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{{short description|Nightmare folklore spirit}}
{{unreferenced}}
{{refimprove|date=August 2017}}


In [[Slavic mythology]], '''notsnitsa''' ({{Langx|be|начніца|translit=načnica}},<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/162264332 |title=Belaruskaja mifalohija : ėncyklapedyčny sloŭnik. |date=2006 |publisher=Belarus· |isbn=985-01-0624-7 |edition=2. vyd., dapoŭn |location=Minsk |oclc=162264332}}</ref> {{Langx|pl|nocnica, płaczka}},<ref>{{Cite book |last=Podgórska |first=Barbara |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/62151653 |title=Wielka księga demonów polskich : leksykon i antologia demonologii ludowej |date=2005 |publisher=Wydawn. KOS |others=Adam Podgórski |isbn=83-89375-40-0 |location=Katowice |oclc=62151653}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Baranowski |first=Bohdan |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1135421613 |title=W kręgu upiorów i wilkołaków !: demonologia słowiańska |date=2019 |publisher=Replika |others=Wydawnictwo Replika |isbn=978-83-66481-00-8 |edition=Wydanie I w tej edycji |location=Łódź |oclc=1135421613}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Baranowski |first=Bohdan |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1241634070 |title=Pożegnanie z diabłem i czarownicą |date=2020 |publisher=Replika |others=Wydawnictwo Replika |isbn=978-83-66481-16-9 |edition=Wydanie I w tej edycji |location=Poznań |oclc=1241634070}}</ref> {{Langx|bg|горска майка, ношно|translit=gorska majka, nošno}}, {{Langx|sr|шумска маjка, бабице, ноћнице|translit=šumska majka, babice, noćnice}},<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kulišić |first=Špiro |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/40323818 |title=Srpski mitološki rečnik |date=1998 |publisher=Etnografski Institut SANU |others=Petar Ž. Petrović, Nikola Pantelić |isbn=86-7587-017-5 |edition=2., dop. izd |location=Beograd |oclc=40323818}}</ref> {{Langx|hr|mrake, vidine}}, {{Langx|sl|nočnine, mračnine }}, {{Langx|uk|нічниця|translit=nichnytsia}},<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dictionary of Ukrainian Language by Boris Hrinchenko |url=https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12153747 |access-date=2022-08-27 |website=www.wikidata.org |language=en}}</ref> {{Langx|ru|ночница|translit=nochnitsa}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Vinogradova |first=L. N. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/51817673 |title=Narodnai︠a︡ demonologii︠a︡ i mifo-ritualʹnai︠a︡ tradit︠s︡ii︠a︡ slavi︠a︡n |last2=Виноградова |first2=Л. Н. |date=2000 |publisher=Izd-vo "Indrik" |isbn=5-85759-110-4 |location=Moskva |oclc=51817673}}</ref>), often referred in plural, is a nightmare spirit or [[demon]] that torments people and especially children at night. Other names for notsnitsa in [[East Slavic languages]] include kriksy, plaksy, plachky, plaksivicy, kriksy-varaksy, kriksy-plaksy, night hag, night maiden.<ref name=":0" />
⚫
The '''Nocnitsa''', or "Night [[Hag]]", in [[Polish mythology]], is a [[nightmare]] spirit that also goes by the name Krisky or Plaksy. The Nocnitsa is also present in [[Russian folklore|Russian]], [[Serbian folklore|Serbian]] and Slovakian folklore. She is known to torment children at night, and a stone with a hole in the center is said to be a protection from the 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.


== Folklore ==
==Folklore==
{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2018}}


⚫
In [[Russian folklore|Russian]] and Slovak folklore, notsnitsa are known to torment children at night, and a [[Adder stone|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.<ref name="McGowen">{{cite book| title=Encyclopedia of Legendary Creatures |author=Tom McGowen | publisher=Rand McNally| year=1981| pages=43| isbn=978-0528824029}}</ref>
The Night Hag is known to sit on your chest and draw your life energy, drawing it until you can not go on (because of this many refer to Nocnitsa as a type of vampire) and she will continue visiting. To stop the Night Hag, you have to fight back and do not give in to her. Many say she visits when you sleep on your back with your hands on your chest. This is called sleeping with the dead. The night hag is made of shadow but the most noticed part of her is the eerie red glow of her eyes and the horrible screech of her voice, the part below her waist all shadow. Her smell is of moss and dirt from a forest said to be where she lives, and at times her stench can infiltrate your dreams, or linger in the room after her visit.
She is also known as a demonic spirit who feeds off your darkness (namely, depression and sadness), this makes the night hag stronger, more powerful and makes her harder to get rid of.


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.{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}} She might allegedly also smell of the moss and dirt from her forest of origin.{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}}
She is known in [[Bulgaria]] as Gorska Makua.


The Night Hag is almost certainly linked to the common apparition seen during the [[hypnagogic state]] of [[sleep]].
Nocnitsa is linked to the common apparition seen during the [[hypnagogic state]] of [[sleep]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}


==In popular culture==
⚫
[[Category:Slavic legendary creatures]]
* A creature, considered by the characters to be a nocnitsa, is depicted in a 2017 horror movie ''[[Slumber (film)|Slumber]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Murray|first1=Noel|title=Routine thriller 'Slumber' boasts Maggie Q, but little else|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mini-slumber-review-20171130-story.html|access-date=28 February 2018|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=30 November 2017}}</ref>
* 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.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

* 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]]
*[[Muma Pădurii]]
*[[Night hag]]
*''[[Nochnitsa]]'', a genus named after the mythological creature

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Slavic mythology}}

⚫
[[Category:Slavic legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Female legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Sleep in mythology and folklore]]


⚫
{{Euro-myth-stub}}


⚫
{{Europe-myth-stub}}
[[es:Nocnitsa]]
[[pl:Nocnica]]

Latest revision as of 05:31, 22 October 2024

In Slavic mythology, notsnitsa (Belarusian: начніца, romanized: načnica,[1] Polish: nocnica, płaczka,[2][3][4] Bulgarian: горска майка, ношно, romanized: gorska majka, nošno, Serbian: шумска маjка, бабице, ноћнице, romanized: šumska majka, babice, noćnice,[5] Croatian: mrake, vidine, Slovene: nočnine, mračnine, Ukrainian: нічниця, romanized: nichnytsia,[6] Russian: ночница, romanized: nochnitsa[7]), often referred in plural, is a nightmare spirit or demon that torments people and especially children at night. Other names for notsnitsa in East Slavic languages include kriksy, plaksy, plachky, plaksivicy, kriksy-varaksy, kriksy-plaksy, night hag, night maiden.[7]

Folklore

[edit]

In Russian and Slovak folklore, notsnitsa are 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.[8]

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.[citation needed] She might allegedly also smell of the moss and dirt from her forest of origin.[citation needed]

Nocnitsa is linked to the common apparition seen during the hypnagogic state of sleep.[citation needed]

[edit]
  • A creature, considered by the characters to be a nocnitsa, is depicted in a 2017 horror movie Slumber.[9]
  • 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.[citation needed]
  • 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

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Belaruskaja mifalohija : ėncyklapedyčny sloŭnik (2. vyd., dapoŭn ed.). Minsk: Belarus·. 2006. ISBN 985-01-0624-7. OCLC 162264332.
  2. ^ Podgórska, Barbara (2005). Wielka księga demonów polskich : leksykon i antologia demonologii ludowej. Adam Podgórski. Katowice: Wydawn. KOS. ISBN 83-89375-40-0. OCLC 62151653.
  3. ^ Baranowski, Bohdan (2019). W kręgu upiorów i wilkołaków !: demonologia słowiańska. Wydawnictwo Replika (Wydanie I w tej edycji ed.). Łódź: Replika. ISBN 978-83-66481-00-8. OCLC 1135421613.
  4. ^ Baranowski, Bohdan (2020). Pożegnanie z diabłem i czarownicą. Wydawnictwo Replika (Wydanie I w tej edycji ed.). Poznań: Replika. ISBN 978-83-66481-16-9. OCLC 1241634070.
  5. ^ Kulišić, Špiro (1998). Srpski mitološki rečnik. Petar Ž. Petrović, Nikola Pantelić (2., dop. izd ed.). Beograd: Etnografski Institut SANU. ISBN 86-7587-017-5. OCLC 40323818.
  6. ^ "Dictionary of Ukrainian Language by Boris Hrinchenko". www.wikidata.org. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
  7. ^ a b Vinogradova, L. N.; Виноградова, Л. Н. (2000). Narodnai︠a︡ demonologii︠a︡ i mifo-ritualʹnai︠a︡ tradit︠s︡ii︠a︡ slavi︠a︡n. Moskva: Izd-vo "Indrik". ISBN 5-85759-110-4. OCLC 51817673.
  8. ^ Tom McGowen (1981). Encyclopedia of Legendary Creatures. Rand McNally. p. 43. ISBN 978-0528824029.
  9. ^ Murray, Noel (30 November 2017). "Routine thriller 'Slumber' boasts Maggie Q, but little else". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 February 2018.


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