THE RUSALKA’S VICTIM

Once they have obtained a victim, the rusalkas carry the person to their dwelling and surround them with the tenderest care. In a woman, they see a potential spouse for their master, the water spirit, and a new companion for themselves; in a man, especially if he is young and handsome, they see a possible lover for one of them. Naturally, the rusalka who takes a liking to the victim is the one who courts him most. Her care for her chosen one extends to the smallest details: she combs his hair, rubs his body, drives away aquatic animals, makes his bed with the finest water plants, and, during Rusalia Week, takes him ashore with her band. She even lets him visit his family’s home and see people, to ease his grief for earthly life somewhat. The other victims are left unattended: the rusalkas let crayfish and insects deform their bodies, and if for some reason a victim has displeased them, they push the corpse to the surface of the water, near the shore.

Even someone who has escaped the rusalkas, or merely seen or heard them from afar, does not always go unpunished. One may acquire a habit of laughing uncontrollably for no reason; another may walk about as if unhinged, contorting himself and making faces; someone else may suffer damage to one sense or another, especially hearing. It is remarkable that the stronger the victim’s constitution, the more severe the resulting physical impairments—and the person cannot overcome them for the rest of their life.

Source: K. Ya. Nikiforovsky, The Unclean Ones: A Collection of Folk Tales about the Evil Spirits of Vitebsk Belorussia. Vilna, 1907.