Slavic mythical creatures
Babaroga
Babaroga (not to be mistaken with Baba Yaga!) is creature known among Southern Slavs. She is represented as very ugly, hunchbacked old woman with horn on head and in some tales, iron teeth, who live in dark caves. According to folktales, Babaroga likes to steal naughty children and to bring them to her lair.
Beda
Beda (or bijeda or misery) is demon from Southern Slavic folklore that is far descent from ghosts and close to Chuma. She wanders across the world, attacks people and torture them. There are sayings that Beda found them or Beda follows them from cradle to grave. Beda is bony and slimy creature that breeds very quickly, likes to steal things from people and to dig them deep into the ground.
Bukavac
Bukavac is demonic creature from Southern Slavic tales, especially of Serbs that live on northern part of Serbia. Similar to Drekavac, it likes to yell very loudly, but unlike Drekavac, it lives close to swamps, rivers and lakes and has different look. It has six legs, slimy skin, big mouth, long tail and long curved horns on head. It likes to drown people and animals who happen to walk close to their watery lair at late night. During the 1900s locals reported sightings of this creature on the shores of the Sava river in the region of Syrmia.
Drekavac
Drekavac (Drekavac or Screamer) is demon from Southern Slavic folklore, created from dead, unbaptized toddlers. 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 could scream so loudly that people could get deaf from him. He lives on graveyards, in forests or shores of rivers, generally, in places where it died as human. If human approaches him, he could jump on their back and force them to run until first calls of rooster. If human resists Drekavac, their face could be shredded with claws. Drekavac is afraid of light and dogs. Drekavac is commonly sighted in the forests of Mount Zlatbor in Serbia.
Lesnik
Lesnik (Leshiy or Lesovik) is creature known in all Slavic countries. His wife is called Lesovika. His role was to protect forests and wildlife that inhabited them. He could change his size from size of grass to the tallest tree. He had blue cheeks because of blue blood, pale skin, hair and beard created from grass and vines and vivid green eyes. Slavs thought that migrations of animals are actually Lesnik's orders. If human befriends Lesnik, they could learn everything about magic. Farmers and shepherds usually made pact with him, so he could take care of their animals and farms. 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. If two Lesnici meet each other, they could wreak havoc upon forests, destroying trees and make animals scared and scattered.
Milosnitse
Milosnitse are demons of plague, known in all Slavic countries. Their name in English would be merciful ones and Slavs called them like that, because they wanted to appease them and to avoid plague that they bring. They are represented as women in black and they walked in groups, rarely alone. Amount of Milosnitse was measured by amount of sicknesses that they brought. There was no cure from them, but there was a way to appease them and to eventually avoid their plagues. People could light fires on crossroads and on village's entrance and they could share food and drink and even sing before fire.
Sirin
Sirin is creature from Eastern Slavic folklore. Pretty much like Alkonost and Gamayun, she is imagined like bird with head and chest of woman who live close to Iriy. She has gold crown and feathers without shine. Sometimes she appears as owl. It was believed that some people could hear her, but those people lost their minds and followed her until death. People then banished them by cannon shots or by church bells.
Stratim
Stratim is the mother of all birds in the world. She is an assistant of the god of wind, Stribog. Just one movement of her wing may create a huge wave in the sea. Also, her screams can cause storms. Like the most Slavic mythological birds, she is imagined as a bird with the head and chest of a woman. She is said to live close to the Ocean-Sea.
Bannik
The Bannik is a bathhouse (banya) spirit in Slavic mythology. Slavic bathhouses resemble saunas, with an inner steaming room and an outer changing room. A place where women gave birth and practiced divinations, the bathhouse was strongly endowed with vital forces. If disturbed by an intruder while washing, the Bannik might pour boiling water over him, or even strangle him. The Bannik had the ability to predict the future. One consulted him by standing with one's back exposed in the half-open door of the bath. The Bannik would gently stroke one's back if all boded well; but if trouble lay ahead, he would strike with his claws.
Dvorovoi
The Dvorovoi (Russian: Дворово́й) is a Slavic spirit of the courtyard, house, or region. It was associated with a farmstead's grounds, cattle shed, and stable. Important and vital areas to continued living. He was envisioned as one of the wild animals that lived in the yard alongside domestic animals under his protection and control.
According to some the reason why Dvorovoi may appear unfriendly towards humans is because His main occupation is taking care of domestic animals and not humans. At the same time, Dvorovoi does not treat all animals equally. Only a dog and a billy-goat could be “friends” with him; birds are out of His reach and do not obey to His power like the dog and goat. In order to scare the mean Dvorovoi, some masters suspend a dead magpie from the ceiling of their barn, as Dvorovoi is believed to hate that bird.
Habernitsa
Habernitsa is a noon demon in Slavic mythology, said to live in the area of Prudnik. She can be referred to in English as "Cornflower Wraith", "Lady Cornflower" or "Cornflower Witch". She was usually pictured as a young slim woman dressed in azure with cornflowers in her hair, that roamed field bounds during midday. She was angered by people who trampled the grain or used sharp tools. Those, who she thought deserved punishment, were put to sleep with her whisper, after which she caused them headache, paralysis or low back pain. Sometimes she attacked her victims by breaking their arms, legs or neck. To avoid the wrath of the Cornflower Wraith, a worker had to take a break from work during the midday of Angelus.
Mistress of the Copper Mountain
The Mistress of the Copper Mountain (Russian: Хозяйка медной горы, tr. Hozjajka mednoj gory), also known as The Malachite Maid, is a legendary creature from Slavic mythology and a Russian fairy tale character, the mountain spirit from the legends of the Ural miners and the Mistress of the Ural Mountains of Russia. In the national folktales and legends, she is depicted as an extremely beautiful green-eyed young woman in a malachite gown or as a lizard with a crown. She has been viewed as the patroness of miners, the protector and owner of hidden underground riches, the one who can either permit or prevent the mining of stones and metals in certain places.
Vodyanoi
In Slavic mythology, vodyanoy or vodyanoi (Russian: водяно́й, IPA: [vədʲɪˈnoj]; lit. '[he] from the water' or 'watery') is a male water spirit. Vodník (or in Germanized form: Hastrman), in Czech fairy tales, is the same creature as the Wassermann or nix of German fairy tales. Vodyanoy is said to appear as a naked old man with a frog-like face, greenish beard, and long hair, with his body covered in algae and muck, usually covered in black fish scales. He has webbed paws instead of hands, a fish's tail, and eyes that burn like red-hot coals. He is often dubbed "grandfather" or "forefather" by the local people. Local drownings are said to be the work of the vodyanoy (or rusalkas). When angered, the vodyanoy breaks dams, washes down water mills, and drowns people and animals. (Consequently, fishermen, millers, and also bee-keepers make sacrifices to appease him.) He would drag people down to his underwater dwelling to serve him as slaves.
Vodníci would store the souls of the drowned in porcelain teapots. They consider their teapots their most valuable heritage and display their "work", using the number of teapots to represent their wealth and/or status among other vodníci. When the lid of such a pot is removed, the soul within (in the form of a bubble) will escape and be liberated. Except for fish (or perhaps fish spirits), they do not have servants. Otherwise, vodníci spend their time running their territory or – in their spare time – playing cards, smoking pipes or just sitting at the water surface (on rocks or willows nearby) and loitering. Fishermen ask the vodník for help by placing a pinch of tobacco in the water and saying, "Here's your tobacco, Lord Vodník, now give me a fish."
Babaroga (not to be mistaken with Baba Yaga!) is creature known among Southern Slavs. She is represented as very ugly, hunchbacked old woman with horn on head and in some tales, iron teeth, who live in dark caves. According to folktales, Babaroga likes to steal naughty children and to bring them to her lair.
Beda
Beda (or bijeda or misery) is demon from Southern Slavic folklore that is far descent from ghosts and close to Chuma. She wanders across the world, attacks people and torture them. There are sayings that Beda found them or Beda follows them from cradle to grave. Beda is bony and slimy creature that breeds very quickly, likes to steal things from people and to dig them deep into the ground.
Bukavac
Bukavac is demonic creature from Southern Slavic tales, especially of Serbs that live on northern part of Serbia. Similar to Drekavac, it likes to yell very loudly, but unlike Drekavac, it lives close to swamps, rivers and lakes and has different look. It has six legs, slimy skin, big mouth, long tail and long curved horns on head. It likes to drown people and animals who happen to walk close to their watery lair at late night. During the 1900s locals reported sightings of this creature on the shores of the Sava river in the region of Syrmia.
Drekavac
Drekavac (Drekavac or Screamer) is demon from Southern Slavic folklore, created from dead, unbaptized toddlers. 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 could scream so loudly that people could get deaf from him. He lives on graveyards, in forests or shores of rivers, generally, in places where it died as human. If human approaches him, he could jump on their back and force them to run until first calls of rooster. If human resists Drekavac, their face could be shredded with claws. Drekavac is afraid of light and dogs. Drekavac is commonly sighted in the forests of Mount Zlatbor in Serbia.
Lesnik
Lesnik (Leshiy or Lesovik) is creature known in all Slavic countries. His wife is called Lesovika. His role was to protect forests and wildlife that inhabited them. He could change his size from size of grass to the tallest tree. He had blue cheeks because of blue blood, pale skin, hair and beard created from grass and vines and vivid green eyes. Slavs thought that migrations of animals are actually Lesnik's orders. If human befriends Lesnik, they could learn everything about magic. Farmers and shepherds usually made pact with him, so he could take care of their animals and farms. 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. If two Lesnici meet each other, they could wreak havoc upon forests, destroying trees and make animals scared and scattered.
Milosnitse
Milosnitse are demons of plague, known in all Slavic countries. Their name in English would be merciful ones and Slavs called them like that, because they wanted to appease them and to avoid plague that they bring. They are represented as women in black and they walked in groups, rarely alone. Amount of Milosnitse was measured by amount of sicknesses that they brought. There was no cure from them, but there was a way to appease them and to eventually avoid their plagues. People could light fires on crossroads and on village's entrance and they could share food and drink and even sing before fire.
Sirin
Sirin is creature from Eastern Slavic folklore. Pretty much like Alkonost and Gamayun, she is imagined like bird with head and chest of woman who live close to Iriy. She has gold crown and feathers without shine. Sometimes she appears as owl. It was believed that some people could hear her, but those people lost their minds and followed her until death. People then banished them by cannon shots or by church bells.
Stratim
Stratim is the mother of all birds in the world. She is an assistant of the god of wind, Stribog. Just one movement of her wing may create a huge wave in the sea. Also, her screams can cause storms. Like the most Slavic mythological birds, she is imagined as a bird with the head and chest of a woman. She is said to live close to the Ocean-Sea.
Slavic Spirits
Ukrainians see the whole world as alive. Every place, be it a building or a natural feature such as a lake, a forest, or a field, has a spirit. Each spirit has a name and each spirit is endowed with certain characteristics.Bannik
The Bannik is a bathhouse (banya) spirit in Slavic mythology. Slavic bathhouses resemble saunas, with an inner steaming room and an outer changing room. A place where women gave birth and practiced divinations, the bathhouse was strongly endowed with vital forces. If disturbed by an intruder while washing, the Bannik might pour boiling water over him, or even strangle him. The Bannik had the ability to predict the future. One consulted him by standing with one's back exposed in the half-open door of the bath. The Bannik would gently stroke one's back if all boded well; but if trouble lay ahead, he would strike with his claws.
Dvorovoi
The Dvorovoi (Russian: Дворово́й) is a Slavic spirit of the courtyard, house, or region. It was associated with a farmstead's grounds, cattle shed, and stable. Important and vital areas to continued living. He was envisioned as one of the wild animals that lived in the yard alongside domestic animals under his protection and control.
According to some the reason why Dvorovoi may appear unfriendly towards humans is because His main occupation is taking care of domestic animals and not humans. At the same time, Dvorovoi does not treat all animals equally. Only a dog and a billy-goat could be “friends” with him; birds are out of His reach and do not obey to His power like the dog and goat. In order to scare the mean Dvorovoi, some masters suspend a dead magpie from the ceiling of their barn, as Dvorovoi is believed to hate that bird.
Habernitsa
Habernitsa is a noon demon in Slavic mythology, said to live in the area of Prudnik. She can be referred to in English as "Cornflower Wraith", "Lady Cornflower" or "Cornflower Witch". She was usually pictured as a young slim woman dressed in azure with cornflowers in her hair, that roamed field bounds during midday. She was angered by people who trampled the grain or used sharp tools. Those, who she thought deserved punishment, were put to sleep with her whisper, after which she caused them headache, paralysis or low back pain. Sometimes she attacked her victims by breaking their arms, legs or neck. To avoid the wrath of the Cornflower Wraith, a worker had to take a break from work during the midday of Angelus.
Mistress of the Copper Mountain
The Mistress of the Copper Mountain (Russian: Хозяйка медной горы, tr. Hozjajka mednoj gory), also known as The Malachite Maid, is a legendary creature from Slavic mythology and a Russian fairy tale character, the mountain spirit from the legends of the Ural miners and the Mistress of the Ural Mountains of Russia. In the national folktales and legends, she is depicted as an extremely beautiful green-eyed young woman in a malachite gown or as a lizard with a crown. She has been viewed as the patroness of miners, the protector and owner of hidden underground riches, the one who can either permit or prevent the mining of stones and metals in certain places.
Vodyanoi
In Slavic mythology, vodyanoy or vodyanoi (Russian: водяно́й, IPA: [vədʲɪˈnoj]; lit. '[he] from the water' or 'watery') is a male water spirit. Vodník (or in Germanized form: Hastrman), in Czech fairy tales, is the same creature as the Wassermann or nix of German fairy tales. Vodyanoy is said to appear as a naked old man with a frog-like face, greenish beard, and long hair, with his body covered in algae and muck, usually covered in black fish scales. He has webbed paws instead of hands, a fish's tail, and eyes that burn like red-hot coals. He is often dubbed "grandfather" or "forefather" by the local people. Local drownings are said to be the work of the vodyanoy (or rusalkas). When angered, the vodyanoy breaks dams, washes down water mills, and drowns people and animals. (Consequently, fishermen, millers, and also bee-keepers make sacrifices to appease him.) He would drag people down to his underwater dwelling to serve him as slaves.
Vodníci would store the souls of the drowned in porcelain teapots. They consider their teapots their most valuable heritage and display their "work", using the number of teapots to represent their wealth and/or status among other vodníci. When the lid of such a pot is removed, the soul within (in the form of a bubble) will escape and be liberated. Except for fish (or perhaps fish spirits), they do not have servants. Otherwise, vodníci spend their time running their territory or – in their spare time – playing cards, smoking pipes or just sitting at the water surface (on rocks or willows nearby) and loitering. Fishermen ask the vodník for help by placing a pinch of tobacco in the water and saying, "Here's your tobacco, Lord Vodník, now give me a fish."
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