Zmey Gorynych

The Serpent (Zmey) is the most enigmatic figure in folklore—a paradox of elements. He traverses the air without wings and breathes fire, yet remains a sovereign of the waters. As the Fire and Water King merged into one, he sleeps upon a stone in the sea, his breath raising the waves. Yet, as Gorynych, he is also the master of the mountain depths.

The Serpent is the abductor of the soul. Whether as a Whirlwind or the anthropomorphic Koschei, he carries women into other realms. In folk logic, the ravisher of princesses is always a creature of the water.

He is the Guardian of the Threshold. At the Kalinov Bridge over the Smorodina River, the Serpent guards the heart of the underworld. While Baba Yaga meets the hero on the periphery, the Serpent stands at the very center.

Unlike the rituals of Yaga, the Serpent does not test—he devours. This is an echo of an ancient cult: the serpent of the abyss who swallows the sun each evening, only to disgorge it at dawn.