The title Rusalka was based on a mythological figure from Slavic lore, albeit contrary to popular belief, the Rusalka in this story possesses legs and not fins. Slavic pagans used the term “Rusalka,” which means “female spirit,” to refer to the female-appearing wights that carried water to their fields and fields to nurture their crops. By the 19th century, however, the myth had been altered to reflect a more pessimistic and evil worldview, with the Rusalka of the period being considered inherently “unclean,” having been born from a woman’s suicide or murder by hanging in a body of water. Dvoák’s portrayal essentially borrows from the previous one, with the nymph beginning as a placid aquatic creature, not unlike the fertile spirits of ancient Rusalka mythology.
In Act 3 of the opera, however, when her loved Prince has spurned her again for Foreign Princess, Rusalka reveals the other side of her historical self by transforming into a bludika. When residing at the bottom of the lake, Rusalka assumes this appearance and only emerges to drag unsuspecting mortals to their doom. Her final moments are just as bleak; she grants her lover’s dying wish to be killed by her kiss and sinks back into the abyss of despair.
The Siren Rusalka has many possible backstories, unlike the pagan water nymph, which appeared spontaneously. All too often, beautiful young women met violent ends. However, murder and suicide are not unheard of either. The women in rusalka tales are frequently the victims of male accomplices. Some rusalki are teenagers who committed suicide by jumping into a body of water after discovering they were carrying an unplanned child. According to alternative mythologies, a rusalka would be any young lady under thirty who dies a virgin. Other legends hold that unbaptized infants who pass away are reborn into water sprites. This interpretation contradicts the myth that unwed mothers were forced to drown their infants. Final tales say anyone who has committed suicide by jumping into a body of water is a Rusalka.
Some Rusalki, legend has it, only live for a limited time, and others must stay until justice is served for their deaths. Anywhere there is water, including lakes, rivers, canals, marshes, and swamps, is a potential haunting ground for Rusalki. Large breasts are a common compliment to their thin figure. They have long, flowing hair which is either golden, light brown, or green, and fair skin. It is stated that rusalkas’ eyes are always green and lack pupils entirely in the case of really evil ones. The women are always dressed in delicate, translucent garments that appear to be composed of mist. Even the evilest Rusalki are revered and feared by the Slavic people because of the universal beauty they represent.
Perhaps ancient pagan myths can be traced back to the fact that a rusalka’s goals change depending on where she resides. The Rusalki are lovely and humorous people living in regions with abundant vegetation and crops, such as Ukraine and the Danube River basin. Wild and nasty. However, the rusalki are only found in the most severe climates. In the dead of night, these evil spirits would emerge from the ocean and ambush humans, usually men, before dragging them alive back into the depths.
Unlike their fishtailed counterparts, Rusalki can walk on land thanks to their legs. They have a penchant for treetop twirling and climbing. Slavic tribes worldwide commemorate Rusalki Week annually in the first week of June to usher in the summer season. At this moment, going near the sea is a surefire way to die. The Rusalki land is said to enjoy the flowing willow and birch tree swings before joining together for moonlit circle dances. Anyone unlucky enough to witness one of these celebrations must participate in the dancing till he dies. At the weekend’s end, communities near the water conduct ritual burials to please the Rusalki or drive them into the sea. These customs persisted until the Soviet Union stepped in and stopped them in the 1930s.
Rusalki are most likely to be found in the forest when dancing, singing, and otherwise having a good time. Since they were so happy, you wouldn’t know they were terrible people. However, those unlucky enough to get too close are drowned or sometimes even tickled to death. These ghosts sometimes used the sound of a baby’s cry to entice passing strangers. People didn’t always have a negative view of them. It is speculated that these beings descended from agricultural spirits that were either good or at least neutral and contributed to the growth of fertile and robust crops. It exemplifies how folklore may develop and grow throughout time. However, Rusalka’s backstory is murky and convoluted because it is a composite of various supernatural beings from multiple worldviews. The word “Rusalka” itself has been used since the 18th century. The Poludnitsa, the Vodyanoy, and perhaps the Beregini are all represented in the creature.
According to local legend, the Devil boiled these creatures in a giant cauldron and turned them into creatures of eternal young beauty. Because of this “composite spirit,” their symbolism changes significantly from place to place. Hags with worse-than-average looks and enormous breasts were a common stereotype of these creatures in northern Russia. Alternatively, Rusalki have been shown as human ladies with a fish tail on the place of legs, mortal women or boys of unusually petite stature, or young guys.
The most prevalent explanations for the existence of the Rusalki were that they were the souls of girls who died and whose spirits were stuck in the water or that they were the souls of unsaved children that took on that shape to haunt the realm of the living. Aside from playing in the water, Rusalki also liked to frolic in the fields of corn. These monsters posed the most significant threat during Rusal’Naia week, an ancient shamanistic Slavic celebration held annually in the spring. During this time, the Rusalki were thought to emerge from the water, prompting worshippers to tie gifts to trees to appease them.
Smolensk, Russia, is home to a fable about a guy who captured a Rusalka and rendered her helpless with a crucifix. He brought the creature home, made her wash his laundry, and cleaned the house. Rusal’Naia week arrived after a year, and the energy was revived. She escaped from the man’s grasp as soon as she was able. However, there are other accounts of Rusalkas who left voluntarily with their suitors. Some versions have the creature bringing him to an extravagant aquatic palace where they can live happily ever after. Sometimes in legends, the Rusalka marries the man, and they have a happy married life together.