October 17th is Leshy's Day . Evil spirits, driven out of the village in September, disappear into the earth until spring, causing mischief to people. People tried to avoid the forest on Leshy's Day. They would say to their enemies, “Go to hell!” or “May the Leshy crush you!”
Evil spirits could be recognized at night by their glowing green eyes. The leshy could be small and hide under a leaf, or they could be “above the forest.” Those who needed to walk through the forest tried to avoid paths and walked carefully, afraid of stepping in the leshy's footprints—there was a belief that it could cause illness. The leshy was especially dangerous for girls.
People knew how to protect themselves from the demon, besides the cross and prayer: turn your clothes inside out and swap your shoes. The Leshy is upside down, so he won't recognize you in this state, but will mistake you for one of his own and let you go. The main thing is to let him know you've seen him and say, “Sheep's wool! Sheep's face! I was walking, I found you, I lost you!”
In the morning, with the sunrise, the evil spirits sink into the ground, clinging to the trees, causing them to crack. If a person is caught at this time, they will drag them off to their kingdom, so that they won't be bored alone during the winter.
On Leshy Day in Rus', people prayed for protection from evil spells and feared that evil spirits would harm weddings. In Rus', the leshy was a cursed, unbaptized corpse, a hostage of evil spirits. He was covered in spruce bark or overgrown with fur. He could also be depicted as an old man with a gray beard, dressed like a peasant, that is, in a caftan, robe, bast shoes, or boots. When he sat, he always crossed his left leg over his right. He did not wear a belt because baptized people wore one.
In Belarus, the leshy was believed to have a long face with a wedge-shaped beard, one eye, and a heel-first position, holding a club or whip. Sometimes, the leshy would appear as an acquaintance or relative. He could also transform into an animal, a bird, a mushroom, or a tree. The appearance of the evil spirit was preceded by a wind or a loud noise.
It was believed that when walking through the forest, you should remember the first word spoken by a passerby. The voice of the Leshy is an echo, so you shouldn't shout or imitate an unfamiliar voice unless necessary, and you shouldn't whistle. The Leshy might punish the whistler by coming to the village and breaking the windows of the house.
Fire, salt, a knife, a poker, a linden or aspen stick, and a magic circle drawn with it were used as amulets against wood-goblins. There was a folk tale :
A woman lived with her mother-in-law. Their cow was grazing in the yard. One day, it jumped out and ran. The woman rushed to catch it, but couldn't and cried out, “May the devil take you!” The cow ran into the forest and was nowhere to be found. In a neighboring village, there lived a witch who summoned a devil. She summoned him and then told the woman, “On the road, when you walk, you'll see two soldiers—an evil spirit transforming into a man. Ask them if they've seen your cow.” The woman walked past the forest, and suddenly a loud noise arose, as if the whole forest was talking. Running to the witch the next day, the woman said she had run away and couldn't find the cow. The old woman asked her, “Why didn't you ask the soldiers?” “I was scared, they saw it and started laughing.” Then the old woman summoned a devil in the form of the woman's mother-in-law's brother and told her to ask him where the cow was. He found her lying behind a bush and, as soon as he found her, disappeared. That's how the old woman commanded the forest spirit.
A Leshy's clothing can only be four colors: black, green, red, and white. He has no eyelashes or eyebrows, his eyes are dark blue or white and never close, or his right eye is fixed and larger than the left. He combs his hair to the left, has a red bald spot on his head, crooked fingernails, is missing his right ear, and casts no shadow. A Leshy's blood is blue, making him bluish in color.
When meeting a wood goblin, swearing is the most effective remedy against evil spirits.
