After last week’s post about the eldest of the Slavic gods, Swaróg/Svarog, this Slavic Saturday we’re returning to spirits in Slavic mythology with a Slavic spirit of the fields: the Polewik (Polevik/Полевик, Polevoi, Polevoj, Polevoy, Polʹovyk/Польовик).
(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.
Spirit or Demon?
The Polewik is not a creature many would’ve been fond of seeing while working the fields, but it is not a demon. While demons are typically the restless souls of those who lived or died unnaturally, spirits in Slavic mythology tend to manifest as protectors of a certain area – almost as tutelary deities (such as the Bannik or Leszy/Leshy/Lisovyk). Similarly, the Polewik is a spirit of the fields and plains, protecting them from strangers or people who they believe are misusing the land.
The Polewik is often considered connected to (or a regional variation of) the Południca/Poludnitsa/Noon Wraith (which is a demon) and can be just as deadly. The creature’s “protection” can range from little tricks to drive people away to killing those sleeping in the field. They are also fast riders. Using this skill, they will trample those in their way in the fields if they are unhappy.
Polewiks despise and will attack those who are lazy or drunk. They strangle people who lie among their fields, and their children will similarly search for sleepers and smother them. That being said, noon tends to be the spirit’s favorite time to appear, so if you sleep at another time you may get away with it.
Despite all this negativity, the Polewik is similar to other spirits, like the Domowik/Domovoy or Dworowy/Dvorovoi, in that it can be friendly if treated well. Giving it offerings of a rooster that can’t crow and two eggs can keep it happy, as well as not working around noon – so that it can have the field to itself. A friendly Polewik will even assist in the fields.
Appearance
Polewiks are typically described as dwarf-like creatures. They are short with straw or grass for fur that can range in colors from green to black or white, depending on the region. The length of this fur varies along with the crop of his field, and his appearance does as well.
In some regions, the Polewik is believed to look like the Leszy: heavily-furred with green eyes and nature growing over him. This connection makes sense as well, considering the trickery both spirits play in their relative areas (the Polewik the fields and the Leszy the forests).
Appearances in Popular Culture
In the popular series of books, video games, and TV show, The Witcher, these spirits have made a small appearance under the Polevik name as “deformed dwarves.” They are claimed to run around in the nude.
In The Frostmarked Chronicles
Currently, the Polewik hasn’t made its way into the series. It is likely, though, that the spirit will appear in some form in at least one of the side-novellas that take place in the same world as the main story. That being said, there is a chance the Polewik sneaks in during a later book.
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.