Slavic
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Urokljivac
The Urokljivac is a mythical creature from Serbian Slavic mythology. The name translates to “Hex Man” and they are believed to be people who could cast evil magic from their eyes. They often do not know what they’re doing, naturally having those abilities or becoming that way through envy. They cast curses that could lead to misfortune, illness, or death, with the victims often being beautiful, rich, or children. Effects of the curse could be stopped by tying red thread around the wrist and wearing torn clothes or socks of different colors. They could also be stopped by amulets or religious symbols. Citations: Zlatic, Vladimir. Slavic Mythology: Demons in Serbian…
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Rusalka/Rusalki
The Rusalka is a form of Slavic myths of Russia. They’re amphibious creatures thought to be the tortured souls of unbaptized children, babies downed by unmarried mothers, drowned virgins, and those who committed suicide out of heartbreak. They live at the bottom of lakes and can come to the surface and turn into humans by taking human clothes. They have legs on land, but only a fishtail in water. Some stories say the Rusalka lure in human men to bring them to an underwater palace but the men usually drown. Some stories have the Rusalka carry off men to a magical location to seduce and keep young forever with magic,…
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Zduhać/Aloviti/Vjedogonja/Wind Chasers/Cloud Chaser/Hail Defender/Fairy Man/Dragon Man
The Zduhać are mythical figures from Slavic myth. They are described as people capable of protecting people, homes, and entire villages from rain and hail. They are often thought of as mythical creatures, like dragons or fairies, but in human form. Sometimes they were seen as prophets and connected to angels and saints. They are generally seen as heroic figures that look entirely human, though often melancholic, thoughtful, strong, resourceful, and resilient. A Zduhać could be detected from birth if they were born with the caul still on their head, and they would also often have an affinity to crows. Some believed however that a Zduhać could only be born…
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Vodnik/Vodyanoi/Vodyanoy
The Vodnik is a creature from Slavic mythology. They are sometimes thought to be the ghost of a drowned child and they may take the form of a living child to lure other children in to meet the same fate. When the child approaches the deep or rapidly moving water, the Vodnik holds them down and drowns them. They may also take the form of a fish, a fish/human hybrid, a coin in the water, a floating log, a large fish, a fiery-eyed monster, a human-faced seal, a giant frog, or an old man with green hair and beard. They lurk at the bottom of bodies of water and drag…
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Vjestitiza/Veshtica
The Vjestitiza is a vampiric witch from Slavic myth in Montenegro and Serbia. They appear as old women, but may take the form of a blue ball of light. They can be recognized by facial hair, sharp teeth, and prominent bones. They use magic with a wand and may grow bat wings after becoming Vjestitiza. They prey on children and cannot attack the elderly. They can shape shift into various animals such as hens, flies, and black moths. They often hunt alone and may form covens. They drink blood and may rip out their victims hearts. After taking the heart and liver from a victim, they can schedule when and…
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Psoglav
The Psoglav comes from Slavic myth. Its name translates to “doghead.” They are considered a demonic creature with a human body, horse legs, a dog head, razor sharp teeth, and a single eye in the middle of their foreheads. They are opportunistic hunters, and may dig up graves to eat corpses. They are thought to live in gemstone mines from Bosnia and Montenegro. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Milosnice/Merciful
The Milosnice is a creature of Slavic belief specifically from Serbia. They are thought to be invisible beings that bring disease. Though often invisible, they sometimes take the form of women dressed all in black. They may work alone but have also been known to work in groups to cause even worse disease. In some places it was believed they possessed people to cause illness while other times they spread disease by poisoning food or the air. It was often believed that every Milosnice carried one specific disease that they spread. If an outbreak began, the Milosnice responsible could be stopped by lighting fires at crossroads and the entrances to…
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Leshy/Lechies (plural)/Leshouikha (male)/Lešak/Leshak/Leshii/Leshiy/Lesiy/Lesní Mužik/Lesnik/Lesny Mužik/Lesny Ded/Lesovij/Lesovik/Lesovy/Lesun/Lešy/Leszi/Leszy
The Leshy is a creature from Slavic myth. They have been classified as nature spirits and old gods and were named as demons in the Dictionaire Infernale. The name Leshy translates to “forest.” They were often compared to Satyrs having goat ears, beards, and horns. They live in forests and are known to run through their woodland homes. They can grow to the height of tall trees or shrink themselves down to the size of a blade of grass. They are thought to have a cry like a Banshee and can imitate voices to lure humans to their cave homes. When they lure in humans, the Leshy will tickle them…
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Baba Roga/Babaroga
Baba Roga is a Slavic creature from Serbia. She resembles a hunched, ugly, toothless, old woman with a horn in the middle of her head. She hides in dark places and only comes out at night. She scares bad children and takes them back to her lair. She functions as a bogeyman figure. Her name roughly translates to “horned grandma.” Citations: Zlatic, Vladimir. Slavic Mythology: Demons in Serbian Folklore. N.P., Amazon Digital Services LLC – KDP Print US, 2021.
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Baba
Baba is a mythical figure from Slavic myth. The name Baba generally translates to “old woman” or “grandmother.” She was sometimes revered as a goddess of death and regeneration, with Baba sometimes relating to the concept of the mother goddess. Over time she was viewed more as a witch, and her status as a deity was removed likely due to Christianization. As her witch-like features were emphasized, she became a more monstrous figure. She gradually went from a general Fae-like being to those synonymous with hags. Sometimes she would be used as a bogeyman figure. She was depicted either as a beautiful maiden or an ugly hag. The hag aspect…
