Recently I read a funny statement about the difference between evil spirits from Slavic and European folklore. The essence of the thought was that our mythical creatures are good, and the "imported" ones are evil. Our people help around the house, they protect the harvest, and look after the cattle. And if a terrible neighbor comes across, then shy at him, stomp, kick the horns, he will run away without looking back. And the heroes of European fairy tales, all evil: leprechauns are ready to kill for gold, vampires drink blood at night, trolls just get into a fight right away …
Who, according to the Slavs, lived in the forest and in the river? Goblin, kikimora, mermaids.
If you look at it, the goblin is not at all a mischievous guy, the main thing is not to enter his territory and not disturb the peace. Swamp kikimora is, in fact, not a bad creature. Scary in appearance, but harmless. It will not cause much harm, it scares a little with wild cries and squeals.
But mermaids are worth mentioning separately. In appearance, feeble and fragile - these water inhabitants are the most dangerous. Our ancestors believed that drowned girls or children who accidentally died in the water become mermaids. Their souls cannot calm down and prowl the earth in search of new victims. If the kikimor and the goblin were not afraid, then the mermaids were seriously feared. It was believed that with their gentle voices they call people to the water, and then drag them to the bottom. The habitat of aquatic maidens has traditionally been quiet, but treacherous rivers, with pools, whirlpools and underwater currents. Most often, people died in such places precisely because of the bottom topography, entangled in mud, or burned by icy water from the bottom. But popular rumor attributed such death to the intrigues of mermaids.
The image of water maidens is not only among the Slavs. In European mythology, it is not less common than ours.
Most often, the water maiden is depicted with long flowing hair, in a sundress, less often - naked.
Is the mermaid beautiful? Researchers of Russian folklore give different and contradictory answers to this question. Some peoples considered river dwellers attractive, others, on the contrary, described them as sheer monsters. By the way, the widespread type of woman with a tail is relatively new, it appeared thanks to the imagination of writers, and not to oral folk art. The fish tail was most often decorated with the sea mermaid.
The water girl who lives in the rivers of Europe is called undine. Her image is often fanned by the romance of unhappy love. She does not harm anyone, but only sheds tears for lost happiness. But this interpretation is also more like a literary adaptation than folk art. Ordinary people, regardless of where they live, are rude, straightforward, superstitious and shy. Most likely, the book image sung by poets and writers differs significantly from the original source. So the creepy monster with green hair turned into an elegant, sad diva sitting on the bank of a stream. Agree that purely aesthetically, this type is much more attractive.
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Another interesting point: there are good mermaids, they were called "devil", and there are - evil. The former will not harm the traveler, but will make fun of his fright. The second are insidious: they can drown, drag the gaping bather to the bottom.
To be honest, I only encountered a mermaid once. I often fought with the brownie, yes. On the devil screaming and stamping feet - that was. And mermaids are secretive creatures, in my opinion. Maybe, of course, the point is that they are more specialized in men, women are unnecessary for them. Or maybe it’s the fact that you don’t take a walk in the current waters. Well, where to find, tell me, a quiet pool or a secluded place ?! The fact of the matter is that there are practically no reserved places and paths where a mermaid could wander or a goblin rustle with deadwood. Civilization drives them out of the forests that surround the big cities. Every weekend, hundreds of hikers, cyclists, canoeists and other outdoor enthusiasts storm the neighborhood in search of adventure and fresh air. Mermaids and goblin are crawling further and further into the depths of the country,They sigh heavily and remember the old days when it was quiet and calm. But indeed, they are harmless. Other characters in their place would long ago have raised a riot, frightened the city guests with loud laughter, tickled, grabbed by the heels and pulled into the pool.
But, as I said, during all our travels with a tent, I happened to see something that vaguely resembles a mythological water creature. This happened around the end of August, on the full moon. The sand spit was empty, there were no vacationers except us because of a weekday. My husband and I were on vacation and enjoyed the weather and a whole week without parking neighbors. Taking advantage of the moment, I decided to swim naked. She walked away from the fire, quickly took off her clothes and padded to the shore, quietly scolding pine cones, painfully stabbing heels. The husband giggled after something like, we are waiting for magical transformations, because the full moon. This is your true essence and manifests itself.
In order not to break my neck on a steep descent, I first sat down on the edge of the cliff, dangled my legs and was ready to start my journey, when I suddenly saw a silhouette in the moonlit path on the water. He slid without making any noise or splashing. At first I thought I was mistaken, well, I saw it, it happens. But, no, a woman, or whoever it was, was cutting the waterway downstream. I blinked, but the vision did not disappear. There was no fear, only curiosity overcame me at that moment, so I began to quietly go downstairs. The woman froze, at some point it seemed to me that she was standing in the water and looking in my direction. The vision did not last long and was savagely smashed to smithereens by my dog. A furry torpedo stomped down the slope, nearly knocking me off my feet. With acceleration, it flew into the water and whirled in place. The figure, woven of moonlight and water, instantly disappeared.
I didn't know whether to be happy about this turn of events or to be sad. On the one hand, I really wanted to take a closer look at the mysterious swimmer. On the other hand, meetings with mermaids, according to popular belief, do not end well. Moreover, for such infidels as me!
So she didn't scold the dog for unauthorized bathing, because, in fact, she saved an overly curious mistress from trouble!