L is for... Leshii

The Leshii is the sprit of the forest in Slavic folklore.

Every forest has its own Leshii who lives deep within the trees with his wife and children. The Leshii normally takes the form of a man with hair and beard of leaves, grass and vines, but he can also take on the shape of any animal or plant - from a tall tree, to a single blade of grass.

The Leshii is the guardian of the forest and protects all the animals living there. He is thought to be an evil spirit by some but is, in fact, more like a tricksy fairy in nature. 

He does enjoy misguiding travellers and leaving them lost within the woods, but if he is befriended, however, he will pass on his vast knowledge of magic.

If there is more than one Leshii in a single forest then they will fight violently to claim the territory as their own, leaving a trail of fallen trees and scared animals. 

When travelling through the forest it is sensible to take a gift of bread for the Leshii to ward off his troublesome nature.

F is for... Father Frost

The character of Father Frost appears in the tale 'The Story of King Frost'; a traditional Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev.

This chilly tale tells of an old woman who has two daughters. One of them is her own daughter by blood, whom shes loves very, very much. The other is her step-daughter, whom she hates passionately.
One very icy day the woman orders her husband to take her step-daughter out into the winter fields and leave her there to die.
Of course he obeys, because fathers always seem to be especially useless in fairy tales.
So the poor girl is led out into the snow, and left all alone with nothing but the very thin clothes she is wearing.
After some time has passed Father Frost (also known as Morozko) turns up and finds the girl sitting in the snow. 
She is very polite and kind to him despite being frightened and freezing cold. In return for her kindness Father Frost gives the girl a chest full of riches and some beautiful, warm clothes.



Back at home, the old woman sends her husband out again to bring back the girls dead, frozen body so that she can be buried (nice of her, huh?).
When her husband brings back her step-daughter still alive and happy, the old woman is shocked and furious. She becomes even more enraged when she sees the presents that were given to the girl by Father Frost.
Sure that if Father Frost met her own blood-daughter he would bestow even finer gifts, she orders her husband to take the other daughter out into the winter fields and leave her there.
The husband obeys yet again, because apparently he has no backbone or sense.
This time when Father Frost shows up, the second daughter is extremely rude to him. Offended, Father Frost freezes the girl to death and leaves her there.
The husband goes out again to bring back the girl and all the gifts the old woman is expecting to recieve, but instead brings back a poor, frozen dead body.
The old woman breaks down into tears.



The moral of the story?

• Fathers are generally useless. (At least fairy tales ones anyway)
• If you're polite people give you pretty things.
• Never anger an ice spirit unless you want to be turned into a popsicle.

Books containing Father Frost:

D is for...Domovoi

The Domovoi (dom means "house") is a household spirit from Russia and eastern European folklore. He is a friendly creature and is vital to the health and wellbeing of any home, but he is also volatile, impulsive and prone to violent tantrums if aggravated. He helps the family of his house by doing household work and chores and helps to maintain peace and order.

He is a very shy creature who is not often seen, but when he is, he is covered in fur and is often mistaken for the family pet. Sometimes the Domovoi takes on the guise of the master of the house and some people say that he resembles a very old man, in fact he is referred to as "Grandfather" behind his back. The Domovoi was also thought of as an oracle and he could warn his family about future events, for example; if he pulled a woman's hair it meant there was a danger of an abusive man, if he was seen to be weeping then there would be a death in the family and if he played music on a comb it meant there would soon be a wedding.

He is said to live under the threshold of the door or under the stove and must be addressed as "Master" if spotted to show proper respect. Some people like to leave him gifts of milk and biscuits at night as a way of thanking him and to ensure protection of their home. If the Domovoi of a house becomes unhappy then it will play nasty tricks on the members of its household, such as leaving muddy footprints, making the walls creak, throwing pots and smashing plates. If things escalate too far then he may even suffocate people in their sleep, but he can be made happy again before this happens by leaving him salted bread wrapped in white cloth or by hanging some old boots in the garden for him.