In
Slavic mythology
Slavic mythology or Slavic religion is the religious beliefs, myths, and ritual practices of the Slavs before Christianisation, which occurred at various stages between the 8th and the 13th century. The South Slavs, who likely settled in the B ...
, notsnitsa (, , , , , , ,
), often referred in plural, is a
nightmare
A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety or great sadness. The dream may contain situations of d ...
spirit or
demon
A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...
that torments people and especially children at night. Other names for notsnitsa in
East Slavic languages
The East Slavic languages constitute one of three regional subgroups of the Slavic languages, distinct from the West and South Slavic languages. East Slavic languages are currently spoken natively throughout Eastern Europe, and eastwards to Sibe ...
include kriksy, plaksy, plachky, plaksivicy, kriksy-varaksy, kriksy-plaksy, night hag, night maiden.
Folklore
In
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
and
Slovak folklore notsnitsa is known to torment children at night, and a stone with a hole in the center is said to be a protection from nocnitsa. Mothers in some regions will place a knife in their children's cradles or draw a circle around the cradles with a knife for protection. This is possibly based on the belief that supernatural beings cannot touch iron.
Nocnitsa is known to sit on one's chest, drawing "life energy". Because of this, many refer to nocnitsa as a type of vampire. Nocnitsa will often continue visiting. According to some folklore, night hags visit when one sleeps on one's back, with the hands on the chest (a position allegedly called "sleeping with the dead"). According to some folklore, night hags are made of shadow. She might also have a horrible screeching voice. She might allegedly also smell of the moss and dirt from her forest of origin.
Nocnitsa is linked to the common apparition seen during the
hypnagogic state
Hypnagogia is the experience of the transitional state from wakefulness to sleep: the ''hypnagogic'' state of consciousness, during the onset of sleep. Its opposite state is described as the transitional state from sleep into wakefulness. Mental ...
of
sleep
Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a de ...
.
In popular culture
* A creature, considered by the characters to be a nocnitsa, is depicted in a 2017 horror movie ''
Slumber''.
* There is a nocnitsa in the supernatural novel ''Night Terror'' by John Passarella.
* In the book ''Coraline'', by Neil Gaiman, a Nocnitsa poses as Coraline's alternate dimension mother. Coraline, however, has a stone with a hole in it which protects her.
* It is often believed throughout the Middle East that this mythological creature came into people's homes at night, and would watch their children sleep if they did not behave.
* In the Iron Druid Chronicles book ''Staked Protagonist'', Granuaile MacTiernan alongside Slavic Thunder God Perun and the Orisha Shango are attacked by a group of Nocnitsa.
See also
*
Lilin
Lilin () were hostile night spirits that attacked men in ancient Mesopotamian religion and Jewish folklore.
Judaism
In Jewish mythology, ''Lilin'' is a term for night spirits.
Biblical apocrypha
In the Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch, ''lilin'' c ...
*
Muma Pădurii
In Romanian folklore, Muma Pădurii () is an ugly and mischievous or mad old woman living in the forest (in the heart of virgin forests, in a hut/cabin or an old tree). She is the opposite of fairies such as Zână. She is also the protector of th ...
*
Nochnitsa
''Nochnitsa'' (rus.: ночница, literally – nightling) is a genus of gorgonopsian therapsid from the Kotelnich red beds of Permian Russia. It contains one species, ''Nochnitsa geminidens''. It the most basal known gorgonopsian and among th ...
, a genus named after the mythological creature
References
Slavic legendary creatures
Female legendary creatures
Sleep in mythology and folklore
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