Legends from the Shadows: Tales of the Unexplained

The Bannik: Exploring Slavic Bathhouse Mythology (S1E2)

• Eric J Dionne • Season 1 • Episode 2

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Ever wondered what mysteries lie in the heart of Slavic folklore? Prepare to be immersed in a world where tales of the Bannik, a mythical guardian spirit closely associated with sacred bathhouses, come alive. This episode takes you deep into the roots of Slavic culture, unveiling the enigmatic Bannick with its dual nature of protection and mischief. We don't just stop there, we continue to explore interesting rituals and beliefs surrounding this mystical being, including its auspicious role in predicting the future and connection to childbirth.

Brace yourselves as we continue to traverse through the mystical realm of Slavic folklore, spotlighting another revered protector - the Bannick. Associated with bathhouses and water, the Bannik, despite its requirement of respect for bathhouse rules and natural elements, is deeply rooted in Slavic communities. We feature a self-composed Bannik song and discuss its timeless legacy reflected in literature, art, and cultural practices. Venture with us to uncover these mystical beings in an episode that assures to leave you spellbound, because sometimes, the most compelling truths are found in the most unexpected places. Stay tuned and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more of such thrilling explorations.

Eric Dionne:

Welcome to Legends from the Shadows, tales of the Unexplained. I'm your host, Eric Dionne, and I'll be your guide through the mysteries that lurk beyond the ordinary. Join me as we peel back the veil on legends, myths and enigmas that have nestled themselves in the shadowy corners of history. From cryptic creatures to eerie occurrences, we'll embark on a journey to uncover the truth, mysteries and whispers that have captivated curious minds for centuries. Get ready to venture into the unknown, or the line between fact and folklore blur, and the stories that dwell in the shadows come to light. Greetings, curious listeners. Today we immerse ourselves in the mythical world of Slavic folklore to uncover the secrets surrounding the Bannik, a guardian spirit associated with bathhouses. Join me as we delve into the history, lore, alleged sightings and the enduring significance of the Bannik in Slavic culture. So the Bannik is a mystical figure from Slavic mythology. It's believed to inhabit bathhouses, overseeing these sacred spaces, protecting them, guarding them, just taking care of them. So bathhouses, for those that don't know or aren't familiar, are basically like what we have in modern day now of equivalent of saunas, but in these bathhouses they would also use them as a place for women to give birth. They'd also use them as places to practice divination based on their religion and their practices. So these enigmatic spirits have embodied both a protective and a mischievous aspect to them. They've weaved their self into the tapestry of Slavic folklore as protectors and guardians, and with that there comes a lot of different things. Now I try to do a lot of research on this and go really deep, but there really there's very, very little out there about the Bannik left, and that's crazy saying that, especially with the way the internet is nowadays. But let's go ahead and try to unravel the mystery surrounding the Bannik and its cultural significance. We'll start with a little bit of history here.

Eric Dionne:

So the origin of the Bannik traces back to ancient Slavic beliefs, where bathhouses held spiritual significance beyond their practical use for cleansing. The Bannik was seen as the guardian spirit of these spaces. He was revered and feared for its powers, and he was usually described as a small, naked old man with a long beard that just went down to the floor, and his body was usually covered in leaves, particularly birch leaves back then that were left over from the brooms that they used within the bathhouses. So there are reports that he was a shapeshifter. Sometimes he could appear as somebody locally in the village who wasn't even there in the bath house. Other times it could have been a stone or even a broom. So you had these reports and these thoughts on that.

Eric Dionne:

The Bannik's nature ranged from very helpful to very vengeful, so rewarding those who respected the bathhouses sensually, while punishing those who disrespected it when they'd fire up these bathhouses or light them up to heat them up, because, like I said, they're like saunas. The third firing of the bathhouse or the fourth firing, depending on the traditions that you would read into was reserved for the Bannock, and so what that was is nobody else was allowed during that third or fourth firing of it, and it was said that the Bannik would basically invite other demons or force spirits to share the bathhouse with him, and for that reason there was no Christian imagery allowed because it might offend the occupants of that. So here it is you have this Bannock inviting all his forest creatures or spirits or demons whatever you want to view it as into this bathhouse with him so they could have their little gathering and cleaning, I guess, themselves off, and no Christian imagery or their religious imagery was allowed because you didn't want to anger him and you didn't want to offend his occupants or his guests during his time during there. Because If you did, you know, I guess, before going to the number one rule is basically don't anger the Banniks, like if the Bannik was disturbed by intruder while washing. It was said that this comes on that ventures ventures side of things, that he might act out and or boiling water over somebody or throw red hot rocks. There's even reports that he may still children or start strangling individuals who offended him. So, in all actuality, the wisest aspect to everything was just to respect him and he had to do what you had to do.

Eric Dionne:

Now, bathhouses back then were very it's the word I want to use here Liminal or dirty spaces. The bathhouse was basically considered a dirty space among the Slavic peasants and thus considered unclean in the end, because you know that's where you're washing away your filth, you know stuff like that. But it was also considered a place of spiritual danger. Now, despite that thought that it was a place of spiritual danger and it was a dirty place, most births occurred inside the bathhouse and it was believed that the Bannik was not truly happy or settled in its ways until a child was born within his domain or realm of that bathhouse. It was also thought that the Bannik had the ability to predict the future.

Eric Dionne:

The manner in which the banick reveals this information varies, with traditions and stories detailing its gentle touch or its scratching with its sharp claws. But one would consult him by standing with your back exposed in a half open door of the bath, to which the legend has it that when, like young girls would allow the banick to touch their back during a sauna session, the spirit would provide valuable information on their destiny. So basically, you're going there and you're like, yeah, I'm gonna, you know, half undress, turn my back around, expose it halfway through this door, half open door, and then it was from. There was, if you had a gentle touch, then it signified a favorable future, while a scratching of its claws into the back would indicate potential misfortune. Now, the Bannik's prolific abilities, combined with its areas of parents, have made it a figure of both fear and fascination within the Slavic folklore.

Eric Dionne:

Here with this, but I was trying to read a little bit into it a little, a little more, and you know you have, okay, there's, no, there's no depiction of whether that, yeah, okay, gentle touch is one thing, but then it's going into the scratching of its claws. You know, I can't find it whether it's just a scratch of the claws going down or like, is it like a terrifying and full scratch, like bloodshed, like oh my God, you've been scarred? You know, I don't know. Like I said, there's very little information on banick out there to begin with, and a lot of the stuff is just repeat over and over. So it's trying to figure that out. But I'm sorry, I don't want to if it's a vengeful, like scratch. Of course you know. If you're getting scratched hard across your back, yeah, I'm going to say that you just got told your future that yeah, there's misfortune, yeah, there's misfortune that you have a scratch going across your back now if you survived it. You know, it's one of those, those thoughts, it's like I don't know, it's a lot, that's a whole, another half of thinking I guess you could say for me.

Eric Dionne:

But there were several rituals that were performed in the bathhouses in order to keep the Bannik happy and peaceful. The most common occurred during the steaming or the firing. Like I said earlier, that was reserved for the Bannik itself. Or upon the closing of the Bannock for the night, there'd be offerings of fur, branches, water and soap were usually left, capped. Also, you know, I guess you could say by formal thank you that the person would utter aloud. So you'd basically be like thank you, Bannik, you know, for this or for looking over us. There's a lot of aspects to it.

Eric Dionne:

The Bannik was often blamed, though, as well, for anything that went wrong within the bathhouse. So, let's say, the structure burned down, which back in those days they really did burn down a lot. So whenever they would burn down, it was believed that the spirit had been affronted or offended in some way and that he decided to burn the spot down. Was it the Bannik, or was it just poor construction or lack of fire safety back then? There's no telling what it could be, but it was believed, like I said, that they had been affronted or offended in some way. So in order to appease the Bannik, upon the rebuilding of the bathhouse, a black hen would be suffocated and then left unplucked and buried beneath the building's threshold. The people performing this ritual would end it by bowing and backing away from the threshold while reciting, I guess, whatever was the appropriate incantations for their time and area at that point. But it goes to show that you know, there it's.

Eric Dionne:

I'm not going to say superstition, because that's such the wrong word to use in this but beliefs, and we still do it. We all hold on to our beliefs greatly, and so I can't knock anybody's belief. I try to stay very neutral. But firsthand I grew up Catholic so I see the beliefs within the churches and religions and everything, and I've studied religions to the point that we all have beliefs and we all have rituals, whether we believe it or not. The Catholic Church was great for it. You know the body of Christ and all this stuff and you know confessions and you know the sign of the cross. You know we did things, and the Catholic Church still does things that are rituals when you break it down, but I'm not going to go down that path because that's going to lead to a tangent. So I just wanted to put it out there. But yeah, so the people performing these rituals would end it by bowing and backing away and you know reciting incantations and hoping that this new bathhouse wouldn't burn down.

Eric Dionne:

Now with the Bannik, like I said I've said earlier, the elusive nature of the Bannik makes its specific sightings rare and all the research through folklore has offered some glimpses into the ledge counters, but nothing of solid record. I take the village tales, where short stories from rural communities would basically re-encounter encounters with this mysterious figure in the bathhouse believed to be the Bannik. So I want you to close your eyes and I want you to picture in your mind and imagine in the quiet heart of rural communities nestled, missed the sprawling landscapes, whispers of enigmatic encounters with a spectral presence echoed through the village tales, missed the serene and the echoes of the bathhouse. Locals speak of eerie incidents or a mysterious figure believed to be the Bannik materializes. The short stories are passed down through generations, weaving a tapestry of fascination and trepidation, depicting encounters with a spectral guardian, the welling within the steam-laden sanctuaries of the bathhouse On.

Eric Dionne:

Villagers' speak of glimpses, but in ethereal form an aged figure whose presence embodies both reverence and caution, believed to watch over the rituals of cleansing, or the gaze that pierces beyond the physical realm as twilight descends upon the village, stories come alive and a flickering glow of earths captivating listeners with tales of whispers, warnings and silent blessings by the unseen guardians of the bathhouses. These narratives, steeped in folklore and tradition, speak of the banished dual nature its benevolent protection of those who honor its sanctuary of the bath and its wrath towards those who dare to disrespect or defile the sacred spaces. The village tales carry within them the essence of reverence for tradition, infusing each encounter with a Bannik with an aura of mystery and an unwavering respect for the spiritual connections woven into the rituals of the bathhouse. If you are closing your eyes, you can go ahead and open them. Then you also, like I said, there's not a lot of information out there, so it was really hard. There's some stuff that I put down in my notes that I really wanted to try to find out more on, but you also add stories from the bathhouse keepers, and legends have passed down by the bathhouse keepers describing encounters of a protective wrath. They would recount ominous episodes of wrathful warning where transgressions against the sacred space are met with a ethereal retribution. To be a reminder that the spirit's guardianship and the importance of upholding ancient customs are handed down through keepers, to impart a sense of respect for the mystic connection between the banic and the revered domain of the bathhouses.

Eric Dionne:

Now, my problem with this is just like with anything that involves any type of religion, you have these bathhouse keepers, and if they are of a religious aspect, well, just like with any religion, fear is a key component. Do this, and if you don't do this, this is going to happen. It's across the board with everything. I don't think I've really looked into a religion that doesn't have fear as a part of it out there, and again I'm going off on a tangent where I don't need to be. So I have issues with the legends passed down. But just like with anything that's passed down, whether it's our history, there's always going to be errors, there's going to be flaws, there's going to be mis-telling. It's like the old telephone game where you pass one thing and when it gets around it's not the same thing it was before, but there's really. We have no way because even in written history we're human and humans make errors. So yeah, I'll move on from that.

Eric Dionne:

The most widely, reports were through folklore counts. You had just depictions in traditional tales and songs, often symbolizing the banning's role as a guardian and enforcer of bathhouse rules. Now I looked and I searched all over the place for folklore song or just a song in general that mentioned the banning, and I could not find one for the life of me. So, me being ambitious, what did I decide to do? Well, I wrote my own banning song. Warning, big warning, right here and right now. I am not a singer, but I will share what maybe a song about the banning would have been like. So we'll see how this goes. And take it from there.

Eric Dionne:

In the heart of the village where tales find their birth lies a spirit of old upon the steaming earth Bannik, guardian spectral, unseen yet near. In the bathhouse, whispers wave the tales we hold dear. Bannik spirit veiled in steam, keepers of secrets and tales we glean. Forcer of rules, guardians might and folk lords, embrace you, dance in the night. From the hearth side stories to ancient song. Bannik's presence lingers mysterious and strong, with each whispered warning and blessings shared the spectral form guards ensuring they are spared. Bannick spirit veiled in steam, keepers of secrets and tales we glean. Forcer of rules, guardians might and folk lords, embrace you dance in the night In echoes of the bathhouse where legends entwine. Bannik's lore dances, a tale so divine, a protective gaze to wrathful stare In these folklore tunes, your essence we share. Bannik, spirit veiled in the steam, keepers of secrets and tales we glean. Forcer of rules, guardians might and folk lords, embrace you, dance in the night. Bannik and eternal in, folklore's hue In songs and stories. We honor you, guardian unseen in our hearts. You reside In the bathhouse. mystique, your present abides.

Eric Dionne:

Okay, so now that I made a complete fool of myself and did that, like I said, I'm not a singer. I can write stuff out here and there, all that fun stuff, but oh well, I'm done it over with and you know I'll probably keep it in the episode, just because and it's a lot easier to just keep something in and to move forward and try to edit it all out. But sorry for that. If I lost you, I lost you If I didn't, hey great. But don't judge me because, like I said, I gave you a warning, I am not a singer. Back to the banic. You know songs, folklorists, stuff like that. That's how a lot of stuff was passed down.

Eric Dionne:

Nowadays, in contemporary times, while the belief in the bannik as a literal spirit might have waned a lot, its legacy still remains out there Bath houses. Although they've evolved, they still hold cultural significance in Slavic communities and references to the Bannik can actually be found in literature, art and cultural celebrations still within the Slavic community. So the Bannik continues to be a symbol of tradition and a spiritual connection between humanity and water, reminding basically our modern society of the importance of respecting natural elements. If there's anything that you take from this, take that. Take that it's important to respect our natural elements. It's important to respect people as well, and all of nature. But you know, it's just. There's something I don't know. I have a strong connection with water to begin with, but that's just me. So, as we conclude our exploration into the realm of the Bannik, this guardian spirit remains a testament to the intertwining of folklore, tradition and cultural beliefs. So, whether as a protector or a harbinger of retribution, the legacy of the Bannik will endure in the hearts of the Slavic mythology.

Eric Dionne:

Before I fade out here, I just want to say thank you for joining us on this captivating journey into the Slavic folklore and the ematic world of the Bannik. I hope you've enjoyed the exploration into the mystical guardians of the bath houses. I know it's not as long of an episode as the last one. Like I said, there was a lot that I just could not unearth, I couldn't find, but you know things will get better. Like I said, this is only episode two and yeah, I'm a little rusty still and I will improve, I promise you.

Eric Dionne:

But until then, if you go, follow us on our Instagram page, just type legends from the shadows, help pull up our Instagram page. You can also look us up on Facebook so hopefully you know you'll stick around and see what I have to offer. So once again, thank you all for listening. I'm Eric Dionne and I will see you all in a week as our journey through the mysterious concludes. We step back from the shadows, but their secrets linger. Remember in the quiet corners of the world, mysteries still whisper their tales Until we meet again. Stay curious, embrace the darkness and never forget that truth often thrives in the most unexpected places. As we part ways, may you always find fascination in the unknown and the courage to explore the depths of the unexplained.