What is "vodyanoy"

alt. (context Slavic mythology English) A type of water sprite from Slavic mythology n. (context Slavic mythology English) A type of water sprite from Slavic mythology

In Slavic mythology, vodyanoy (, literally "watery"), vodyanoi, Belarusian vadzianik , Ukrainian vodianyk , Polish wodnik, Czech and Slovak vodník, Bulgarian and Macedonian vodnik , Croatian vodanoj, Slovene povodni mož or Serbian vodenjak ( Cyrillic: водењак), ( Chuvash: Вутăш, Vutăş, Vudaş), is a male water spirit. Vodník (or in Germanized form hastrman) in Czech fairy tales is the same creature as the Wassermann or nix of German fairy tales. In many such languages the word is also used to mean the Aquarius zodiac sign.

Vodyanoy is said to appear as a naked old man with a frog-like face, greenish beard, and long hair, with his body covered in algae and muck, usually covered in black fish scales. He has webbed paws instead of hands, a fish's tail, and eyes that burn like red-hot coals. He usually rides along his river on a half-sunk log, making loud splashes. Consequently, he is often dubbed "grandfather" or "forefather" by the local people. Local drownings are said to be the work of the vodyanoy (or rusalkas).

When angered, the vodyanoy breaks dams, washes down water mills, and drowns people and animals. (Consequently, fishermen, millers, and also bee-keepers make sacrifices to appease him.) He would drag down people to his underwater dwelling to serve him as slaves.