leshy
Leshy or Leshi is a tutelary deity of the forest in pagan Slavic mythology. As Leshy rules over the forest and hunting, he may be related to the Slavic god Porewit.
A similar deity called Svyatibor (Svyatobor, Svyatibog) is thought to have been revered by both the Eastern and Western Slavs as the divine arbiter of woodland realms, and/or the sovereign ruler over other diminutive forest spirits. Svytibor's functions were much like those of the god Veles.
Leshy often appears as a masculine humanoid, and possesses an ability to disguise himself as any person, including changing in size and stature. In some accounts, Leshy is described as having a wife (Leshachikha, Leszachka, Lesovikha, and sometimes the Kikimora of the swamp) and children (leshonki, leszonky).
Leshy is known to misguide wanderers and abduct young ones, traits he shares with the notorious Chort, the "Black One" or "Devil," thus leading some to perceive him as a malevolent entity. Leshy's attitude towards humans can vary, depending on how they interact with the forest and their overall behavior. Leshy is said to possess the power to whisk away children who were mistreated by their kin, especially their parents, to the ethereal realm of forest-dwelling folk. In this way, Leshy is also often considered to be temperamental, with a similar disposition to that of a fairy.
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