Leshy: Master Of Forest And Wildlife In Slavic Beliefs

A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - A forest is an exceptional place where the passage of time ceases to have meaning. It simply does not exist. Each forest has its guard. In Slavic mythology, it is a creature goat-footed woodland sprite known as Leshy.

Home of the Leshy. Fairy Forest at Sunset by Ivan Bilibin, 1906. Image credit: Ivan Bilibin - Public Domain

According to the early Slavic people, especially those who lived in heavily forested areas, Leshy looked like a person, but his appearance was described differently. He was often a masculine and mortal humanoid creature that could punish for killing an animal from his herd without permission.

He was the most powerful ruler of the forest and wildlife. He ruled over success, hunting, and happiness, cared for pets, and helped the poor.

All plants, fruits, and animals in the forest belonged to him, and Leshy drew its power from the surrounding trees; a strong forest had a guard with much more power than the weaker one.

Many Slavic tales mention forest wanderers, who encountered Leshy, and the course of this meeting often depended on how much a person had on his conscience.

He was depicted in human form or dressed in animal skins, and a deer and a wolf represented his symbolic animal. However, as some say, this absolute master of the forest is an earthly materialization of Bog Veles himself.

WITH cover of Magazine’s «Leshy» № 1-1906. Image credit: Leshy - Public Domain

Some believed that Leshy was an earthly materialization of Veles, a god of cattle and wildlife. Meanwhile, others considered Leshy a servant of Veles.

He was often hostile towards people and could scare them his laughing or sending wild animals or confuse a man in the forest so much that he could not find a way back. Besides getting angry, Leshy could send predators upon domestic cattle and even kidnap a child.

If a person could find a way to communicate with Leshy in the forest, Leshy would show that person the "hidden paths" of the forest, leading that person through the woods in the shortest amount of time. Our ancestors trusted Leshy and would even leave small children under his care during harvest.

A child was often left near the field and by the entrance to the forest. Leshy was asked to watch over the child; parents could work in the field to collect the harvest. Leshy would not only protect the child from wild animals but could also send animals and other spirits of the forest to protect that child from people with ill intent and dark spirits." 1

Leshy could easily change its size and height, but he was seldom seen, though many heard his powerful laughing, whistling, or singing.

When he was occasionally spotted, he was quickly recognized because he appeared to be a very tall man with an unnaturally white face, whose hair resembled pine needles. In contrast, his skin had a bark-like appearance. His right ear, eyebrows, and eyelashes were missing; his head was somewhat pointed.

For our forefathers, the forest was almost a sacred sphere. Perhaps for many of us, this special place is still holy even today because its history is much longer than human history.

Updated on August 4, 2022

Written by – A. Sutherland  - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer

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