Fiery serpents (, , "fiery serpent"), among other names, are evil beings in Russian folklore, often shapeshifted demons or spirits.
In East Slavic tradition, the "fiery serpent" is said to generally resemble a fiery shaft (, "fiery carrying pole"), a flaming broom, or a glowing ball of blue fire, releasing sparks during its flight. This has been connected to the astronomical phenomena of bolides, shooting stars (meteors) or meteorites. Thus they are akin to firedrake-myth in other regions of the world.
Nomenclature In Russia, the ognennyi zmei is also known as the (, 'serpent-lyubak'), (, 'raider'), (, 'raid'), (, 'flyer'), or (, 'flying one'). Also (, 'beckoner' <" 'to beckon') or (, 'charmer').
In the Ukraine, the (, 'tempter, seducer'; var. ), aka (), is a demon in the form of a fiery snake (meteor) that flies towards women. It is also called (, 'flying one'), (, 'flyer'), (, 'raid'), or (, 'raider'). The pan-Slavic "fiery serpent" has been termed () in Ukrainian.
The Belarus form is () for "flying serpent".
In the Serbian epic ballads, it is referred to as the ognyanik, or "fiery dragon".
The Polish cognate is , ('the flying one') which is associated with the wind.
Country Name Etymology Belarusian () "flying serpent" Polish "the flying one", associated with the wind Russian () "fiery serpent" () "serpent of fire" () "serpent-lyubak" () (), (), "pupil, fosterling, nurseling", a Ukrainian house-spirit born from eggs () "raider", () "raid", () "flyer", () "flying one" () "flying one", same form as , found in southern Russia () "beckoner", from ", , "to beckon" () "charmer" Serbian () "fiery one", in the Serbian epic ballads () "fiery dragon", in the Serbian epic ballads Ukrainian () "tempter, seducer" () "tempter, seducer" reconstructed ancestral form *per-lьstьnik'ъ () "tempter, seducer" ) "flying one", also in southern Russian: () "flyer", () "raid", () "raider", () "fire serpent", Ukrainian term for the pan-Slavic "fiery serpent"
Origin
The association of shooting stars, bolides (cf. image right), and comets, with the fiery serpent is pan-Slavic (cf. , ), including Belarus, citing and other sources. and association with bolides, meteorites and such heavenly stones among the East Slavs is not unique to that region.
According to Russian folk belief (around Tula), when the archangel Michael cast down the fallen angels, some of these devils evaded falling down to earth, and remained flying in the atmosphere in the form of fiery serpents.
The origin of the Slavic myth is unknown, and the "fiery serpent" appears across the pan-Slavic world. citing and other sources. The folklore mirrors various European folklore regarding demons and spirits (gnomes, wights, etc) shapeshifting into dragons (serpents) in order to protect and gather treasure, a motif seen in famous stories such as the Völsunga saga, and also connecting to the myth of "that which lies under a serpent grows with it", ie, dragons broods treasure to get richer. Other gnome traditions also carry over, such as the egg-lore of the Schrat etc (see ).
According to Russian folk belief (around Tula), when the archangel Michael cast down the fallen angels, some of these devils evaded falling down to earth, and remained flying in the atmosphere in the form of fiery serpents.
Description Demons took on various shapes, and the "fiery serpent" of the East and West Slavs, as well as the "flying serpent" of the Southern Slavs appeared as serpents in air, and as humans on ground. It releases sparks during its flight and enters the (women's) house through the chimney.
The serpent may bring gifts, but those gifts turn to horse manure at sunrise (Russian, west-Ukrainian).
The evil spirit reputedly visits the woman at night-time (this may be a literary convention. Fet's poem, ). Women who were widowed or separated from their husbands were particularly vulnerable to having affairs with this type of devil, because the devil would assume the shape of the dead or absentee husband. In their grief, and their desperation to be rejoined with their lost love, women do not recognize the serpent and become convinced that their lover has returned.
It is told that those who are visited by the serpent experience weight loss, exhibit signs of insanity and eventually commit suicide, or wither and die. In addition, victims of the serpent often experience hallucinations, including visions of supernatural torment, such as suckling on breasts which excrete blood rather than milk.
There are several ways to distinguish and identify the fiery serpent. Like any demon, it has no spinal cord (Russian). and a woman can test if it is the real husband by feeling for his spine. It cannot correctly pronounce sacred Christian names, and instead of "Jesus Christ" () the serpent may say "Sus Christ" (), or instead of (, Mother of God) it can only say (). Other sources say the fiery serpent lacks the ability to hear and speak properly. And though the body may be human, it is multi-headed (Voronezh, Ukraine).
Superstition prescribes certain ways to ward against the devil, for example, the magical herb (possibly valerian), or a decoction of burdock or its root stuck on the wall may serve as amulet (Russia). Reading the Psalter in a house where the serpent has already visited may help; or making the sign of the cross at entry points, such as window, door or stovepipe.
Mythology also tells that the fiery serpent had a son by a human woman, and she bore a werewolf (), the "Fiery Serpent Wolf" (; ). This son combatted and defeated his father. In Serbian epic literature, around the 15th century a mythical hero was transferred on to historical figures, namely, "Zmaj Ognjeni Vuk" ( "Vuk the Fire Serpent/Dragon"; Vuk means "wolf") and became the double of Vuk Grgurević.
Thus women can have the fiery serpent's children, and illegitimate births are still often explained as such devil spawn. If a woman conceives a child with such a devil, the pregnancy will be exceedingly long, and the child will be born with black skin, with hooves instead of feet, eyes without eyelids and a cold body (Russia), or its body will be cold and jelly-like (East Ukraine). Such births are not viable, and the children die.
Egg lore
The wealth-bringing demon can be bred from an egg of a chicken (sometimes rooster, below) aged 3, 5, 7, or 9, according to Slavic legend. In Russian, this demon is referred to as either ognennyi zmei ("fiery serpent") or (analog to Ukrainian khovanets, , , , a Ukrainian house spirit born from eggs) or perhaps just as "serpent" or "flying serpent". The creature that hatches is in the shape of a cat, according to Pavel Vasilievich Shejn, though it make take on the shape of either a cat, a train of fire, fire-sparks, or a young chicken according to a different source. At any rate, it transforms into a fiery streak at night to steal money, or grain for the house or landlady who hosts it, and in return it is expected to be fed Scrambled eggs or omelettes).
In Belarus, it is said that an egg laid by a (black) rooster (unusually shaped, like a snail) must be carried in one's bosom for 1 to 7 years (var. under the armpit for 3 years) for the small flying serpent to hatch. The Belarusian flying serpent is also referred to as in kletnik (. ) and favours fried eggs or a scrambled eggs dish (; ) that is not overly salty.
Historic examples An early sighting of the "fiery serpent" was recorded in a chronicle entry for the year 1092, which tells that the clouds darkened, and a great, three-headed snake with the heads aflame craned out of it, issuing fumes and noises, according to Ukraine writer . The year 1092 was one of calamaities in Kievan Russia and Polotsk in Belarus according to the Primary Chronicle.
The preceding year, 1091, was also fraught with portents, such as the solar eclipse. Vsevolod Yaroslavich during hunt near Vyshgorod in 1091, witnessed a dragon-meteorite falling from the sky, as illustrated in the Radziwiłł Chronicle copy of the Primary Chronicle ( fig. at top), which has been recognized as an instance of a "fiery dragon" sighting, though scientifically considered to be a meteorite fall. The event is similarly recorded in the Laurentian Codex copy (of the Primary Chronicle).
In literature Myths about the fiery serpent are found in Serbian epic songs as well as Russian byliny, and fairy tales (skazka). The term "fiery serpent" applied (sometimes) to the archetypal evil dragon dispatched by the dragon-slaying hero of bylina, such as Dobrynya Nikitich.
There has been recorded the spell or zagovory () to protect a woman against the incursion of the flying serpent, and the lengthy recitation names the "fiery serpent". Another spell, for a military man going to war, also invokes the "fiery serpent". There is an incantation (Ukrainian: Замовляння, ) acting as a love charm, where the fire serpent is supposed to act as a magical creature which arouses a woman's passion.
In The Tale of Peter and Fevronia (16th century), this devil in serpent form flew to the wife of Prince Pavel, brother of Prince Peter of Murom.
The image of a fiery serpent was described by the Russian poet Afanasy Afanasievich Fet in his ballad, (, "Serpent"), written in 1847, where a young widow is visited by a serpent from the night sky.
The perelesnyk features in the play The Forest Song (1911) by Ukrainian writer Lesia Ukrainka.
Belarusian folklore The fiery "flying serpent"（; of Belarus exhibit two aspects, that of the wealth-bringing spirit and that of the "mythological lover" (i.e., mythological creature as lover). The fiery flying serpent of the house is also designated or (, from , "granary, pantry", where it is said to dwell). The Belarusian flying serpent likes to be fed fried eggs or scrambled eggs (; ) that must not be overly salty, lest it anger the demon which will exact some form of retribution using fire. If someone is doing unusually well financially, others will quip about him that "the serpent brings him money" ().
The "wealth-bringing spirit" motif is related to various house spirit myths of Europe, such as the Nordic gnome (nisse), wight (vätte) and Estonian kratt (among others), which helps around the farm and bring wealth to those they like, but they also collect treasure, which they guard by shapeshifting into dragons and thereof. This myth is further related to myths of undeads resurrecting as various monsters, not uncommonly dragons, to guard something precious, such as a buried treasure, a grave or a past home, further the root of various ghostlore.
Polish folklore The Polish version is latawiec ('the flying one') which was originally an air spirit that could conjure up winds, and regarded as a sort of bird with plumage, though the witch's endeared one is described as a hairy little man, also appearing in the guise of a serpent. There is conflation between the demon latawiec and the house sprite skrzat ( , Estonian Swedish skrat, ). The latawiec-skrzat demands milk kasha () or porridge, but it must not be too hot or it will anger the spirit.
Russian folklore One story recounts how the flying serpent (Russian: ; ) had an affair with a certain woman, but would remove his wings and tuck them under the roof, before entering her house and making his dalliances. A gypsy (cygán) noticed and hid the wings, compelling the serpent never to see the woman again (Tula Governorate).
A legend about the letun ("flyer"), i.e. fiery dragon recorded in the old capital of Pereslavl-Zalessky, describes a woman who believed she was visited by her dead husband and wasted away. The family took measures to drive it out, hiring a woman to read the psalter, and awaiting in guard of the woman as it visited. The father-in-law's threat of strangulation kept it away.