Mythical creatures of the ancient Slavs

Mythology of the Slavs is colorful and diverse. Ancient Rus included a lot of tribes, and each of them had "their own" mythical creatures unknown to neighboring nations: all sorts of banners, ovniks, anchovies and others. The Rus had supernatural powers of heavenly bodies and natural phenomena, mountains, trees and water. Ancient mythical creatures accompanied our ancestors everywhere: at home, in the field, in the stable, on the road, on the hunt ...

Leshy

Leshy was a tall, shaggy old man. Slavs believed that it keeps the forest and all its inhabitants, protects trees and beast from uninvited guests. Leshy likes to play pranks - to confuse the traveler, showing him the cherished berries-mushrooms. But if you make him angry, he'll get angry, lure him into the backwoods!

Some researchers believe that the image of Leshoy was reborn from the image of the ancient god Veles - patron of pastures and livestock, steppe and forest animals, the bearer of hunting luck.

Brownie

In each of the houses there was sure to live Domova, the keeper of the hearth, taking care of the well-being and prosperity of the whole family, guarding the domestic cattle and the crop, helping to find the lost. Perhaps, Brownies are the most numerous mythical creatures. Pictures with their images, various suggestions and proverbs, fairy tales and songs speak of a nationwide love for small masters.

Good-natured House was accepted to feed, leaving in the kitchen for the night all sorts of goodies. Particularly fond of the House porridge, seasoned with oil. Everyone tried to live in harmony with the home guardians, not to anger them. And to anger, by the way, is easy: just run the house, do not worry about the order, offend the household and animals. Then blame yourself! Oh, and will take revenge on the kind grandfather-Brownie for such disgrace!

Kikimora

In the view of the ancient Slavs, Kikimory is an evil mythical creature living in every house. But, unlike the Domovs, they do not help the owners, but on the contrary: they confuse the yarn, spoil the tow, disturb the sleeping children, torment the cattle, beat the dishes ... Kikimora introduced a gray, hunched old woman with a long nose and a nasty squeaky voice.

Water

Lord of the river and lake depths - Water - can be merciful to a person, for example, help in fishing. But if he is angry, he will take the fish, he will hide the fords, the streams will dry up. And maybe to the bottom to steal. How can you anger Watery? And it's very simple: littering on the banks, throwing unnecessary trash into the water, thoughtlessly devastating the riches of water bodies.

Mermaids

Helpers Water. The ancients believed that these mythical creatures are the souls of children who died unbaptized. According to another version, Mermaids are drowned. In Russia the mermaids were represented by young girls with long, magnificent hair and pale skin. It was believed that at night they go out to dance on the beach. By the way, they did not have any tails. The week before the holiday of the God of Kupala was called Rusalay - at this time the girls left gifts for the mermaids on the shore: multicolored ribbons, beads, flaps.

Dragon

One of the most ancient creatures. His former name is Triglav. The task of the Serpent was mainly to kidnap young virgins. Many historians believe that the image of the Serpent arose thanks to the raids of the steppe people who took the girls prisoner.

Baba Yaga

Yaga - not just an old witch-woman, living in the forest in a hut with chicken legs. She was considered a guide from the world of the living (Yavi) to the world of the dead (Nav). By the way, Yaga's hut got chicken paws only thanks to Soviet cinematography. Initially, the word "kuryi" meant something else. Before the adoption of Christianity in Russia, the dead were burned, setting a house (coffin) on a fire. To the deck with the body of the deceased did not warp, it was propped up with special legs - kurimi. This word is crooked with "fumigation" - slow burning. So the hut of the mysterious Yaga got such a funeral attribute - the legs' legs.

In ancient tales, Yaga performs almost always in the same role: tormented by riddles and hovers in the bathhouse of the protagonist, supplies him with all sorts of magic things (sword-kladenets, cap-invisible, boots-speed skates) or guiding attributes (tangle, for example), and after - He lets go. Behind the threshold of her hut begins a mystical path, full of trials. All these manipulations are also connected with the views of the ancient Slavs about death and the afterlife.