In Polish pagan mythology, boginki (singular: boginka) are female spirits or demons of wild nature: forest, field, mountains, water (both of land and sea), often a personification of forces of the nature. The word literally means "minor goddess" in Polish. and may be translated as "

fairy A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...

" or "

nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

". They were usually imagined as either ugly old hags or pretty young girls, usually naked. They are usually evil.Kazimierz Moszyński, Kultura duchowa Słowian, 1929–1939. Some ''boginki'' are rusałka, vila,

dziwożona Dziwożona (or Mamuna or Boginka) is a female swamp demon in Slavic mythology known for being malicious and dangerous. Most at risk of becoming one of these demons after death were thought to be midwife, midwives, old maids, unmarried mothers, pre ...

, łaskotałka, , nawka. The term "boginka" started to be applied to any of them. ''Boginki'' (''mamuny'') can steal a human child and substitute them. Such substituted child is called ''boginiak'', ''płonek '', ''podrzutek'', or ''odmieniak'' ("

changeling A changeling, also historically referred to as an auf or oaf, is a human-like creature found throughout much of European folklore. According to folklore, a changeling was a substitute left by a supernatural being when kidnapping a human being. ...

"). Often children with mental disabilities were thought to be such. There are various folk means to fend off ''boginki''. File:Jacek Malczewski - Topielec w uściskach dziwożony.jpg, "A drowned man in the arms of a ''dziwożona''",

Jacek Malczewski Jacek Malczewski (; 15 July 1854 – 8 October 1929) was a Polish symbolist painter who was one of the central figures of the patriotic Young Poland movement. His works combined the predominant style of his time with historical motifs of Pol ...

File:Яцек Мальчевський. Одержимий.jpg, ''Opętany'', Jacek Malczewski (a man bewitched by a boginka) File:Boginka_tatrza%C5%84ska.png, ''Boginka tatrzańska'', Walery Eljasz Radzikowski (1905): a highlander meets boginka of Tatry

In modern culture

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

's opera ''

Die Feen ''Die Feen'' (, ''The Fairies'') is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. The German libretto was written by the composer after Carlo Gozzi's '' La donna serpente''. ''Die Feen'' was Wagner's first completed opera, but remained unperformed in ...

'' ("The Fairies") is translated as ''Boginki'' in Polish * wrote a parody mythology book ''Stworze i Zdusze czyli Starosłowiańskie boginki i demony''Stworze i Zdusze, czyli starosłowiańskie boginki i demony to książka o mitologii starosłowiańskiej. Jest to rodzaj encyklopedii wierzeń, stanowiący wstęp do Wielkiej Mitologii Starosłowian. Proponujemy lekturę paru fragmentów prosto z naszego archiwum.
'' Przekroj'', 11 July, 2019

Notes

References

{{reflist Slavic demons Female legendary creatures