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.