Tradition / Region: Estonian Mythology
Alternative names: Painaja, Painak, Panijas, Paanjas, Painakane, Luupaanija, Luupaine, Luupatak, Tallaja
Category: Spirit
The Myth
The Luupainaja is a spirit that torments sleeping people and animals during the night. It presses down upon its victim’s body, leaving them unable to move while causing intense fear, sweating, trembling, and a pounding heart. According to tradition, prolonged attacks could even lead to death. It was also believed to weaken working animals by riding and exhausting them during the night.
The Luupainaja appears in many forms. It is most often seen as a young woman, though it may also appear as an old woman or old man. It can also take the form of animals, especially a black cat, horse, or dog, and is sometimes described as appearing as a goose feather.
Several methods were believed to drive away the Luupainaja. Moving the big toe would force it to flee, while lighting a fire would scare it away because it feared light. Sleeping on the left side was also thought to protect a person from its attacks.
One folktale tells of a farmer whose work animal was repeatedly attacked by a Luupainaja. Following the advice of a wise man, he hid outside the stable and watched. When the animal suddenly began screaming and stamping, the farmer looked inside and saw a black cat riding its back. He beat the cat with a whip until it disappeared, and from that night onward the Luupainaja never returned.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Luupainaja. In Vikipeedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luupainaja