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Shishiga
According to one of the versions, Shishiga appears as a spirit in the form of an old hunchbacked woman with a huge belly and cold hands. Her skin is pale and her face is covered with deep wrinkles, giving her an eerie appearance. Her hands are always cold and she can reach out to people to touch and scare them. Her hunchbacked stance and heavy belly make her slow, but she remains dangerous, especially at night or near swampy areas.
Shishiga in this form lives in forests or near bodies of water, where it lures unwary travelers or children to the water to frighten them or cause them to get lost. Her cold hands can cause a person to feel extremely cold and fearful when she appears. Her appearance is frightening and causes a feeling of anxiety, as she can sneak up on a person in the dark.
To appease the shishiga, people left gifts such as bread or milk on the banks of reservoirs or in the forest. This was supposed to reduce her hostility and protect her from her evil intentions. To protect against this spirit, wormwood or aspen were used to prevent it from approaching and causing harm. People also tried to avoid meeting her at night and not respond to her strange sounds or voices, lest they fall under her influence.
Shishiga in this form lives in forests or near bodies of water, where it lures unwary travelers or children to the water to frighten them or cause them to get lost. Her cold hands can cause a person to feel extremely cold and fearful when she appears. Her appearance is frightening and causes a feeling of anxiety, as she can sneak up on a person in the dark.
To appease the shishiga, people left gifts such as bread or milk on the banks of reservoirs or in the forest. This was supposed to reduce her hostility and protect her from her evil intentions. To protect against this spirit, wormwood or aspen were used to prevent it from approaching and causing harm. People also tried to avoid meeting her at night and not respond to her strange sounds or voices, lest they fall under her influence.