In Slavic mythology, there are a huge number of different characters. Some of them are positive, using their incredible abilities for the benefit of humanity. However, there is evil spirits, which they tried to avoid encounters with. It is to the dark forces that the so-called Mavki belong. They will be discussed in the article.
Mavki
Mavka is an entity that is very similar in behavior to a mermaid. But they do not live in water, and also do not have a tail. Mavka is practically no different from an ordinary girl, except perhaps for one specific trait, but more on that later. Human feelings are not alien to them. You can learn a lot of interesting things about the life of these forest maidens from a work that tells about the love of an ordinary guy and the Lesnaya Song song, written by the Ukrainian writer Lesia Ukrainka. According to legends and traditions, they live in the fields and forests, as well as in the mountains. Despite the attractiveness and playful disposition that can create a harmless image, these creatures are very dangerous. Having met them, you need to be extremely careful, since the mavki are able to make their heads stupefied, lead them farther into the forest.
Where did they come from?
According to legends, mavki are ruined children's souls. Babies who have died unbaptized turn into such evil spirits. They also say that children who have been cursed by their parents, as well as stillborn babies, become mawks. But the most unenviable fate awaits those children who were abducted by the mawk during Rusal Week, which begins before the Trinity.
How do they look?
In Ukrainian mythology, mawks are evil souls that live in forest and mountainous areas. Their distinctive feature is the complete absence of skin on the back. In order not to frighten the potential victim, Mavka wears a white shirt covering his back, through which all internal organs are visible. Some sources describing the waving say that they have disproportionately small legs. Having stumbled upon the trail of a forest nymph, you might think that a child has recently passed here, since the imprint will be no more than a palm.
As a rule, it is extremely difficult to distinguish a maw in the forest from an ordinary girl. She has an attractive round face, luxurious long hair and very beautiful eyes. Beauty is the main weapon of these creatures, which usually prey on men, seducing them and leading them deep into the forest.
Where do they live?
These evil spirits live in dense forests or in mountain caves. There are retellings that describe the mountain housing of the Mavoks. In the caves where these creatures live, all the walls are hung with carpets that are woven from stolen linen. Often mavki gather on mountain pastures, where they arrange dances and dance. While they are dancing, the devil himself plays the flute.
Rumor has it that some daredevils who were looking for a place from where the sounds of the pipe and the cheerful exclamations of the maidens came, disappeared without a trace. According to legends, in order to find a place where restless souls arranged their Sabbath, it is necessary to make hoops from branches that are worn on a person until they completely close his body. Only in this disguise can you get to the insidious forest beauties.
Activity period
Mavki are creatures that are extremely negative about people. They arrange their dangerous networks all year round, in which they try to lure people. However, the peak of activity occurs in spring and summer, when forests and glades are covered with vegetation as much as possible. In some Transcarpathian villages, special festivities were even organized to appease souls that could harm living people. The period before the Trinity, as well as the feast of Ivan Kupala, is considered dangerous. Some sources claim that it is on these days that the mawks rage and make strange noises, similar to the meowing of cats. Thus, they lure people, usually men, into dense forest jungle or deep ponds to kill them.
Interaction with the world of people
There are a lot of legends and all kinds of stories, one way or another connected with the mawks. Even from fiction we can learn a lot about waving. "Forest Song" - a wonderful drama extravaganza of the Ukrainian writer - tells us about the folklore image, which is quite harmless, even shy.
However, most of the legends that have survived to this day, says the opposite. The first Mavka makes contact with a person, lures him into his possessions, and then deals with his victim. Most often they are accused of having led travelers astray, leading them deeper into the forest, where people die of thirst. And also that they drown their victims in bodies of water and swamps. In Poland, there are also legends about the tricks of the Mavka. According to the Poles, this creature is able to turn into a huge bird, which pecks a person, and then tears his flesh with sharp claws.
It is also known that a believer is less likely to encounter mawks. However, if the meeting did occur, the Mavka becomes more aggressive. She is annoyed by the presence of Christian symbolism, and she becomes unable to control her inner demons.
How to protect yourself?
As we already know, a mavka is a creature extremely aggressive towards ordinary people. Meeting her is a harbinger of great misfortune. In order to escape from an evil entity, you must have with you a regular comb for hair. According to many legends, a Mavka who appeared to a person always asks for a comb to clean his hairstyle. It is worth satisfying her request and borrow a comb. As soon as she straightens her hair and returns the scallop, throw it out. After mavka you can not comb, as the hair will immediately begin to fall out.
Also, in some villages of the Hutsul region, they believe that mavki do not tolerate the smell of garlic, wormwood and horseradish. However, many scholars of folklore cast doubt on this information; they cite multiple legends as arguments that say that mawks and mermaids, unlike other evil spirits, are practically not afraid of anything.
Can souls be laid to rest?
In Slavic tales it is said that lost souls, who found themselves in the form of witches, can be laid to rest. For this, it is necessary to perform the sacrament of baptism, which the parents did not do during the life of their child. If you have holy water with you, then you need to sprinkle it with a mawk, lamenting: "I am baptizing you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." After such a rite, the evil soul turns into an angel and goes to heaven. The most important thing is not to be afraid of the witches. Do not try to run away from them, as it is likely that in a panic you will get lost in the forest.