A REGION OF EVIL SPIRITS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 74, 27 March 1879, Page 4

A REGION OF EVIL SPIRITS

There are some curious stories of Ru-sian superstition. Here is one from the lips of a Native : — " Our country is full of evil spirits," said Manwed. " There is the ' Did ' (a spirit that visits dwelling-places), who helps to milk the cowp, sweeps the rooms, washes the dishes, grooms the horses, and is only seen when the master of the house is going to die ; he is a little man, only a foot high, with a long grey beard ; then, in the thickets on the banks of lakes and rivers, the ' Russalka' (the water-spirits of the Russians) swing themselves on the branches, singing whilst they plait their hair into golden cords, wherewith they bind and strangle all who are foolish enough to approach them. In the mountain caverns, concealed by a trellis-work of green leave?, dwell "'the wayward and amorous ' Majki ' (the elves of the Carpathians), who surround their magic gardens wth go'den hedges, and build bridges of pearl over the rushing waters ; they dance in the flowery groves of the forest, and entice away youths who please them, aud bewitch them with their crowned and fragrant locks, and soft limbs, but there is no soul in their beautiful faces and flashing eyes. Like wolves the wild women, whom the people also call goddesses, rove about the woods and mountains. They are a horrible race, who carry off the peasants' children, aud leave their hideous offsprings behind in tbe cradle; they tickle old men' to death, and the younw ones they strangle after the wedding night. There are also the ' wise people ' or witches, who live amongst the people, are acquainted with all tbe secrets of nature, who Know the herb that stops the plague, and can heal the poisonous bile of snakes ; they can deprive the stars of their light, and men of health ; when they are asleep, their souls fly about in the shapes of birds, and at certain times tbey ride to Kiew on a black cat, and hold their meetings in mid-air over the town. Teß, here, even the shooting stars that fall to earth take tbe form of human beings and roam about as vampires And there are people with an evil eye. In the night, too, the souls of children wander upon earth demanding baptism."