Leshy

The tale of the Leshy

Every forest in the old Slavic lands had a master, and every hunter, woodcutter and mushroom-picker who walked into it was a guest in his house. His name was the Leshy, from les, "forest". Peasants seldom said it aloud, preferring to call him "the old man", "the forest grandfather" or simply "him".

The Leshy can be any size he likes. Among the tall pines he stands as tall as the trees. In the meadows he shrinks to the height of the grass, so no one sees him at all. Most often he looks like a peasant with skin like bark, a beard of moss or grass, eyes that glow green, and no shadow. His clothes are buttoned the wrong way, his left shoe is on his right foot, and he is often missing his eyebrows and eyelashes. He shrieks, laughs, whistles and claps, and his voice echoes so travellers cannot tell where it comes from.

Lost in the woods

The Leshy is not evil, but he hates anyone who disrespects his forest. To those who break branches for no reason, shout, or hunt on a holy day, he plays tricks. He leads them in circles, making familiar paths twist and landmarks change places, until they are hopelessly lost. He imitates the voices of friends and calls them deeper into the trees. Some he never lets go.

But there is a way out, and every child once knew it. Sit down on a stump, take off your clothes and put them back on inside out, put your left shoe on your right foot, and the Leshy's spell breaks. The path becomes clear, and you can walk home. As the game's Leshy says: and then we'll see if I let you leave.

Master of the herds

The Leshy is also the shepherd of the forest's animals. Wolves, bears and hares follow him, and squirrels migrate where he tells them to. In some regions, he and the Leshy of the next forest gambled with their animals at cards, which explained why the hares had suddenly all moved to the other side of the river. Shepherds made pacts with him for the summer, promising him a cow at the end of it so that the wolves would leave the rest of the herd alone.

Leshy in Battle of Myths

Leshy is a cost 2 Slavic guardian and mystic. His ability, Grasping Roots, makes roots burst from the ground and hold every nearby enemy in place, while his allies close by are healed. With the Slavic heroes he shares the Cycle of Morana: the first time he falls, he rises again as a spectral spirit.

Did you know?

• In autumn, it was said, the Leshy "dies" or goes to sleep, and he wakes again in spring, raging through the forest with storms.
• The Leshy's wife, the leshachikha, and his children lived with him in the deep forest, and some tales say they could be heard crying when the trees were cut down.