Tradition: Russian Mythology, Slovak Mythology
Alternative Names: Nocnitsa, Nochnitsa, Načnica, Nocnica, Płaczka, Nichnytsia, Kriksy, Plaksy, Night Hag, Night Maiden
Category: Demon

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The Myth

Notsnitsa is a nocturnal demon that torments people, especially children, while they sleep. She is associated with nightmares and is sometimes described as a shadow-like female spirit.

Notsnitsa is said to sit on a sleeping person’s chest and drain their life energy. Because of this, she is sometimes regarded as a kind of vampire. She may return to the same person repeatedly during the night.

In some traditions, Notsnitsa attacks people who sleep on their backs with their hands resting on their chests, a sleeping position associated with the dead.

Notsnitsa was especially feared for attacking children. In Russian and Slovak folklore, various protections were used to keep her away. A stone with a hole through its center could be placed as protection, while some mothers placed a knife in a child’s cradle or drew a circle around the cradle with a knife.

She is sometimes described as having a terrible screeching voice and as being made of shadow.

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Sources

“Nocnitsa.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 9, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nocnitsa

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