Bannik- Slavic SpiritSpirit"Bathhouse Spirit"

The Third Firing

The banya stood apart from the dwelling, a place where births happened and the boundaries between worlds grew thin. The Bannik lived in its steam.

Tradition held that the banya should be heated three times. The first two firings were for human bathing, families washing in shifts with the most honored going first. The third belonged to the Bannik. Anyone who entered during the third firing risked his wrath: he might scald them with boiling water or kill them outright. Small and wizened, covered in bathhouse debris, with long claws, the Bannik was not a spirit to cross. Soap and clean water were left for him after bathing. Fir branches were laid out. He was treated with constant respect.

The Divination

On Yuletide or New Year's Eve, young women went to the bathhouse at midnight to learn who they would marry. A woman would face away from the door and back through it with her bare skin exposed. If the Bannik touched her with a soft paw, her husband would be wealthy. If with claws, he would be cruel.

Births in the Banya

Because the banya was where births took place, in the warmest and cleanest space available, the Bannik witnessed every new life's arrival. Mothers and newborns were vulnerable to his moods. Special protections were needed during and after birth. The Bannik had to be formally told about the new family member.