Another relic of faith in demons was flux (or flux or topek) - a water demon inhabiting lakes. In the interpretation of this phenomenon we know the influence of Christianity, so he was treated as a repentant spirit drowned or simply an evil spirit, the devil. Warmian ideas about his appearance were very diverse. According to some, he was invisible because he was a spirit.
According to others, however, he was a character in a red cap and a cup, surrounded by a rope.
There were also those who saw in him a small boy with long hands and fingers or "half-fish - half-man". Apparently, in every lake there was a flux, which from time to time had to drown someone. People heard the flux say: "It's my time and hour, and the man is gone" and then somebody always drowned. It was also believed that whoever was destined for flux, even if he managed to escape from the lake, he would still die that day in another place. It was possible to protect oneself against flux by making a sign of the cross or putting a medal against entering the water. The flux was not always ascribed bad qualities - it could also scare children so that they wouldn't drown.
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Gods, demons and customs of the ancient Slavs
Ficción históricaThe book is not just a book describing the adventures of a hero. It is a work that helps to understand the Slavic world and its worldview. He acquaints us with the deities of ancient peoples and tries to explain their place and role in the life of s...
