In ancient times, besides the belief in the sanctity of fire and its embodiment in the god Svarozhich Simarigl, there was also belief in various fiery magical beings. Just like fire itself, these beings could have both good and bad natures. Sometimes, they served well those who summoned them, protecting their health and property, but sometimes they also harmed others.
Fiery magical beings were mostly associated with the fire of the home hearth, and thus with the household. These beings could be classified among household spirits, but some could also be counted among mountain beings or forest demons.
Among these forest demons were the fiery magical beings which we can see as fiiery beings known as BLUDICZKA - will-o'-the-wisp and LIGHTCARRIER - jack-o'-lantern. Both of these beings appeared to people during night journeys as a flickering flame or light. These beings were considered souls who could not return to the Rod and remained trapped for various reasons in the world of Jav. It could have been caused by the person himself during his lifetime, by his violent death, or a spell cast by some magical being, witch, sorcerer, or waterman..
Both Bludička and Lightcarrier usually seemed to show a person the right path, but they lured him to precipices, swamps or places from which there was no return. However, in some cases, it was they who directed the lost person to the right path.
Our Slavic ancestors also believed in various fiery beings in the form of fire spirites or flaming men, usually as big as the little finger of a human hand. The fire goblin - FLAMINGO, personifying the home fire, became the protector of the household if he liked the hearth, which the housewife took good care of.
The purposefully summoned fiery magical being, which was supposed to serve and bring wealth to its owner, was a fire goblin called ZMOK, Rarakh or Shotek. In the imaginations of the ancestors, this being often took the form of a wet black chick or a black angry kitten. In this form she appeared during the day, but in front of his owner he appeared as a flaming man with bird's legs or as a ball of flame.
Zmok could appear by itself or be sent by ancestral spirits, but it was also said to be summonable through a magical ritual, which involved carrying an egg from a black hen under one's armpit. If the spell worked, the newly born Zmok would serve its master, bringing wealth and success in everything they undertook. It was even said to bring luck in gambling.
The primary role of Zmok was to assist in household or farm work and to ensure prosperity and happiness. However, its powers were sometimes misused to steal crops, livestock, tools, or valuable items from other households. But the misuse of a magical being often had negative consequences. The more evil the Zmok performed, the worse its master became. At first, the person might become grumpy, but soon they would turn into a miser and an unpleasant individual, sometimes even transforming into a witch or warlock.
A similar creature was also a fiery creature called SALAMANDER. Salamanders, which took the form of fiery little dragons or fiery serpents, unlike zmoks required great magical abilities to create or summon.
Their task was, just like the zmoks, to bring wealth, well-being and health to their creator. However, unlike the firegoblins, the creation of the salamander did not present any unexpected inconveniences to its creator, although with fiery beings, one could never be certain of everything in advance.
