There was the belief that if the pregnant woman saw the wolf, her child would be born as vovkulaka.
Vovkulakas run into the forest and live with the animals. If they get into the wolf pack they hunt and get the food for the wolves. They don't eat this food, they just stifle their sacrifices and leave them for the wolves.
Vovkulaka eats the bread, fruits and berries. Also very often vovkulaka can become the victim of the wolves himself.
Vovkulakas do not howl as wolves, they moan and cry as humans. They are cursed to suffer until they become the humans again.
Everyone can recognise Vovkulaka because his hind legs are not the same as wolf's legs. Vovkulaka's knees are the same as human's knees. Also Vovkulaka has always the twine on his neck.
If this twine will be torn, Vovkulaka will be free and becomes the human again.
Also the human who will be attacked by vovkulaka can break the spells and turn vovkulaka into human. By the folk belief if such human, who is pursued by Vovkulaka, will throw behind himself the belt, Vovkulaka will be turned into human, when he oversteps this belt.
Attention:
There are two types of werewolves in Ukrainian mythology - Vovkulaka and Pereverten'
The difference between them is Pereverten' is the human, who lives two lives and can transform himself into different animals, not only into the wolf
Small resolution: Ukrainian werewolf (Vovkulaka) becomes the wolf for long time, he does not turn into wolf only when the moon is full
Ukrainian werewolf (Vovkulaka) does not turn his victims into werewolf, In contrary, his victim has the chance to save him and break the spells.
Ukrainian werewolf (Vovkulaka) does not eat meat and does not howl as wolf.
Chugaister is a character in Ukrainian mythology. This is a tall man covered by black or white hair (very shaggy) with blue eyes.
He lives in forests and is very kind. If Chugaister meets a person in the forest, he will not hurt, but ask to dance with him. Yes, Chugaister like dancing a lot.
He hunts on mavkas and keep people safe from these girls.
Chugaister is mentioned in a book "Tini zabutyh predkiv" (The Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors) written by Mykhailo Kotsyubunsky.
Letavyć (Perelesnyk) is an evil spirit/demon, who comes to the people from the sky as a star. He takes on the appearance of relatives, lovers, etc, who have died. There is a belief, that he can appear in the house, where a person is mourning for their dead lover, relative, etc. very very much. When Letavyc takes on the appearance of such a person, who has died, he can come into house and get married with the human or live as a husband (if he takes the appearance of dead husband). In the house where Letavyc lives, the children are born as odminky (Changeling). It is very difficult to make him leave the house. Other sources tell us that Letavyc can look like a fiery dragon, who prefers to visit women in the night. Sometimes it can take on the look of a spirit of a dead man.
By legend, she will submit to that person, who can take her dress away from her.
Wila can fly as bird, lives in the mountains and owns by wells and lakes (can "close" the water) If someone takes her wings from her, she will become ordinary woman.
Her legs are legs of goat, and she hides them under the long white dress. She is very kind to people, especially to the men, also she helps to the orphans. But if somebody makes her angry, she can to revenge very cruelly, or even to kill by the look. Wila can heal, predict the death, but in the same time she is mortal too.
Actually this character has almost died in Ukrainian mythology and there is no many information about it. Only some mentions in the chronicles and in the folk proverbs.In 19 century there was the try to reanimate this character in the minds of Ukrainians by Ukrainian writer Lesya Ukraina in her poem "Wila-posestra" .
Also Polisoon was the God of trade by animals in East Slavic lands.
By legend, the howling of the wolves was the pray to this God and asking of him the food.
Polisoon was shown as human, that had not the shadow.
People believed that this god had the wife Polisoonka (Lisoonka), that was stealing the children of those families who prefered to treat their children and hungered them. Lisoonka was raising these children in care, turning them into wolves.
Pyrtak is of mixed origin, because his father was from tribe of Royal Scythians (Paralati) and his mother was of Melanchlaeni or Black cloaks (they were probably Finns and lived north of Royal Scythians). Therefore is Pyrtak called "Melanchlaen".
His mixed origin was also cause of degradation by other memebers of tribe (he lived among Scythians). Pyrtak couldn't kill enemy for long times youth and that brought him more dishonor. He couldn't stand derogations anymore and killed his biggest enemy in the tribe, but then he had to run away and abandon his family.
In the territory of Royal Scythians is every loner very fishy and considered as bandit, murder, renegade or foreign spy, because all the men of Royal Scythans devotedly served the king and therefore it was to dangerous to stay there, so he continued farther to south. In hellenic trade colonial towns were good chances to earn money for survive - as mercenary.
Later he started to do dirtier jobs, but better paid - murders. For greek merchants, which borrowed too much money and could not pay back was easier to hire assassin which killed the lender - that was the job of Pyrtak. After many years he became professional warrior and killer, and travelled across many countries as mercenary, also spent some time in Achaemenid empire and learned languages as Greek or Persian.
During Persian invasion in 512 BC was Pyrtak hired by scythian king as commander of light horsearcher cavalry, which attacked Persian camps at nigh and did skirmishes and special operations.
Thruogh his skills Pyrtak became legendary person in Scythia and adjoining lands.
He's excellent archer (therefore king choosed him as commander of horsearchers) and in battle use only bow and akinakes or hand clutches. He doesn't like using of heavier weapons like axe or spear.
His mixed origin was also cause of degradation by other memebers of tribe (he lived among Scythians). Pyrtak couldn't kill enemy for long times youth and that brought him more dishonor. He couldn't stand derogations anymore and killed his biggest enemy in the tribe, but then he had to run away and abandon his family.
In the territory of Royal Scythians is every loner very fishy and considered as bandit, murder, renegade or foreign spy, because all the men of Royal Scythans devotedly served the king and therefore it was to dangerous to stay there, so he continued farther to south. In hellenic trade colonial towns were good chances to earn money for survive - as mercenary.
Later he started to do dirtier jobs, but better paid - murders. For greek merchants, which borrowed too much money and could not pay back was easier to hire assassin which killed the lender - that was the job of Pyrtak. After many years he became professional warrior and killer, and travelled across many countries as mercenary, also spent some time in Achaemenid empire and learned languages as Greek or Persian.
During Persian invasion in 512 BC was Pyrtak hired by scythian king as commander of light horsearcher cavalry, which attacked Persian camps at nigh and did skirmishes and special operations.
Thruogh his skills Pyrtak became legendary person in Scythia and adjoining lands.
He's excellent archer (therefore king choosed him as commander of horsearchers) and in battle use only bow and akinakes or hand clutches. He doesn't like using of heavier weapons like axe or spear.
Pyrtak is armed with decoreated scythian bow, gorytos, akinakes fixed on thigh by achaemenid fashion and knife. He's wearing usual scythian dress, but sign and memory of his origin is black melanchlaenian tunic under his scythian jacket.
Poterchata (poterchuky, potorochy, stradchaty) - the children, who have died unbaptized or children, who were born dead. Their spirits are wandering in the forests or fields with the small lights about 7 years and ensnaring travellers into the bogs. For the seven years their spirits are bagging for the cross...People believed that after 7 years, if none baptized poor souls, such children were becoming the evil spirits (more often mermaids or mavkas (forest mermaids)
Baptizing:
If human heard the voice of Poterchata, such person had to throw the rushnik, or kerchief and say: "Ivan and Mary! I am baptizing you in the name of Father, Son, Holy Ghost! After that human had to give the name for the dead child.
If the dead child at least was baptized during 7 years, such child was becoming an angel.
The Chumak Way” has two meanings. Firstly, it’s the traditional Ukrainian term for the Milky Way (Via lacteal). Secondly, it’s a trade route connecting Ukraine and Crimea. For centuries, Ukrainian salt traders called “Chumaks” traveled there in their oxen-driven wagons which they would fill with salt from the salt lakes of Northern Crimea. Sure enough, the road they took was always sprinkled with tiny salt crystals, glittering like the Milky Way in the sky at night.
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