Episode 2: The Rusalka
No Mere Mermaid
The hauntingly beautiful and deadly creature known as the rusalka is a standout of Slavic folklore.
These female spirits are primarily associated with bodies of water. And while they may initially seem similar to mermaids, rusalki are far from the whimsical creatures of the sea. Instead, they’re more like zombies. Dive into the eerie world of the Rusalka.
Death and danger
According to folklore, rusalki were once benevolent spirits who brought fertility to the fields and blessed crops. But a shift occurred when traditional folklore merged with Christianity, transforming rusalki into revenants of the unclean dead – people who met unnatural, violent, or unexpected ends, including those who had drowned, committed suicide, or died during a liminal period of their lives.
As a result, rusalki became associated with death and the dangers of the water.
tragic origins
The origins of rusalki are rooted in the experiences of young Slavic women. Many rusalki were thought to be young girls who had either been betrothed and were on the cusp of marriage or had committed suicide due to unhappy romantic situations. Others were women who had been murdered by men who impregnated them but didn’t want the responsibility of a child.
These women, denied the fulfilment of their societal roles as wives and mothers, were condemned to spend eternity as rusalki, forever trapped in the in-between state of girlhood and womanhood.
Girl, I love your hair
One of the defining characteristics of rusalki is their long, unbound hair. In traditional Slavic culture, the hair of an unwedded maiden was braided in a single braid, while married women wore two braids coiled around their heads.
The process of transitioning from a single braid to two braids was a significant ritual during a woman’s wedding ceremony, symbolising her departure from her father’s household and her entrance into her husband’s. Rusalki, with their loose and flowing hair, represent the liminal state between these two stages of a woman’s life.
Liminal states
Rusalki’s eternal state of perma-puberty is a source of both fascination and fear. These young girls, forever stuck in a transitional phase, are believed to possess a childish sexuality. They’re socially expected to be honourable and chaste before their wedding, but their unfulfilled desires manifest in tickling and dancing. However, when rusalki perform these innocent activities, they don’t stop until their human lovers are dead.
The plight of the rusalka reflects the impossible societal standards and expectations placed upon women. We’re often caught between conflicting ideals of innocence and promiscuity, forced to navigate a narrow path that satisfies societal norms.
conflicting expectations for women
Rusalki serve as a reminder of the deep-rooted fears and anxieties projected onto women throughout history. Trapped in perpetual puberty, these spirits embody the liminal space between girlhood and womanhood. Their seductive allure and deadly nature reflect the conflicting expectations placed upon women, caught between the Madonna-whore dichotomy.
The rusalka’s tragic tale gives us insight into the fears and anxieties that have shaped cultural perceptions of women and the impossible standards we’re expected to meet.
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Sources
Dynda, J. “View of Rusalki: Anthropology of time, death, and sexuality in Slavic folklore” 🤩
Macaulay, A. “What Do Aquawomen Want?” 🧜♀️