After last week’s post about the Żmij/Zmey, we’re continuing our series of dragons this Slavic Saturday with Chudo-Yudo. A dragon known for guarding the Slavic underworld and the Kalinov Bridge into it, Chudo-Yudo combines elements of both dragons and other fearsome beasts from across European myths.
(June 2021 Updated) Note: If you enjoy Slavic mythology, check out A Dagger in the Winds, the first book in my Slavic fantasy series called The Frostmarked Chronicles. You can also join my monthly newsletter for updates and free novellas (such as the prequel, The Rider in the Night) set in the world of the series.
The Dragon Beneath the Burning Bridge
Chudo-Yudo is a famous example of the aforementioned Żmij, a dragon capable of massive destruction as well as devious trickery. You can read more about Żmije in general in that post, but Chudo-Yudo fits the qualities attributed to these beasts: breath of fire, a dragon form with often multiple heads, a cunningness to confront heroes, and shapeshifting. The last of these is one of the elements that makes Slavic dragons different than most others in European mythologies. Chudo-Yudo follows this ability, having both the appearance of a dragon as well as a man riding a horse (specifically in the tale “The Battle on the Kalinov Bridge“).
This Russian tale involves three brothers who are tasked with confronting Chudo-Yudo, who is attacking villages and burning them to the ground with his fire. Ivan, the eldest brother (and also a common name for bogatyr heroes in Russian skazki tales), assures his family that they will slay the dragon. He goes with his two brothers to the Smorodina River, the river separating the land of the living from that of the dead (Jawia/Yav and Nawia/Nav respectively).
Roughly translated as the “stinking river,” the Smorodina is described as a river of flames. Across it spans the Kalinov Bridge – the only way across – and beneath the Kalinov lived Chudo-Yudo. It is here that Ivan faced the beast multiple times. At first, Chudo-Yudo appeared with Six heads and is described as being able to be in a form able to ride a horse while a black raven and dog accompanied him. Ivan sliced off his enemy’s heads and chopped up his body, but when he returned the next night, Chudo-Yudo had nine heads. When Ivan does the same this time, Chudo-Yudo returned the final night with twelve heads.
This ability to reattach his heads with a flaming finger that he drags across the stump where the head had been sliced has drawn comparisons to that of the Hydra of Greek mythology. It paints a frightening picture, especially in his twelve-headed form, when he is described with copper hair and tail of iron (this also has to do with an apparent transformation of him into a horse for a time). Regardless of whether his appearance was horse or dragon at this moment, though, all twelve of his heads breathed fire.
Ivan alone was no match for Chudo-Yudo in this final fight. The beast is said to stun him with a whistle, burn him with fire, showering him in spark with sparks, and then (a translation that I’m not certain the exact meaning of) “driving the earth into cheese up to his knees.” It is only when Ivan calls his brothers for aid that he can defeat Chudo-Yudo. Together, they slice off his firey finger before slicing him up and then throwing him into the Smorodina – finally defeating Chudo-Yudo.
Chudo-Yudo’s exact role is hard to pin down. Guarding the Kalinov Bridge makes him a defender of the underworld. The journey to Nawia’s paradise is often considered a difficult one, but my research hasn’t concluded if Chudo-Yudo is an obstacle to common souls or just those not allowed to enter the underworld. Regardless, he represents a fearsome opponent for those that face him over the Smorodina.
In The Frostmarked Chronicles
Like last week’s Żmije, Chudo-Yudo does not appear in A Dagger in the Winds, but he will be around in some form later in the series. I don’t want to say too much and spoil his involvement. Regardless, though, he’s a fun character to work with, and I’m excited to see how he interacts with the main characters, Wacław and Otylia.
That’s all for this week’s Slavic Saturday. Be sure to keep a lookout for more posts next week, and if you haven’t seen the full series of posts, be sure to check them out.
*As always just a quick disclaimer. Slavic mythology is broad and not written in many if any primary sources, so there’s a variety of interpretations. The interpretations I’m using here are from the sources I’ve found to be reliable.