Vodnik also called Vodyanoy in Russian (Cyrillic: водяно́й IPA: vədʲɪˈnoj), literally "watery"), vadzianik in Belarusian (Cyrillic: вадзянік), Ukrainian vodianyk (Cyrillic: водяно́й in Polish, wodnik in Slovak, wodnik in Polish), wodnik in Polish and wodnik in Polish) , vodnik in Bulgarian and Macedonian (Cyrillic: водник), vodanoj in Croatian, povodni mož in Slovenian and vodenjak in Serbian (Cyrillic: водењак); It is an aquatic spirit from Slavic folklore.
Vodyanoy[]
Illustration of a Russian vodnik. Vodyanoy is said to appear as a naked old man with a frog's face, greenish beard and long hair, with his body covered in algae and mud, usually covered in black fish scales. He has webbed feet instead of hands, a fish tail, and eyes that burn like hot embers. Usually he rides along its river on a half-sunken log, making heavy splashes. Consequently, he is often called "grandfather" or "ancestor" by local people. The local drownings are said to be the work of the vodyanoy (or rusalkas). When he gets angry, the vodyanoy breaks levees, floods mills, and drowns people and animals. (Consequently, fishermen, millers, and also beekeepers make sacrifices to calm him down.) He frequently drags people into his underwater dwelling to serve him as slaves.
Vodnik[]
In Czech, Slovenian and Slovak folklore the characteristics of vodník are markedly different from the Slavic-Eastern conception; He has a completely human build and habits, save for a few differences. Vodníci (plural of vodník) have gills, a membrane membrane between their fingers and their skin is algae green (as is their hair, which is typically pale green in tone).
His dress and general appearance are strange, sometimes even tramp-like; patchwork shirts and (by modern standards) weird hats.
They can bear to stay for hours outside their ponds. When they do, they can be unmistakably distinguished by their damp coat layers from which the water is dripping under all circumstances.
Vodník's face is generally unshaven and it is not uncommon for a vodník to have a large, wet, tangled beard. Czech, Slovenian and Slovak tales have wicked and good vodníci that sometimes try to drown people when they swim in their territory. Vodníci keep the souls of the drowned in covered porcelain cups.
They regard their mugs as the most valuable heirloom and display their "work", and number these mugs which they see as proportionate to their wealth or status among other vodníci. When the lid is removed from said cup, the soul inside (bubble-shaped) will escape and be released. Except for fish (or fish spirits), they have no servants. Otherwise, vodníci spend their time running their territory or playing cards, smoking pipes or just sitting on the surface of the water (on rocks, nearby willows) and wandering. The fishermen ask the vodník for help by placing a pinch of tobacco in the water and saying: "Here is your tobacco, Mr. Vodník, now give me a fish." In Czech, Slovak and Slovenian tales vodníci live in ponds or rivers; they do not have a particular home. There are almost no references to vodníci in relation to sea water, which is supposed to be dangerous, even deadly for them.