RUSSIAN FOLKLORE ( NATURE SPIRITS )

Hi

So, here's the post about nature spirits, since I've made that one about domestic spirits.

LESHII

The master of the forest and wild animals. Outside of the forest, leshii was interchangeable with the devil. It looks like a peasant without a belt, who could vary his size and who frequently had features of the devil. The leshii could be transformed into a familiar person, a beast, a domestic animal, or a mushroom. Tricks: Could lead a peasant astray, make him sick, or tickle him to death. Was known to hide woodcutters’ axes and carry off young girls and women. 

LESOVIKHA

The leshii’s wife. 

VODIANOI, VODIANOI CHËRT

An evil water spirit who drowned people.Looks like a naked old man, or half-fish, half-human, covered with mire, slime, or scales, sometimes with a long beard and green hair. Features of the devil. Could be transformed into a fish. 

VODIANIKHA

The wife of the vodianoi. 

RUSALKA

A drowned maiden or the soul of an unbaptized child, who was connected with the unclean force. Was known to steal children and entice, tickle to death, or drown passersby. Could be the vodianoi’s wife or consort. Often appeared as a woman with long hair, but the external representation was inconsistent.

BEREGINIA

The river bank female spirit.

POLEVOI

The spirit of the field, who had qualities of both domovoi and leshii.

POLUDNISTA

A female spirit of the fields. 

LUGOVIK

The spirit of the meadows.

BOLOTNYI

The spirit of the swamps.

SOURCES:

text: http://clover.slavic.pitt.edu/tales/spirits.html

images: Leshii: http://clover.slavic.pitt.edu/tales/images/leshii1.html

           Vodianoi: http://clover.slavic.pitt.edu/tales/images/vodianoi1.html

           Rusalka: wikipedia 

Aand that's it :P

I'll post Scandinavian myths soon \o/

Bye