Also called Topielec, Topielica, Utopek, Utopenec.
Their story
In Polish and especially Silesian folklore the utopiec or topielec is the spirit of a drowned person, or a water sprite who lives in ponds. He can look like a small man in green with a red cap, and his left coat-tail is always wet, which is how he can be recognised in the market. He lures people into the water and keeps their souls under upturned pots in his home. Some Silesian tales make him a friendly neighbour who helps fishermen.
Best times to give to them
- spring and summer swimming season
- Kupala Night
What they like being given
- a pinch of tobacco or bread thrown into the water
- courtesy near water
How to honour them
- Swim only in safe, supervised places, which is the tale's real lesson.
- Greet a pond or river before you enter it.
How they can help you
- water safety
- respect for ponds and rivers
- remembering the drowned
Symbols
- a small green man
- a wet left coat-tail that always drips
- a red cap
- upturned pots holding souls
Sources
- Oskar Kolberg, Lud
- Aleksander Gieysztor, Mitologia Słowian
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