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Paper short abstract

The paper identifies the names of demons associated with wind in Slavic folk cultures and delineates their characteristics. It further highlights the mythological foundations underlying representations of winds as demonic entities and refers to works by folklorists and scholars of mythology.

Paper long abstract

Conceptualizations of winds in Slavic oral tradition and belief systems comprise a range of mythological constructs and cultural influences. Certain representations originate in pre-Christian polytheistic times, when winds were regarded as spiritualized beings inhabiting pits and caves; in some contexts, they are linked to the realm of the dead, while other demons associate some winds with human beings whose souls detach from their bodies and ascend into the heights to protect their communities from destructive winds and storms. In some traditions, winds acquire anthropomorphic features, whereas with the advent of Christianity they become associated with saints and masters of the winds. The paper examines the nomenclature of such wind-related beings: chmurnik, gradobranitelj, oblakogonac, oblačar, obłocznik, płanetnik, škrat, vetrovnjak, vetrogo(n)ja, vjedogonja, vetrenik, vetrovoj, vetryanij, vikhor, wietrznik, zduhač / zduvač.

In narrative folklore, winds appear across a variety of prose genres, most notably in fairy tales and etiological legends. The analysis focuses on the traits of wind-related beings that are associated with diverse demonic figures and identifies the themes and motifs connected with them. The paper further elucidates the interrelations between winds and other demons, in particular ale, fairies, and dragons. Winds are also linked to various diseases. Finally, attention is drawn to folkloristic and mythological interpretations of these oral tradition texts, especially those advanced by K. Moszyński, V. Čajkanović, N. Tolstoy, M. Matičetov, A. Loma, K. Smyk, J. Bartmiński, and L. Šešo.