Tradition: Ukrainian Mythology
Alternative Names: Zvihlenik, Zykhlenik, Zvylenik, Zbihlenyaty
Category: Ghost
The Myth
Zbiglenyata are the restless spirits of children who died without being baptized. According to Hutsul mythology, these children are buried in a special place in the cemetery reserved for the unbaptized. Their souls remain in this state until they reach the age of seven, when they risk becoming evil spirits known as zkhlenik or zvihlenik. They are sometimes heard crying in lonely places, asking passersby for a baptismal cloth and a cross.
As the seventh year approaches, a zbiglenyata may cry out, begging someone who believes in God to give it a cross. If a person who hears the spirit knows the correct baptismal formula and throws away a small piece of wood from their shirt, the child can be freed from its fate. Instead of becoming an evil spirit, its soul becomes an angel, who then serves as the guardian angel of the person who saved it.
Hutsul traditions also describe a ritual intended to prevent a dead, unbaptized child from becoming an evil spirit. A priest blesses water in twelve vessels, with a small cake and a candle placed beside each one on the church altar. The blessed water is then dedicated to the child’s soul and poured over its coffin or grave. Through this ritual, the child becomes an angel as though it had received baptism in life.
Sources
“Zbiglenyata.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/zbiglenyata