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Ancient Russian mythology of the creature. Bestiary

Ancient Russian mythology of the creature. Bestiary

25.09.2019

An important part of Slavic culture are myths and legends that are passed down from generation to generation. They keep in themselves ideas about the world, history and wisdom of the people. The gods and creatures of Slavic mythology are the personification of knowledge about the world of our ancestors.

Slavic gods and deities

Like many ancient peoples, the Slavs endowed natural phenomena with divine guises, trying to explain what they did not understand. The gods in ancient Slavic myths and legends are the embodiments of various spheres of human life, phenomena associated with the forces of nature, fears and desires, ideas about the universe.

Belbog

In the beliefs of the Slavs, Belbog (Belun) appears as the personification of:

Sveta;
virtues;
happiness;
positive human feelings;
wealth;
fertility.

Belbog is considered one of the most influential and powerful gods in ancient Slavic mythology. He is often contrasted with Chernobog - a gloomy and gloomy embodiment of darkness.

I usually depict Belun as a good-natured old man with a long snow-white beard, in simple peasant clothes. In this guise, he appears to people, helps them to harvest, to find the way home for travelers lost in the forest. The abode of the god of light is located on the top of a sacred mountain, eternally sanctified by the warm rays of the Sun.

Among the people there appeared stable expressions associated with the name of this god.

When a person felt a surge of energy and was in a good mood, he said: "It was as if he had made friends with Belbog himself."

In Rus', Veles has always been considered one of the most significant and respected gods. He took part in the creation of the world - he gave the world movement. Veles made it so that the day began to change the night, he created time itself, the change of seasons. Thanks to him, there is a balance between good and bad. He also has the following responsibilities:

wildlife advocate;
good luck giver
patron of wanderers, merchants, scientists and creators;
master of the underworld Nav, judge of the souls of dead people.

Veles is able to take on the guise of wild animals and in this form appear to people.

The first son of the supreme creator god Svarog is Dazhdbog. It is responsible for sunlight and heat. Dazhdbog has many other names. Among them:

Radegast;
Dub;
Svarozhich;
Radigosh.

It is believed that the lion is a sacred animal of the sun god, therefore, on the frescoes, he is depicted as a beautiful young man who rides in a chariot drawn by huge lions.

According to legends, the sun god patronizes those who are married. He accompanies the wedding procession of the newlyweds and gives them joy.

Clear weather and a calm, pleasant wind are reflected in the image of the ancient Slavic god Dogod. He is a tall and slender young man with long curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. The god is dressed in simple robes of silver and blue colors, which the Slavs associated with a quiet wind and tranquility. On his head you can see a wreath of cornflowers.

Some people have claimed that Dogoda has colorful wings on his back. He flies over the human world among the clouds and gives him his warm smile.

The Slavs loved and honored this god, dedicated songs and dances to him.

Kolyada

A wise and powerful god named Kolyada gladly shared sacred knowledge with people. He taught them the divine laws of life, spoke about the structure of the world, created the first calendar.

Kolyada is also the god of feasts and leisure. In his honor, people from ancient times on Christmas night go to visit each other and tell carols - ritual poems and songs.

One of the greatest gods of the Slavic pantheon is the little-known younger brother of the god Rod, the patron of the universal wisdom Kryshen. His birth had a special purpose - the god Kryshen was destined to save humanity and return fire to them, having fought with the powerful Chernobog. Rod's brother entered into a fight to the death with the god of darkness off the coast of the Arctic Ocean and won.

The son of the beautiful goddess Lada has many names:

Lubich;

Lel - the embodiment of burning passion, is distinguished by a good-natured, but frivolous character. He takes on the form of a beautiful young man with blond curls who can shoot sparks from his hands. This god is able to ignite the flame of passion in the hearts of lovers, to take the form of a sacred stork bird.

Ovsen

After the god Kolyada passed on his sacred knowledge to people, his younger brother Ovsen took responsibility for the embodiment of this wisdom. He is also considered the personification of human faith in a brighter future. It is believed that Ovsen is the one who boldly steps into the unknown and leads people.

Ozem

According to legends, the god Ozem lives in the underworld with his pale-faced beauty Sumerla. They are the owners of all underground treasures, metals and precious stones, which are carefully protected from greedy people. Contrary to their own expectations, the possession of treasures does not bring happiness to Ozem and Sumerla, but only anxiety and fear of losing them. The only time when they can feel calm and sleep without fear is winter, when snow protects their untold riches.

The underground lords have their servants and scouts: snakes, moles, rats and mice.

The most famous and powerful son of Svarog is Perun, the god of thunder and lightning. Perun is distinguished by a quick-tempered and unbalanced character. When he gets angry, he shoots lightning from heaven.

For strength and courage, Perun is considered the patron saint of warriors and everyone whose work is related to weapons. He protects true warriors, helps them win, save their lives. This is a just god who can punish anyone who breaks the law.

According to one of the legends, Perun gave his sacred shield to people to protect them from Chernobog. He protects the inhabitants of the human world of Yavi.

Since ancient times, the Slavs worshiped the god of thunder and lightning, prayed to him with requests for protection, strength and support.

The god Rod is considered the progenitor of all gods and the creator of the human world. He created the earth and everything on it. He is also the father of Svarog - the supreme god, who completed the creation of the Family.

Semargl

When Svarog carved sparks from the sacred stone Alatyr with a hammer, the god of fire Semargl was born from this flame. He protects the family hearths and monitors the harvest. Semargl can take the form of a sacred winged dog.

The god of fire stands guard throughout the year, holding a sword in his hands that burns with a bright flame. He protects the world of people from evil, but on the day of the autumn equinox, he leaves his post and follows his beloved Swimsuit. It is believed that at this time all the evil spirits get out.

The embodiment of the wind is Stribog, born from the breath of the creator of the Family. Stribog is usually portrayed as a good-natured old man with thick gray hair who lives somewhere on the edge of the forest. He is able to control the winds, create storms, turn into a bird. Sailors and farmers turned to the help of the wind god.

Stribog has many sons who are the embodiments of different winds:

Whistling - violent and strong wind;
Podaga - a hot and dry wind that lives in a desert area;
Dogoda is a light summer breeze that plays with hair;
Siverko is a cold and harsh north wind.

In addition to the main gods of the wind, legends mention the gods of the western, eastern, southern, daytime, night winds.

Horse

One of the sons of the creator of Rod is Khors. He protects the heavenly body and is responsible for the sunlight. Horse is considered a kind, hardworking and cheerful god. He is always next to his brother Dazhdbog.

In ancient Slavic mythology, Chernobog is the embodiment of everything negative:

cold;
death;
disease;
dark;
destruction;
madness.

He is depicted with long black hair, black eyes, and black clothes. Chernobog is the only one to whom they bring bloody sacrifices. People fear his wrath and ask for mercy.

Yarilo

God Yarilo in ancient Slavic legends is portrayed as a man with thick red hair. He is dressed all in white and rides on a snow-white horse with a golden mane. His head is often adorned with a wreath of the first spring flowers. Yarilo is of great importance for Slavic culture:

herald of the beginning of spring;
the personification of spring warmth and light;
the embodiment of fertility and love.

Mythical creatures in Slavic legends

The Old Slavic bestiary is diverse in the images of mythical creatures. In old legends, one can often find references to extraordinary creatures, the images of which are based on the images of animals, birds, and people.

One of the most striking and widespread mythical images in Slavic culture. Alkonost is depicted as a huge bird with the head of a beautiful girl. According to legend, these wonderful birds have an unusually beautiful voice. When Alkonost sings, people's hearts freeze with delight. The mythical bird lives in heaven - in paradise Iriy.

Russian people have always honored and respected mothers for their dedication, care and sincere love. The power of motherhood became the basis for the mythical image of Arys-pole.

According to legend, a widower married a witch who hated his own daughter. The man gave the girl in marriage to a good young man, and in time they had a son. This did not calm the evil and envious witch. She turned her stepdaughter to Arys-Polye, drove her out into the forest and, with the help of witchcraft, replaced her with her own daughter. Only she did not want to look after the child and feed him.

Then the young man's mother noticed that something was wrong, took the child and called Arys-pole. The mother came running from the forest, threw off the skin of the lynx and fed the baby. Her husband saw this, stole the skin and burned it, thanks to which the girl returned to her native appearance. When everyone learned the truth about what had happened, the witch was burned at the stake as punishment.

In the rivers and lakes lives Vodyanoy - an evil mythical creature. The merman is often depicted as a disgusting old man. Sometimes his image is supplemented with elements of the external appearance of an animal or fish.

Vodyanoy lives in his underwater palace of shells and stones. He is surrounded by fish and mermaids - the souls of drowned women. It is believed that cattle live in his kingdom, which come out of the water at night and graze in the forest.

The image of a man who can turn into a wolf has existed for many centuries in the myths and legends of different peoples and cultures. In Slavic mythology, such a creature has many names:

werewolf;
wolflac;
ghoul;
vovkulak.

To take on the form of a beast, a wolfdog must make a somersault through an old stump or an aspen stake driven into the ground. According to ancient legends, eclipses happen when a werewolf eats the moon or the sun.

Gamayun

Another image of a divine bird with the head of a beauty is Gamayun - a messenger between the worlds of gods and people. If a person saw a sacred bird and heard her cry, then soon he will find his happiness.

In Slavic legends, Domovoy appears as a positive, but mischievous character. Features of this mythical creature:

Home likes to keep the house clean. He gladly helps hardworking owners, cleans, corrects their small mistakes, helps to maintain order.
He is distinguished by special thrift, does not like wastefulness.
With special love and attention, the domestic spirit treats livestock, takes care of it and makes sure that the animals do not get sick.

Despite the fact that brownies are distinguished by good nature, they can scoff at the owners they do not like.

Especially spirits do not like lazy, dissolute and alcoholics. They can tickle them in their sleep, throw them off the bed, or even choke them, scatter things, make noise and break dishes.

Brownies live behind the stove. If the owner of the house decides to make peace with the little spirit, it is enough to put a small gift under the stove - tobacco, bread, beautiful fabric, etc.

If the brownie likes the mistress of the house, then he tries in every possible way to facilitate her work. At night, he braids the girl in small pigtails and amuses himself that he was able to decorate his favorite.

Sinister

Sinister is an evil spirit that brings problems and troubles to people. There are several options for depicting villains in legends. Some believe that the evil spirits are the spirits of poor old people who settle in human homes and doom their inhabitants to eternal poverty. Sometimes they are described as evil brownies - small spirits that live behind the stove, which bring trouble to the inhabitants of their house.

One of the most famous and widespread creatures in folk tales is Leshy, the spirit of the forests. This is an ambiguous and multifaceted image, you can find a large number of descriptions of the appearance and behavior of Leshy. Often the forest spirit is described as an old man with long, green hair, dull eyes, and sharp nails. He can be of the human race, or he can become either a giant or a dwarf. Leshy wears the simplest peasant clothes, and sometimes even goes barefoot.

Leshy's main occupation is to protect the forest from any harm and confuse travelers. It can take on the forms of animals and birds, frighten a person lost in the forest with sounds, screams, rustling, beat him with tree branches, etc. Some legends say that forest spirits are able to tickle to death.

Sometimes Leshes steal human girls and marry them. Children are born to them, and they forever remain to live in the forest. It is dangerous to walk along the paths in the night forest, because you can stumble upon a wedding procession of spirits.

The spirits that live in the forest are in hostile relations with the water and brownies.

Mavki

In ancient Rus', it was believed that stillborn children and dead babies become Mavkas. The image of the forest spirit Mavka has much in common with the mermaid. Mavka is usually depicted as a beautiful girl in a white shirt or a small child. These spirits live in the forest. They lure people into the thicket, lead astray, mock and sometimes kill.

Conclusion

Old Russian myths and legends are full of a large number of various deities and evil spirits, which are usually the embodiments of one or another natural force, a sphere of people's life. Gods can be friendly or hostile towards humans. Russian mythological creatures are distinguished by their unusual appearance, reminiscent of animals and people at the same time. Mostly, they are the personification of human fears.

In the culture of each nation, there are their own legends that explain the emergence of life and the creation of the world. Slavic mythology is a unique phenomenon. Despite the fact that no written evidence of its existence has survived to this day, we still believe in ancient folk superstitions and adhere to many rituals that were invented in pagan times. Slavic mythology, creatures and gods, evil monsters, good fairies and insidious spirits take us to an amazing, bright and fantastic world.

Roots of Slavic mythology

The ancient Slavs had a clear idea of the structure of the divine world. The center of life was a magical island - Buyan, whose name can often be found in folk tales. The endless ocean foams around him. A mighty oak grows in the center of the magical land. A wise raven lives on its branches, and an insidious serpent lives in thick grass. A life-giving stream flows nearby and there is a sacred stone.

Once the Universe was divided into 2 worlds: the earthly one, where mortal people live, and the heavenly one, invisible to the human eye, whose inhabitants are the almighty gods, their helpers and enemies - magical spirits.

In Slavic mythology, several categories of magical creatures can be distinguished:

the highest deities endowed with great power and controlling life on earth;
warrior gods - protecting the world and people from dark forces;
divine forces that command the natural elements and are responsible for certain crafts;
spirits - malicious and good creatures living in a certain place (forest, water, earth, house);
magical creatures are magical animals, helpers of the gods;
mythological characters - inhabitants of the magical world.

In the old days, Russians believed that the gods watch how a person lives, help or punish him. The fate of any living being was in the hands of the celestials. The mythical Thunderers, who control the elements (fire, water, air, earth) and natural phenomena (rain, drought, hurricane), were revered especially strongly. These gods were prayed to grow crops, feed the family and not die of hunger.

In ancient Rus', people brought sacrifices to the gods as a gift, hoping for protection from evil forces.

Mythical spirits were feared and respected. According to popular beliefs, the happiness of a person depended on them. They possessed their own magical powers and were able to get rid of diseases, give a rich and happy life. If the spirits were angry, they could severely punish fools who dared to challenge them.

Russian people attributed human character traits to spirits: mercy, deceit, kindness, cunning.

To this day, not a single written evidence has survived that would contain texts and images of the heroes of Slavic myths. The only source in which there are legends associated with pagan beliefs is Old Russian literature.

Even after the adoption of Christianity in Kievan Rus and the prohibition of the pagan pantheon of gods, the Slavs retained and transferred their views to the new faith, thanks to which many saints who began to pray in churches borrowed character traits from their predecessors. For example, the old Slavic Perun began to bear the name of St. Elijah, the god of the sun and spring Yarilo - George, and the wisest god Veles turned into a revered church saint Blaise.

Divine pantheon among the Slavs

Rod was considered the main ancient deity among the Slavs - the ruler of heaven and earth, who gave people life. From the name of God came the word "genus", uniting such concepts as family, people and homeland. This deity was revered by many ancient peoples. People believed that he sits on a cloud and throws thunderstorms to the ground - this is how a new life is born.

Ancient Russian legends have preserved legends about bright deities (Yasuns) living high in the sky, and dark magicians (Dasuns) inhabiting the lower world. The pantheon in the mythical beliefs of the Slavs is represented by deities related to the main luminary, and the so-called functional gods.

How many seasons, so many guises of the sun god. In turn, 4 deities changed their power over the world. Kolyada reigned in winter, Yarilo came in spring, Dazhbog ruled the world in summer, and in autumn a period began during which Svarog became the main one. The day when the gods succeeded each other depended on the position of the sun in the sky. Ancient people carefully tracked the movement of space bodies.

The gods responsible for various natural elements and patrons of crafts included Tara, Volokh, Chislobog, Indra, Radogost, Ruevit, and others.

Perun is the mighty leader of all gods. The Thunderer moved on a golden chariot, armed with fiery arrows and an axe. If he was angry and angry, clouds would gather in the sky and thunder would be heard. Perun was a wise leader of the divine army. He brought light to the earth, protecting people from evil forces and misfortunes.
Veles is an evil deity who rules over the earth and water elements. Ancient people believed that he wanted to seize power over the world, therefore he was at enmity with the Thunderer Perun, who protects people from evil spells. Veles fought his dark side all the time, patronized people involved in art, supported talents, protected wanderers. He possessed great inner strength and wisdom, was one of the most powerful gods. Despite the fact that Veles was considered not very good, many revered him. As a sign of respect, people built temples where they worshiped this god.
Mara is the mistress of death. This goddess was considered the most just. They turned to her for help in witchcraft and divination, the souls of dead people obey the goddess. Although the Slavs were afraid of this goddess, they represented her in the form of a young and beautiful girl. The tall, stately, black-haired queen of the underworld was the epitome of restraint and coldness. The Slavs believed that Mara comes to the world of people in winter, when snow falls on her, and ice binds human hearts. With the advent of spring, it was customary for the Slavs to burn an effigy of Mary. Today, these traditions are embodied in another holiday - Maslyanitsa. The main symbol of the goddess is a frozen running water stream, which embodied the energy sleeping in every living being.
Yarilo - the name of this deity was associated among people with awakening after a long stagnation, he embodied a beautiful, life-affirming spring. The Sun God illuminated the world, exuding unprecedented strength and vitality. By his nature, Yarilo was a sincere, joyful and active deity, so he was portrayed as a young man with blue eyes and blond hair. The reckless god of the Sun embodied the image of youth, which is characterized by fleeting passions and love.
Stribog - was considered one of the main divine beings. He controlled the air elements. In his submission were ethers - incorporeal spirits, as well as birds - faithful magical assistants. God descended to earth in the form of a Stratim bird. The Slavs represented Stribog as a gray-haired man who possesses inner strength and unprecedented physical strength. Stribog was armed with a golden bow. You could recognize him by the sky-colored clothes. Plowmen and sailors especially respected the god of the wind.
Lada is the mistress of love. This goddess was the embodiment of beauty, joy and happiness. She protected comfort in every family. Another goddess, Makosh, was considered the mistress of the house. Lada is a symbol of a girl preparing for marriage, blossoming for love. The goddess was young, beautiful and cheerful, and it is easy to recognize her among others by her long green hair. Faithful companions of Lada are butterflies of amazing beauty.

In Slavic myths, gods, like people, know how to love, hate and be friends. In many legends, good opposes evil, and solar forces do not allow darkness to devour the world.

Mythical creatures

In Slavic mythology, many creatures are not only helpers of the gods, but also have magical abilities themselves. People were afraid of evil monsters and believed in the kindness of spirits.

Bestiary - a collection of ancient beliefs that has come down to our days, describes mythical creatures in the form of intelligent animals. Some human fantasy rewarded with various virtues - fidelity, courage and courage, others - pettiness, malignancy and envy.

The giant serpent Aspid - this creature was at the head of the dark army. Aspid looked intimidating - a huge flying monster, with a beak and two long trunks. His wings were on fire. The Beast dwells alone in the sky, as no one can bear a being with such a black heart. He is invulnerable, he cannot be defeated even by the most powerful weapons. Aspid was capable of insidious deeds, he was eaten by inner anger, which pushed him to crime.
The Gamayun bird is the singer of divine news. The Slavs loved this creature very much. Only a select few could see it. The magic bird had a good disposition, acting honestly and fairly towards people. Gamayun is a very smart creature who knows the answers to all questions, deep secrets and knowledge are open to him. The bird acted as a wise adviser, the main thing was to ask the right question. A magical creature lives on Buyan Island. The ancient Slavs believed that Gamayun is an animal with the head of a beautiful girl and a bird's body.
Yusha is a snake that carries the planet. Although this creature was of an intimidating gigantic size, it had a kind disposition. Yusha has much in common with the Scandinavian Jermungand. Our ancestors believed that the serpent was wrapped around the planet and did not allow it to fall into the abyss. As long as the creature holds the earth, stability and tranquility reign in the world. According to beliefs, if a mythical creature in a dream tossed or sighed, earthquakes occurred.
Ghoul - this is how the Slavs generally called the malicious creatures that frightened them. Once they were people who strayed from the righteous path and stepped onto the dark side. After death, they turned into monsters capable of harming a person. It's not easy to fight a ghoul. This will require not hefty strength, agility and magical weapons made of silver. According to another version, ghouls are dead people who have not found rest and are not buried properly. To protect themselves from these evil creatures, our ancestors wore a red woolen thread. They used fire and magic spells. Ghouls are alien to feelings of compassion and pity. They killed people by drinking their blood.
The fiery falcon Rarog is a magical creature depicted on the coat of arms of the Slavs. This bird was not chosen by chance. Falcons never attack their enemies from behind and never harm an opponent they have defeated. In Slavic mythology, Rarog is a divine messenger. He was the first to learn important news and bring them to the world of people. This amazing bird helped to communicate with each other and with divine beings.
Giant Gorynya - this mythical creature helped create the world. He stands guard over the underworld, carefully watching so that not a single evil spirit breaks free. The name of this creature embodied an allegory - as huge as a mountain. The Slavs believed that power without the mind is worthless and brings only misfortune and destruction. In the myths Gorynya, responsibly approaching the task entrusted to him, saves the world from chaos.

The world of spirits among the Slavs

According to the ancient Slavs, fields, forests, water and air were inhabited by various spirits.

They embodied various fears and information about the world around them.

Kikimora. Evil spirit in the mythology of the Slavs. The souls of dead people became kikimors, they did not want to leave this world, so they settled in human housing, scared and did nasty things. Evil spirits lived in the basement. They loved to make noise and scare the owners of the house. Kikimora could attack a person in a dream, from which he began to choke. To protect themselves from the evil spirit, the ancient Slavs read magic spells and prayers.
Goblin. Our ancestors were afraid of the goblin and treated him with apprehension, expecting meanness. The spirit of the forest has never attacked people for fun and offended them. He made sure that wanderers did not violate the rules of forest life. To teach the violator a lesson, the goblin lured him into an impenetrable thicket, from where he was not able to get out on his own. The traveler could ask for help from the forest spirit. They portrayed the spirit in the form of a little old man, overgrown with herbs and moss. Goblin possessed magical abilities and easily reincarnated as forest creatures. Birds and animals were his faithful companions. Before going to the forest to hunt, the Slavs cajoled the goblin, leaving gifts for him.
Water. The ruler of the reservoirs likes to dive deeper into the pool. This spirit lives in bad water. In beliefs, the merman is described as a shaggy and bearded old man with green hair and a large tummy. All of it is smeared with mud. The lord of the river waters is hostile towards people, so he arranged all sorts of dirty tricks for them. To appease the spirit, it was necessary to sing beautifully on the shore of the reservoir.
Mermaids. Spirits of drowned girls. With their beautiful appearance and charming voice, they lured travelers deep into the river waters. Slavic mermaids differ from similar mythical creatures invented by other nations. They are young and beautiful, outwardly similar to the most ordinary girls (without a fish tail). On a moonlit night, they like to frolic on the shore, seducing wanderers.
Brownie. A spirit invisible to the human eye that lives in people's homes. He protects the family from troubles and misfortunes, helps to manage the household. The brownie's favorite place is behind the stove. The ancient Slavs revered and respected this spirit, and were also afraid: if he was angry, he could do harm. It was customary to cajole a brownie with delicious gifts and bright objects. When moving to a new home, the spirit must be taken with them.
Babai. Spirit that appears at night. This is a malevolent creature that lives in dense thickets near rivers and lakes. At night, the babai gets out and sneaks up to people's homes. At the door, he makes noise, groans, screams and scares small children who are mischievous and do not want to sleep. Babai can kidnap a child.

Conclusion

Orally transmitted Slavic myths have survived to this day. They tell about an amazing and magical world inhabited by omnipotent deities, fabulous creatures and capricious spirits. Ancient legends are an inexhaustible source of folk rituals and beliefs, pagan ideas about the structure of the world, magical symbols. Slavic mythology does not lose its popularity. Many people today worship the ancient gods.

For many centuries, people have invented mystical creatures to explain the surrounding unknown world. Over time, many images took root, and so much so that they became part of the culture of the peoples. Mythology is also endowed with many of its own characters, the creatures and gods of ancient legends are a reflection of the pagan beliefs of the Slavic peoples. They firmly believed in mystical heroes helping people to harvest a good harvest, heal from diseases, give happiness in family life, and also punish unseemly acts.

Roots of Slavic mythology

The mythical texts of the Slavs have not come down to us, because at the time of the creation of the epics there was no written language. From archaeological sources and works of ancient Russian literature, linguists have identified common features of pagan myths. The Slavs imagined that somewhere in the middle of the endless ocean there is a small island (Buyan), which is considered the center of the world. An oak tree grows on the island or a sacred stone with healing properties lies. A bird sits on the branches, and a snake lies at the roots of a tree or at the foot of a stone.

The Slavs associated the creation of the world with the main god, who separated the outer world, where ordinary people live, from the invisible, inhabited by deities, spirits and unusual creatures.

Slavic mythology divides the categories of "creatures" and "gods" into groups:

cults of the ancient Slavs, endowed with power and power in a certain area;
main goddesses, progenitors of women, love and beauty;
good and evil spirits living in a certain space - in a house, in a forest, in a field, in water;
unusual creatures;
important symbols and signs.

Ancient people believed that they all accompany a person from birth to death, interfere in his life, help and punish.

The main gods of the ancient Slavs

Gods of Slavic mythology, list:

God of Thunder in Slavic mythology

Perun is the main deity of the Slavic tribes. He personifies power, commands lightning and thunder, is the lord of fire. Perun patronized the prince and his squad. Before campaigns, a sacrifice was made to him in the form of a slaughtered bull, and contracts and oaths were fixed in his name.

The God of Thunder in the pagan tradition of the Slavs had his own attributes:

a red cloak, which is a distinctive feature of Russian princes;
a heroic horse, strong and hardy to match his master;
ax (or club) - a sword for battles.

The element of the deity is hills and mountains. Therefore, the idols of the Thunderer were installed on the tops of the hills.

With the adoption of Christianity, the features characteristic of Perun passed to the holy Ilya the Prophet and George the Victorious.

Sun god in Slavic mythology

The following symbols were present in the pagan rites of the ancient peoples:

Khors is the embodiment of the sun, the four-faced god of light and heat. The Slavs endowed him with various names and constant transformations:
Khors is the name of the winter sun;
Yarilo - the spring god, reigning until the summer solstice;
Dazhdbog - the summer name of the cult of the sun;
Svarog is an idol of autumn warmth.

The god of the sun among the Slavs, depending on the season, changed his appearance. In winter, he looked like a middle-aged man, in an azure cloak and a ruddy face from frost. In the spring, he was a young fair-haired youth with blue eyes, in a developing red cloak, riding a horse. The ruler of the summer star moved across the sky in a golden chariot harnessed by four winged horses. The golden shield shone with bright light, illuminating the ground. The autumn god is an old man who loves to warm himself near the blacksmith's furnaces. Therefore its sun is dark and cold.

Many nationalities worshiped peculiar idols. Slavic mythology also had its symbols: in it, creatures and gods in material form were erected in the form of figures from strong wood and decorated with jewelry. From ancient texts it is known that Perun, installed in Kyiv, held a ray of lightning in his hands, and was decorated with precious stones.

Spirits and creatures of Slavic mythology

In Slavic epics, in addition to gods, there are unusual creatures. The most famous:

Alkonost is a bird of paradise with a wonderful voice that brings happiness to people.
Babai is a creature that pacifies the night whims of children with a slight intimidation.
Gamayun is a divine bird that sings to people about their future destiny.
Goblin is the owner of forests and oak forests. This is a shaggy old man who changes height and turns into any tree, animal or bird.
Vodyanoy is the lord of lakes and swamps. The Slavs painted him as a pot-bellied old man with algae hair. Mermaids served the merman. It was believed that before plunging into the water, it was necessary to appease the Waterman. Otherwise, trouble cannot be avoided.
Brownie - the owner of the house. This is the most respected spirit among the Slavs. It was believed that he protects the household and the inhabitants of the house, but sometimes plays pranks.
Bannik is a special kind of brownie. A spirit that lives in a bath and frightens women. Before going to the bath, he was usually coaxed in various ways.

In addition to living characters, the Slavs believed in signs and symbols. To protect themselves from evil spirits, talismans and amulets were created. For example, the tooth of a dead wolf will save the hunter in the dark, and a cup of milk left on the table at night will arouse the favor of the brownie.

Epics and legends that originally existed in the oral version have undergone changes and have come down to our times in the form in which Slavic mythology is presented: creatures and gods are one with nature, invincible, endowed with magical properties. And ceremonies and rituals have found their application even in modern life.

"It was bad with evil spirits in Russia. Recently, there have been so many warriors that the number of Gorynychs has plummeted. Only once did Ivan flash a ray of hope: an elderly peasant who called himself Susanin promised to lead him to the very lair of Likha One-Eyed ... But he only stumbled upon a rickety ancient hut with knocked out windows and a broken door. On the wall was scratched: "Checked. Lich no. Bogatyr Popovich."
Sergey Lukyanenko, Yuly Burkin, Ostrov Rus

"Slavic monsters" - you must admit, it sounds wild. Mermaids, goblin, mermen - they are all familiar to us from childhood and make us remember fairy tales. That is why the fauna of "Slavic fantasy" is still undeservedly considered something naive, frivolous and even slightly stupid. Now, when it comes to magical monsters, we often think of zombies or dragons, although there are such ancient creatures in our mythology, compared with which Lovecraft's monsters may seem like petty dirty tricks.

The inhabitants of the Slavic pagan legends are not a joyful brownie Kuzya or a sentimental monster with a scarlet flower. Our ancestors seriously believed in the evil spirits that we now consider worthy only of children's horror stories.

Almost no original source describing fictional creatures from Slavic mythology has survived to our time. Something was covered with the darkness of history, something was destroyed during the baptism of Rus'. What do we have, besides vague, contradictory and often dissimilar legends of different Slavic peoples? A few mentions in the works of the Danish historian Saxo Grammar (1150-1220) - time. "Chronica Slavorum" by the German historian Helmold (1125-1177) - two. And, finally, we should recall the collection Veda Slovena, a compilation of ancient Bulgarian ritual songs, from which one can also draw conclusions about the pagan beliefs of the ancient Slavs. The objectivity of church sources and annals, for obvious reasons, is in great doubt.

Book of Veles

The “Book of Veles” (“Book of Veles”, Isenbek’s tablets) has long been passed off as a unique monument of ancient Slavic mythology and history dating back to the period of the 7th century BC - 9th century AD.

Her text was allegedly carved (or burned) on small wooden planks, some of the "pages" were partially rotted. According to legend, the “Book of Veles” was discovered in 1919 near Kharkov by a white colonel Fyodor Izenbek, who took it to Brussels and handed it over to the Slavist Mirolubov for study. He made several copies, and in August 1941, during the German offensive, the plates were lost. Versions were put forward that they were hidden by the Nazis in the “archive of the Aryan past” under Annenerb, or taken out after the war to the USA).

Alas, the authenticity of the book was initially in great doubt, and recently it was finally proved that the entire text of the book is a falsification made in the middle of the 20th century. The language of this fake is a mixture of different Slavic dialects. Despite the exposure, some writers still use the "Book of Veles" as a source of knowledge.

The only available image of one of the boards of the "Book of Veles", beginning with the words "We dedicate this book to Veles."

The history of Slavic fairy-tale creatures may be the envy of another European monster. The age of pagan legends is impressive: according to some calculations, it reaches 3000 years, and its roots go back to the Neolithic or even the Mesolithic - that is, about 9000 BC.

There was no common Slavic fairy-tale "menagerie" - in different areas they spoke about completely different creatures. The Slavs did not have sea or mountain monsters, but forest and river evil spirits were abundant. There was no megalomania either: our ancestors very rarely thought about evil giants like the Greek Cyclopes or the Scandinavian Etuns. Some wonderful creatures appeared among the Slavs relatively late, during their Christianization - most often they were borrowed from Greek legends and introduced into national mythology, thus creating a bizarre mixture of beliefs.

Alkonost

According to the ancient Greek myth, Alcyone, the wife of the Thessalian king Keikos, having learned about the death of her husband, threw herself into the sea and was turned into a bird, named after her alcyone (kingfisher). The word "Alkonost" entered the Russian language as a result of a distortion of the old saying "Alcyone is a bird."

Slavic Alkonost is a bird of paradise with a surprisingly sweet, euphonious voice. She lays her eggs on the seashore, then plunges them into the sea - and the waves calm down for a week. When the eggs hatch, the storm begins. In the Orthodox tradition, Alkonost is considered a divine messenger - she lives in heaven and descends to convey the highest will to people.

Asp

A winged snake with two trunks and a bird's beak. He lives high in the mountains and periodically makes devastating raids on villages. It gravitates towards rocks so much that it cannot even sit on damp earth - only on a stone. Asp is invulnerable to conventional weapons, it cannot be killed with a sword or arrow, but can only be burned. The name is from the Greek aspis, a poisonous snake.

Auka

A kind of mischievous forest spirit, small, pot-bellied, with round cheeks. He does not sleep either in winter or in summer. He likes to fool people in the forest, responding to their cry "Ay!" from all sides. Leads travelers into a dense thicket and throws them there.

Baba Yaga

Slavic witch, popular folklore character. Usually depicted as a nasty old woman with disheveled hair, a hooked nose, a "bone leg", long claws, and several teeth in her mouth. Baba Yaga is an ambiguous character. Most often, she performs the functions of a pest, with pronounced inclinations towards cannibalism, however, on occasion, this witch can voluntarily help a brave hero by questioning him, steaming in a bathhouse and bestowing magical gifts (or providing valuable information).

It is known that Baba Yaga lives in a dense forest. There stands her hut on chicken legs, surrounded by a palisade of human bones and skulls. It was sometimes said that on the gate to Yaga's house, instead of constipation, there are hands, and a small toothy mouth serves as a keyhole. The house of Baba Yaga is enchanted - you can enter it only by saying: "Hut-hut, turn your front to me, and back to the forest."
Like Western European witches, Baba Yaga can fly. To do this, she needs a large wooden mortar and a magic broom. With Baba Yaga, you can often meet animals (familiars): a black cat or a crow helping her in witchcraft.

The origin of the Baba Yaga estate is unclear. Perhaps it came from the Turkic languages, perhaps it was formed from the old Serbian "ega" - a disease.

Baba Yaga, bone leg. A witch, an ogre, and the first female pilot. Paintings by Viktor Vasnetsov and Ivan Bilibin.

Hut on kurnogs

A forest hut on chicken legs, where there are no windows or doors, is not fiction. This is how the hunters of the Urals, Siberia and the Finno-Ugric tribes built temporary dwellings. Houses with blank walls and an entrance through a hatch in the floor, raised 2-3 meters above the ground, protected both from rodents hungry for supplies and from large predators. Siberian pagans kept stone idols in similar structures. It can be assumed that the figurine of some female deity, placed in a small house “on chicken legs”, gave rise to the myth of Baba Yaga, who hardly fits in her house: her legs are in one corner, her head is in another, and her nose rests into the ceiling.

Bannik

The spirit living in the baths was usually represented as a little old man with a long beard. Like all Slavic spirits, mischievous. If people in the bath slip, burn themselves, faint from the heat, scald with boiling water, hear the crackling of stones in the stove or knocking on the wall - all these are the tricks of the bannik.

In a big way, a bannik rarely harms, only when people behave incorrectly (wash themselves on holidays or late at night). Most of the time he helps them. Among the Slavs, the bath was associated with mystical, life-giving forces - they often took birth or guessed here (it was believed that the bannik could predict the future).

Like other spirits, the bannik was fed - they left him black bread with salt or buried a strangled black chicken under the threshold of the bath. There was also a female variety of a bannik - a bannitsa, or an obderiha. Shishiga also lived in the baths - an evil spirit that appears only to those who go to the bath without praying. Shishiga takes the form of a friend or relative, calls a person to bathe with her and can steam to death.

Bash Celik (Man of Steel)

A popular character in Serbian folklore, a demon or evil sorcerer. According to legend, the king bequeathed to his three sons to give their sisters to the one who first asks for their hand. One night, someone with a thunderous voice came to the palace and demanded the younger princess as his wife. The sons fulfilled the will of their father, and soon lost their middle and older sisters in this way.

Soon the brothers came to their senses and went in search of them. The younger brother met a beautiful princess and took her as his wife. Looking out of curiosity into the forbidden room, the prince saw a man in chains. He introduced himself as Bash Chelik and asked for three glasses of water. The naive young man gave the stranger a drink, he regained his strength, broke the chains, released his wings, grabbed the princess and flew away. Saddened, the prince went in search. He found out that the thunderous voices that his sisters demanded as wives belonged to the lords of dragons, falcons and eagles. They agreed to help him, and together they defeated the evil Bash Chelik.

This is how Bash Celik looks like in the view of V. Tauber.

Ghouls

The living dead rising from their graves. Like any other vampires, ghouls drink blood and can devastate entire villages. First of all, they kill relatives and friends.

Gamayun

Like Alkonost, a divine bird woman whose main function is the fulfillment of predictions. The proverb “Gamayun is a prophetic bird” is well known. She also knew how to control the weather. It was believed that when Gamayun flies from the direction of sunrise, a storm comes after her.

Gamayun-Gamayun, how long do I have left to live? — Ku. “Why so ma…?”

Divya people

Demihumans with one eye, one leg and one arm. To move, they had to fold in half. They live somewhere on the edge of the world, multiply artificially, forging their own kind from iron. The smoke of their forges carries with it pestilence, smallpox and fevers.

Brownie

In the most generalized view - a domestic spirit, the patron of the hearth, a little old man with a beard (or all covered with hair). It was believed that every house has its own brownie. In the houses they were rarely called "brownies", preferring the affectionate "grandfather".

If people established normal relations with him, fed him (left a saucer with milk, bread and salt on the floor) and considered him a member of their family, then the brownie helped them do minor housework, watched the cattle, guarded the household, warned of danger.

On the other hand, an angry brownie could be very dangerous - at night he pinched people to bruises, strangled them, killed horses and cows, made noise, broke dishes and even set fire to the house. It was believed that the brownie lived behind the stove or in the stable.

Drekavak (drekavac)

A half-forgotten creature from the folklore of the southern Slavs. Its exact description does not exist - some consider it an animal, others a bird, and in central Serbia there is a belief that the drekavak is the soul of a dead unbaptized baby. They only agree on one thing - the drekavak can scream terribly.

Usually drekavak is the hero of children's horror stories, but in remote areas (for example, mountainous Zlatibor in Serbia), even adults believe in this creature. Residents of the village of Tometino Polie from time to time report strange attacks on their livestock - it is difficult to determine what kind of predator it was by the nature of the injuries. The villagers claim to have heard eerie screams, so the drekavak must have been involved.

Firebird

An image familiar to us from childhood, a beautiful bird with bright, dazzling fiery feathers (“like the heat burns”). The traditional test for fairy-tale heroes is to get a feather from the tail of this feathered one. For the Slavs, the firebird was more of a metaphor than a real being. She personified fire, light, the sun, perhaps knowledge. Its closest relative is the medieval Phoenix bird, known both in the West and in Rus'.

It is impossible not to recall such an inhabitant of Slavic mythology as the Rarog bird (probably distorted from Svarog - the blacksmith god). A fiery falcon, which may also look like a whirlwind of flame, Rarog is depicted on the coat of arms of the Rurikids (“Rarogs” in German), the first dynasty of Russian rulers. The highly stylized diving Rarog eventually began to look like a trident - this is how the modern coat of arms of Ukraine appeared.

Kikimora (shishimora, mara)

An evil spirit (sometimes the brownie's wife), appearing in the form of a little ugly old woman. If a kikimora lives in a house behind a stove or in an attic, then he constantly harms people: he makes noise, knocks on walls, interferes with sleep, tears yarn, breaks dishes, poisons livestock. It was sometimes believed that infants who died without baptism became kikimora, or evil carpenters or stove-makers could let the kikimora into the house under construction. Kikimora, living in a swamp or in a forest, does much less harm - basically it only scares the lost travelers.

Koschei the Immortal (Kashchei)

One of the old Slavic negative characters well known to us, usually represented as a thin, skeletal old man with a repulsive appearance. Aggressive, vindictive, greedy and stingy. It is difficult to say whether he was the personification of the external enemies of the Slavs, an evil spirit, a powerful wizard, or a unique kind of undead.

It is indisputable that Koschey owned very strong magic, shunned people and often engaged in the favorite thing for all the villains in the world - he kidnapped girls. In Russian science fiction, the image of Koshchei is quite popular, and he is presented in different ways: in a comic light (“Island of Rus” by Lukyanenko and Burkin), or, for example, as a cyborg (“The Fate of Koshchei in the Cyberozoic Era” by Alexander Tyurin).

Koshchei's "trademark" feature was immortality, and far from being absolute. As we all probably remember, on the magical island of Buyan (capable of suddenly disappearing and appearing in front of travelers) there is a large old oak tree on which a chest hangs. There is a hare in the chest, a duck in the hare, an egg in the duck, and a magic needle in the egg, where Koshchei's death is hidden. He can be killed by breaking this needle (according to some versions, by breaking an egg on Koshchei's head).

Georgy Millyar is the best performer of the roles of Koshchei and Baba Yaga in Soviet movie fairy tales.

Goblin

Forest spirit, protector of animals. Appears as a tall man with a long beard and hair all over his body. In fact, not evil - he walks through the forest, protects him from people, occasionally shows himself in front of his eyes, for which he can take on any appearance - a plant, a mushroom (a giant talking fly agaric), an animal or even a person. Leshy can be distinguished from other people by two signs - his eyes burn with magical fire, and his shoes are worn backwards.

Sometimes a meeting with a goblin can end badly - it will lead a person into the forest and throw it to be eaten by animals. However, those who respect nature can even befriend this creature and get help from it.

famously one-eyed

The spirit of evil, failure, a symbol of grief. There is no certainty about Likh's appearance - it is either a one-eyed giant, or a tall, thin woman with one eye in the middle of her forehead. Famously, they are often compared with the Cyclopes, although apart from one eye and high growth, they have nothing in common.

The proverb has come down to our time: "Do not wake Likho while it is quiet." In the literal and allegorical sense, Likho meant trouble - it became attached to a person, sat on his neck (in some legends, the unfortunate man tried to drown Likho by throwing himself into the water and drowned himself) and prevented him from living.
However, it was possible to get rid of Likh - to deceive, to drive away by force of will, or, as it is occasionally mentioned, to transfer to another person along with some kind of gift. According to very gloomy prejudices, Likho could come and devour you.

Mermaid

In Slavic mythology, mermaids are a kind of mischievous evil spirits. They became drowned women, girls, dead

It was bad with evil spirits in Rus'. So many bogatyrs have recently divorced that the number of Gorynychs has plummeted.
Only once flashed Ivan a ray of hope: an elderly peasant who called himself Susanin promised to lead him to the very lair of Likha One-Eyed ... But he stumbled only on a rickety ancient hut with broken windows and a broken door. On the wall was scrawled: “Checked. Leech is not. Bogatyr Popovich.
Sergey Lukyanenko, Yuly Burkin, Ostrov Rus

Almost no original source describing fictional creatures from Slavic mythology has survived to our time. Something was covered with the darkness of history, something was destroyed during the baptism of Rus'. What do we have, besides vague, contradictory and often dissimilar legends of different Slavic peoples? A few references in the works of the Danish historian Saxo Grammar (1150-1220) - times. "Chronica Slavorum" by the German historian Helmold (1125-1177) - two. And finally, we should recall the collection "Veda Slovena" - a compilation of ancient Bulgarian ritual songs, from which one can also draw conclusions about the pagan beliefs of the ancient Slavs. The objectivity of church sources and annals, for obvious reasons, is in great doubt.

Book of Veles

The "Book of Veles" ("Book of Veles", Isenbek's tablets) has long been passed off as a unique monument of ancient Slavic mythology and history, dating from the period of the 7th century BC - 9th century AD.

Alas, the authenticity of the book initially caused great doubts, and recently it was finally proved that the entire text of the book is a falsification made in the middle of the 20th century. The language of this fake is a mixture of different Slavic dialects. Despite the exposure, some writers still use the "Book of Veles" as a source of knowledge.

The only available image of one of the boards of the "Book of Veles", beginning with the words "We dedicate this book to Veles."

The history of Slavic fairy-tale creatures may be the envy of another European monster. The age of pagan legends is impressive: according to some estimates, it reaches 3000 years, and its roots go back to the Neolithic or even the Mesolithic - that is, about 9000 BC.

There was no common Slavic fairy-tale "menagerie" - in different places they spoke about completely different creatures. The Slavs did not have sea or mountain monsters, but forest and river evil spirits were abundant. There was no megalomania either: our ancestors very rarely thought about evil giants like the Greek Cyclopes or the Scandinavian Etuns. Some wonderful creatures appeared among the Slavs relatively late, during the period of their Christianization - most often they were borrowed from Greek legends and introduced into national mythology, thus creating a bizarre mixture of beliefs.

Alkonost

Asp

A winged snake with two trunks and a bird's beak. He lives high in the mountains and periodically makes devastating raids on villages. It gravitates towards rocks so much that it cannot even sit on damp ground - only on a stone. Asp is invulnerable to conventional weapons, it cannot be killed with a sword or arrow, but can only be burned. The name comes from the Greek aspis, a poisonous snake.

Auka

Baba Yaga

It is known that Baba Yaga lives in a dense forest. There stands her hut on chicken legs, surrounded by a palisade of human bones and skulls. It was sometimes said that instead of constipation, there were hands on the gate to Yagi's house, and a small toothy mouth served as a keyhole. The house of Baba Yaga is enchanted - you can only enter it by saying: "Hut-hut, turn your front to me, and back to the forest."
Like Western European witches, Baba Yaga can fly. To do this, she needs a large wooden mortar and a magic broom. With Baba Yaga, you can often meet animals (familiars): a black cat or a crow helping her in witchcraft.

The origin of the Baba Yaga estate is unclear. Perhaps it came from the Turkic languages, perhaps it was formed from the old Serbian "ega" - a disease.

Hut on kurnogs

Bannik

The spirit living in the baths was usually represented as a little old man with a long beard. Like all Slavic spirits, mischievous. If people in the bath slip, get burned, faint from the heat, scald with boiling water, hear the crackling of stones in the oven or knocking on the wall - all these are the tricks of the bannik.

Like other spirits, the bannik was fed - they left him black bread with salt or buried a strangled black chicken under the threshold of the bath. There was also a female variety of a bannik - a bannitsa, or obderiha. Shishiga also lived in the baths - an evil spirit that appears only to those who go to the bath without praying. Shishiga takes the form of a friend or relative, calls a person to bathe with her and can steam to death.

Bash Celik (Man of Steel)

This is how Bash Celik looks like in the view of V. Tauber.

Ghouls

The living dead rising from their graves. Like any other vampires, ghouls drink blood and can devastate entire villages. First of all, they kill relatives and friends.

Gamayun

Gamayun-Gamayun, how long do I have left to live? - Ku. - Why so ma ...?

Divya people

Brownie

Drekavak (drekavac)

Usually drekavak is the hero of children's horror stories, but in remote areas (for example, the mountainous Zlatibor in Serbia), even adults believe in this creature. Residents of the village of Tometino Polie from time to time report strange attacks on their livestock - it is difficult to determine what kind of predator it was by the nature of the injuries. The villagers claim to have heard eerie screams, so the drekavak must have been involved.

Firebird

It is impossible not to recall such an inhabitant of Slavic mythology as the Rarog bird (probably distorted from Svarog - the blacksmith god). The fiery falcon, which may also look like a whirlwind of flame, Rarog is depicted on the coat of arms of the Rurikids (“Rarogs” in German) - the first dynasty of Russian rulers. The highly stylized diving Rarog eventually began to look like a trident - this is how the modern coat of arms of Ukraine appeared.

Kikimora (shishimora, mara)

Koschei the Immortal (Kashchei)

It is indisputable that Koschey owned very strong magic, shunned people and often did the favorite thing for all the villains in the world - he kidnapped girls. In Russian science fiction, the image of Koshchei is quite popular, and he is presented in different ways: in a comic light (“Island of Rus” by Lukyanenko and Burkin), or, for example, as a cyborg (“The Fate of Koshchei in the Cyberozoic Era” by Alexander Tyurin).

Georgy Millyar is the best performer of the roles of Koshchei and Baba Yaga in Soviet movie fairy tales.

Goblin

famously one-eyed

The proverb has come down to our time: "Do not wake Likho while it is quiet." In the literal and allegorical sense, Likho meant trouble - it became attached to a person, sat on his neck (in some legends, the unfortunate tried to drown Likho by throwing himself into the water and drowned himself) and prevented him from living.
Likha, however, could be disposed of - deceived, driven away by willpower, or, as it is occasionally mentioned, transferred to another person along with some kind of gift. According to very gloomy prejudices, Likho could come and devour you.

Mermaid

In Slavic mythology, mermaids are a kind of mischievous evil spirits. They were drowned women, girls who died near a reservoir, or people bathing at inopportune hours. Mermaids were sometimes identified with "mavki" - from the Old Slavonic "nav", dead man) - children who died without baptism or were strangled by their mothers.

The eyes of such mermaids burn with green fire. By their nature, they are nasty and evil creatures, they grab bathing people by the legs, pull them under water, or lure them from the shore, wrap their arms around them and drown them. There was a belief that the laughter of a mermaid could cause death (this makes them look like Irish banshees).

Some beliefs called mermaids the lower spirits of nature (for example, good "shorelines"), which have nothing to do with drowned people and willingly save drowning people.

There were also "tree mermaids" living in the branches of trees. Some researchers rank as mermaids middays (in Poland - lakanits) - lower spirits, taking the form of girls in transparent white clothes, living in the fields and helping the field. The latter is also a nature spirit - it is believed that he looks like a little old man with a white beard. Polevoi lives in cultivated fields and usually patronizes peasants - except when they work at noon. For this, he sends noondays to the peasants so that they will deprive them of their minds with their magic.

Mention should also be made of the crowberry - a kind of mermaid, a baptized drowned woman who does not belong to the category of evil spirits, and therefore is relatively kind. Vodyanitsy love deep pools, but most often they settle under the mill wheels, ride them, spoil the millstones, muddy the water, wash out the pits, tear the nets.

It was believed that the waterwomen were the wives of watermen - spirits appearing in the form of old men with a long green beard made of algae and (rarely) fish scales instead of skin. Buggy-eyed, fat, creepy, merman lives at great depths in pools, commands mermaids and other underwater inhabitants. It was believed that he rides around his underwater kingdom on catfish, for which this fish was sometimes called the "devil's horse" by the people.

The merman is not malicious by nature and even acts as the patron of sailors, fishermen or millers, but from time to time he likes to play pranks, dragging a gaping (or offending) bather under water. Sometimes the merman was endowed with the ability to shapeshift - turning into fish, animals, or even logs.

Over time, the image of the water as the patron of rivers and lakes has changed - he began to be seen as a powerful "sea king" living under water in a chic palace. From the spirit of nature, the water one turned into a kind of magical tyrant, with whom the heroes of the folk epic (for example, Sadko) could communicate, conclude agreements and even defeat him with cunning.

Vodyanyye as imagined by Bilibin and V. Vladimirov.

Sirin

Another creature with the head of a woman and the body of an owl (owl), which has a charming voice. Unlike Alkonost and Gamayun, Sirin is not a messenger from above, but a direct threat to life. It is believed that these birds live in "Indian lands near paradise", or on the Euphrates River, and sing such songs for the saints in heaven, upon hearing which, people completely lose their memory and will, and their ships are wrecked.

It is not difficult to guess that Sirin is a mythological adaptation of the Greek sirens. However, unlike them, the Sirin bird is not a negative character, but rather a metaphor for the temptation of a person with all sorts of temptations.

Nightingale the Robber (Nightingale Odikhmantievich)

The character of late Slavic legends, a complex image that combines the features of a bird, an evil wizard and a hero. The nightingale the robber lived in the forests near Chernigov near the Smorodina River and for 30 years guarded the road to Kyiv, not letting anyone in, deafening travelers with a monstrous whistle and roar.

The Nightingale the Robber had a nest on seven oaks, but the legend also says that he had a tower and three daughters. The epic hero Ilya Muromets was not afraid of the adversary and knocked out his eye with an arrow from a bow, and during their fight the whistle of the Nightingale the Robber knocked down the entire forest in the district. The hero brought the captive villain to Kyiv, where Prince Vladimir, for the sake of interest, asked the Nightingale the Robber to whistle - to check whether the rumor about the super-abilities of this villain is true. The nightingale, of course, whistled, so much so that he almost destroyed half the city. After that, Ilya Muromets took him to the forest and cut off his head so that such an outrage would not happen again (according to another version, the Nightingale the Robber later acted as an assistant to Ilya Muromets in battle).

For his first novels and poems, Vladimir Nabokov used the pseudonym Sirin.

In 2004, the village of Kukoboy (Pervomaisky district of the Yaroslavl region) was declared the "homeland" of Baba Yaga. Her "birthday" is celebrated on July 26th. The Orthodox Church came out with a sharp condemnation of the "worship of Baba Yaga."

Ilya Muromets is the only epic hero canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.

Baba Yaga is found even in Western comics, for example - "Hellboy" by Mike Mignola. In the first episode of the computer game Quest for Glory, Baba Yaga is the main plot villain. In the role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade, Baba Yaga is a vampire of the Nosferatu clan (distinguished by ugliness and secrecy). After Gorbachev left the political arena, she came out of hiding and killed all the vampires of the Bruja clan that controlled the Soviet Union.

* * *

It is very difficult to list all the fabulous creatures of the Slavs: most of them have been studied very poorly and are local varieties of spirits - forest, water or domestic, and some of them were very similar to each other. In general, the abundance of non-material beings is very different from the Slavic bestiary from the more "mundane" collections of monsters from other cultures.
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Among the Slavic "monsters" there are very few monsters as such. Our ancestors led a calm, measured life, and therefore the creatures that they invented for themselves were associated with elemental elements that were neutral in nature. If they resisted people, then, for the most part, only protecting mother nature and tribal traditions. The stories of Russian folklore teach us to be kinder, more tolerant, love nature and respect the ancient heritage of our ancestors.

The latter is especially important, because ancient legends are quickly forgotten, and instead of mysterious and mischievous Russian mermaids, Disney fish girls with shells on their breasts come to us. Do not be ashamed to study Slavic legends - especially in their original versions, not adapted for children's books. Our bestiary is archaic and in a sense even naive, but we can be proud of it, because it is one of the most ancient in Europe.