Now Baba Yaga can only scare a small child, and several centuries ago, Russian people sacredly believed in unclean forces. People told terrible stories to each other, from which blood froze in their veins.
Modern man has long been not afraid of evil. He considers all this fiction, fantasies. Of course, before the Internet and TV did not exist, what other entertainment could be invented?
Nevertheless, one should not so radically reject the existence of evil spirits. Perhaps this is not just fantasy, otherwise people would not have believed in the existence of these creatures for many centuries in a row. In any case, this is our story: myths, traditions, beliefs.
Below is a list of traditional representatives of Russian evil spirits. You can get to know them better, find out their habitats, nature, as well as ways to deal with them.
10. Anchutka
So before they called devils. This is an evil spirit of small stature, covered with wool, with a patch on his nose. A distinctive feature of them is the lack of a heel. According to legend, a wolf-werewolf bit a heel off of one imp, then this part of the body disappeared in others as well. They can be found in the field, near the reservoir.
Anchutki are not afraid of people and often settle next to them. Devils know how to turn into animals and people, they love to play pranks. Often, such jokes were the cause of death among people.
The nature of the anchovy depends on its environment. The most dangerous are water jerks. They can drag a person into a swamp or river, drown.
Bathrooms and fields are considered less dangerous, they can joke, scare, but do nothing wrong.
Anchutis are afraid of salt and iron, so earlier people used to carry a pin with them all the time.
9. Mavka
So called mermaids. They are easily confused with ordinary mermaids, but this is a completely different character. Mavki - drowned girls or children who died at the hands of mothers. These creatures are people in different guises, in female or child. They are usually very beautiful.
According to some beliefs, the mavoks on the back have no skin, and all internal organs are visible. Mavki are quite harmless, but they hate those people who are to blame for their death. They are active only in the Russian week. At this time, they can be found near ponds, rivers.
Mavki are not afraid of spells and prayers, there are only two means of dealing with them - holy water and fast feet. It is enough to spray with holy water, and the creatures will disappear. You can also just run away from them. Mavki do not leave their habitat, can not go far from the water.
8. Kikimora
Kikimora is the wife of a brownie, a brownie in a female form. Kikimors settle in residential buildings. This is a small, thin creature, there are no clothes and shoes on it. Most of the time it remains invisible.
If she likes the household, she will not harm them. It can be a little naughty: to creak or knock at night. If someone from the household dislikes her, her jokes become evil and even dangerous. They know everything about people's fears and send nightmares of similar content to them.
Kikimora loves spinning while sitting in a corner. You can appease it if you wash the floor at home with tincture of fern roots. To permanently drive her out of her home, you can use a special conspiracy.
7. Ghoul
So called dead people whose soul could not calm down. Ghouls became criminals, unbaptized children, people who died an unnatural death. The European vampire is handsome and aristocratic. In ancient Russia, they looked a little different. Usually this is a half-decomposed corpse who walked through villages and villages in search of a victim. He needs human blood.
Ghouls are active at night, usually they do not develop tactics, they simply attack the victim. Apparently in Ancient Russia they were very afraid of these creatures. How else to explain such a large number of means of dealing with them? Aspen stake, garlic, were more interesting methods. At the cemetery in the evening they scattered poppy seeds, the ghouls were very fond of counting. Instead of hunting, they practiced their knowledge in mathematics.
6. Bannik
Mythical character, the owner of the bath. Could be both good and evil. He protects the bath from evil spirits. He looks like a little old man with a long beard, his clothes are replaced by leaflets from a broom. Bannik did no harm if people followed all the rules and regularly cajole him. They brought him bread, left soap and a towel, so that the banner also steamed.
Anyone who ignored the banner and violated the rules, got what he deserved. Bannik could scald with boiling water, let go of fumes, close in the bath, throw a stone. Women were especially afraid of the bathhouse; they were forbidden to visit the bathhouse alone. Again, the banner could help in solving many problems, they turned to him with requests, asked for health and wealth.
5. Mermaid
In Ancient Russia there were 4 types of these mythical creatures. We have already talked about mavki; the remaining three species differ from them in a more vicious character. What did the mermaids look like? There are many opinions on this subject. In some traditions, these are young beautiful girls, in others ugly old women.
Many represent mermaids as girls with a tail, but in ancient Russia they did not have any tail. The rags are beautiful young women who lure single men and caress them to death. Lobasta is a full woman, the eldest, manages the rest of the mermaids. Kills everyone who meets in her way. Dropsy - young girls with long hair, kind, but like to joke, people often died from these jokes.
4. Brownie
Cousin hell. It lives in apartments and houses, is friendly to people. Not afraid to live with devout people, he is not embarrassed by icons. This little old man in shabby clothes will never hurt a person if he does not harm him. On the contrary, it protects the house from the invasion of evil spirits. Likes to joke, can play tricks, often hides things.
It is customary to coax a brownie, leave him milk, bread on a silver platter. In ancient Russia, there was a rite of attracting a brownie. If the house had a tense atmosphere, many strange events took place, it was believed that there was no brownie in the house, but evil spirits settled. People performed this rite, evil spirits disappeared.
3. Water
The spirit that lives in the waters and protects ponds and lakes from outsiders. An old man with a long beard, with a tail instead of legs, green skin, fish eyes.
Vodyanoy is the oldest among all the inhabitants, and mermaids, fish, and other inhabitants of the underwater world are subordinate to him. He controls the water, the flow, creates waves. He loves to scare people with screams, interferes with fishermen.
If a person has disturbed the water body, he can drown him. If a person fell into the hands of a water man, he has no chance of salvation, in the water element he has no equal.
2. The goblin
The spirit of the forest, its keeper and master. Usually this is an old man with a beard in peasant clothes inside out. In some sources, a hairy creature resembling a huge beast.
Leshem sometimes gets bored, then he begins to play pranks. Approaches mushroom pickers, hunters, asks a question. From the response of a person depends on his life. In any case, the goblin just won't let anyone go, people stray through the forest for a long time, then the goblin lets them go or severely punishes them. Of course, this rarely happens, but it can open the door to a parallel world. Then a lost person does not have the slightest chance of returning.
Much depends on the mood of the owner of the forest. When meeting with him, you need to strip naked, and then get dressed again, while turning the clothes inside out. In some cases, prayer or math helps.
1. Baba Yaga
The most famous mythological character of the ancient Slavs. Even the smallest children are aware of its existence, thanks to Russian folk tales. She has great power, is able to transform, become a witch, ghoul or other representative of evil spirits.
Baba Yaga lives in a hut. But contrary to the prevailing opinion, her legs are not chicken, but chicken's - pillars smoked with smoke, that is, black. Everyone knows what Baba Yaga looks like - an old woman in a spacious dress.
People are better off not catching her eye, Baba Yaga is prone to cannibalism. She also is committed to leading all witches and other evil spirits, punishing and encouraging them. She also delivers human souls to the underworld.