Tradition / Region: Silesian Mythology, Polish Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Forest dweller, Gnome, Spirit
The Myth
Bzionek is a guardian spirit known in Silesian superstition, believed to protect villages from evil spells and misfortune. It was imagined in the form of a small man who lived beneath or within elder bushes, especially the black elder growing close to human dwellings. From this association, the spirit took its name.
Because the bzionek was thought to dwell in elder bushes, these plants were treated with great reverence. Cutting them down, digging them up, or burning elder wood in an oven was strictly forbidden, as such acts might offend the spirit and bring harm upon the household or village.
Certain customs were connected to the elder bush and the bzionek. After washing the body of a deceased person, people would pour the used water beneath the elder bush to avert misfortune. In moments of desperation, when a baby was gravely ill, the child might be brought beneath the bush so that the bzionek could drive away the sickness.
The bzionek was not feared as a malicious being, but respected as a quiet protector whose presence demanded careful behavior. Through the elder bush, it stood as a silent guardian between the human world and unseen dangers.
Sources
Bestiary.us contributors. (n.d.). Eterari. In Bestiary.us, from https://www.bestiary.us/eterari/