Mavkas are conceived as souls (from Old Slavic *navь, 'the dead') of girls who died prematurely, unnaturally, or without Christian baptism. In this folkloric framework an unchristened infant who dies and is not ritually sent to heaven can become a mavka; tradition holds that during Pentecost a person may 'throw up a kerchief, say their name and add "I baptise you"' to rescue such a soul so it will go to heaven rather than remain and take the form of a mavka. If the soul remains earthbound up to a certain age (reported in sources as up to seven years) it may transform into a mavka and haunt the wild places.
Typically depicted as long-haired, beautiful young women who wear flowers in their hair. They are described as having no reflection in water and casting no shadow. A closely related subtype, the nyavka, is distinguished in some accounts by having 'no back'—their spine and some internal organs visible from behind—whereas the standard mavka is not described with that visible-insides trait.
Folklore attributes seduction and lethal allure to mavkas: some accounts describe them enticing young men into woods or mountains and 'tickling' them to death. At the same time, other local traditions portray them as ambivalent helpers who look after cattle, drive off predators, and engage in domestic crafts—living in groups, decorating dwellings with rugs, stealing flax to spin thread, and weaving thin transparent cloth for their garments. They also gather for spring games, dances, and orgies at Pentecost (Navka's Easter), accompanied by a demon playing a flute or pipes.
Weaknesses
- ritualKerchief Pentecost baptismal invocation
Wards
- ritualThrowing up a kerchief and saying the child's name with 'I baptise you' during Pentecost
Adže / Adze
No folkloric entity named 'Adže' is documented in the provided sources. The string appears in heterogeneous, non-folkloric contexts (a Bosnian village name, an English woodworking tool entry, a performer pen name, a CIA document fragment) and one modern podcast episode list that mentions 'the Adze' among other vampire-like beings; none of these supply an ethnographic description of a supernatural being called 'Adže'.
Ala
A female weather-being in South Slavic folk cosmology (Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia) associated with hail, destructive storms, and voracious appetite; she is said to lead hail-producing clouds to destroy crops and is sometimes blamed for eclipses by attempting to devour the Sun or Moon.
Alatyr
A sacred world-stone in East Slavic and wider Slavic folklore, described as the "father to all stones" and the "navel of the earth." Located at the world's center (often on Buyan island), it is associated with a miraculous spring, sacred letters, healing properties, and liminality between the human world and other realms.
Alkonost
The Alkonost is a legendary woman-headed bird of East Slavic folklore, depicted as an individual mythic avian figure who lives in the underworld alongside her counterpart Sirin. Her song enchants listeners into forgetfulness or bliss, she is said to bless fruit during the Apple Feast of the Saviour, and her reproductive actions are causally linked in lore to sudden storms at sea.
Alyosha Popovich
Alyosha Popovich (Алёша Попович / Олешко Попович) is a named human hero (bogatyr) of the East Slavic byliny tradition, remembered as the youngest member of the canonical trio of Kievan Rus' warriors. He is chiefly characterized by slyness, mockery, and trickery, and defeats foes by craft often aided by pious petition rather than mere brute strength.
Andrew the Apostle
Andrew the Apostle (Greek Ἀνδρέας, Latin Andreas) is one of the Twelve Apostles in the New Testament, a fisherman from Bethsaida, the brother of Simon Peter, described as the “first-called” who introduced others to Jesus. Post-biblical traditions depict him as an early missionary and founder of Christian communities (notably claims of missions to Thrace, Scythia, and founding the see of Byzantium) and as a martyr crucified at Patras.
Aq Bars
Aq Bars (Tatar: Ак Барс, 'White Leopard') is an ancient Bulgar tribal totem and heraldic emblem historically used in Volga Bulgaria and the Khanate of Kazan and adopted in the modern era as the official symbol of the Republic of Tatarstan (formally since 7 February 1992). It functions as a dynastic/tribal mark of identity (derived from the Barsil tribe) and as a political-state emblem rather than a personal supernatural being.
August curse
A modern cultural concept in Russia describing a perceived clustering of severe disasters, attacks, and adverse events during the month of August. Treated in sources as an explanatory frame combining statistical observation, seasonal and political factors, and occasional astrological or supernatural interpretation.
Azovka (Azov Girl)
Azovka, often called the Azov Girl in English summaries, is a female supernatural figure named in Pavel Bazhov’s Ural skaz tale "Beloved Name." The supplied sources identify her as a character from Ural-region folklore as represented in Bazhov’s miners’ tales but provide no detailed description or independent folkloric tradition beyond that tale reference.
Baba Marta
Baba Marta (Bulgarian: Баба Марта, 'Granny March') is a Bulgarian folkloric personification of the transition from winter to spring. Celebrated on March 1, she is pictured as a feisty grandmother whose mood is said to affect late-winter weather; communal customs (martenitsi) exchanged on her day symbolize health and good fortune.
Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga is an ambivalent female figure of East Slavic folktale tradition, depicted variously as a fearsome, child-eating crone or as a helpful, maternal donor. She is associated with the deep forest, a hut described as standing on chicken legs, and the motific accoutrements of a mortar and pestle.
Babay (Slavic folklore)
A Slavic night spirit that abducts misbehaving children who stay awake at night, embodying societal values of discipline and conformity. (Note: 1. Power tier: Given the ability to abduct and punish misbehaving children, Babay's power level should be at least Greater Spirit. 2. Appearance: Since no physical description is provided in the sourc)
Community Record
- [1]Mavka (Wikipedia). Wikipedia — 'Mavka' entry (summary and cited folkloric motifs)wiki
- [2]Mavka (Wikidata). Wikidata item for Mavka (identifier and short description)wiki
- [3]Shadows of archival and modern adaptations (film, literature, games) — assorted archive and media pages. Archive.org and related pages documenting modern cultural uses and adaptations (film trailers, game references, band page summaries) as cited in research notesother