Many different stories have been preserved about the magical being in Slavic folklore known as WATERMAN. Waterman, as the lord of the waters, draws his strength from water, which is why he has always been described as having water dripping from his hair and clothes. These magical beings, resided in crystal palaces or lavish homes in the waters of rivers, lakes, ponds, and even swamps and marshes.
Waterman was also known by names such as aquarius, drowner, nix or kelpie. Watermen from swamps and marshes were described as particularly dangerous, usually referred to as SWAMPER - BOLOTNIK or REEDER.
Despite slight differences in description across the Slavic world, or even the world in general, their description is roughly the. They were similar to humans, but had frog-like features, wide mouths, bulging eyes, and greenish skin. Their hands were webbed between the fingers, sometimes with claws. Watermen ranged in appearance from a young boy to old men, usually short in stature, with long jet-black, but more often greenish hair and beards.
The green color was generally popular with watermen and was complemented by red. Their clothing included a hat, and another accessory was a walking stick or a rod, not just any walking stick, of course, but a magical one.
Thanks to their magical abilities, he could easily change to a tall, handsome young with stylish mustaches and a goatee. Most watermen wanted to be liked, to resemble people as much as possible. Not to mention that watermen liked singing, music and entertainment, that's why they often appeared at the market, fair or in a tavern. In such cases, they went to the company of people as rich merchants, hunters or soldiers. The most traditional depiction of a waterman is him sitting on a willow by a stream, combing his long hair.
Watermen could also transform into various creatures, not only aquatic animals, but even into inanimate objects. Among their favorite transformations were those into catfish, otters, and even wild horses. Thanks to this connection, the black horse, or just its head, was a frequent sacrifice for the lords of the waters. In addition to horse sacrifices, black boars were sacrificed to them, but also a swarm of bees, for example. According to legends, watermen liked honey, which is why it was usually poured into water together with butter, or smeared with it on sacrifices. Tobacco was later added to the offerings, which, like people, watermen also began to pay tribute to.
Despite the fact that watermen often sought out human company, they were mostly hostile to humans in their aquatic environment. The watermen lured the intended victims with various transformations. For example, they turned into a goldfish or a drowning child. According to legends, watermen kept or imprisoned the souls of drowned people in jars or cups with lids.
On the other hand, watermen, who were shown respect and sacrifices were made for them, helped people. They would herd fish into fishermen’s nets, ensure millers had enough water for their mills, or fill wells during droughts.
However, some watermen could not be swayed in any way, then people had to defend themselves and often catch and destroy the waterman. To protect themselves from watermen, plants like wormwood, coltsfoot, ferns, and, of course, garlic were used. To bind the waterman, burdock rope was recommended, as well as bramble rods.
Last but not least, a frequent superstition about watermen is that they liked to look for wives among human-devas. It also happened that a waterman’s family wanted a human godmother for their children. They invited her to their home to help take care of the children. When she was released, she was usually rewarded handsomely.
