fish-skin clothes and it is said that he thus takes on the magical powers of his mount.
His fish-skin clothes, which he scatters behind him, are blown away and scattered by the four winds. Flocks of ravens gather behind him to fight over and devour these shreds. Shreds of his clothing may be sometimes seen flapping in the tree tops throughout the steppes.
Thus freed from all worldly constraints he gallops naked through the wild Caucus mountains with his long spindly legs trailing in the dust. In the picture by Ivan Bilibin, he is seen brandishing his sabre, shrieking blood-curdling threats and urging the spirits of the steppes to come to his aid.
Quite an emotional character, it is said that he will weep with rage for hours afterwards when outwitted by his quarry and his sobbing and wailing often echoes throughout the Caucuses, terrifying both man and beast alike.
During times of stress he may change himself into a storm or a whirlwind. In his spare time he seems to be off hunting quite a lot, although it is not specified what it is that he is hunting.
Although cunning, one of his weaknesses is that he is extremely vain and therefore may be outwitted by a woman pretending to find him irresistible.
He has twelve sisters (also shape-shifters) who come to avenge his death and who seem to be almost as charming as Koshchey himself.
Although Koshchey is a powerful sorcerer, he seems to be down the hierarchical ladder a rung or two to Baba Yaga. In one story he works as a herdsman for her in order to earn one of her magical steeds. This horse has the power of speech and gives Koshchey invaluable advice.
His favourite drink: A fermented drink make of green tea, sour goat's milk and salt.
He craves female company, and although he can turn on a charming voice at will, Kotschey is anything but a smooth talker.
When Maria Morewna is trying to pump him for information and plays up to him, he once again fails to realize that one of his oft-repeated remarks: "Foolish woman, long of hair: short of wit", does not do anything to improve his chances with her.
Beating about the bush is one of Koshchey's rules of thumb: for Koshchey to speak directly is to lose his power or 'life force'.
When she asks him about the time he spent at Baba Yaga's hut and where he got his horse he replies: "Three days there and I learned as much as in three years."
Koshchey is able to "far see" - he has the ability to see with his eyes closed.
A song he is fond of singing when he has drunk enough Kwas: (Some say he penned it himself while he was hanging out in Maria Morewna's dungeon)
Amidst great Rocks
Koschey the Deathless leaping,
Onward rides,
Wild and fierce
And free again from chains.
Like the storm he howls and weeping,
Sprays the steppes
With burning tears of rage.
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Sure is nice to see this all in one spot!
This is a Croatian story that is almost identical to the Celtic story "The Goodman O' Wastness". The difference is that while that tale is of the Selkie, this one involves a wolf.
THE SHE-WOLF
THERE was an enchanted mill, so that no one could stay there, because a she-wolf always haunted it. A soldier went once into the mill to sleep. He made a fire in the parlour, went up into the garret above, bored a hole with an auger in the floor, and peeped down into the parlour. A she-wolf came in and looked about the mill to see whether she could find anything to eat. She found nothing, and then went to the fire, and said: 'Skin down! skin down! skin down!' She raised herself upon her hind-legs, and her skin fell down. She took the skin, and hung it on a peg, and out of the wolf came a damsel. The damsel went to the fire, and fell asleep there. He came down from the garret, took the skin, nailed it fast to the mill-wheel, then came into the mill, shouted over her, and said: 'Good-morning, damsel! how do you do?' She began to scream: 'Skin on me! skin on me! skin on me!' But the skin could not come down, for it was fast nailed. The pair married, and had two children. As soon as the elder son got to know that his mother was a wolf, he said to her: 'Mamma! mamma! I have heard that you are a wolf.' His mother replied: 'What nonsense you are talking! How can you say that I am a wolf?' The father of the two children went one day into the field to plough, and his son said: 'Papa, let me, too, go with you.' His father said: 'Come.' When they had come to the field, the son asked his father: 'Papa, is it true that our mother is a wolf?' His father said: 'It is.' The son inquired: 'And where is her skin?' His father said: 'There it is, on the mill-wheel.' No sooner had the son got home, than he said at once to his mother: 'Mamma! mamma! you are a wolf! I know where your skin is.' His mother asked him: 'Where is my skin?' He said: 'There, on the mill-wheel.' His mother said to him: 'Thank you, sonny, for rescuing me.' Then she went away, and was never heard of more.
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You really got yourself on a roll didn't you Nina?
Excellent job! :-)
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Well, insomnia is a bytch, but helps my creativity! :roll:
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Alkonost
The Alkonost is a legendary bird in Slavic mythology. It has the body of a bird with the face of a woman. The name Alkonost came from the name of Greek demi-goddess Alcyone transformed by gods into a kingfisher. The Alkonost reproduces by laying eggs on the sea-shore then putting them into the water. The sea is then calm for six or seven days at which point the eggs hatch, bringing a storm. For the Russian Orthodox Church Alkonost personifies God's will. She lives in paradise but goes into our world to deliver a message. Her voice is so sweet that anybody hearing it can forget everything. Unlike Sirin, another similar creature, she is not evil.
(http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/3567/180pxbilibinalkonostcf0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
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Excellent job, Nina and leshy! Kudos to both of you for posting some excellent material. The decision to post the article about the vampire Jure Grando was a particularly wise choice in my opinion, since Slavic folklore is largely responsible for the origins of the vampire and should be given some special distinction for that reason.
On the subject of the ale or demons of hail and famine, I think it is quite fascinating that dragons are credited with being the primary antagonists of these malovelant beings. In light of that belief, are dragons seen as primarily benevolent creatures in traditional Slavic lore that are responsible for keeping evil spirits at bay? Thanks.
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The following story was narrated by the Cossack storyteller Nicholas Kusakoff in the summer of 1869.
THE MONSTER WITH IRON TEETH.
There were three brothers. One time they traveled together in lonely places. The first night they stopped at a way house. 1 They made a fire, cooked some bread-soup, 1 and had supper. While they were eating, a board of the floor was lifted up. There appeared a monster 2 with iron teeth, two feet long. The eldest brother said to the other two, "Go out and get the dogs and sledges ready. I will stay here. And you must wait outside for me." They took their bread-soup and went out of the house. They could hear the eldest brother within fighting with the monster. They did not know in what way, but could only hear great noise and gnashing of teeth. Before sunrise their brother came out of the house. They started off on their sledges. They drove till dark. Then they saw another log cabin. They entered, made a fire, and prepared some soup. As soon as they had swallowed a spoonful or two, a board was lifted in one of the front corners of the house and up came the Monster with Iron Teeth. The oldest brother made the other two go out and he fought the monster alone. The next morning, when he came out, they saw that he had turned into a quite different being. All his blood, and his face, were no longer human. He was more like a devil. The second brother said to the youngest one, "Look at him! He has iron teeth at least half a foot long."
They drove onward again until evening. It had grown quite dark when they came to another log cabin. They made a fire and prepared soup. When they were half through with their meal, there appeared a woman with iron teeth, covered with blood, who rushed at them. The eldest brother: also fought the woman. The other two exchanged looks, and slipped out of doors. Then they turned their sledges back and drove homeward. They traveled the whole night and the next day. Then they came to the log cabin in which the second fight with the Monster of Iron Teeth had taken place. They made a fire and prepared their soup. Then they heard outside the shuffling of snowshoes. They were so much frightened, that neither dared to go out. Then the door opened of itself, and the oldest brother entered. He was very angry. "Why are you making so much trouble for me? If you want to leave me behind, why do you stop in this very place?" He had hardly finished these words, when the Monster with Iron Teeth appeared. They fought again; and the eldest brother said, "Go away! Do not wait for me any longer! But mind you do not stop at the first log cabin. When I am through with this fight, I shall give chase; and if I catch you in the first log cabin, I shall fight the first monster, but I shall also punish you."
p. 71
They drove away from there, crying for fear. They traveled throughout the night and the next day. After sunset they came to the log cabin, and of course wanted to pass it, but they could not induce their dogs to pass by. All the dogs rushed in and fought as if they were worrying somebody to death. No one was to be seen, however. They wrangled with the dogs far into the evening, and at last dragged them out of the house. They were quite tired and hungry; and the second brother at last proposed, "Let us stay here over night!" The youngest answered, "How could we do that? The monster will appear, and then our brother; and he warned us beforehand that he will punish us." The second brother answered, "Curse him for a fool! I do not fear him at all. I myself have become as bad as he." The youngest brother looked up, and saw that the second brother also had iron teeth half a foot long. He was so badly frightened that he could not speak. Meanwhile the shuffling of snowshoes was heard outside, and there entered a being similar to their brother in face and body; but they did not recognize him. He said not a single word, but rushed at the second brother. They fought like wolves. The youngest brother slipped outside, took his dogs, and fled. He drove on until midnight, and heard nothing. After midnight, however, he heard a voice like a distant shaman's call. The voice said, "A man is pursuing his own brother. He wants to gnaw at his bones, to eat of his meat, to drink of his blood!" The youngest brother out of fright, urged his dogs on with all his might. In the meantime he said to himself, "When he overtakes me, how shall I defend myself?" He remembered having heard from older people, that, when pursued by a monster, one may defend oneself by striking the monster with an old kettle. Then the monster will fall down and will be unable to follow for a couple of hours, which at least will give respite at the most critical moment. So he loosened the kettle, and made ready for the blow. Kettle in hand, he watched when the monster should reach the sledge. When it was at hand, he uttered an incantation and struck its face with the blackened kettle. The monster fell face down, and cried aloud, "Oh, you are too clever for me! I shall catch you, nevertheless. The village is yet far off. I shall rest for a couple of hours; then I shall catch you, drink of your blood, eat of your meat and gnaw your bones." The other one urged his dogs to the limit of their strength. He knew, that the village was not very far away. They moved on. The monster gave pursuit again. Then they heard the bell in the church belfry ringing. He crossed himself, and said, "Thank God, I am safe now!" And the monster shouted from behind, "You are safe; but I shall catch you somewhere in time to come." The young man reached the village, and straightway went to the priest. He said that in such and such places in the woods there were monsters; that
These monsters were probably unburied corpses, which walk abroad and attack human beings. The priest listened to him, and then laid a curse of the Church upon the monsters; that they should cease to appear and make trouble. After that all the people traveled about without fear or danger, and they met with nothing extraordinary. The end.
As you have probably learned after reading this, the monsters mentioned in this Cossak tale bear a strong resemblance to the vampires that feature in so many Slavic folktales.
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I found this regarding the dragons blowfly:
Dragons in Slavic mythology
Dragons of Slavic mythology hold mixed temperaments towards humans. For example, dragons in Bulgarian mythology are either male or female, each gender having a different view of mankind. The female dragon and male dragon, often seen as brother and sister, represent different forces of agriculture. The female dragon represents harsh weather and is the destroyer of crops, the hater of mankind, and is locked in a never ending battle with her brother. The male dragon protects the humans' crops from destruction and is generally loving to humanity. Fire and water play major roles in Bulgarian dragon lore; the female has water characteristics, whilst the male is usually a fiery creature. In Bulgarian legend, dragons are three headed, winged beings with snake's bodies.
In Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian lore, a dragon, or zmey (Russian), smok (Belarussian) zmiy (Ukrainian), is generally an evil, four-legged beast with few if any redeeming qualities. Zmeys are intelligent, but not very highly so; they often place tribute on villages or small towns, demanding maidens for food, or gold. Their number of heads ranges from one to seven or sometimes even more, with three- and seven-headed dragons being most common. The heads also regrow if cut off, unless the neck is "treated" with fire (similar to the hydra in Greek mythology). Dragon blood is so poisonous that Earth itself will refuse to absorb it.
The most famous Polish dragon is the Wawel Dragon or smok wawelski. It supposedly terrorized ancient Kraków and lived in caves on the Vistula river bank below the Vawel castle. According to lore based on the Book of Daniel, it was killed by a boy who offered it a sheepskin filled with sulphur and tar. After devouring it, the dragon became so thirsty that it finally exploded after drinking too much water. A metal sculpture of the Wawel Dragon is a well-known tourist sight in Kraków. It is very stylised but, to the amusement of children, noisily breathes fire every few minutes. The Wawel dragon also features on many items of Kraków tourist merchandise.
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Thanks for the information on dragons, leshy. From what you posted, ut appears that their nature was highly reliant on the particular region or land in which accounts describing them were found. The part about the Bulgarian dragons is really interesting, since they are obviously metaphors for winter and spring. And the description of them as warring male and female silblings with each respectively endowed with the qualities of a starkly opposing element, reminds me strongly of the Toaist concept of Ying and Yang.
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Just wanted to add a little more:
The Slavic Dragons and the ethnic dispute
by Marisa E. Martínez Pérsico
Zmey
Zmey, zmiy or zmaj are the names of the European Slavic dragon. Zmey is similar to the traditional dragon, but it is equipped with multiple heads. While it flies, breathes fire.
In Slavic countries, the dragons symbolize evil. One of them is called Turkic (or Zilant) and was used to represent the political-racial conflict that existed through many years between Slavs and Turks.
In the mythology of this region, the dragons acquire particular characteristics. These fantastic creatures are known by many names: In Russia and Bulgaria they are known as zmey; in the Old Slavic Church as zmiy; in Serb as zmaj; and in Poland as żmij. All these words are variant from a Slav word that means “serpent”.
In Russia and Ukraine, it was believed in the existence of a dragon called Zmey Gorynych, equipped with three heads that were able to spit fire simultaneously. The body was green, had two back legs and a pair of small front legs.
Other Russian dragons (per example, Tugarin Zmeevich) have names with Turkish origin, probably as a way to associate evil with Mongols and other inhabitants from the steppes.
This is why Saint George – which represents Christianity – gets to kill a Dragon – which represents Satan. killing to the Dragon. This symbol is represented on Moscow’s city flag.
In Slovenia, the dragons are represented as animals of harmful nature, and they are linked to the Saint George’s legends. Nevertheless, the dragon does not always represent danger. The best example is the Ljubljana Dragon, who protects Ljubljana City with authentic benevolence; the city flag presents the figure of this dragon.
In Croatia, Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro, the dragon zmaj, zmei or lamja are represented like a monster of 3, 7 or 9 heads that spit fire.
(http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/6826/zmeypd0.jpg)
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Interesting...
Is it plausible that the dragon only became a symbol of utter evil with the advent of Christianity among the Slavs? That might explain why it was employed as a symbol representative of the pagan and shamanistic Mongols.
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The following story is a well known and popular Russian folk tale.
Once upon a time there lived a Tsar who had three sons. The youngest was called Ivan.
The Tsar had a wonderous garden. In it grew a tree with golden apples.
Someone began coming to the Tsar's garden to steal the apples. The Tsar became upset about it. He sent some guards there. None of the guards were able to track the culprit.
The Tsar stopped eating and drinking, he became listless.
His sons tried to comfort him:
"Dear Father, don't grieve, we ourselves will guard the garden."
The oldest son said:
"Today is my turn, I will go to watch over the garden."
The oldest son set out for the garden. A little while before evening, there wasn't a trace of anyone, and he lay down on the soft grass and fell asleep.
In the morning the Tsar asked him:
"Well, enlighten me, did you see the culprit?" "No, Father, all night I didn't sleep, my eyes never closed, but I didn't see anything."
On the next night the middle son went to stand guard and also slept the whole night, but in the morning said that he hadn't seen the culprit.
At last it was time for the youngest son to stand watch. Ivan went to guard his father's garden, and even though he was sitting there afraid, he didn't lie down. When he started to dream, he took dew from the grass and wiped the dream from his eyes.
Midnight came, and to him it appeared there was light in the garden. It got brighter and brighter. All the garden was lit up. He saw the Firebird sitting in the apple tree, pecking at the golden apples.
Ivan Tsarevich crawled toward the apple tree and grabbed the bird by the tail. The Firebird flapped it's wings and flew away, leaving in Ivan's hand, one feather.
In the morning Ivan Tsarevich went to his father.
"Well, my dear Vanya, you didn't see the culprit either?"
"Dear Father, I remember but don't remember, who destroys our garden. Here is a memento from the culprit for you to take. It is, Dear Father, the Firebird."
The Tsar took the feather, and from that time began to eat and to drink, and knew no more sorrow.
It was a beautiful time to him and he pondered about the Firebird.
He called his sons and said to them:
"My dear children, saddle would you good steeds, go would you about the wide world, to places unknown, where you might catch the Firebird.
The children bowed to their father, saddled good horses and set out on their way. The oldest in one direction, the middle in another, and Ivan Tsarevich in the third direction.
Ivan went a long time, or a short time. The day was summery. Ivan Tsarevich grew tired, got down from his horse, fettered him, and tumbled down to sleep.
A long time or a short time passed, Ivan Tsarevich woke up and saw, no horse. He went to look for him, he walked and walked and hoped to find his horse nibbling on a bush.
Thought Ivan Tsarevich: where without a horse to go in such remoteness?
"Well, what of it, he thought, set out, nothing else to do."
And he went on foot. He walked and walked, grew tired to death. Sat on the soft grass and grew more sad. From out of nowhere ran toward him the Grey Wolf.
"What, Ivan Tsarevich, sitting there grieving, your head hanging?"
"How can I not grieve, Grey Wolf?" I am left alone without a good steed."
"It is I, Ivan Tsarevich, who ate your horse...I'm sorry! Tell me, why are you traveling in this remote place, where are you going?"
"My father sent us to go about the wide world to find the Firebird."
"Pooh, pooh, you on your own good horse could not in three years go to the Firebird. I alone know where he lives. So, and it will be, I ate your horse, and I will serve you, it's only right. Sit on me and hold on tight."
Ivan Tsarevich sat on his back and the Grey Wolf leapt flying through the blue forest faster than the eye could see, past rivers and lakes. For a long time, or a short time, they flew to a high fortress. The Grey Wolf said:
"Listen to me, Ivan Tsarevich, and remember: crawl over the wall, don't be afraid, it's a lucky hour, all the guards are asleep. You will see in the terem window, on the window sill stands a golden cage, and in the cage sits the Firebird. Take the bird, lay him by your breast, and look but don't touch the cage!"
Ivan Tsarevich crawled over the wall, saw the terem, on the window sill sat the golden cage, and in the cage sat the Firebird. He took the bird, laid him by his breast, and looked at the cage. His heart caught fire: "Ah, such golden decoration! How can I not take it!" And he remembered what the Grey Wolf had said to him. He only touched the cage, throughout the fortress sounds: pipes piped, the guards woke up, grabbed Ivan Tsarevich and carried him to Tsar Afron.
Tsar Afron was enraged and said:
"Who are you, where are you from?"
"I am the son of Tsar Ferapont. Ivan Tsarevich."
"Ah, what a disgrace! A tsar's son goes out and steals."
"But what about when your bird flew into our garden and destroyed it?"
"But if you had come to me to ask for advice, I would have given him to you, out of respect for your father Tsar Ferapont. But now, about all the city, the most uncomplimentary glory upon you...Well and all right, render to me a service, I ask you. In some-such principality Tsar Kusman has a horse with a golden mane. Bring him to me, then I will give you the Firebird with the cage.
Ivan Tsarevich grew very excited, went to the Grey Wolf. But the wolf said to him:
"I told you, don't disturb the cage! Why didn't you listen to my instructions?"
"Well, I beg you, I beg you, Grey Wolf."
"Well, well, I beg....Alright, sit on me. Take the rope, don't say that it is not strong."
Again set off the Grey Wolf with Ivan Tsarevich. For a long time, or a short time, they flew to the other fortress, where stood the horse with the golden mane.
"Crawl, Ivan Tsarevich, over the wall, the guards are asleep, go to the stable, take the horse, and look, but don't touch the bridle."
Ivan Tsarevich crawled into the fortress, all the guards were asleep. He went to the stables, took the horse with the golden mane, and looked at the bridle. It was gold with precious stones.
Ivan Tsarevich touched the bridle, and a loud noise went all through the fortress: pipes piped, the guards awoke, grabbed Ivan and carried him to Tsar Kusman.
"Who are you, where are you from?"
"I am Ivan Tsarevich."
"Eeh, such stupidity to undertake, to steal a horse! On this even a simple peasant would agree."
"Well, all right, I beg you, Ivan Tsarevich, render me a service. Tsar Dalmat has a daughter, Elena Prekracnaya. (the beautiful) Go and get her, bring her to me, and I will give you the horse with the golden mane and his bridle."
Ivan Tsarevich became more dejected than ever, he went toward the Grey Wolf.
"I told you, Ivan Tsarevich: Don't touch the bridle! You didn't listen to my advice."
"Well, I beg you, I beg you, Grey Wolf>"
"Well well, you beg...yes, all right, sit on my back."
Again sped off the grey wolf with Ivan Tsarevich. They rushed to Tsar Dalmat. He had a garden in his fortress where Elena Prekrasnaya walked with her mother and her nurse. Grey Wolf said: "This time I myself will go. You go back the way we came. I will soon catch up with you."
Ivan Tsarevich went back the way they had come, and the Grey Wolf jumped over the wall and into the garden. He sat in hiding behind a bush and watched. Elena Prekrasnaya came out with her mother and nurse. They walked and walked and her mother and nurse stopped for a bit. Grey Wolf grabbed Elena Prekrasnaya, leapt over the wall, and took flight.
Ivan Tsarevich was going along the way, when suddenly the Grey Wolf caught up with him. On the wolf sat Elena Prekrasnaya. Ivan Tsarevich rejoiced, but the Grey Wolf said to him:
"Sit on me quickly, for they will not be far behind."
The Grey Wolf sped away with Ivan Tsarevich and Elena Prekrasnaya the way they had come, through the blue forest, faster than the eye could see, past rivers and lakes. For a long time, or for a short time, they hurried to Tsar Kusman. The Grey Wolf asked:
"Why, Ivan Tsarevich have you become even more sad?"
"But, how can I not be sad, Grey Wolf? How can I be parted with such beauty? How can I exchange Elena Prekrasnaya for a horse?"
The Grey Wolf answered:
"I won't part you with such beauty, we will hide her somewhere, I will turn myself into Elena Prekrasnaya, and you will bring me to the Tsar."
They hid Elena Prekrasnaya in a forest isba. The Grey Wolf turned his head and became exactly like Elena Prekrasnaya. Ivan Tsarevich took him to Tsar Kusman. The Tsar rejoiced and began thanking him:
"Thankyou, Ivan Tsarevich, for you have brought to me a bride. Take the horse with the golden mane and bridle."
Ivan Tsarevich sat on the horse and went for Elena Prekracnaya. He picked her up and sat her on the horse and they set out on their way.
Tsar Kusman had the wedding, and feasted all day until evening. Then he needed to lie down to sleep. But when he and his young wife went up the stairs, he looked, and in place of Elena Prekrasnaya was a wolf! The tsar turned angrily toward him, but the wolf ran off.
The Grey Wolf caught up with Ivan Tsarevich and asked:
"Why are you so sad, Ivan Tsarevich?"
"How can I not be sad? It would be a pity to part with such a bridle, and to trade the horse with the golden mane for the Firebird."
"Don't grieve, I will help you."
And they traveled to Tsar Afron. The wolf said:
"Hide the horse and Elena Prekrasnaya. I will turn myself into the horse with the golden mane, and you will bring me to Tsar Afron."
They hid Elena Prekrasnaya and the horse with the golden mane in the forest. The Grey Wolf looked over his back and turned himself into the horse with the golden mane. Ivan Tsarevich took him to Tsar Afron. The tsar was overjoyed and gave him the Firebird with the golden cage.
Ivan Tsarevich returned on foot to the forest, sat Elena Prekrasnaya on the horse with the golden mane picked up the golden cage with the Firebird, and they traveled in the direction of his homeland.
Tsar Afron commanded his servants to bring his horse to him. He wanted to sit on him, but the horse turned into the Grey Wolf. The tsar was so surprised that he fell down right where he was standing, and the Grey Wolf took flight, quickly catching up with Ivan Tsarevich.
"Now, farewell, I am not allowed to go any further."
Ivan Tsarevich got down from his horse, and three times bowed down to the ground, with respect he thanked the Grey Wolf. Then he said:
"You won't be parted with me forever, I again will call you into service."
Ivan Tsarevich thought: "Aren't you already in my service, all of my wishes you have fufilled." He sat on the horse with the golden mane, and again set out with Elena Prekrasnaya and the Firebird. They traveled into his region. They had only a little bread left. They traveled to a little spring and drank the water, and ate the bread, and lay down on the grass to rest.
Ivan Tsarevich fell asleep. His brothers suddenly came upon him.
They had traveled to other lands, seeking the firebird, and returned empty-handed. They came upon Ivan and saw all that he had acquired. Then they said:
"Let us kill our brother, all that he has gained will be ours."
This decided, they killed Ivan Tsarevich. They saddled the horse with the golden mane, picked up the Firebird, sat Elena Prekrasnaya on the horse, and threatened her:
"At home, don't say anything>"
Ivan Tsarevich lay dead, two crows were already flying over him. From out of no where ran the Grey Wolf, and grabbed the crow and his wife.
"You fly, crow, for the water of life and death. Bring to me the water of life and the water of death, and then I will let go of your wife.
The crow flew for a long time or a short time, bringing the water of life and the water of death. The Grey Wolf sprinkled the water of death on Ivan's wounds, the wounds healed. He sprinkled him with the water of life, and Ivan got up.
“Oh, how soundly I slept!”
“You would have slept even sounder”, said the Grey Wolf, “if I hadn’t sprinkled you with the water of life and the water of death! Your own brothers killed you and took all that you have gained. Even now one of your brothers is to marry Elena Prekrasnaya. Sit on me quickly!”
They rushed home, where, indeed, Ivan’s brother was preparing to marry Elena Prekrasnaya. No sooner had Ivan Tsarevich entered the castle, than Elena Prekrasnaya jumped up and threw her arms around him.
“This is my true bridegroom, Ivan!” she cried, “Not the evil brother sitting there!” And she told the Tsar everything the brothers had done, and how they had threatened to kill her if she told anyone what had happened.
The Tsar was very angry and threw the two oldest brothers into the dungeon. Then Ivan Tsarevich married Elena Prekrasnaya, and they lived happily ever after.
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Wonderful story blowfly! :-)
In Slavic folklore, the Firebird is a magical glowing bird from a faraway land, which is both a blessing and bringer of doom to its captor.
The Firebird is invariably described as a large bird in majestic plumage that brightly glows in red, orange and yellow light, like a bonfire that is just past the turbulent flame. The feathers do not cease glowing if removed, and one feather can light a large room if not concealed. In later iconography, the form of Firebird is usually as of a smallish peacock of fire colors, complete with a crest on its head and tail feathers with glowing "eyes".
A typical role of the Firebird in fairy tales is an object of difficult quest. The quest is usually initiated by finding a lost tail feather of the Firebird, upon which the hero sets out to find and capture the live bird, sometimes on his own accord, but usually on the bidding of a father or king. The Firebird is a marvel, highly coveted, but the hero, initially charmed by the wonder of the feather, eventually blames it for his troubles.
The Firebird tales follow the classical scheme of fairy tale, with the feather serving as a premonition of hard journey, with magical helpers met on the way, who help in travel and capture of the Bird, and returning from the faraway land with the prize. The most popular version is found in the tale of Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf.
(http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/6042/firebirdgreenappleskholcw1.jpg)
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Excellent job Nina, Leshy and Blow_fly!
Is it plausible Mora and Shtriga could be related?
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I agree with Nina. I've read one account of Shtriga living off of the 'breath of life', which does sound similar to Mora, but other than that Shtriga is described as being a witch.
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Does the use of term ''witch'' to describe the Shtriga, somehow imply that the creature is or was once a human? Thanks.
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On the subject of the story of the firebird, would it be reasonable to assume that the character of Grey Wolf is the lingering remnant of some beast spirit or deity that was ritually sought for its aid by heroes and warriors about to undertake a dangerous quest? Perhaps Grey Wolf's decision to devour Ivan horse symbolises a sacrifice that was traditionally offered to this entity lurking in the dark forest.
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Kikimora (Russian: кики́мора) is a female house spirit in Slavic mythology, sometimes said to be married to the Domovoi. Kikimoras are said to be the spirits of unbaptized children.
In some tales Kikimora is a witch with a head as small as a thimble and a body as thin as straw.[1] In other tales, she is an average woman with her hair down (married Slavic women typically kept their hair covered, and young unmarried girls kept it braided). She may also be described as a small humpbacked woman in dirty clothes.
Kikimora is said to look after the chickens and the housework if the home is well-kept. If not, she will tickle, whistle, and whine at the children at night. She also comes out at night to spin. It is said that a person who sees Kikimora spinning will soon die. To appease an angry Kikimora, one should wash all the pots and pans with fern tea.
She usually lives behind the stove or in the cellar of the house where she haunts. Kikimora can also be found in a swamp or forest.
The Kikimora is the subject of a fairy tale for orchestra by Anatoly Lyadov, who says, as recounted by a Los Angeles Philharmonic program note, that she "grows up with a magician in the mountains. From dawn to sunset the magician’s cat regales Kikimora with fantastic tales of ancient times and faraway places, as Kikimora rocks in a cradle made of crystal. It takes her seven years to reach maturity, by which time her head is no larger than a thimble and her body no wider than a strand of straw. Kikimora spins flax from dusk and to dawn, with evil intentions for the world".
Marsh Kikimora (Russian: кики́мора боло́тная) is featured in the animal world - in 1988 Kirill Eskov named a genus from the Linyphiidae spider family discovered by him Kikimora palustris, after this spirit in Slavic mythology.
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That's what I thought, but as far as written references, I only found one that actually uses the term 'human'. In all other references I've come across so far the Shtriga is only mentioned as a witch, witch-like, or vampiric.
The reference I found was from the Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture. It states on the bottom of page 237 that "According to Johan Georg Van Hahn (1811-1869), a man or woman in northern Albania over the age of 100 was thought to be able to kill with his or her breath alone. Old people recognized as being Shtrigas were thus condemned to being burnt at the stake."
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Well that is what happened, right? Christianity. :-)
On the subject of the story of the firebird, would it be reasonable to assume that the character of Grey Wolf is the lingering remnant of some beast spirit or deity that was ritually sought for its aid by heroes and warriors about to undertake a dangerous quest? Perhaps Grey Wolf's decision to devour Ivan horse symbolises a sacrifice that was traditionally offered to this entity lurking in the dark forest.
It may be possible to assume that. In a way the Grey Wolf almost reminds me of a Native American spirit guide in that he actually came to Ivan when he had need.
I think that's a good theory about the wolf devouring Ivan's horse symbolizing a sacrifice. It would make sense. :-)
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Ahh. Given what Nina said, your comparision of Grey Wolf with a Native American type spirit guide makes a lot of sense, leshy. Since the shamanistic people of Siberia have traditionally live in relatively close physical proximity to both the Slavic Russians and the North American aborigines, it only stands to reason that elements of their culture and spirituality might have influenced both these ethnic groups.
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The reference I found was from the Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture. It states on the bottom of page 237 that "According to Johan Georg Van Hahn (1811-1869), a man or woman in northern Albania over the age of 100 was thought to be able to kill with his or her breath alone. Old people recognized as being Shtrigas were thus condemned to being burnt at the stake."
So, as far as Van Hahn is concerned, any person who was over a century old, was automatically a candidate to become a shtriga? As in the case of the vampire and werewolf, were there any factors that might pre-dispose one towards becoming a Shtriga? Thanks.
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The following entry was taken from the online NationMaster Encyclopedia.
Encyclopedia > Likho
"One-eyed Likho" by Anton Kvasovarov, 2003Likho, liho (Russian: Лихо), licho (in Polish) is an embodiment of evil fate and misfortune in Slavic mythology, a creature with one eye, usually depicted as an old, skinny woman in black (Лихо одноглазое, One-eyed Likho). It is not a member of the Slavic pantheon, it is a personage of fairy tales, some of which contain traces of the Odyssey's episode with Polyphemus cyclops. Copied from Russian Wikipedia ru:Изображение:Liho. ... Slavic mythology and Slavic religion evolved over more than 3,000 years. ... A Pantheon (Greek: παν, pan, all + Θεός, Theos, God), is a set of all the gods of a particular religion or mythology, such as the gods of Hinduism, Greek mythology, Norse mythology, and Egyptian mythology. ... A fairy tale is a story, either told to children or as if told to children, concerning the adventures of mythical characters such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others. ... Odysseus and Nausicaä - by Charles Gleyre For other uses, see Odyssey (disambiguation). ... Odysseus and his men blinding the cyclop Polyphemus (detail of a proto-attic amphora, c. ... Polyphemus the Cyclops. ...
Likho is not a real proper name, but a noun meaning bad luck in modern Russian (Don't wake likho while it's quiet proverb), similar to Polish (sayings Quiet! Licho isn't asleep, Licho knows = only licho knows – nobody knows). In old Russian the root meant "excessive", "too much" with pejorative connotations. Compare to Russian lishniy - one in excess. The word is likely to be related to Indo-European leikw meaning something to remain, to leave. The derived adjective likhoy can be used to describe someone who is a bit too daring or brave. In Czech, lichý means odd, impair. In Polish, lichy means shoddy, poor, limsy. A proper name [is] a word that answers the purpose of showing what thing it is that we are talking about writes John Stuart Mill in A System of Logic (1. ... A proverb (from the Latin proverbium) is a pithy saying which gained credence through widespread or frequent use. ...
There are several basic versions of tales how a person meets with Likho, with different morals of the tale.
A person eventually cheats Likho ain Odyssey.
A person cheats Likho, runs away (with Likho chasing him), sees a useful thing, grabs it, sticks to it and has to cut off his hand.
Likho cheats a person and rides on his neck. The person wants to drown Likho, jumps into a river, drowns himself, but Likho floats out, to chase other victims.
Likho is received or passed to another person with a gift.
Within the framework of superstitions, Likho was supposed to come and eat a person. In particular, this was used to scare small children. A common European superstition dictates that it is bad luck for a black cat to cross ones path. ...
Recently, some Slavic neopagans attempt to "retrofit" Likho into the Slavic Pantheon. Neopaganism (sometimes Neo-Paganism, meaning New Paganism) is a heterogeneous group of religions which attempt to revive ancient, mainly European pre-Christian religions. ...
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Another entry from Nationmaster.
domovoi (Russian: домово́й; literally, "he of the house") is a house spirit in Slavic folklore. Domovois (the correct plural form is domovye) are masculine, typically small, and sometimes covered in hair all over. According to some traditions, the domovye take on the appearance of current or former owners of the house and have a grey beard, sometimes with tails or little horns. There are tales of neighbours seeing the master of the house out in the yard while in fact the real master is asleep in bed. It has also been said that domovye can take on the appearance of cats or dogs, but reports of this are fewer than of that mentioned before. Domovoi can have several meanings: Domovoi is a household spirit in Slavic mythology and folklore In Artemis Fowl, Domovoi is the name of Artemiss faithful bodyguard, known only as Butler. His full name is Domovoi Butler. ... Image File history File links Domovoi. ... Image File history File links Domovoi. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Slavic mythology and Slavic paganism evolved over more than 3,000 years. ...
Contents
1 Folklore
2 Variant spellings
3 Popular culture
4 See also
5 References
Folklore
Traditionally, every house is said to have its domovoi. It does not do evil unless angered by a family’s poor keep of the household, profane language or neglect. The domovoi is seen as the home's guardian, and he sometimes helps with household chores and field work. Some even treat them as part of the family, albeit an unseen one, and leave them gifts like milk and biscuits in the kitchen overnight. To attract a Domovoy, go outside of your house wearing your best clothing and say aloud "Dedushka Dobrokhot, please come into my house and tend the flocks." To rid yourself of a rival Domovoy, beat your walls with a broom, shouting "Grandfather Domovoy, help me chase away this intruder." When moving, make an offering to the Domovoy and say "Domovoy! Domovoy! Don't stay here but come with our family!"
The favorite place for these spirits to live is either the threshold under the door or under the stove. The center of the house is also their domain. The domovoi maintains peace and order, and rewards a well-maintained household. Peasants feed him nightly in return for protection of their house. When a new house was built, the Polish homeowner would attract one of the domovoi by placing a piece of bread down before the stove was put in, and the Russian one would coerce the old house's domovoi to move with the family by offering an old boot as a hiding place. People made sure they only kept animals the domovoi liked, as he would torment the ones he did not. Salted bread wrapped in a white cloth would appease this spirit, and putting clean white linen in his room was an invitation to eat a meal with the family. Hanging old boots in the yard was another way to cheer him.
Domovoi Peeping at the Sleeping Merchant Wife, by Boris Kustodiev.The domovoi was also an oracle, as his behavior could foretell or forewarn about the future. He would pull hair to warn a woman of danger from an abusive man. He would moan and howl to warn of coming trouble. If he showed himself, it forewarned of death, and if he was weeping it was said to be a death in the family. If he was laughing, good times could be expected, and if he strummed a comb there would be a wedding in the future. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Self-Portrait in front of Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra, 1912 Boris Mikhaylovich Kustodiev (Russian: ) (March 7, 1878–May 28, 1927) was a Russian art deco painter. ... Consulting the Oracle by John William Waterhouse, showing eight priestesses in a temple of prophecy An oracle is a person or persons considered to be the source of wise counsel or prophetic opinion; an infallible authority, usually spiritual in nature. ...
The domovoi does have a more malicious side. Although one's own domovoi could be considered an ally, the domovoi from a neighboring household brought no happiness. Russian folklore says that a domovoi could harass horses in the stable overnight, as well as steal the grain of a neighbour to feed his own horses. Still, domovye could befriend one another and were said to gather together for loud winter parties.
If a domovoi becomes unhappy, it plays nasty tricks on the members of the household. Those include moving and rattling small objects, breaking dishes, leaving muddy little footprints, causing the walls of a house to creak, banging on pots and moaning. If the family can determine the cause of their domovoi's discontent, they can rectify the situation and return things to normal. If not, the spirit's tricks may escalate in intensity, coming to more closely resemble those of a poltergeist (cf. tomte), or he may threaten to stifle people in their beds (this myth is likely to be based on sleep paralysis). More often than not, however, families live in harmony with the spirits, and no problems arise. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... One of Jenny Nyströms Christmas-themed tomte paintings, a popular image of the modern tomte A tomte or nisse is a mythical creature of Scandinavian folklore, believed to take care of a farmers home and barn and protect it from misfortune, in particular at night, when the... The Nightmare, by Henry Fuseli (1781) is thought to be one of the classic depictions of sleep paralysis perceived as a demonic visitation. ...
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Thanks for the links, Nina! They should prove enjoyable to peruse.
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The reference I found was from the Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture. It states on the bottom of page 237 that "According to Johan Georg Van Hahn (1811-1869), a man or woman in northern Albania over the age of 100 was thought to be able to kill with his or her breath alone. Old people recognized as being Shtrigas were thus condemned to being burnt at the stake."
So, as far as Van Hahn is concerned, any person who was over a century old, was automatically a candidate to become a shtriga? As in the case of the vampire and werewolf, were there any factors that might pre-dispose one towards becoming a Shtriga? Thanks.
Sorry I missed your question blowfly. The dictionary that I quoted above only states that a person over 100 years of age was considered to be a shtriga. No other factors were mentioned at all, not even if all people over the age of 100 were considered to be shtrigas.
Maybe Nina will know more?
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I see. Thanks for answering my question, leshy. Hopefully, Nina will indeed know more about this particular matter.
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The following entry was taken from Wikipedia.
Main article: Vodyanoy
The vodianoi is a male water spirit of Slavic origin. The Czech and Slovak equivalent is called a vodník. He is viewed to be particularly malevolent, existing almost exclusively to drown swimmers who have angered him by their boldness. Reports of his appearance vary; some tales define him as a naked old man, bloated and hairy, covered in slime, covered in scales, or simply as an old peasant with a red shirt and beard. He is also reported to have the ability to transform into a fish.
The vodianoi lives in deep pools, often by a mill, and is said to be the spirit of unclean male dead (this definition includes those who have committed suicide, unbaptized children, and those who die without last rites). As previously stated, the vodianoi would drown those who angered him with boasts or insults. However, this was no certain protection, as the spirit was particularly capricious. Peasants feared the vodianoi and would often attempt to get rid of the spirit or, failing that, appease him.
The only people who were generally safe from the vodianoi's anger were millers and fishermen. Millers in particular were viewed to be so close to the vodianoi that they often became seen as sorcerous figures. This may be influenced by the belief that millers yearly drown a drunk passerby as an offering to the vodianoi. Fishermen were somewhat less suspect, offering only the first of their catch with an incantation. If a vodianoi favored a fisherman he would herd fish into the nets.[
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Thank you for all of that Nina! :-)
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Thanks for clearing that up for me, Nina. That was a very helpful illustration of the Shtriga's true nature. So they spend the hours of daylight existing as perfectly normal folk, before transforming into demonic abominations that suck the blood of infants once the sun sets. If I ever find myself in Istria, I'll be sure to avoid suspicious looking seniors like the plague. *<:)v
P.S: I hate to be a killjoy, but I would prefer it if you didn't make another post that just consisted of a couple of smileys. Now, I apologise in advance if I sound like a stern disciplinarian who's out to give you a difficult time, but as a new Moderator, I'm just doing my best to ensure that the forum rules are upheld.
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Leshy - a forest spirit who likes to trick people playfully, but can be very dangerous. He is rarely seen, but one can often hear him laughing, whistling, or singing. The Leshy, although often shaped like a man, has no eyebrows, eyelashes, or right ear, and his head is somewhat pointed. He is as tall as a tree in his native forest, but the size of grass anywhere else. He can assume other shapes, usually animals, but sometimes that of a relative. He is most closely associated with the wolf. If captured by a Leshy, a person returns mute, wild-eyed, and covered with moss. To protect against this, turn your clothing backwards or inside out, or make him laugh. Offerings to the Leshy include kasha, suet, salt, cookies and candy, which can be left on a stump or log in his forest. Hunters should leave him salted bread and their first game. To call a Leshy, cut down an aspen tree so that it falls facing East. Bend over and look through your legs saying "Leshy, Forest Lord, come to me now; not as a grey wolf, not as a black raven, not as a flaming fir tree, but as a man." The Leshy will teach the magic arts to any whom he befriends. There is usually only one Leshy in each forest. He dies in the beginning of October, and returns in the spring. His wife is called a Lesovikha.
I just noticed that this being shares the same name as you,leshy! Would I be justified in assuming that it inspired your choice of user name?
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Don't get the wrong idea. Your contributions are much appreciated, at least as far as I'm concerned. All the same, certain rules have to be respected. I understand if you want to henceforth refrain from posting in this thread , but your absence would be no small blow to what I'm trying to acheive here.
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I apologize for spamming this section, it wont happen again. The thing is, sometimes I dont have many words, and the best thing I can come up is stupid smile smilie.... Im sorry, once again...
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I just noticed that this being shares the same name as you,leshy! Would I be justified in assuming that it inspired your choice of user name?
Yep! That would be correct. The center of my novels revolves around the Leshy specifically. In all of the Slavic lore they more than anything stood out to me. As you can see from your post though, Leshy is actually the male term. Lesovikha would be the female. When I came to monstrous 'leshy' is what my fingers decided to type for me so I just kept my username that way. :-)
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It's fine Nina. As long as you accompany any smiley that you post with a word or two, I'll have no objections at all. Based on the postings that you've made in this thread so far, I really have no grounds for thinking that you're a prolific spammer of any kind.
Leshy, would it be possible for you to disclose what exactly about this being that you find so endearing? I'm curious to learn more about its attributes. Thanks.
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The following entry was taken from Wikipedia.
Chernobog (also spelled Crnobog, Czernobóg, Černobog or Zernebog from the Russian Чернобог, each name meaning "black god") is a mysterious Slavic deity about whom much has been speculated but little can be said definitively. The only sources, which are Christian ones, interpret him as a dark and cursed god, but it is questionable how important he really was to ancient Slavs. The name is attested only among West Slavic tribes of the 12th century, hence it is speculated that he was not a very important or very old deity.
[edit] Sources
The only historic source on Slavic mythology mentioning this god is the 12th-century Chronica Slavorum, a work written by German priest Helmold which describes customs and beliefs of several Wendish and Polabian tribes who were at that time still resisting the growing pressure of Christianization. Helmold wrote that:
"The Slavs, they say, have one peculiar custom: during feasts, they pass a goblet amongst them in circle, for purpose not to praise, but rather to curse in the names of gods, good and evil, for every good thing praising a good god, and for every bad thing cursing an evil god. This god of woe in their language is called Diabolous or Zherneboh, meaning black god."
On the basis of this inscription, many modern mythographers assumed that, if the evil god was Chernobog, the Black God, then the good god should be Belobog or the White God. However, the name of Belobog is not mentioned by Helmold anywhere in his Chronica, nor is it ever mentioned in any of the historic sources that describe the gods of any Slavic tribe or nation. Additionally, the inscription quoted above is more likely Helmold's own interpretation than an accurate description of Slavic pre-monotheistic beliefs: Helmold, being German, did not know the language of Slavs, and being a Christian priest, did not have much, if any, contact with the Slavs themselves.[citation needed]
[edit] Folklore
A veneration of this deity perhaps survived in folklore of several Slavic nations. In some South Slavic vernaculars, there exists an interesting phrase do zla boga (meaning "to [the] evil god," or perhaps "to [the] evil [of] God," which may denote ownership rather than some dark attribute), used as an attribute to express something which is exceedingly negative. No-one is really aware of the literal meaning of these words anymore; exclamations such as Ovo je do zla boga dosadno!, To je do zla boga glupo! can be safely translated as "This is devilishly boring!", "That is immensely stupid!" without any actual loss in meaning. This translation is however losing actual meaning, because in Slavic language there are common curses used in the middle of the sentence. To je do zla boga glupo! can be translated as "Damn! This is stupid!". It is very similar to the modern Polish expression "do jasnej cholery" literal meaning would be "for shining cholera" but it means the same as ancient "do zła boga". The word Bog ("God"), however, in all Slavic languages today is used as personal name of the Christian God, who is not considered evil; thus, the expression zli bog, "evil god", could be a relic from antiquity. If we assume that Chernobog indeed was an evil and dark god of the ancient Slavs (or perhaps merely an evil aspect of some other deity), we may conjecture this expression was some ancient curse invoking him.
[edit] In popular culture
Chernobog has made appearances in various media. As Chernabog, he features in the "Night On Bald Mountain" sequence in Disney's Fantasia (1940). It is this rendition which has been adapted for the video game Kingdom Hearts, where Chernabog appears as a boss character on top of Bald Mountain. Chernabog is also in the book series Kingdom Keepers, as the most powerful villian Walt Disney ever created and head of the Overtakers.
The dark god "Tchernobog" from the computer game Blood was likely based on this god.
In Shadow Hearts, Yuri Hyuuga, who fuses with various beings from several mythologies in order to battle, can take on the form of Czernobog.
In Persona 3 Chernobog is one the protagonist's available personae under the Moon arcana. In another Megami Tensei game, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army, Chernabog appears as an elderly skeleton-faced demon with a mushroom-like hood, a blade and several small mushrooms sprouting at his base.
He appears in American Gods by Neil Gaiman, as "Czernobog", and much later in the novel as "Bielebog" (it is implied that the two are different aspects of the same character, sharing the same existence, but separated by the seasons).
In the alternate history novel The Peshawar Lancers, the Russian Empire turns to Chernobog worship after a comet impact causes widespread famine and cannibalism.
Chernobog also appears in the fantasy novel, The Shadow of the Lion, by Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint, and Dave Freer.
There is a Grim reaper-like monster class called chernobog in the game Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice.
Chernobog is metioned in the Kiuas song Reformation(Wrath Of The Old Gods) from the 2006 album Reformation
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Leshy, would it be possible for you to disclose what exactly about this being that you find so endearing? I'm curious to learn more about its attributes. Thanks.
I actually consider that to be pretty personal so let me pm you with that blowfly. :-)
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I found this regarding the dragons blowfly:
Dragons in Slavic mythology
Dragons of Slavic mythology hold mixed temperaments towards humans. For example, dragons in Bulgarian mythology are either male or female, each gender having a different view of mankind. The female dragon and male dragon, often seen as brother and sister, represent different forces of agriculture. The female dragon represents harsh weather and is the destroyer of crops, the hater of mankind, and is locked in a never ending battle with her brother. The male dragon protects the humans' crops from destruction and is generally loving to humanity. Fire and water play major roles in Bulgarian dragon lore; the female has water characteristics, whilst the male is usually a fiery creature. In Bulgarian legend, dragons are three headed, winged beings with snake's bodies.
Sorry for the threadomancy, but I'm not sure how correct this is. I have only a passing interest from a few folk songs and tales, but as far as I know the picture is a bit different.
Dragons in Bulgarian mythology are called zmei/zmey (plur. zmeyove for males, zmiici for females), which is quite similar to the word for snake (smiya) and are mythical winged creatures supposedly with the body of a snake - but can change their form to humans, or even small objects such as wreaths, flowers etc. They are affiliated with the natural furies, sometimes with earth and water (one legend is that a snake or carp that lives for forty years without being seen by a human becomes a zmey), but also with air, as they can fly or manifest as winds. I'd say they are most often affiliated with water or storms - I've heard it said that if a village gets strange droughts, they can be caused by a zmey. There is a ritual, in which young men would go around with sticks to kill it or scare it away. An often depicted occurence is that the zmey falls in love with a girl and kidnaps her for a wife. The details vary - sometimes it's a proud girl that boasts that no man can ever "lie to her" (as in, make her fall in love and marry him), sometimes just a regular girl - but she's almost always the prettiest. She must also not have been a Lazarka (an initiation rite for girls, more or less - I think it means they are of marriable age, or at least no longer children); if she has been on swings that the girls swing from as part of the ritual, she'd be protected. The zmey might court her, invisible, he might turn into a beautiful man and/or a great kaval (flute) player, or he may turn into a wreath, flower or other ornament that she picks up. A girl courted by a zmey might often turn sickly and pale from the attentions of her lover, who comes to her at night. Usually, when her mother asks her about it and understands who is courting her daughter, the girl is picked up by a windstorm and taken over to the zmey's cave, either not to be released at all or until she wears through a pair of iron shoes. The mother can make the zmey leave her by using a brew of several magical herbs, I believe one of which grows only where samodivi dance, the brew breaks the zmey's love for her. A much rarer case is when a zmiica (female zmey) starts courting a young man; he will usually be sickly too, and needs the same brew. In the song I remember it was gypsies that teach the mother the recipe. In all of these cases, however, the human does not want the zmey's attention - at least when they realize who is courting them.
If a zmey has a child from a ordinary girl, it can turn into a zmey if it's not protected by certain rituals. It can, however, have wings under his arms (I don't remember a story about a zmey having a daughter) and a descendant of a zmey can be a great hero, possibly even having some supernatural powers of his own.
Zmey are usually male, very rarely female. I am unsure of their relationship with similar creatures called lamya or hala, which are female, also have serpentine characteristics and affinity for weather - I believe one song described the lamia as the sister of the zmey, but others use another word - zmiica. If anything, they can be of meaner disposition than zmey, and almost always seek to do misfortune. The word "lamia" can iirc also apply to other draconic-looking creatures like wyverns, but that might be a popular culture bastardization. "Hala" (the word means something like fury/chaos) is similar to lamia, or a word describing the behavior of the creature. A hala is, I think, more of an elemental force than an actual creature; zmey or their descendants may drive it away when they want to protect a village or its crops.
Folk tales also talk of the zmey in tales about heroes, where the zmey seems to be of a more humanlike nature (though wings under the arms tend to appear every now and then). It is a creature of great power and some mythical abilities, but not always very smart. They do sometimes seek and marry humans (usually girls, as I said before virtually all zmey in songs/tales are male) - sometimes they may have kidnapped a girl whom the hero needs to rescue. However, there is at least one tale that I remember when the princes of the zmeys help the hero by fighting off the villain (either a great zmey himself or some sort of a demonic/immortal character, I'm not sure which), so they can be on the "good" side as well. Another tale talks about how a trickster (Hitar Petar in the Bulgarian tales - the name basically means Sly Peter) becomes a brother* to a zmey, and eventually tricks a witch into killing him (as zmey tend to be something like ogres in that tale).
*: by that I mean that that they become something like "made-brothers", by swearing to treat and help each other as if they were siblings by blood. I am not sure how typical this custom was in the medieval period, but it would not be surprising in a pseudo-feudal system or a society that placed great importance on kin. Great heroes in songs or tales can swear such oaths with zmey and samodivi (in which case the samodiva would be a "made-sister"), and possibly other supernatural creatures, and can call on their aid in times of need. This happens quite rarely, mind you - in most cases supernatural creatures are opponents for the hero to overcome, not allies. Only those strong enough to (almost) be supernatural themselves seem to do it, so it is partially a confirmation of their superhuman status.
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I'll say. This is certainly an excellent addition to the Slavic thread and is rather information rich where the Bulgarian understanding of dragons is concerned. If I may, would it be possible for me to inquire as to how you obtained the information contained within your post? Thanks.
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Vij is a monster known on Ukraine and Russia, a short man with eyelids to the ground. He has sort of a leadership over the other monsters- accoring to Tolstoi's story. It was something like a young priest was taken by the young witch fought with her and killed her, the family of the witch bound him to stay three nights in the chapel with her body. Each night the monsters were coming after midnight and entered the chapel where the young priest was praying over the body. At the third night the monsters called for vij and he came, they helped him with opening eyelids which were very heavy and at vij's command attacked and killed young priest (sorry for not remembering the story exactly, but I read it years ago)
From Polish monsters quite known are odmience (singular: odmieniec)- sort of small folk which steals babies and put his own people instead- their size is similar. They are always hungry and that's how you can reckognize the change- or if you catch them speaking adult speech. The way to deal with them was to do something very strange like cooking boots in the pot and the odmieniec reacted:"I live 100 years but I never saw anybody cooking boots till now" then you had to catch it fast and by beating it you could get your own child back.
Topielica is a female monster, the woman who drowned may become one, they inhabit mostly swamps and they drown people. In Silezia similar is Utopiec, but they can be both genders and they are not necessarily evil, sometimes they can help.
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I'll say. This is certainly an excellent addition to the Slavic thread and is rather information rich where the Bulgarian understanding of dragons is concerned. If I may, would it be possible for me to inquire as to how you obtained the information contained within your post? Thanks.
As I said, mostly from a collection of folk songs and a few fairy tales. I also did some checking in various wikis and some available online articles, and I compared it with what I remember from that. It's more than a bit hard finding anything on Slavic folklore, so that was the best I had :) .