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Disclaimer: This information is for reference only
and does not constitute a call to action. There are tales of successful captures of water nymphs, but such cases are rare and extremely dangerous

One method is to catch a mermaid with an enchanted net and keep her until she swears not to cause harm and even agrees to help with household chores or fishing. However, mermaids are wayward by nature and will seize any opportunity to escape back into the water

The second method — saving a life. If a person manages to protect
a mermaid from danger, she may show gratitude by bestowing magical gifts upon her savior or even becoming a faithful companion. But such relationships are very fragile: if you break a taboo
or show disrespect, the mermaid can take cruel revenge

The third method — during Mermaid Week, if you catch
a maiden in your nets and, before she breaks free, quickly say "You're mine!", she will be bound to serve the human
for exactly one year, helping with the household and running errands. At the end of that term, however, she must return to her body of water

My dear boy, I’m sorry I won’t be able to make it to your coming-of-age celebration. My expedition has dragged on, and my search hasn’t yielded the desired result. With age, one’s skills fade; after 60, time is no longer on my side. But I’m not giving up hope; it seems to me that this time your old man has found the right lead.

To make it up to you, I'll bring you some new books. I've gathered so many stories during my trip that we need to talk about!

Important! I completely forgot about the dates
Mermaid Week is coming up soon! Be careful, drink the wormwood tincture, and don’t take off the silver charm I left for you.

Iron is considered one of the most potent means against mermaids and other evil spirits. It is believed that mermaids fear iron and cannot approach a person who has a piece of it on them — for example, a knife, a nail, or simply a chunk of metal. Iron symbolizes earthly, steadfast strength that protects against the spirits of water and forest.

For protection against mermaids, it is recommended to place iron objects at the threshold of your home, carry them with you, or stick them in the ground near bodies of water. Sometimes, to scare off
a mermaid, it is enough to simply show her a knife or a scythe,
and she will immediately disappear.

It is believed that catching a mermaid requires special nets and clever tricks. They say that a mermaid can only be caught using a net woven from hemp or nettles—ordinary fishing nets are useless for this purpose. Such nets are woven in secret, often at midnight or on Midsummer’s Day, and the process is always accompanied by special incantations
to prevent the mermaid from escaping. Sometimes silver or consecrated objects are used to capture them. For example, a silver cross or coin is thrown into the water to distract the mermaid, and then a net is quickly cast over her. It has been confirmed that silver weakens mermaids and prevents them from using their magic.

Mermaids are very dangerous to humans; their greatest power lies
in their ability to enchant and lure: they can sing magical songs that cause travelers to lose their willpower and follow the sound, forgetting everything else. Mermaids can inflict illness and curses: they “tickle” people to death, causing fever, weakness, and even madness. Another danger is deceptive visions: mermaids create mirages, showing nonexistent treasures, or call out in the voice of a loved one, luring people to follow them

Grandpa says that mermaids especially love to catch and eat
mirror carp— this fish is a real treat for them. According to legend,
if a fisherman wanted to appease a mermaid or protect himself from her tricks, he could leave a mirror carp on the shore or by the water as an offering. Rumor has it that, besides carp, mermaids also eat other river fish: bream, crucian carp, and roach

One of the most common ways to ward off evil spirits is said to be the use of silver coins. Silver possesses a special power — this metal is capable of repelling evil spirits and cleansing away evil. Healers place silver coins in water, which is then used to wash or give to drink to those who have fallen victim to the machinations of water spirits

Wormwood is considered one of the most powerful plants for warding off evil spirits and disease. Its bitter scent repels evil spirits, water spirits, and other malevolent forces. One of the most effective methods of healing and purification is fumigation with wormwood: bundles of this herb were set alight, and the smoke was used to fumigate the house, livestock, and people to drive away illness or evil spells. Wormwood is worn as a talisman or hung above the entrance to the house so that evil forces cannot cross the threshold.

Patient:

Ivan
34 years old

He miraculously survived an encounter with a mermaid. In the morning, during his rounds, the watchman tried to shoo away a cow, but it struck him so hard that it knocked the wind out of him. While he was lying there, the cow turned into a girl and laughed. He was saved by people who arrived just in time

Symptoms:

Hysterical laughter, convulsions

Treatment:

He was placed inside a circle drawn
with consecrated chalk to shield the man from the influence of evil spirits. A spell was recited over the patient: “Go away, mermaid, into the forest to the dry pine tree, to the rotten log; there you may have your fun, there you may show off, but leave God’s servant Ivan alone.”

Patient:

Ilya
21 years old

Contacted a rusalka. On his way home, he met a girl standing alone by the trees. He immediately realized it was a bad omen, but it was too late. The maiden grabbed him by the arm and started to drag him away; the guy barely fought her off

Symptoms:

Fainting, incoherent speech

Treatment:

Washed with consecrated water in which silver coins and rings had been left overnight. Performed a ritual of fumigation with dried wormwood

Patient:

Grandma Shura 67years old

She heard a sad weeping. When she went out to see who was crying, she saw a girl in the bushes, but then the girl suddenly started laughing. It was terrifying

Symptoms:

Headaches

Treatment:

Giving her wormwood decoction to drink every two hours. A silver needle has been attached to her clothin

Patient:

Vasily
46 years old

Found unconscious in the bushes. The circumstances of the fall are unknown

Symptoms:

Unconsciousness

Treatment:

We carried him outside and performed a ritual purification dance. The healers danced over the patient for several hours until he regained consciousness. We placed an iron knife under his pillow, as evil spirits fear cold iron.
We gave him wormwood tea to drink

Healer:

Nina
Age unknown

It is not customary for local residents to wear makeup; what matters is that she is skilled in her craft and saves lives—nothing else matters

Treatment:

Nina’s main tools are a decoction
made from seven herbs gathered on specific days, and a silver coin enchanted at dawn. After her treatment, the illness recedes, and dreams become vivid. And until dawn, the scent of wormwood wafts over the houses—a sign that Nina has once again saved someone from the mermaid’s spell

The Kolushary are a group of healers consisting exclusively of men. Their task is to drive evil spirits from the body of the sick person through special dance rituals. During Mermaid Week, they travel from village to village and perform rituals to expel evil spirits. One such ritual
is called “The Mermaid’s Farewell.”

The Kolushari perform ritual dances and songs, portraying mermaids and other spirits. They hold whips, bundles of wormwood, sticks, or rattles in their hands, which they bang loudly and shake—this noise is meant to scare away evil spirits and “drive out” the mermaids from the village.

the rivers and ancient spirits whispered in the meadows, there lived a young man named Vasily. He was not only handsome but also brave at heart, and his eyes always sparkled with curiosity. One day, at sunset, as the sun sank into the crimson waters, he saw a girl sitting on a river rock. She was combing her long hair, and it seemed as if the river itself were singing her a lullaby. She was a mermaid—a creature from a world of dreams and shadows. Vasily was enchanted. He came to the river every evening, and soon their gazes intertwined in a silent conversation. The mermaid knew that their love was doomed to sorrow. She feared that their feelings would become not a source of happiness for him, but a heavy burden. But Vasily’s heart would not heed her warnings. He waited for her, forgetting everything else in the world. And one day, the mermaid, no longer able to fight her longing, called to him to follow her—into her underwater kingdom at the bottom of the river. Alas, his fear of the cold abyss proved stronger than love. Vasily recoiled, and the last glimmer of hope faded from the mermaid’s eyes. At that very moment, her tears turned into magic, and the young man was transformed
into a small blue flower—a cornflower.

ong ago, when the songs of mermaids still echoed over

The truth is concealed in these pages. Guard it well, reader

1615

There was a forest lake there. The forest began right at the shore, about a kilometer from the village. I decided to go for a swim. I quickly undressed on the rocky shore, waving off the bloodsuckers, stepped into the dark water, and dove headfirst. The deep water started right from the shore; it was warm only on the surface, but icy cold at the bottom. My ears started to ring, and suddenly I heard mermaids singing — wordless singing. It was a song about everyone who had drowned in this lake over thousands of years. The voices underwater sounded so unexpected and terrifying that I shot straight back up to the surface. No one was singing above the water; the forest looked at me grimly
and unfriendly. I got dressed, trying not to look around,
and hurried home.

1 | 5

ne time, my friends and I went to a village.

named Valentin. A good fellow, getting ready for the army. One day, he went with his friends to the lake. It was a scorching hot day, unbearable. He dove into the deepest part, and as he was coming up for air, he looked down and saw someone sitting at the very bottom. He took a closer look and saw a beautiful maiden, and she was smiling and beckoning him to her with her hand. He tore for the surface, almost drowned in the process. He jumped out onto the shore, shaking all over. His friends asked:
— What's wrong with you, Valyok?
Did a weed grab your leg?
And he, white as a sheet, said to them:
— What weed... There was a girl down there.
She was luring me.
And that's how it all started. In the army, the fits began, such that he was quickly discharged and sent home. But
it was our local Butakovo healer who cured him. He looked at him sternly and said: — This is not an illness, but an evil spell. You, my son, have encountered a rusalka.

2 | 5

here was a guy from our village, Butakovo,

my eyes. One guy kept diving, trying to pull her out, but he couldn't. He says a mermaid was sitting on top of her, dragging her down to the bottom. He says her hair was floating all around in the water like seaweed. That's why he couldn't save the drowned girl. He kept diving for an hour, and when his hour was up, another guy dove down and pulled her out. Dead.

3 | 5

young girl drowned in our village, right before

the flood came and the Biryusa River was in full spate:
— You, Dinka, don't go to the river:
there are poludnitsas there.
But I really wanted to see them, I was just so curious.
So one time I came to the riverbank, sat down on a rock, and started peering into the water — and all of a sudden!
A creature, black like a cat, about forty centimeters long, maybe thirty-five with the tail, jumps out of the water
onto the opposite bank. And it starts scratching itself.
I got so scared that it would drag me in that I jumped up from my spot and ran away, and it dove back underwater and followed me along the bottom. I ran home
and said to Grandma:
— Grandma, I saw a poludnitsa.
And she answers:
— Yes, Dina, that's them, the poludnitsas... they drag
you in — don't go to the river anymore.
Since then, even when I grew up, I go into the river
with fear, and I never even dive. Because who knows
what you might see under there.

4 | 5

ur grandma always used to say when

the woods during Mermaid Week to gather bast fibers.
He was attacked by rusalkas, but he quickly drew a circle around himself, stood inside it, and began to read a prayer. After that, all the rusalkas retreated from him, but one still kept bothering him. My great-grandfather grabbed the rusalka by the hand, pulled her into the circle, and quickly threw the cross that hung around his neck onto her. The maiden hissed at him, tried to break free, but when she couldn't, she submitted. She became quiet and silent, as if she weren't alive at all, like a doll. After that, he led her home. The rusalka lived with my great-grandfather for a whole year and did the housework. When the next Mermaid Week came, the maiden came to life again and ran back into the forest. They say that captured rusalkas eat very little — they mostly feed on steam and soon disappear without a trace.

5 | 5

y great-grandfather once went into

Rare, enormous mermaids with shimmering bodies and hair resembling sea foam. They have long fish tails. As mistresses of storms and tempests, they capsize ships, driving them onto reefs. Dressed in light-colored garments, they walk with their hair scattered haphazardly.

They usually spend their time among sea creatures, frolicking with dolphins and fish. They appear only during storms, rocking ships and leading them to their doom.

Beautiful fair-skinned maidens with light brown
curls and fishtail braids. They are indifferent to humans, but very persistent: they cling to ships to strike up
a conversation and learn about life on land. Rumor has
it that at night, the mermaids emerge from the water and devour anyone who crosses their path

An ancient belief holds that the loskotukhi are nocturnal dwellers of forests, boundless fields, and dark waters. If you venture out at night into a field or to still waters, you may inadvertently come face-to-face with those who hide from daylight.

They are alluring in appearance, of extraordinary beauty. At night they swing on the branches of tall trees, combing their long hair with combs made of fish bones

They are extremely dangerous: they will lure you with gentle whispers, smile cheerfully and enticingly, and then suddenly seize hold and tickle you to death. It is said that they do this not out of malice, but simply for the deadly amusement of it.

At night, they emerge from the depths and sit on the shore, combing their hair. Upon seeing a chance visitor, the lobasta dives back into the whirlpool (omut), leaving behind a forgotten comb or soap.An encounter with her
is terrifying: having caught a person, she drags him into the deep pool where she mercilessly tickles him to death.

These are ancient rusalki, belonging to the water undead. They are depicted as frightening tall old women, with white skin and long, disheveled hair. They dwell in large rivers, lakes, and swamps, hiding among the reeds.

They are especially active during Rusalka Week, when they wander at night through forests and fields, creating round dances and beckoning passersby to join. Those who approach them willingly or are caught by them face torturous torment and swift doom.

Deep in the marshes and lakes, far from human eyes, dwell the marsh maidens, endowed with indescribable beauty. Their faces and bodies, like heavenly nymphs, enchant all who behold them: snow-white skin, long flowing hair, and blue or green eyes.

But from the waist down, nature has endowed them with webbed feet, so they sit in water lilies, hiding their woven shoes beneath them.

A girl becomes a marsh maiden when she voluntarily disappears into the marshes or when she is noticed by an evil spirit of the underwater world.

Young women who paid with their own lives for an ill-fated love. They are beautiful: their skin is white and cold, their hair is long, their bodies are naked, and sometimes they are clad in tattered garments. They cast no shadows and are not reflected in clear water; their backs are transparent—so that anyone who looks at them can see their frozen hearts.

As soon as the nymph spots the young man, her heart—though it continues to beat—begins to flutter; a sweet song pours from her lips, and a sparkle lights up her enchanting eyes. They mistake the stranger for their beloved—the one who broke their heart and destroyed their soul. The man hears this unearthly voice, sees this dazzling beauty—and walks straight into the arms of death.

do they realize the terrible truth: they have found not their beloved, but a stranger. Then they let him go, but it is already too late—the poor man’s soul has long since vanished into the cold depths…