Bannik
E757351
Bannik is a bathhouse-dwelling spirit in Slavic mythology, known for guarding the banya and sometimes scalding or frightening those who disrespect it.
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
bathhouse spirit
ⓘ
household spirit ⓘ mythological spirit ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
banya
ⓘ
bathhouse ⓘ |
| behavior |
can frighten bathers who behave improperly
ⓘ
can grant protection if respected ⓘ can scald people who disrespect the bathhouse ⓘ can strangle or harm those who anger it in some traditions ⓘ can warn of future misfortune ⓘ |
| category |
Slavic legendary creature
ⓘ
spirit of place ⓘ |
| culture | Slavic mythology ⓘ |
| danger | could be deadly if angered ⓘ |
| divinationRole |
used in fortune-telling about life and death
ⓘ
used in marriage divination rituals ⓘ |
| domainOfInfluence |
bathhouse
ⓘ
bathing ⓘ |
| geographicTradition |
East Slavic folklore
ⓘ
Russian folklore ⓘ |
| gestureInterpretation |
gentle touch from behind meant good fortune
ⓘ
scratch or claw from behind meant misfortune ⓘ |
| habitat |
behind the stove in the bathhouse in some stories
ⓘ
under the benches in the bathhouse in some stories ⓘ |
| moralFunction |
enforces proper behavior in the bathhouse
ⓘ
punishes disrespect and impurity ⓘ |
| perceivedAppearance |
hairy or black-skinned figure in some variants
ⓘ
small old man covered in steam or soot in some tales ⓘ sometimes invisible to humans ⓘ |
| power |
ability to cause accidents in the bathhouse
ⓘ
ability to predict the future in some traditions ⓘ ability to scald with hot water or steam ⓘ |
| relatedConcept |
Domovoi
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Slavic household spirits ⓘ |
| ritualPractice |
offerings often included fir branches or birch twigs
ⓘ
offerings often included soap ⓘ offerings often included water ⓘ people asked Bannik for permission before using the bathhouse at night ⓘ people avoided crossing Bannik’s path during certain times ⓘ people left offerings in the bathhouse for Bannik ⓘ people performed divination with Bannik’s help in some regions ⓘ |
| role |
guardian of the bathhouse
ⓘ
protector of the banya ⓘ |
| taboo |
bathing without proper ritual respect
ⓘ
entering the bathhouse alone at night ⓘ loud or disrespectful behavior in the bathhouse ⓘ |
| timeOfActivity |
night
ⓘ
third or fourth steaming of the bath in some beliefs ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.