Companion Articles

In these articles I go in-depth on each of the topics covered in the comics and videos.
It's where I pour all the research, thoughts and connections I make while I researching. Sources are included.

The Malachite Casket.

This is the story of ‘The Malchite Casket’ and the fate of its author Pavel Bazov. In my last video I talked about the story The Mistress of the Copper Mountain, which is the prequel to The Malachite Casket, so I’m going to quickly summarise it here. The story follows a young miner, Stepan, who enc.....
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The Mistress of The Copper Mountain.

Cover for The Mistress of the Copper Mountain by Pavel BazhovIllustration by Vyacheslav Nazaruk This is the story of ‘The Mistress of the Copper Mountain’ and its author Pavel Bazov, who survived Stalin’s Great Purge. Stepan, a worker at a mine in the Ural mountains is visited by the Malachite Maid.....
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Who’s that on Baba Yaga’s fence?.

'Vasilisa the Beautiful' webtoon by Julia Tar - https://julia_tar.artstation.com/projects/nJ4DlrJulia Tar's instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/julia_tar_art/ I want to tell you a story about Baba Yaga’s skulls. The ones that hang on her fence, presumably to ward off unwanted.....
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The Meaning of Baba Yaga’s Name.

I'm sure you know who Baba Yaga is, but have you ever wondered what her name means? The answer will shed some light on her role in Slavic folklore as well as her possible origin in Slavic mythology. Let's uncover some Slavic Lore. The first part of her name is easy - the word Baba shows up in.....
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Historically accurate vampire hunt in Nosferatu.

Nosferatu 2024 movie poster © Focus Features In the latest adaptation of this iconic vampire story there’s one scene that really stood out to me because it shows something I haven’t seen before - a historically accurate vampire hunt. Thomas, a German man, goes to a Transylvanian village in winter, .....
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The Witcher 4 Creature - The Bauk.

The world of the Witcher has a new creature inspired by Serbian folklore. Let’s uncover some Slavic Lore.
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Saint Christopher the Dog-headed.

This is Christopher, a saint who is sometimes represented with the head of a dog. To find out why we need to uncover some Slavic Lore. The earliest image we have of him comes from a 4th-6th century terracotta icon from Vinica Fortress in Macedonia, where he’s hanging out with Saint George. The.....
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Domovoy - guardian of the home.

The Slavic home is the domain of a spirit called the Domovoy, a small, furry creature that resembles the resident family’s ancestor. In fact, it’s one way that the Slavs remember and revere their ancestors, by manifesting the old head of the family as a guardian spirit of their home. The soul of th.....
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The Rusalka and The Green Week Festival.

She lives in waters, loves to sing and dance with her friends, helps the crops grow, and occasionally tickles men to death. She is the Rusalka, a female water spirit from Slavic folklore, beloved and feared for her powers. Her history, like her mossy hair, is long and tangled, and her role in the Sl.....
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