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Paper short abstract

Carpathian folklore portrays trees as agents of magic: they may house spirits, hold or transmit curses, or protect the living. Through rituals and stories, trees emerge as long-lived beings capable of absorbing, retaining, and redirecting supernatural power.

Paper long abstract

In folk narratives of East Slavic speakers in the Carpathian Mountains, trees on rare occasions house supernatural beings. For example, the povitrulia—a female entity that charms men or exchanges babies—is said to live in trees. Yet trees can be dangerous even without such inhabitants. A tree that has come into contact with water left after a healing ritual may become cursed and later transmit the curse to the household. Other accounts say this water should be poured onto trees in places where people rarely go, so the tree may contain the curse without letting it spread.

A developed mythology also surrounds trees used in magic. If an unknown person tries to cut down such a tree, the act can prove fatal unless cleansing rituals are performed. Trees may also hold cursed objects placed there by sorcerers; as long as the object remains, the curse continues. Cutting down the tree does not stop the magic but makes it permanent. Only removing the object would break the curse.

At the same time, some narratives describe trees as protective. After waking from a dream of the dead, one should look at green trees so the dead cannot harm or haunt the dreamer.

Taken together, these accounts portray the tree not as inert matter but as a long-living presence capable of absorbing, containing, and redirecting magical power across generations.