Abstract
Among the literary female characters to be found in Bolesław Leśmian’s writing, there are dzwiożonas – swamp or forest demons from the Slavic mythology, known as malicious and dangerous creatures that kidnapped babies just after they were born and replaced them with her own children. They were often portrayed as wild women with long, straight hair and breasts so huge that they could use them to wash their clothes. A survey of selected literary texts from the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century by Polish (Seweryn Goszczyński, Michał Bałucki, Miron [Aleksander Michaux], Maria Konopnicka, Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer, Wiktor Gomulicki), Czech (Karel Jaromír Erben) and Russian (Konstantin Balmont) writers, shows how the representation of such female demons evolved and provides a frame of reference for Bolesław Leśmian’s portrayal of analogous characters in his poem Dziwożona and in prose work Podlasiak from the volume entitled Klechdy polskie.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
