After last week’s jump into fairy tales, this Slavic Saturday we’re returning to mythological demons with the wiła (vila in English), a demonic nymph that can appear in multiple domains.
(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.
Every culture, both ancient and modern, has theories and beliefs around death. To the ancient Slavs, what was considered a normal or natural death could end in the near paradise of Nawia, but others never saw the underworld. Instead, those who suffered unnatural or untimely deaths could become demons. And the wiły certainly had untimely deaths.
There are multiple theories (depending on the country) on how a girl became a wiły. To some, they were betrothed girls who died before their wedding day. In this theory, the wiły dance through the trees, sky, and sea, singing and attracting young men, as they were never able to celebrate their marriage. Another theory, specifically from Poland, suggests they were girls who had lived flamboyant and frivolous lives. They were punished for this lifestyle by being trapped between the earth and sky.
Regardless of how one became a Wiły, the descriptions of them are similar across cultures. They are beautiful young nymphs or fairies with long, often blonde, hair and often translucent or very little clothing. Singing, dancing, and hunting, they flew and rode both horse and stag through the woods to draw in young men. “Black” fairies were maleficent, often considered like the Greek sirens (not to be confused with the Slavic Sirin). Some men fell into their traps and were forced to dance (or be tickled) to death. These nymphs could also deter travelers with their arrows and steal babies, replacing them with changelings.
The good, “white,” wiły were helpful to a hero, even protecting him as she becomes his “sister,” and some heroes even took them as wives. A wiła was thought to be a dutiful wife, though her beauty could distract her husband, who would care less about himself and entirely for her.
In both the nefarious and helpful forms, wiły were thought to have healing powers. They punished those who wronged them in life and rewarded those who were kind. This is common among demons in Slavic myth and goes along with many of the ancient Slavic idea of just being an overall kind person more than an ideal good or evil.
In A Dagger in the Winds, wiły make their first appearance in my series. Particularly the more nefarious kind, their voices will call out to our travelers and attempt to lure them away from their mission. More will be revealed as the book gets closer to release, but know that the wiły are sure to be a part of the world, particularly in the skies.
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.