Tradition: Belarusian Mythology
Alternative Names: Bindas
Category: House dweller
The Myth
Bindas is a frightening supernatural being from the folklore of the Lepel region in northern Belarus. Described as a kind of bathhouse spirit, it was used by adults to frighten children and prevent them from entering the bathhouse without supervision. According to local tradition, Bindas would punish disobedient children who ventured inside when no adult was present.
The creature was said to splash naughty children with hot water and whip them with a nettle broom. These threats made Bindas an effective figure for warning children to stay away from the bathhouse on their own. The traditional warning was simple: children were told not to go to the bathhouse because a dangerous being was waiting there.
An account recorded by Tatyana Volodina preserves the warning in two forms: “Go to the bathhouse, sit down there” and “Don’t go to the bathhouse, there’s a bandit there!” The expressions reflect the use of Bindas as a frightening figure in children’s upbringing, with the threat of punishment reinforcing household rules about entering the bathhouse.
Bindas was therefore not simply a supernatural inhabitant of a building, but also a figure used to regulate children’s behaviour. Its reputation rested on the fear of being scalded or beaten with a nettle broom. The source suggests that the name may have Baltic origins, particularly in Latvian, where it is associated with meanings such as “executioner” or “butcher.”
Sources
“Bindas.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/bindas