We return to mythology and folklore on this week’s Slavic Saturday post with the Bannik, an odd and slightly terrifying spirit that was said to have inhabited Slavic bathhouses.
(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.
In shouldn’t be a surprise when I say that there is a tutelary deity of the bathhouse (or sauna) in Slavic folklore. It seems nearly everywhere has some type of spirit to guard it, and apparently the baths are no different. This largely is because the bathhouse was a common place of birth and also divination rituals. It was believed by the Slavs that the bathhouse and its steam was powerful spiritually, so it only makes sense it has a protector.
The Bannik is pictured usually as a man with a small body and an overly large head. Its hair is usually long and mangled, and its beard can often stretch down its entire body. Their teeth are jagged and their claws sharp. Overall, their appearance is usually considered frightening, but that being said, they are known to be cleanly when satisfied with offerings.
But what type of offerings do you give a spirit of the bathhouse?
The answer is fairly obvious: soap or water, or even the branches of a fir tree. Bathhouses often were considered unclean places, so keeping your space clean and ensuring the Bannik is given his own space (the third or fourth section reserved just for him), helped ensure the Bannik was satisfied. Once Christianity moved into eastern Europe, it became important not to offend the Bannik, who would be offended by Christian idols. Because of this, no idols were hung in the bathhouses and no crosses were worn inside.
It was crucial to not offend the Bannik. If the Bannik was unhappy, it would attempt to steal away children born in the bathhouse, suffocate people in the steam, burn down the building, and spy on women while they’re changing.
Since the spirit also had the power of fortune-telling, it was best to keep it happy in order to hear good news. It was said that girls would turn their back to the Bannik and ask of the future. If his touch was soft on her back, the future was good. If the fortune was bad, he’d rake his claws down her back.
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 and as well as some creative freedom for my book series.
In the Slavic nations the “Bannik” are know as “Banniki” in the plural and “Bannik” in the singular application.