The
Leshy or
Lesovik is a male woodland spirit in
Slavic mythology who protects wild animals and forests. There are also
leshachikha/leszachka (wives of the leshak) and
leshonky (childrens of the leszy). He is roughly analogous to the
Woodwose of Western Europe and the
Basajaun of the Basque Country.
The Leshy is known by a variety of names and spellings including Lesiy, Leshii, Leszi, Lesovik, etc.
Main name forms
These names came from common Slavic les (proto-Slavic *lěsъ) — "forest", and mean "he of the forest".
