Some Slavic creation legends claimed that the devil himself fashioned the domestic and nature spirits when, in imitation of God, he struck one rock against the other and “from the fragments appeared domovye, leshie, rusalki, and creatures like them.”
Russian Folk Belief - Linda J. Ivantis
#folklore

Kumlenie is an initiation rite of the Eastern & Southern Slavs. Girls or women approached a birch tree wreath, in which a cross or eggs were hung. They kissed and exchanged gifts, and became each other's godmothers. The union was ritually reversed in a week, but was sometimes left for a lifetime.

I take issue with fairytales that introduce cool characters just to have them die in in the end.
Vida the Fairy locked 13 streams in her tree. When the hero came to free them, she caught a grey deer, & seized 3 venomous snakes. 2 she wrapped around her arms & the 3rd she made a whip. Ready to fight!

Samovila - The South Slavic Wood Nymph.
They can hurt people as often as they can heal them - it depends on how they are treated. In many stories they form a ritual blood-kinship with a human (often a famous historical figure), and would lay down their lives for them.
Art by me. #folklore

Princess Marfita goes to ask for fire from Yaga-Baba, who sucks blood from the princess's breasts. The hero catches Yaga-Baba & forces her to reveal where she has healing water. He fights Yaga-Baba & cuts her head off, but the head continues to run on its braids. #LegendaryWednesday #babayaga

A Slavic tradition has people present sacrificial objects before a hawthorn tree: cakes, flowers, herbs, even horeshoes. It links to an ancient belief that it might be home to demons, who would remain in the tree if given offerings, otherwise they might venture into the village hungry.
#FolkyFriday

Black hawthorn was used in the Balkans to pierce the heart of a suspected vampires or werewolf. The wood is very strong, and the blood-red berries of the tree were used as heart medicine. Thorns were sometimes put in the corpse's bellybutton, as a preventative measure.
#FolkyFriday #vampire

Baba Yaga as a Snake Goddess of Death.
In some tales she is able to turn into a snake, and in others has snake-like attributes. Some consider her to be an ancient Slavic Goddess of Death who originally had the form of a snake.

#LegendaryWednesday #WyrdWednesday #babayaga #folklore #dailyspooklore

Viy - a 1967 Soviet Gothic horror fantasy film.

While on a vacation in a remote village, Khoma, a seminary student, is summoned to keep an eye on a corpse. His faith is tested as evil spirits, witches and a demon haunt him to get to the corpse.

#FolkloreSunday #folklore
#dailyspooklore

In a Ukranian tale Baba Jaudocha sends her stepdaughter to find raspberries in March. After the girl finds burning coals that turn to raspberries, Jaudocha sets out herself, offends the month of March by declaring that she will “shit in its mouth” and freezes to death out of spite.
#FolkloreThursday

The Sacred Oak of Romowe
The great centre of the cult of the ancient Prussians was at Romowe. Here lived the head priest, the Kriwe. A perpetual fire was maintained. A triad of gods were worshiped here - Perkunas (thunder), Potrympus (rivers and springs), and Patollus (underworld)
#slavic #mythology

Nosferatu theory - Ellen is a zduhać
She told the Professor that since she was a child she's been having dream-like episodes where it felt as if her spirit wandered off. This makes me think of south Slavic supernatural people that can separate their body and soul called zduhać.
#nosferatu #fantheory

The fairy-seers of Serbia fall into trance through dancing and say they communicate with women-like creatures from the supernatural world called šojmanje, who help them prophesy the future, bring messages from deceased relatives, and help with fairy-illnesses.

#slavic #folklore #slavicfolklore

Samovila in love
#slavicmythology #slavicfolklore #samovila #vila #woodnymph #folklore

The Samovila (wood nymph) as a spouse
#slavicmythology #slavicfolklore #samovila #vila #woodnymph

Samovila (wood nymph) as a posestrima (selected sister)

#slavicmythology #slavicfolklore #samovila #vila #woodnymph

Domovoy - home guardian spirit
See the full comic at slaviclore.com/domovoy-home...
#domovoy #slavicmythology #slavicfolklore #art #comic

Rusalka - The Slavic water spirit.
See the full comic at slaviclore.com/rusalka-wate...
#slavicmythology #art #comic