RUSALKA

Rusalka is a mystical water nymph that typically lives in smaller bodies of water like lakes, rivers and ponds. Rusalki are often depicted as beautiful young women with long, flowing hair: they are both alluring and dangerous, akin to sirens. They are believed to be the vengeful spirits of women and girls who died tragic deaths. In some regions, it was believed that children who died young turned into Rusalki. This is perhaps the reason why these water spirits are portrayed as more mischievous that evil. In most depictions, Rusalki walk around naked or wearing loose white linen shirts, and their hair is either blonde or green. They are often adorned with pearl jewellery and crowns made of reeds and sea-grass.

Depending on the region where the folk tales come from, Rusalka can take on many appearances. Some people believed them to look very human, while others said that a Rusalka has seethrough skin and gills on her neck. In southern regions, these water spirits were harmless, but in the tales from further up north, the spirits were described as malicious and vengeful beings. They were depicted as ugly women with shaggy tangled hair, big bellies, long sharp claws and hunchbacks. In these sinister tales, Rusalki are no longer young delicate girls, but older women with disproportionately large breasts, and they are known for luring travellers into large bodies of water to drown them. In most of the folk-tales, Rusalki are depicted with loose hair – unlike most women during the height of Slavic paganism, who would wear braids and adorn their head with a special scarf (“kosynka”) or an ornate headpiece called “kokoshnik”. Although a Rusalka would most often appear naked, sometimes they were said to wear dresses called “sarafans” and flower wreaths. In some tales, these mischievous spirits would passionately desire to dress themselves in human clothing, which prompted them to steal spun yarn and thread from houses at night, and attempt to fashion their own garments out of it.

Rusalki are nocturnal creatures, and they can be often seen sitting in big groups on the shore of a lake or a river-bed, braiding each other’s hair, singing folk songs and dancing in circles under the pale moonlight. These beings are carefree and childlike in nature, and most of all they want to indulge in activities that ordinary human girls do. They venture into the forest on the day of “Trinity”, and spend the week swinging in tree branches, racing each other along lake shores, rolling around in grass and singing joyfully. Rusalki are known for their distinctive gleeful laughter, and one of their beloved yet sinister pastimes is tickling people to death.

It is also notable that Rusalki are rarely seen alone, they exist in “packs”, so to say. They can also have husbands – mostly other water spirits like Vodyanoy, the ruler of swamps. In some tales, a Rusalka can instead be married to a Leshy, or even a man she has previously tickled to death. Upon spotting a handsome man passing by their realm, Rusalka would surround him with laughter, tear his clothes to shreds, and then grab him under his arms and tickle him until he faints.

Afterword

Slavic folklore is still alive, bridging the past and the present, and connecting people with their ancestors. You can trace the old customs in modern day households, especially through superstitions like not whistling indoors to ward off evil spirits, spitting over the left shoulder and knocking on wood three times to prevent jinxing, or hanging a horseshoe above a doorway for luck.

The folk-tales and their characters have survived thousands of years, and the lessons they teach us are especially relevant today, with the environmental concerns at their peak. Through the story of Leshy, new generations learn to respect all natural elements and beings, helping preserve the beauty of the forest. Tales of Baba Yaga inspire us to go to our elders for life advice and an abundance of wisdom. Water deities like Rusalki highlight the importance of clean and healthy water.

The emphasis on preserving harmony between people and the environment –and the sacredness of all life – are aligned with modern environmental values, and promote a more sustainable approach to our ecological well-being. We must protect our world and always remember the important lessons these folklore beings teach. After all, you never know who is lurking in the woods...