Slavic Forest Spirits
(Encouraged by posts of slavicafire and darkkres about our deities and folklore in general I decided to add few bits to Slavic part of Tumblr. Thanks also for akwasteland-9092 for keeping up with me during progress :))
I hear her voice/Calling my name
The sound is deep/In the dark
I hear her voice/And start to run
Into the trees
Into the trees
The Cure, âA Forestâ
For our ancestors, a forest* had ambivalent character: on the one hand it provided food and wood for winter on the other - it was a place where dangerous animals lured and the village rouges (pol. zbĂłjcy) hid in their shelters. Treacherous especially after sunset no wonder the forest became a perfect habitat for âpersonasâ like Blueberry Woman (pol. jagodowa baba) who captured children and strangled them, Forest Rusalkas (pol. leĹne rusaĹki), lurking young men and tickling them to death, cannibalistic Wild Folks (pol. dzicy ludzie) or many others.
Blueberry Woman (illustration by P. Zych)
Although forest spirits might have been helpful for people, it was better not to mess with them. One of the most well-known demons who dwelt in the woods was Leshy (pl. Lesz, Leszy, Leszyj, rus. ĐĐľĚŃиК). Half-man, half-goat he could change his height adjusting to the grass or trees. Collin de Plancy in his Infernal Dictionary depicted him as a Russian version of Greek satyr - at least, only visually. Making mocking and threatening sounds he misguided travelers or led them to his cave (where they never came back from, of course). According to The Great Book of Polish Demons, the Polish version of this demon had a positive character: it was believed that Leszy was one of the departed souls who came back to watch over alive kinsmen.
Another Polish demon was He-of-the-forest (pol. borowy, borowiec, gajowy, lasowy, leĹnik, leĹny dziad). For W. Vargas and P. Zych in The Slavic Bestiary he is equal to Leshy. He was a tall, elderly man with a face covered with branches, while in other source his appearance didnât very often vary from a typical looking man (mostly he wore a forest ranger uniform and carried a gun or thick staff). Records say that his approach towards people was rather malicious (leading travelers astray, abducting young women and forcing them to become his wives, playing pranks on children), but not everytime: if he was in a benevolent mood he appreciated and helped them who took care of the forest, could guide lost children home and - as a demon who reigned a forest fauna - protected villagers and hunters from wolves or bears. Â
As good as water spirits in shape shifting, forest demons could be seen in the guise of woodland animal; in most cases it was deer or hind. There are legends about Lejin (in the Land of WieluĹ itâs a local name for a stag) who led travelers to the moors or tried to pull them into mud (if it was a hind, after she had led man off path, she metamorphosed into beautiful girl). He also attacked children who were picking blueberries or mushrooms up with his antlers.
Those who were wandering through the forest during night had to be vigilant not to cross the path with Forest Rider (pol. leĹny jeĹşdziec) who galloped surrounded by the pack of dogs. It was a repenting soul of a severe feudal lord. Ethnologists assume that that was Polish version of German popular folklore motif, Die Wilde Jagd, The Wild Hunt (pol. dziki gon). Against this idea is the fact that this legend had been repeating in places where a German influences were very weak. Â
Demonic being, inextricably linked with forest, was Baba Yaga* (pol. Baba Jaga, JÄdza). She lived at the heart of the woods in the hut standing on chicken leg. Folk believers pictured her as one of the most sinister demons. Insatiable to human blood, she could devour not only children (firstly she tempted them with sweets then kidnapped and fattened) but adults too (her âfavourite preysâ were young boys and girls). It was said that Baba Yaga had horribly ugly look and forest animals were obedient to her. In many areas of Poland (and other Slavic countries) she and the witch - the Christian image of a witch as a Devilâs conspirator, a picture imported from the West - later became a one in common consciousness.
Talking about Polish forest spirits, one cannot forget to mention Boruta Devil (pol. DiabeĹ Boruta - there were a loads of variants of this demon, such as Boruta the Fire-Glimmer, Boruta Ognik, Boruta the Strongman, Boruta SiĹacz, Castle Boruta, Boruta Zamkowy etc.). This one is quite interesting example, because - due to the local nineteenth-century literature - he became âglamorizedâ, rose his status in native demonic society from forest, country spirit to noble, upper class demon. His name was derived from Berut who was a popular woodland being in marshy areas of ĹÄczyca in pre-Christian times. In villagersâ eyes he could look like a dog, an owl, cat, horse, ram, a typical man, a nobleman, a devil with horns; a man dressed âlike a Germanâ. After christianization he was a ghost of a wealthy, vain and proud cruel feudal lord who had no mercy for peasants, disobeyed the king and who still worshiped pagan gods in secret; they believed that he became governor of the minor devils in hell and a great lord of all Polish devils. Legend said that he guarded treasures hid in dungeons of Castle in ĹÄczyca. It could be said that presence of Boruta in Polish folklore created a specific group of demons, which is called Noble Demons (pol. diabĹy szlacheckie, diabĹy kontuszowe - âkontuszâ was a garment wore by noblemen in Poland in the past). Although quite unique, B. Baranowski in his book In the circle of ghouls and werewolves regretted that Berut had been stylized into Boruta, because in this way he lost his primeval, demonic features.
* In one book I found an information that Slavs linked forest with otherworld  - but because I couldnât find any confirmation in other literature - they mentioned Wyraj and Niwa, paradise and underworld, situated behind a great river or deep into earth - my approach was rather skeptical. But if you guys find any more reliable info about woods and theirs connection with  dead, feel freely to add some explanation :)
* Being a very complex figure, Baba Yaga deserves an individual post. But here I tried to show only how she was portrayed in folklore tales - digging into her primeval image as a Goddess, Mother Nature was not my intention.
Sources: B. Baranowski, W krÄgu upiorĂłw i wilkoĹakĂłw, B. i A. PodgĂłrscy Wielka KsiÄga DemonĂłw Polskich. Leksykon i antologia demonologii ludowej, C. de Plancy, Infernal Dictionary, P. Zych i W. Vargas Bestiariusz sĹowiaĹski, J. GĹosik W krÄgu Ĺwiatowita.
Illustrations: Blueberry Woman - P. Zych; Leshy (from the clockwise) - mine, F. Giraud, M. L. Breton, unknown; He-of-the-forest - P. Zych, Baba Yaga - W. Vargas; Boruta Devil - M. Andriolli.
