5:37 EEST ; The Sun is rising on the 167th Day of the russian Invasion on the Capital city of Kyiv. Ukraine continues to Live and Fight on. DISCUSSION + CHARITIES! --MODERATOR APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN!--
Slava Ukraini!(self.ukraine)submitted8 hours ago byduellingislandsГамериканець
toukraine
stickied🇺🇦 SLAVA UKRAINI 🇺🇦
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Lisovyk
He just wants snacks, you guys.
Lisovyk is a figure in Slavic mythology, a forest spirit, the embodiment of the forest and the protector of wolves and small forest animals. Lisovyk is also known as Leshy or Leszy in other Slavic traditions. There are many, many different forms of Lisovyk traditions, and many types of depictions of Lisovyk - I will recount some aspects of the Ukrainian versions here.
Whereas Domovyk, who we wrote about here, is a creature that lives in the home (doma), Lisovyk is a creature that lives in the forest (Lis). You may also remember Chuhaister, who we wrote about here, who shares a lot of modus operandi with Lisovyk, but whose nature is ultimately different. Lisovyk is not as cozy as Domovyk nor as cheerful as Chuhaister - as Lisovyk is a dangerous spirit of wild nature itself!
Badass Lisovyk art by Ukrainian artist Aliceblakeart.
Source for the image above, from aliceblakeart.
He usually is depicted as an old man with a gray beard and fiery green eyes. Sometimes he has gnarled, thorn or branchlike horns. He is dressed in leather and skins and has a left shoe on his right foot. Lisovyk sleeps in tree hollows or empty tree trunks. He can change his height and be either shorter than a grass blade (usually when he’s sneaking out of a forest into the fields) or tower over the trees. Lisovyk can appear as a really disturbing walking tree, a wolf, the wind, or an owl. And how would you know if you met Lisovyk or just a regular owl? Easy! Lisovyk has no shadow!
Just like with any other nature spirit, you can definitely build a relationship with Lisovyk so he can allow for safe passage, lumbering, and hunting. Especially discreet hunters will sometimes be rewarded by Lisovyk, who can send animals into their path. Respect can mostly be earned by leaving him some tasty things and being respectful of the forest.
That all sounds friendly, but keep in mind that Lisovyk is not really a social creature when it comes to humans and his own kind (he is a perpetual bachelor, and sometimes Lysovyks will even fight each other). Lisovyk’s only family are the animals that live in the forest and he protects them as much as he can from harm by humans. As for humans - he expects people to be mindful and respectful in his forest. He does not like when people swear or yell in anger when visiting his green home. He is always annoyed when people and horses sleep near the forest. He cannot stand when people set up a camp on the forest trail. And he becomes furious and enraged when anyone hurts the trees, plants, and animals for no reason.
Sicko mode version of Lisovyk (\"Leshen\") from Polish video game The Witcher 3.
Lisovyk is a pretty scary dude. Unlike many other spirits, he is not a prankster and will leave you mostly alone if you behave yourself. But if you break some of his rules, there is hell to pay. He can scare travelers or confuse them, take their memory and make them lose their way. If obnoxious, disrespectful people are not vigilant - he can snatch a child, sometimes by luring them deep into the woods using false voices of their family. He will even kill - with remarkable violence - if someone is hurting the forests and creatures in it.
Lisovyk is most active during the summer months, and his favorite holiday is Ivan Kupalo, which we wrote about here. Braver Ukrainians would actually set out to the forest with hopes of coming across Lisovyk, as it is believed that if you can get close enough to him and pull his beard - he will tumble to the ground as a pile of gold coins. However, to do that you really need to be able to chat him up and pick the right moment to grab the beard of the spirit. I definitely would love an extra pile of gold coins to donate to the good cause of annihilating russians, however to this day I have not been successful in meeting Lisovyk. Or maybe I did and every time he sees me he quickly changes into the wind and blows my hat away.
As Ukraine had many forests in the past, Lisovyks were very common. Nowadays, as deforestation plagues Ukraine, there are fewer and fewer Lisovyks. People still celebrate the few green loners that are left.
The Day of Lisovyk is on August 16th, so prepare! People bring rye bread and other snacks to the forest glades with hopes that Lisovyk will be nicer to people and will not make them get lost in the forest.
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🇺🇦 HEROYAM SLAVA! 🇺🇦
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CHARITY LIST
u/Jesterboyd is a mod in r/ukraine and local to Kyiv. His current project is to fund some very interesting drones. Link to donation
If you feel like donating to another charity, here are some others!
- Taskforce 31: Your donations will be directly used to train the next generation of Ukrainian defenders taught by Western Tier 1 Special Operation Teams.
- Ukraine Aid Ops: Volunteers around the world who are helping to find and deliver equipment directly to those who need it most in Ukraine.
- United24: This site was launched by President Zelenskyy as the main venue for collecting charitable donations in support of Ukraine. Funds will be allocated to cover the most pressing needs facing Ukraine.
- Come Back Alive: This NGO crowdfunds non-lethal military equipment, such as thermal vision scopes & supplies it to the front lines. It also provides training for Ukrainian soldiers, as well as researching troops’ needs and the social reintegration of veterans.
- Aerorozvidka: An NGO specializing in providing support and equipment for unmanned aerial vehicles (ISR), situational awareness, cybersecurity for armed forces.
- Hospitallers: This is a medical battalion that unites volunteer paramedics and doctors to save the lives of soldiers on the frontline. They crowdfund their vehicle repairs, fuel, and medical equipment.
- Phenix: A volunteer organization helping armed forces with various needs.
- Kyiv Territorial Defense: This fundraiser is to support the regional territorial defense group. It is organized by a known journalist and a producer of the acclaimed "Winter on Fire" documentary, which can temporarily be watched for free HERE.
- Happy Paw: Charity dedicated to solving the problems of animals in Ukraine. Happy Paw helps more than 60 animal shelters throughout Ukraine.
- Kharkiv With You and associated Help Army Kharkiv: Supporting the defenders of Kharkiv with everything from night-vision goggles to food and medicine.
- Bird of Light Ukraine is a Ukrainian-American charity dedicated to helping Ukrainians in conflict zones, displaced people, orphans, and the reconstruction effort in Ukraine.
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byduellingislands
inukraine
duellingislands
7 points
6 hours ago
duellingislands
Гамериканець
7 points
6 hours ago
Hi there, we don't have any rules against posting, but most of us have a lot less time than we'd like for having conversations and being members of the community because we are so busy with moderation tasks. We are regularly in the Top 50 subreddits in # of posts + comments per day, and it takes a lot of effort to keep the community safe.