Folk demonology of Podlasie (based on own materials)

Abstract

The article publishes field material on the folk demonology of Podlasie, collected by the author in 1990, 1993, and 2017. Mythological characters are described with functions typical for the spirits of the house and barn: weasel as the patron of cattle, “zmora”, braiding the mane of horses and strangling the sleeping ones. The brownie demon-enricher has a number of similarities with the West Slavic flying fiery serpent. The territory of Podlasie is the western periphery of the East Slavic distribution area of rusalky and the southern periphery of the distribution area of Lithuanian “laumė” (“loima” in Podlasie). Rusalky, in addition to their typical properties (appearance in a rye field etc.), sometimes combine the signs of other characters – they mix with Lady Midday, with weasel, sirens (half-maiden-half-fish), are identified with the grasshopper and flashing lights. The demon that makes a person go astray is known as “blud”, which is characteristic of this character in the folk tradition of Western Ukrainians, Poles and other Western Slavs. The water spirit (“vodyanoy”) is almost unknown, it was mainly used to frighten only children. Many beliefs are associated with death and the souls of the dead: the souls of unbaptized children, the walking dead (vampire), the image of death. Tales and beliefs about witches and sorcerers are widespread, especially stories about stealing milk from other people’s cows. Beliefs about werewolfes, double-hearted aliens, sorcerers who drive away clouds and a single mention of a cloud-ruler demon are recorded. The devil appears both in the anthropomorphic form of a gentleman in a black hat, and in the zoomorphic form of a dog or a black ram. Some characters are found only in verbal formulas that are used to scare children.