What is a rusalka?
The rusalka is a water spirit of Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other Slavic countries. She lives in rivers and lakes and is said to look like a pale, beautiful girl with long green or golden hair.
Folklore and features
Rusalki have been thought to be the spirits of girls who died before marriage or young women who lost their lives by the water. At night they come out of the water to sing and dance in the moonlight, and were feared for luring entranced young men into the water or tickling them to death. During “Rusalka Week” in late spring to early summer, rusalki were believed to leave the water and wander the forests and fields, so people avoided going near the water. On the other hand, they were also thought to bring life-giving rain to the fields.
The opera Rusalka
The Czech composer Antonin Dvorak‘s opera Rusalka (premiered in 1901) is a sad story of a water spirit who falls in love with a human prince, and its “Song to the Moon” is an especially famous aria. Like Germany’s Lorelei, it is one of the legends of waterside maidens who lead people astray.
