Tradition: Polish Mythology
Alternative Names: Borowa Auntie
Category: Forest dweller
The Myth
Bòrowô Cotka, meaning Borowa Auntie, is a benevolent female forest spirit who protects the animals and wildlife of the woods. She watches over the forest and its inhabitants, ensuring that children who become lost among the trees are not left helpless. Kind and generous toward lost children, she gives them toys, candy, and nuts, helping them find comfort and protection in the wilderness. She also shields them from dangerous supernatural beings, including witches and the Maniewid.
Although Bòrowô Cotka is gentle toward children and forest animals, she punishes those who mistreat the woodland. People who destroy trees or frighten the forest’s wildlife risk being transformed by her into junipers. Through this power, she defends the natural world against those who damage it, turning destructive intruders into part of the forest they have harmed. Bòrowô Cotka is remembered as a protective guardian whose kindness offers safety to the innocent, while her supernatural punishment warns against cruelty toward nature.
Sources
“Bòrówô Cotka.” Kaszëbskô Wikipedijô (Kashubian Wikipedia). Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%B2row%C3%B4_Cotka