Also called Solovei-Razboinik, Solovey Rakhmanovich.
Their story
In the Russian epic songs, the road to Kiev through the Bryn forest is blocked by Nightingale the Robber, half man and half bird, who sits in a nest across nine oaks. His whistle and roar flatten the trees and kill travellers. Ilya Muromets shoots him in the eye with an arrow, ties him to his saddle and brings him to Prince Vladimir, where he whistles once more and shakes the palace.
Best times to give to them
- winter story nights
What they like being given
- none; the tales praise courage and fair dealing on the road
How to honour them
- Read or tell the bylina of Ilya Muromets and Nightingale the Robber.
- Think about the "whistles" that frighten you from your path, and walk on.
How they can help you
- courage
- justice
- keeping to your path
Symbols
- a nest on nine oaks
- a deadly whistle
- a flattened forest
Sources
- Russian byliny as collected by P. N. Rybnikov and A. F. Gilferding
- Kirsha Danilov, Drevnie rossiiskie stikhotvoreniia (18th century)
More Slavic beings
- Div The crying omen in the tree-top
- Vodyanoy The old man of the millpond
- Polevik The spirit of the fields
- Poludnitsa Lady Midday of the harvest fields
- Mavka Hollow-backed maiden of the Ukrainian woods
- Mora The night-mare who sits on the chest
- Zmey Gorynych Many-headed dragon of the byliny
- Firebird The glowing bird of the golden apples