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Rusalka
The spirits of young women who died violently near water. They lure men with their beauty and song, then drag them to watery graves. The Rusalka cannot rest until avenged.
Ancient - Present
Russia and Slavic Countries
1000+ witnesses
Rusalki are water spirits from Slavic mythology, often the ghosts of young women who died untimely deaths.
The Legend
According to documented folklore:
Rusalki are:
- Spirits of drowned women
- Or those who died before marriage
- Living in lakes and rivers
- Luring men to their deaths
- Most active in summer
Origin
A woman becomes Rusalka through:
- Drowning
- Dying unwed
- Suicide over lost love
- Being murdered near water
- Dying during Rusalka Week
Description
Rusalki appear as:
- Beautiful young women
- Pale with long hair
- Often naked or in white
- Green hair in some versions
- Cold to the touch
Behavior
Rusalki:
- Sing enchanting songs
- Dance in moonlit meadows
- Lure men into water
- Drown or tickle them to death
- Cannot travel far from water
Rusalka Week
In early summer:
- Rusalki leave the water
- They dance in fields
- Sitting in trees
- More dangerous than usual
- Avoid water during this time
Release
A Rusalka can find peace if:
- Her death is avenged
- She receives proper burial rites
- Someone mourns her properly
- Her murder is solved