SLAVIC MYTHICAL CREATURES
FIREBIRD
Firebird
The Firebird’s plumage is a magical substance from Slavic mythology that is said to have the ability to grant great power and strength to those who possess it. It is said to be made of the feathers of the Firebird, and is often associated with the sun and fire.
Tales
If you were brave enough to catch this mesmerizing creature, you would have equal chances of being gifted with the greatest luck or dying in the most terrible way imaginable.
Firebird is a heaven- ly bird lit by glowing fires coming down to Earth from the heavens. It could be the biggest blessing or the most danger- ous threat. Its power lies in each of its magical feathers, which are golden since the gold color indicates wealth and magical powers.
The majestic flames this bird brings, which shine so bright that they light up everything surrounding it, signifying a beginning of a long and uneasy journey.
The bird is described as a crea- ture whose body is made of gold and whoselookeyes like precious stones.
KOSCHEI THE IMMOR TAL
His soul is hidden inside a needle, which is inside an egg, which is inside a duck, which is inside a hare, which is inside an iron chest. The only way to kill him is to find and destroy the needle.
He is often portrayed as a sorcerer whose main power is frosting. His intentions are not good, his mind is wicked, and he sometimes has the ability to turn individual creatures or even the entire kingdoms into ice.
Ugly, bony, immortal, and evil, Koschei the Immortal is the ar- chetypal male antagonist and probably one of the scariest characters in Eastern Slavic folklore.
He’s known as a cunning womanizer, who seduces young girls. Sometimes he even uses magic or force to win their love. When he fails, he curses the girls and turns them into animals, plants, or stones.
This is an evil sorcerer who has the ability to cheat death.
Koschei the Immortal
BABA YAgA
Baba Yaga
This creature is a witch that lives in the forest. She rides a mortar or a broom and has a pestle and does nasty and evil things to humans.
Little children find Baba Yaga as a very unpleasant character so grownups use it to scare them off.
Her house is quite unsettling, standing on chicken-leg stilts and capable of moving around on its own. Even though the character of Baba Yaga is exceptionally creepy, she is not entirely evil. For those lucky few who face her and manage to outmaneuver her, thus earning her respect, she’ll be very happy to help.
Baba Yaga lives deep in the forest in a house on chick- en legs and she chases, scares and eats people, es- pecially children.
KiKimoRa
Kikimora
Kikimora is a female house spirit in Slavic mythology who can either be a “good” or “bad” spirit depend- ing on the behavior of the homeowner.
Kikimora is imagined as liv- ing in the house, behind the stove in the kitchen or in the cellar and one would usually notice her presence in the form of sounds made by a nibbling mouse.
It was believed that the Kikimora enters through the keyhole, sits on your chest while you sleep and tries to strangle you.
She was described as a very scary, ugly hunchbacked woman who is wearing clothes made of moss and grass. People believed that she scares people, leads travelers astray or takes away children.
In Slavic mythology, they are stunning but de- monized creatures, with beauty so unique that it’s beyond mortal’s imagi- nation, who come from women who drowned before they got married.
vila
Vila
These are the ghosts of young women who drowned. They are gor- geous and naked or dressed in a transparent silver robe, with green, long, silky hair like water grass, fair skin and often wore a floral wreath on the head.
They lured men by charming them with their beauty and then drowned them in a lake or river. In some tales they dance with men until they burn out and die.
Another important characteristic was their ability to shapeshift into animals such as snakes, wolves, swans, horses or falcons.
vodyanoi
Vodyanoi
This creature is a water spirit that lives in rivers and lakes. It has green hair and a froglike face. It is known to drown people and cause floods.
The vodyanoy is essentially an evil and vindictive spirit whose favourite sport is drowning humans. Anyone bathing after sunset, on a holy day, or without having first made the sign of the cross risks being sucked into the water by the vodyanoy. He can assume many different forms that enable him to deceive and trap his victims. The vodyanoy lives alone in his particular body of water and is known to favour rivers with strong currents and swamps.
When in a village, Vody- anoi assumes the form of a human being, though his true nature is revealed by the water which oozes from the left side of his coat, and the spot on which he sits instantly becomes wet.
Upon arriving in Australia, I was impressed by the remarkable diversity embedded within its culture. Engaging in this endeavour, my intent was to actively contribute to and share fascinating stories that have captivated my imagination.
Ivan Mishin 2023
