Leshy is a tutelary deity of the forest in pagan Slavic mythology. As Leshy rules over the forest and hunting, he may be related to the Slavic god Porewit.
Leshy often appears as a masculine humanoid, and possesses an ability to disguise himself as any person, including changing in size and stature. In some accounts, Leshy is described as having a wife (Leshachikha, Leszachka, Lesovikha, and sometimes the Kikimora of the swamp) and children (leshonki, leszonky).
Leshy is known to misguide wanderers and abduct young ones, traits he shares with the notorious Chort, the "Black One" or "Devil", thus leading some to perceive him as a malevolent entity. Leshy's attitude towards humans can vary, depending on how they interact with the forest and their overall behavior. Leshy is said to possess the power to whisk away children who were mistreated by their kin, especially their parents, to the ethereal realm of forest-dwelling folk. In this way, Leshy is also often considered to be temperamental, with a similar disposition to that of a fairy.
Names and etymology
The word Leshy and its most common variants are derived from the Common Slavic root *lěsъ, meaning "forest" or "woodland", combined with various suffixes. Thus, the name literally translates to "[he] from the forest" or "woodland one".
Leshy is known by a variety of names and spellings, primarily reflecting the specific type of forest he inhabits.
Main name variations: Borovoy (, ) "[one] of the pine barrens" Gayevoy (, ) "[one] of the grove" Leshak (, ) Leshy (, , , ) "[one] of the deciduous forests" Lesnik (, , , ) Lesovik (, , , ) Lesovoy (, ) Lesun (, , )
Appearance
The depiction of Leshy in Russian folklore reflects his supernatural essence and his strong bond with the forest. Being the embodiment of the forest, he can manifest in various forms associated with it. Leshy is a multifaceted entity, a fusion of different elements: animal, plant, human, whirlwind, and formless spirit. In his stories, Leshy may not be explicitly described, as his form is often elusive, and the storyteller may even fear the consequences of vividly depicting such an "unclean force" (something from the Otherworld, beyond the limits of ordered reality).
In ancient tales, Leshy is depicted as a phytoanthropomorphic being (part plant, part human), with a distinct leaning towards either human or plant-like characteristics. He is often portrayed as a plant, such as a revered tree (a pine, spruce, birch, oak, or aspen), a bush, a stump, a leaf, or even a mushroom. Leshy may also take on a more human form with woodland traits, such as long, tangled green hair resembling tree branches, a beard made of lichen, and clothing and skin the color and texture of bark. In some cases, the plant-like features are reduced to accessories, such as a club or wand, a green beard, or green eyes and clothing. Leshy is said to possess the ability to whip humans with twigs, create noise and humming sounds, and even cause trees to split. In certain tales, Leshy is seen as the embodiment of the entire forest, filling his whole wood with his presence.
In the realm of folklore, Leshy assumes myriad forms, some of which are zooanthropomorphic creatures. He may take on the forms of wild and domestic animals, such as: bears, wolves, owls, demonic hares, frogs, crows, magpies, dogs, black cats, horses, and black goats. Leshy is also portrayed as a half-man half-goat, with black fur covering his body, small curved horns, hooves, long hair and a beard. Alternatively, he can appear as a human with animalistic features, including thick hair, animal pelts as clothes, claws, hooves, a tail, and wings. Leshy is often accompanied by an animal companion, such as a black dog or a small black goat.
Today, the dominant perception of Leshy is more anthropomorphic. He can vary in size from a giant to an average-sized man. Leshy is typically depicted with long, disheveled or thinning hair in shades of gray, green, or red and a matching beard. At times, he is imagined with a face as white as birch bark. His eyes can be green, unnaturally pale, white, lead-blue, brilliant, or dull, and they may appear bulging or fixed, with the right eye often larger than the left, or both larger than human eyes. Leshy may lack eyebrows and eyelashes, although he may also have bushy eyebrows. He is sometimes described as missing a nostril, right ear, or one eye, and may have a limp. According to some beliefs, Leshy has an upward-pointing head. In certain depictions, he is said to have blue blood, resulting in blue skin. Leshy is often characterized by a desire to conceal his face and avoid making eye contact with others. When sitting, he is said to cross his left leg over the right.
Some Belorussians believe that Leshy has a flat, long face, a long, wedge-shaped beard, one eye, and one backwards leg. The image of Leshy as an old man with a gray beard is widespread. Frequently, Leshy takes on the guise of a family member, friend, or someone familiar to the storyteller, and this trickery may only be exposed upon returning home, when it becomes apparent that the encounter took place in a completely different location. Leshy is also known to assume the appearance of a deceased individual.
Some imagine Leshy to be a colossal giant, easily crossing rivers in one stride. Conversely, others see him as a small person or merely average. In some beliefs, it is said that Leshy's height changes based on the surrounding vegetation, so he may be as tall as a tree or as short as a blade of grass. Other perspectives suggest that Leshy seems tall at a distance but appears ordinary or small when seen up close.
In the northern regions of Russia, forest-spirit type Leshy were categorized into different species based on their size, including those that acted as guardians of the forest, those that resembled mushrooms, and those that were akin to mosses.
Leshy is believed to possess incredible strength and weight, being so heavy that even a horse would have trouble pulling the cart he sat on. This supernatural being defied the laws of nature with his power, leaving a lasting impact on anyone who encountered him.
It is widely believed that Leshy dresses like an ordinary person. He may wear leather or fur clothing, an armyak, a woolen homemade caftan, a siberka, clothing similar to a balaklava or a cassock with wide sleeves. His headgear is diverse: a wide-brimmed hat, a pointed cap, a patched-up scrap hat, etc. According to other beliefs, Leshy always has an uncovered head. Some tales state that Leshy is always belted, while others claim he never has a belt. Leshy typically wears enormous bast shoes. He is often caught weaving or digging in them, sitting on a stump under the moonlight. He also wears boots or goes barefoot. The left side of Leshy's clothing is fastened on the right (contrary to men's customary practice) with the right side sometimes tucked in, and his shoes are occasionally worn on the wrong feet. Leshy is often depicted as a forester or a soldier, usually with shiny buttons. In later folk tales, Leshy is dressed in modern clothing: a cap, boots or shoes, etc. Sometimes he wears attire atypical for the forest, such as a black suit. Overall, the color of Leshy's clothing varies: the colors of the forest are green and tawny, the colors of the otherworldly realm are white and black, and gray to represent a mixture. Also, he may wear red, associated with the color of blood, and blue. In his hands, Leshy might carry a whip, a lash, a cudgel, or a basket, indicating his connection to the forest and his patronage over animals. Leshy is often seen naked as well.
It was believed that a strong wind accompanies Leshy from ahead and behind, indicating the direction in which he is heading. This wind erases Leshy's tracks, explaining why nobody ever sees them (although in other stories, Leshy does leave traces). He may take on the form of a whirlwind, as well as a storm-cloud, rain, and fog. In this form, he raises dust on the road, tears off roofs, and topples trees. In some regions, the image of Leshy as a whirlwind was the most common, and in certain places, any kind of bad weather was identified with him.
Some believe that Leshy lacks a shadow or can turn invisible. It is said that to catch a glimpse of Leshy's true form, one must peer through the right ear of a horse or through a bridle while sitting between three harrows. Northern Russian folklore claims that Leshy wears an invisibility cap, but he can be revealed by using the plant known as Ivan's (or Adam's) head and stealing the cap from him. In certain tales, the only manifestation of Leshy is an inexplicable and sometimes collective fear that arises unexpectedly in the forest.
According to folklore, Leshy's sounds are both clamorous (often resonating throughout the entire woodland, deafening humans) and diverse (encompassing all sounds that can be heard or imagined in the forest): whistling, laughter, clapping, bellowing cries, singing, the voices of various animals, the howling of the wind, humming, crackling, and rustling. In this way, Leshy asserts his superiority over humans, expressing dissatisfaction, striving to scare, jest, and lead astray with false sounds. In numerous stories, Leshy speaks like a human. Often, his mimicry sounds like an echo. At times he is deliberately silent, and in some places it was even believed that he could not speak. One might hear the sounds of an individual leshy's wedding procession: the hoof beats of horses, tinkling bells, harmonicas, and singing.
Lifestyle Encounters with Leshy could take place anywhere in the forest, at any time. Leshy might be found in old dry trees (such as fir and willow), in hollows, in stumps, in upturned roots, in fallen logs, in woodland huts, in secret caves, and even underground. People inevitably get lost near Leshy's dwelling. Leshy's abode is protected by dense, impassable thickets and fallen trees which never freeze. Animals and birds are drawn there. Superstition says that forest creatures gather there before their death.
Often, Leshy is depicted as a solitary being, or as one of many diminutive forest spirits. In beliefs that feature many spirits, only one Leshy may inhabit each forest (large forests may be divided into sections, each with its own Leshy). In some tales, Leshy can gather together, living in families (a Leshy's wife is called a Leshachikha or a kidnapped maiden, and their children are either their own offspring or also kidnapped children). Leshy homes are covered in animal hides, and guarded by dogs, and they keep livestock; there are stories of Leshy leaders and kings; the head of the Leshy is referred to as the forest chief, the woodland king, the forest dweller, Musail-les, or the Honorable Leshy. Leshy can move along human roads, but in the forest, they have their own invisible paths that do not coincide with those of humans and are dangerous places to get lost. There was a belief that not all Leshy creatures are active throughout the day, but only during certain transitional hours: at night (especially at midnight), at dawn, at noon, or at an undefined "evil hour".
Observations of Leshy are also contradictory. Leshy are often depicted as having a majestic demeanor, yet they enjoy jesting, revelry, drinking, and playing cards. All the phenomena caused by gusts of wind in the forest might be Leshy activities: howling, the crackling of trees, and the rustling of leaves. The fallen trees and roofs torn off by hurricane winds in some regions are associated with the noisy weddings of Leshy, which they celebrate during the summer. Leshy enjoy hanging and swaying on tree branches, which is why in certain places they are called the "hangers down". They frequently sit on stumps, whittling wood.