Folklore is full of stories about the miraculous creatures of nature. Grandmothers used to tell their grandchildren beautiful stories in which the main characters were fairies, dwarves, mermaids, angels, and in which their characteristics, actions, and ways and forms of their appearances were described. Stories about these miraculous beings exist in numerous cultures from the Sumerians to the Egyptians, from China to the cultures of ancient America. For ancient peoples, they were a reality, and the memory of them reaches to this day through folklore and ancient records.
What does our folk tradition say about them? Folklore records and oral tradition mention various nature spirits, although the same beings are often hidden under different names. Ethnologists believe that the belief in and worship of nature spirits in our regions has Slavic origins. As proof of this, they cite the Byzantine historian Procopius from the 6th century who writes about the South Slavic worship of rivers, nymphs, and other similar deities. However, it is undoubtedly present in our folk tradition as well.
The influence of antiquity.
Spirits of nature can be divided according to whether they reside in the earth, air, water, or fire…
Earth spirits
There is a great variety of earth spirits, ranging from dwarves, monsters (the term “monster” is used to indicate something strange, something different from the norm), to fairies.
Monsters – oral tradition and folklore records mention them by different names, but the most well-known are orko and mrak. The name “orko” (lorko, njorko, lorgo, etc.) is widespread in Croatia, mainly along the Adriatic coast. The name “mrak” (darkness) is more common in the inland regions.
The monster is described as a gigantic nocturnal being with the power of transformation. It is in constant motion, expanding and contracting, so it can reach the size of the largest animals.
The legend of orko probably has its roots in ancient tradition; it is assumed that the name “orko” comes from the name of the Roman underground god Orcus. Descriptions collected from different recorders in different regions tell of various powers and abilities possessed by these creatures. In different places and times, it is said the following:
“Orko usually appears at night, like a small donkey that grows or rises very high when you ride it. Travelers encounter him on the road, returning from the city or traveling to another village. Sometimes he sneaks under the tired traveler’s legs. It is pleasant to ride him, so the traveler relaxes and sometimes falls asleep. Orko immediately transforms, grows or rises very high and takes the traveler to a completely different place from the intended one.”
He is described as a giant who can stride across the road. He is as big as a walnut tree and disappears at dawn when the roosters crow. The tradition from Svirče on the island of Hvar says: “Orko is a big man who blocks the road at night, grows and shrinks, spreads his arms and legs.”
Dwarves are much more well-known than monsters. They have a human-like appearance and are no taller than two feet. In folk beliefs, they are known by names such as: macić, malik, malić, kepec, and starmal. Beliefs about macići are most widespread in central Dalmatia, on the islands of Brač and Hvar, at the mouth of the Neretva River, Pelješac ešca, Korčula. The name “macić” is associated with a cat that used to play with them. The name “malik” is more common in Istria and Kvarner and refers to a little boy. Although the names are different, they intertwine around the same character – a boy with a red cap or hat. “Malik runs along the path, with a red little cap.” He is described as a “dwarf imp” who likes to play jokes on people. Dwarves have unpredictable moods and can be mischievous, and they can’t be categorized as either “good” or “evil”. They socialize with people, can help them, but also play tricks on them. It is said that they used to be guardians of mines in the mountains, and when they were present, there were no accidents in the mines.
In Sućuraj on Hvar, it was a custom to leave fritters in front of the door for macić to bring treasures to the hosts. It was believed that they were also prone to minor mischief. Legend has it that macić would hide animals from people for a few days and then return them. He is the one who braids the tails and manes of horses. The people of Brač did not consider him a major pest. nom. Fishermen were known to see him around their nets. They described him as a small man with a mustache, beard, and a red cap, who lives both at sea and in the mountains.
The words “orko” and “macić” belong to the ancient oral tradition and are mostly unknown under these names today. But that’s not the case with fairies.
In folk tradition, fairies are most commonly described as beautiful young girls with long flowing hair, delicate and transparent bodies, light as birds, beautiful eyes, a pleasant voice, and white, airy, and transparent clothing. “White” is one of the two most common epithets attributed to fairies everywhere (referring to their dresses, hair, or the transparency of their bodies).
A tradition has been preserved on the Pelješac peninsula that says: “Fairies are beautiful girls… They have yellow hair down to their feet and wear long white shirts…”
Another important adjective for fairies is “posestrima”. It was believed that a person can get close to fairies, or “posestriti”. In that case, his posestrima fairy would help him in times of trouble. It was said among the people that every hero and honorable person has a posestrima fairy. Not so long ago, on the Pelješac peninsula, before the water was taken from some springs and ravines, it was necessary to appease the fairies three times with these words: “Fajen Jesus, green hills, and always sistered fairies, may you bestow health upon me and others on my behalf!”
Fairies are great connoisseurs of the healing properties of plants and minerals. They passed on this knowledge to their chosen ones among the people, who were called “vilenicas” and “vilovnjaks” in the popular belief, and it was believed that they were innocent, pure, and pious people.
Becoming a vilenica or vilarka is chosen by the fairies, and there can be several of them in a village. The future vilarka usually falls ill with fairy sickness so that the fairies can personally or through other vilarkas who heal them, appear to them in their dreams. Records from the 17th century document the historical existence of such individuals who enjoyed a great reputation in rural communities. They healed with herbs, claiming that the fairies with whom they socialize taught them the effectiveness of the plants.
Fairies especially love children, and sometimes they even take them away. On the island of Ugljan, it was said that the fairies sometimes knew how to steal a child, feed and support them, only to return them later, beautified and well-fed. However, the child was not allowed to talk about being with the fairies or where they had been. The fairies also abducted adults. During their absence from the community, the “favorite of the fairies” would undergo a transformation because the fairies would give him some of their wisdom.
According to the story from Zaton near Obrovac: “They establish a connection with humans by taking someone for a few days and teaching them how to cure various illnesses, teaching them secrets that were only known to them so far. Usually, they take a young and beautiful boy or a young and beautiful girl.”
In the surroundings of Karlovac, it was narrated that the elves were pets of the mountain fairies, to whom they bestowed some of their powers in order to help people in distress. The condition was that they serve the fairies for a year, and during that time they were taught how to heal various illnesses. However, even after parting ways with the fairies, they continued to visit them in their caves, telling stories. And how the people live, are they satisfied and such.
A special kind of villa closely connected to people are fate villas (birth villas, oracles). According to folklore, they would visit a newborn child and determine its fate.
The villas have a special fondness for young girls whom they like to adorn and give gifts of their beauty. But the girls also used to leave gifts for the villas in secluded places, on rocks and in caves, such as flowers, silk scarves. After placing their gifts, they would whisper softly, “Take, fairy, what is dear to you.”
Gifts were also given to the villas on “good days” – Ivanje, The Feast of the Assumption and The Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. At that time, people would gather on a clearing where the “fairy tree” was located. Gifts would be hung from its branches for the villas.
The villas reside in “clean places,” next to the fairy tree. A fairy tree was considered to be one that stood out from the surrounding trees due to its location, beauty, or size. Thus, a person could come across villas beneath an oak, birch, pear, hawthorn, but they would avoid encounters with them.
They would sit underneath them so as not to anger the fairies. They were known to be seen dancing their magical dance in the moonlight, often in places far from any human presence, usually on meadows surrounded by forests. Where they danced, a perfectly round circle would be marked, devoid of any grass… People avoided being near the fairy playground, especially at dusk, because they believed the fairies could bring them harm. Only a few honest people could enter their circle, either by chance or when they were invited by the fairies themselves. “It was rumored that there’s a village called Vrzić under Velebit, and above it, at the top of Velebit, there’s a place called ‘vrzino kolo’, where the fairies dance.”
Fairies come in various forms: sea, river, lake, mountain, field, forest fairies, but also those who reside in clouds and on stars.
Among the spirits of the Earth, fairies of the Earth hold a prominent place and are usually divided into mountain and field fairies. Mountain fairies live in mountains, groves, forests. Their family called them mountain fairies, bitter fairies, Zagorje fairies. Polish fairies reside in fields and plains. They could be seen sitting at a crossroads or in a hollow, combing their golden hair.
Water spirits
Folklore mentions various types of water fairies, water people, and sea men.
Water fairies in our folklore are divided into half-fish, half-human beings that live in the sea (they are called sea maidens, water nymphs, sea maids) and beautiful girls who reside in rivers, lakes, springs, and wells, and often come out of them (spring fairies, lake fairies, well fairies). There are also mentions of fairies who bathe in the waters at night and feed their winged deer. They are often attributed with evil characteristics. They lure young men into the water and then pull them into the depths. They can also be favorable towards humans. Those whom they favor warn them not to drink from waters polluted with corpses or dead animals.
A person must not disturb the water of the lake where a fairy is sleeping or bathing. The merman fears silence because it can hurt him or even blind him. People avoided going to the spring in the evening because fairies come to bathe in it at dusk.
The waterman or water spirit has long hair and beard, the upper part of the body resembling a human, and the lower part in the form of fish fins. It can lure a person into the water with good or evil intentions.
Sea people dwell in the sea, they are larger than life, half fish-half human. They come out on land at night and illuminate the coast with glowing stones. Whoever finds such a stone, the people say, will be happy for their whole life.
Spirits of the air
The origin of winds and storms was attributed to the influence of certain nature spirits. Here, beings called “vedi” are mentioned. They have a human form but are taller than houses. Vedi create storms with a single breath. They easily uproot trees. When women would weave, they would cut a piece of fabric and throw it into the wind saying, “Let the wind carry it to the vedi.” According to folklore, vedi sing in the air like an organ and walk from sunrise to sunset. Ask the Sun. In the event of any natural disaster, such as floods or storms, we would pray to them for protection.
In this group, we also include air fairies who, according to tradition, reside on clouds and stars. Although the etymology of the name fairy has not been clarified yet, it is associated with the Indo-European concept of ueia – wind, Lithuanian vejas, and ancient Indian vayu – air. This etymology primarily defines fairies as spirits of air and storms. It is said that they race on clouds, that clouds take them away from the ground, and that their dancing causes wind, storms, and hail. It is said that they sometimes fly down to the ground to warn people of the danger that threatens them.
With the influence of Christianity, many beliefs and knowledge about nature spirits faded away. Efforts were made to erase everything that belonged to the “pagan era”. Thus, many characteristics and roles of nature spirits were transferred to the devil. For example, it is no longer the “malik” who plays pranks around the mill, but the devil himself. The water nymph no longer resides in the water, but it is the devil who wears green clothing and lives at the bottom of the sea. Women who possessed knowledge of medicinal plants and claimed to communicate with fairies could be declared witches. In Croatia, there were witch trials from the 15th to the 18th century. However, traces of nature worship can be found in various customs, place names, and plants. The old stories tell us that when fairies roamed the world, there was abundant harvest and happiness in the fields. That era is called the “golden age.”
In the past, it was believed that every natural phenomenon was the work of a nature spirit. People not only worshiped them, but, according to legend, also communicated and collaborated with them. However, as humans became estranged from nature and started abusing and destroying it, and as discord and hatred among people became more frequent, nature spirits distanced themselves from humans. And thus, the enchantment of the “golden age” disappeared.