Vedmak

**Vedmak**
Folklore	Slavic paganism
Other name(s)	Vidmak
Country	Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, Russia

In

Slavic mythology

, a vedmak (Belarusian: вядзьмак, вядзьмар;^[1] Bulgarian: вещер; Croatian: vještac; Czech: vědmák; Macedonian: вештер; Polish: wiedźmak; Russian: ведьмак; Serbian: вештац;^[2] Ukrainian: відьмак^[3]) is a

witch, the female equivalent (witch) being vedma,^[4] but unlike the latter, the vedmak may also possess positive qualities. This role greatly focuses on the Shamanic aspects of Slavic Paganism.^[5]

For example, they treat people and animals.[6] On the other hand, they are thought to be people connected to the devil, and are capable of bringing harm by sending illnesses, killing cattle, spoiling a harvest, etc.^[7] The word was also used as an insult.^[7] A vedmak can turn into any animal or any object.^[7]

Etymology

Vedmak stems from

Proto-Slavic *vědět ("to know") and Old East Slavic вѣдь ("knowledge; witchcraft", compare the use of the term "cunning" in English folklore).^[8]


Language	Name
polish	wiedźmak	wiedźmarz
belarusian	вядзьмак	вядзьмар	ведзьмак	ведзьмар
bulgarian	вещер
croatian	vještac
czech	vědmák
macedonian	вештер
russian	ведьмак
serbian	вештац
ukrainian	Відьма́к	відьма́р	відьма́н	відьма́ч	відьмун

The Witcher

Under the influence of The Witcher fantasy saga by Andrzej Sapkowski, the term vedmak is sometimes also rendered as "witcher" in English in certain contexts. The word used for "witcher" in the original Polish version of the novels, "wiedźmin", was coined by Sapkowski himself as a neologism, while the word "wiedźmak" (cognate of "vedmak") is used in the books only as a derogatory term for witchers. "Ведьмак" is also the word used to translate "wiedźmin" in the Russian translation of the books.^[9]

References

ISBN 978-985-08-1365-7

ISBN 9780598542106
.

^ Словник української мови в 4-х т. — К. : Вид-во Академії наук Української РСР, 1958, том 1, ст. 235 // Dictionary of the Ukrainian language / Ref. with addn. own of material by B. Grinchenko: in 4 volumes — K.: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, 1958. Volume 1, Art. 235.

^ Wood Besant, Annie (January 1903). "Theosophical Review Magazine". Kessinger Publishing. p. 401.

^ Dworski, Lamus (5 March 2017). "3 'specializations' of spiritual leaders in Slavic Native Faith". Wordpress. Lamus Dworski. Retrieved 2023-02-18.

Ushakov's Dictionary

^ ^a ^b ^c Yefimova's Modern Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian language, 2000.

^ Fasmer, M (1987). Dictionary of Russian language in 4 volumes (2 ed.).

^ Stworzyłem wiedźmina

mythology-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
v
t
e

[1] ISBN 978-985-08-1365-7

[2] ISBN 9780598542106
.

[3] Словник української мови в 4-х т. — К. : Вид-во Академії наук Української РСР, 1958, том 1, ст. 235 // Dictionary of the Ukrainian language / Ref. with addn. own of material by B. Grinchenko: in 4 volumes — K.: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, 1958. Volume 1, Art. 235.

[4] Wood Besant, Annie (January 1903). "Theosophical Review Magazine". Kessinger Publishing. p. 401.

[5] Dworski, Lamus (5 March 2017). "3 'specializations' of spiritual leaders in Slavic Native Faith". Wordpress. Lamus Dworski. Retrieved 2023-02-18.

[6] Ushakov's Dictionary

[yef-7] Yefimova's Modern Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian language, 2000.

[8] Fasmer, M (1987). Dictionary of Russian language in 4 volumes (2 ed.).

[9] Stworzyłem wiedźmina

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[7]

[8]

[9]

Etymology

The Witcher

See also

References