Tradition: Ukrainian mythology
Alternative Names: Likho, Liho, Lykho, Лихо, One-Eyed Likho
Category: Demon

The Myth

Likho is an embodiment of evil fate and misfortune. It is commonly depicted as a one-eyed, old and skinny woman dressed in black, known as One-Eyed Likho. In other traditions it appears as an evil male forest goblin. In Ukrainian folklore, it can also cling to a person’s neck.

Likho appears in fairy tales as a bringer of misfortune. A person who encounters it may attempt to deceive or escape from it, but their greed or foolishness can lead to disaster. In one tale, a person escapes from Likho while being pursued, but then sees something valuable and grabs it. Their hand becomes stuck to the object, forcing them to cut off their own hand.

In another tale, Likho tricks a person and climbs onto their neck. The person attempts to drown the creature by jumping into a river, but drowns themselves instead, while Likho survives and floats away to pursue other victims.

Likho can also be passed from one person to another, with someone receiving or giving away the creature as though it were a gift.

According to popular superstition, Likho comes to eat people, and stories of it were particularly used to frighten children. Its very nature is associated with bad luck: encountering Likho means becoming caught in misfortune from which escape may come only through cleverness, while greed or poor judgment can make the situation even worse.

Sources

“Likho.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 12, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Likho

The Myth

The Ocheretyanyk is a mysterious spirit from Slavic folklore associated with reeds, marshes, and wetlands. Its name comes from the Ukrainian word ocheret, meaning “reed,” and the creature was believed to dwell deep within thick reed beds near rivers and swamps.

Very little is known about the Ocheretyanyk compared to other Slavic spirits. Folklore usually describes it as a devil-like being tied to a specific place rather than a wandering demon. It was feared as a strange supernatural presence capable of terrifying travelers who passed too close to the reeds at night.

One surviving legend tells of a man riding near a marsh who encountered a strange white ram with claws, screaming unnaturally beside the reeds. Believing it to be an ordinary animal, the man lifted it onto his cart. Immediately the horses became unable to move under its weight. When he tried to throw the creature off, it would not leave the cart no matter how hard he struggled.

Only when the roosters crowed at dawn did the creature finally leap away on its own. Laughing mockingly, it disappeared back into the reeds.

Stories about the Ocheretyanyk often resemble broader Slavic tales about supernatural fear spirits—unknown beings that appear suddenly in strange forms such as animals, objects, or distorted humans in order to frighten people wandering near dangerous places at night.