Tradition / Region: Lithuanian Mythology
Alternative name: –
Category: Skeleton
The Myth
Zhiburinis is a terrifying forest spirit in Lithuanian folklore. It appears as a glowing human figure, a phosphorescent skeleton, or a human-shaped shell with a burning candle where its heart should be.
Anyone who sees Zhiburinis is believed to die almost instantly from overwhelming terror or suffer a fatal heart attack. A small flame is said to appear on the victim’s body near the heart.
The spirit is also known for taking revenge on those who offend it. According to one well-known legend, a man once shot at the glowing silhouette of Zhiburinis in the forest. The following night, the spirit returned disguised as a woman. While the man slept, she embraced him from head to toe, and by morning he was found dead.
Zhiburinis is therefore feared as a deadly forest apparition whose supernatural glow brings terror, sudden death, and vengeance upon those who dare attack or disrespect it.
Sources
Bestiary.us. (n.d.). Zhiburinis. In New Bestiary: Encyclopedia of Imaginary Beings. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://www.bestiary.us/zhiburinis