The Rusalki

Hello readers!  Today we're taking a look at a creature out of Russian legend and folklore.  Though their first appearances were as relatively peaceful beings, in later centuries they evolved into haunting presences which lure men to their deaths.  Without further ado, let's dive into the tale of the rusalki!

A rusalka is a water spirit, usually associated with lakes and ponds, but occasionally with rivers and streams.  Rusalki are described as incredibly beautiful women.  Most accounts credit them with long hair, sometimes green.

Originally, rusalki were somewhat associated with fertility.  They were beneficial to nature and minded their own business.  They could be mischievous, luring men to the water and then tickling and sexually teasing them until the man was exhausted.  However, rusalki in the early legends were not deadly.

There's a few Russian folktales about a rusalka who fell in love with a human man.  He was so entranced by her beauty when he saw her bathing that he proposed to her on the spot.  She lived with him in mortal lands for a time, but missed the water greatly.  Her husband, noticing her sorrow, asked her what was wrong.  The rusalka explained everything, and begged him to return to the lake with her.  She took him under the surface, where they lived for long years in the kingdom of the rusalki.  Eventually, however, he began to long for the mortal world.  The man made the sign of the Cross - something pagan creatures in Russia were powerless against - and opened his eyes to find himself back in his village.

Later iterations of the rusalki completely changed the creatures.  Instead of being spirits of water, they became literal spirits of water - unquiet dead, haunting lakes.  These female ghosts are said to be the victims of violent drownings, or the souls of women who committed suicide.  The lore paints men as the reason behind their deaths; in the first case, it was a man who murdered them; in the second, it was because of a man that they killed themselves.

This gives a reason to the viciousness of the rusalki, who lure men to their watery graves.  Akin to a Greek siren, a rusalka will call out to men with an alluring voice.  Sometimes her whispers target a man, luring him to her with her knowledge of him.  In other stories, the rusalka calls out men's names, until at last she stumbles upon the name of a wanderer near her pond.  Upon hearing his name, he is drawn inexorably to the waiting rusalka.  The man is then lured into the water, where the rusalka tangles him in her hair and drowns him - or, in a perverse twist on the original stories, tickles him until his lungs give out.

I find the differences in these two iterations of the rusalki fascinating.  The first seems more reminiscent of a naiad or mermaid, a water maiden not dangerous, merely beautiful.  The stories of men descending to the underwater kingdom and living parts of their lives there echoes tales around the world.  One such is the Chinese story of the Dragon King's Daughter.  The idea of an inhuman woman being seen naked in a body of water, and taken for a man's bride, also appears across multiple cultures.  Selkies and kelpies, crane maidens, and buffalo women are some examples.

However, the second version of the rusalki also has parallels in other cultures.  The Latin American legend of La Llorona is one of the most famous, having been featured in the TV show Grimm.  There's also a more recent Egyptian legend called El Naddaha (which may or may not have originated on Creepy Pasta).  Both of these examples, along with many other creatures from all over the world, are females who died by drowning, and whose spirits lure and drown others.

It makes me wonder if the two different descriptions of the rusalki are actually describing two different creatures.  What do you guys think?

I'll be back next week with another post!  See you then.

The Kama-itachi

Greetings, reader!

The legendary creatures I've spoken about so far have been spread across a wide array of time.  Some, like El Chupacabra, have only appeared in recent history.  Others, such as the vampire, have appeared in lore for centuries.  The Wendigo, while an ancient creature, mostly disappeared from lore a hundred years ago.

For today's post, I'd like to focus on a creature who first appeared in Japanese literature several centuries ago, during the Edo period.  It also has a long oral tradition.  Though belief in this legend has largely faded away, there are still rural areas, particularly in northeastern Japan, which believe in them.  Let's take a look at the Kama-itachi!

Also sometimes spelled Kamaitachi, these creatures are sickle weasels.  Yep, that's right - sickle weasels.  I know I pranked people with the Drop Bear last week, so let me hasten to assure you: These are a real legend, and have long been believed to exist.  For those who don't know, a sickle is not just a silver coin in Harry Potter.  It's also a small, curved blade used for harvesting grains - think of it as a miniature scythe.  The "kama" part of the name stems from a Japanese variation of a sickle, which has also commonly seen use as a weapon.

And itachi...well, itachi means weasel.  Japanese folklore lumps spirits, demons, and monsters under the term yokai, referring to things mysterious, otherworldly, and inhuman.  While not all weasels are yokai, there is a long tradition of weasel spirits.  Some legends make them out to be mischief makers, like the gods Hermes or Susano.  They enjoy pranks, but are usually harmless.  Others paint the itachi as a more grim creature.  They are harbingers of doom, ill omens that bring death and devastation in their wake.

So what do you get when you combine the two?  The Kama-itachi is a weasel creature whose long claws resemble sickles.  Its fur is said to be dense and prickly, like that of a hedgehog.  Their barking cries echo through the night.  They travel upon the wind, and in some cases can even control it.  In fact, in some regions of Japan they are known as Kamakaze, meaning "sickle wind" (not to be confused with "kamikaze", the "divine wind" immortalized by suicide bombers).

Depending on the region of Japan, Kama-itachi are said to travel alone or in groups of three.  They attack in three strikes.  The first knocks its victim to the ground; the second makes a series of slices into the victim's flesh, using its razor sharp claws; the third applies a healing salve, keeping the wounds from bleeding.  This is all done in the blink of an eye.  It happens so fast that the victim is unable to see the Kama-itachi.

Why do they do this?  No one knows.  They don't drink the blood, don't steal anything from the victim.  Perhaps they merely enjoy knocking people on their butts and laughing at them.  I don't know the answer, so here: Have a cute picture to distract you!

There are numerous theories as to what causes the phenomenon associated with Kama-itachi.  The two I've seen most often explain that the legends stem largely from areas with strong winds and intense cold.  The strange cuts inflicted by the Kama-itachi, which do not bleed, but sting and take days to heal, are said to be caused by the weather.  One explanation says that the skin cracks open due to the cold, but does not bleed.  Another says that it is caused by small but powerful whirlwinds.  Someone out for a walk could be bowled over by a whirlwind; leaves and debris caught in the wind would cause slices similar to papercuts, which don't bleed very much, but do sting.

While this seems like a more logical explanation than the Kama-itachi, I find that I rather prefer the mischievous sickle weasels.

Though they are mostly relegated to the past, the Kama-itachi have made their mark on modern pop culture.  They have inspired songs, been the name for bands, and have found their way into modern anime and manga.  If you're alright with lots of blood and decapitations, here's a terrifying look at what can happen when a Kama-itachi turns evil.  A lot of artwork and stories also anthropomorphize Kama-itachi, giving them clothing and making their sickle claws blades instead.  As someone who grew up reading the Redwall series, I very much enjoy this trend.

I hope you've enjoyed this look at the Kama-itachi!  See you next week.