Rusalki and the water man

Rusalki were dangerous female water beings, especially active during Rusalka Week. They were said to lure people with song, seize them, and tickle them to death. White clothing, wreaths, and encounters away from home belonged to their imagery; the sign of the cross was a protection against them. One local tale even tells of a rusalka who, after receiving baptism, could live among people and marry.

Read full article: Folk Demonology of Kozelsk Peasants. Part 2 →