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Mara
Mara is a dark and ominous creature of Ukrainian demonology, associated with night terrors and the suggestion of fear. She is a spirit or ghost that comes at night when people are sleeping. Mara is often described as a shadowy or ghostly figure with a vague outline, resembling a pale woman with long, disheveled hair. Her eyes are cold and piercing, and her skin is pale or even transparent, giving her an eerie appearance.
Mara comes to people during sleep, sitting on the chest and causing a feeling of heaviness, suffocation and fear. It is with its appearance that nightmares and the phenomenon known as "sleep paralysis" are associated. A person under the influence of a delusion feels as if he were bound by invisible forces, he cannot move or scream, and terrible visions appear before his eyes. It was believed that in this way the dream tries to extract the vital energy or even the soul from a person.
In folk beliefs, it was believed that a dream could be the soul of a woman who died from unhappy love or severe grief, who did not find peace after death. Sometimes a witch or a woman who practiced black magic during her life became a dream. She wanders between worlds, bringing with her a feeling of coldness, sadness and fear. Mara could enter the house through the smallest cracks, so people tried to close windows and doors before going to bed.
Iron objects such as knives or horseshoes were used to protect against the plague, placing them near the bed or under the pillow. Sanctified water was placed near the headboard or sprinkled in the room to scare away evil spirits. A red thread or ribbon was placed under the pillow as a charm, and crosses were drawn with chalk on doors and windows to create a protective barrier. Before going to sleep, they were careful not to leave food on the table, because it was believed that this could attract the attention of ghosts and other evil spirits. It was believed that the food left was a kind of invitation for them to enter the house. Before going to sleep, they made sure not to leave food on the table and closed all the cracks through which a dream could enter the house.
Mara comes to people during sleep, sitting on the chest and causing a feeling of heaviness, suffocation and fear. It is with its appearance that nightmares and the phenomenon known as "sleep paralysis" are associated. A person under the influence of a delusion feels as if he were bound by invisible forces, he cannot move or scream, and terrible visions appear before his eyes. It was believed that in this way the dream tries to extract the vital energy or even the soul from a person.
In folk beliefs, it was believed that a dream could be the soul of a woman who died from unhappy love or severe grief, who did not find peace after death. Sometimes a witch or a woman who practiced black magic during her life became a dream. She wanders between worlds, bringing with her a feeling of coldness, sadness and fear. Mara could enter the house through the smallest cracks, so people tried to close windows and doors before going to bed.
Iron objects such as knives or horseshoes were used to protect against the plague, placing them near the bed or under the pillow. Sanctified water was placed near the headboard or sprinkled in the room to scare away evil spirits. A red thread or ribbon was placed under the pillow as a charm, and crosses were drawn with chalk on doors and windows to create a protective barrier. Before going to sleep, they were careful not to leave food on the table, because it was believed that this could attract the attention of ghosts and other evil spirits. It was believed that the food left was a kind of invitation for them to enter the house. Before going to sleep, they made sure not to leave food on the table and closed all the cracks through which a dream could enter the house.