In the Perm region, children are afraid of hiccups, in Tatarstan – from the witch Albasta, and in Yakutia – yuers – there are legends about ghosts. And perhaps in every region of Russia they know about banniks and ghouls. Tutu service specialists told socialbites.ca about heroes of myths and fairy tales from different regions of Russia.
“The people of the Perm region know who hiccups or hiccups are. It is believed that this mythical creature lives in people, usually women. But no one has seen what it looks like: hiccups are represented as liquid, moldy, and something small, hairy. Hiccups fly into the mouth; this can happen when a person starts swearing at a party or drinks water,” experts began.
They also drew attention to Russian “vampires.”
“Our vampires are called differently: ghouls. Ghouls look completely different from Edward Cullen: they do not shiver in the sun and do not use hairspray. In villages and hamlets they believed that ghouls have red faces because they drink blood and have long claws. Only an evil sorcerer or a sinner who causes a lot of trouble to people can become a ghoul. At the same time, Dahl’s Explanatory Dictionary says that a ghoul and a werewolf are one and the same thing, a person who turns into a wolf or a Witcher at night. There is also the meaning of “bloodsucker” and the aspen stake is mentioned as an effective remedy against vampires,” they said.
As experts note, there are also ghosts in Yakutia – at least that’s what folk tales and legends say.
“Yuer is the name given to the spirit that roams among living people. Yuer usually does the same as in life: visits familiar places, visits loved ones, but usually does not wish harm to relatives. However, it can be quite harmful and often requires sacrifices with the help of a shaman. According to some beliefs, a person who was guilty during his life can be a Yuer. Usually, Yuer is invisible but can appear to people as a ghost,” explained the service experts.
They also noted that in Mordovian mythology there is a water spirit – Vedyava, usually represented in the form of a beautiful young woman with blond hair.
“According to popular belief, Vedyava can drown in the river, especially men. At first, he cries loudly and complains that his clothes have fallen to the bottom. Whoever dared to dive for Vedyava’s clothes never returned to shore. They say that Vedyava has a husband – Vedya. At the same time, Vedyava can sometimes even be beneficial and help women get pregnant; cakes are thrown into the river to gain the favor of the water spirit,” they said.
Service specialists also remembered a character from Turkic mythology: a witch with three eyes, huge claws and long, disheveled hair that stretched in all directions.
“Albasty does not always look like a woman; sometimes she can appear in the form of a tree, a cart full of hay or any other inanimate object. The witch hates dolls. But fear not; we promise that you will not find Albasta during your trip to Kazan. However, interesting excursions and excellent restaurants are definitely waiting for travelers,” added service experts.
And as a result they celebrated the banniks.
“If your itinerary includes a visit to a bathhouse, sauna or spa, you may encounter a bannik, a type of brownie. In any case, the beliefs of the Eastern Slavs say so. All troubles and failures in the bathhouse were associated with the bathhouse – you could burn yourself with boiling water, throw stones or just hit the wall and upset everyone. Don’t worry: the bannik likes to steam after midnight, so choose a different time to visit. Experts note that a piece of salty or soapy bread will help to calm the bannik.
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