Tradition: Belarusian Mythology
Alternative Names: Plachka
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Plachka is a ghostly female figure from Belarusian folklore, particularly associated with the northern and northwestern regions of the country. She appears as an extraordinarily beautiful woman dressed in white, with a black headdress and a black kerchief draped over her shoulders. Her clothing is as white as snow, making the dark garments around her head and shoulders especially striking. Although she appears human, her presence is supernatural, and her beauty conceals a sorrowful and unsettling nature.
Plachka is known for her constant tears and mournful voice. Her face, tanned by the sun and wind, is described as beautiful and expressive, yet her eyes are always filled with emotion, and tears are perpetually falling from them. She most often appears in houses where no one lives anymore, in empty churches, and among ruins. She may also be seen beneath trees or in the middle of a field. When she sits on a stone, laments, or approaches people, she speaks in a plaintive voice and bursts into tears.
Those who encounter Plachka may hear her warn them not to trust the secret of their hearts to anyone. Her sorrowful appearance and mysterious words make her a haunting figure associated with abandoned places, loneliness, grief, and the dangers of revealing one’s innermost thoughts.
Sources
“Plachka.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/plachka