Mavka

Mavka is a mythical creature of Ukrainian demonology, which personifies the spirit of nature. She appears as a beautiful girl with long green hair that blends in with the surrounding vegetation. Mavka lives in dense forests and fields, is an invisible guardian of nature. Her songs enchant travelers, luring them deep into the forest. Despite her beauty and grace, she can be dangerous if people disturb the harmony of her world or disrespect the place where she lives. Mavka symbolizes the mystery and unpredictability of wild nature.

According to Ukrainian myths, girls could become mavka after death, especially if they died young, unmarried or tragically. One of the common reasons for turning into a mauve was death in water, for example, drowning. Such souls, unable to find peace, continued to live in forests or near water bodies, turning into monkeys. There was a belief that girls who died in the forest or during green holidays could also become mavka.

Another option is children who died unbaptized or died a violent death. The souls of such children were considered incorruptible, and they could join the world of monkeys, becoming part of their mysterious community. Mavkas remained attached to certain places and became their guardian spirits.

They protected themselves from monkeys by using fern or St. John`s wort flowers, which they carried with them to scare them away. They also wove wreaths from wild flowers and put them on their heads, believing that this creates a magical barrier against mosquitoes. People hung aspen twigs on windows and doors, which was considered a protective tree capable of scaring away these forest spirits. In order not to attract the attention of the magpies, they tried not to sing or whistle in the forest, especially when alone, and avoided walking in the woods at dusk.