The Legend Of Mermaids Explained

May 2024 · 2 minute read

The Slavic version of the mermaid, called the rusalka (or rusalki in the plural), is a little different from others in that they have legs instead of fish bodies, but they have a lot in common with mermaids, Nereids, and Sirens in that they are female water spirits who lure men in with their charms. As Ancient Origins explains, however, their motivation for such beguiling is definitely sinister. While the original folkloric form of the rusalka was as a benevolent fertility spirit who provided freshwater moisture to forest and crops to help them grow, by the 19th century, they had become the restless spirits of the unquiet dead. Specifically, rusalki were the spirits of women who had died violent deaths by drowning, either by murder or by suicide after being jilted by a lover.

Rusalki lurk around lakes, rivers, swamps, and ponds, seeking revenge on the humanity that betrayed them by lunging out of the water to grab human men and drag them down to share their watery fate. Rusalki are quite a contrast to the beautiful mermaids of other cultures, as they are said to have pale skin, green hair, and pupil-less eyes that flash green with rage. A tragic opera based on the story of the rusalka was composed by Antonin Dvorak in 1901–titled, naturally, Rusalka– and is probably the most famous Czech opera ever staged. Try to think of a more popular Czech opera. You probably can't.

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