Evonnia & the Maiden by Keira Michelle Telford

Author:Keira Michelle Telford [Telford, Keira Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B010WG1J4C
Goodreads: 25846115
Publisher: Venatic Press
Published: 2014-12-31T22:00:00+00:00

THE MYTH

A rusalka (plural: rusalki) is a water nymph in Slavic mythology. The name ‘rusalka’ is rooted in an old East Slavic word meaning ‘light-haired girl.’ She is an unclean spirit—an unquiet being—whose life was cut short when she met with a tragic end. According to folklore, a rusalka is invariably a beautiful young woman who either committed suicide (due to the incurable melancholy of an unhappy marriage, or being jilted or abused), or was drowned by a lover. Because of this, she is vengeful and bitter.

Her purpose is to lure men into the waterway in which she died. She seduces them with her hypnotic voice, or with her body—for she is often found naked, and is able to alter her appearance in order to adapt herself to the varying tastes of different men. Once her chosen victims are submerged in the water, she traps them in her locks of unnaturally long, golden hair and her body becomes incredibly slippery. It’s impossible to retain a grip on her, and they drown beneath her, gazing into her watery blue eyes. Sometimes, she tickles them to death, laughing heartlessly all the while.

Though it’s generally thought that a rusalka cannot completely leave the waterway, some tales state that she is able to rise from her watery home in the summer and walk on land, singing her haunting songs. This happens particularly during the month of June, and particularly at night. Around this time, she is most dangerous and swimming is strictly forbidden.

One universal feature of the myths is that her hair must be kept perpetually wet, and that if her hair were to completely dry out, she would die.

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