Demons that kidnap newborns - Dziwożona

It was common knowledge among the Slavic peoples that pregnant and postpartum women were most vulnerable to demon attacks, which is why they were given special protection.

The greatest threat to women in this blessed state were the creatures most often named Mamuny or Dziwożony. Most often, they took the form of a woman with long hair wearing white or dark robes and red headgear. A characteristic element of their appearance were unnaturally large breasts.

These demons targeted pregnant women and followed them until one of them let her newborn out of her sight for a moment. Then the Mamunas would kidnap a human child and put their own in its place. The changeling was very ugly. It had a large head, a twisted body, and it was constantly crying so much that it couldn't be calmed down. Typically, the swapped children did not survive to adulthood.

However, there was a way to get your child back. Mothers who noticed the change had to carry the changeling to a pile of dung and beat it with rods until its scream echoed through the fields and forests. Hearing the screams of her child, Dziwożona was said to have come and - out of pity - take her child and give back the kidnapped one.

People knew that it is best to prevent attacks, so women used various methods to avoid becoming targets of demons. They remembered not to leave the huts after dark, nor to leave the newborn alone even for a moment. Additionally, it was important to always face your child when sleeping and to protect its face from the moonlight. However, the most popular custom, which remains alive in Polish villages to this day, is tying a red ribbon on a child's hand or leg, which was supposed to scare away Mamunas.

I really hope you liked the story about this very interesting demon. I remember my Grandma told me that when I got home with my Mom after birth - she tied a red ribbon around my ankle to prevent me from being hexed by anyone. I think it's really cool and I was wondering if there's any similar custom in your country?

This is also a second part of my "fairy ring" photoshoot because I thought toadstools would be a nice accent of red (beside the embroidery on my dress) to the photo. This time I was going into it with a specific picture in mind that I was trying to recreate, that's why there's so few photos. I put all I've got into the first one :D

If you have any ideas for this demon, please let me know!

Love, Erinthul.