Mavka (Nyavka)

Mavkas are conceived as souls (from Old Slavic *navь, 'the dead') of girls who died prematurely, unnaturally, or without Christian baptism. In this folkloric framework an unchristened infant who dies and is not ritually sent to heaven can become a mavka; tradition holds that during Pentecost a person may 'throw up a kerchief, say their name and add "I baptise you"' to rescue such a soul so it will go to heaven rather than remain and take the form of a mavka. If the soul remains earthbound up to a certain age (reported in sources as up to seven years) it may transform into a mavka and haunt the wild places.

Typically depicted as long-haired, beautiful young women who wear flowers in their hair. They are described as having no reflection in water and casting no shadow. A closely related subtype, the nyavka, is distinguished in some accounts by having 'no back'—their spine and some internal organs visible from behind—whereas the standard mavka is not described with that visible-insides trait.

Folklore attributes seduction and lethal allure to mavkas: some accounts describe them enticing young men into woods or mountains and 'tickling' them to death. At the same time, other local traditions portray them as ambivalent helpers who look after cattle, drive off predators, and engage in domestic crafts—living in groups, decorating dwellings with rugs, stealing flax to spin thread, and weaving thin transparent cloth for their garments. They also gather for spring games, dances, and orgies at Pentecost (Navka's Easter), accompanied by a demon playing a flute or pipes.