As the nights draw in I find myself turning more to folk stories from the Slavic pantheon. The ones with cautionary tales for children to remind them to stick to the paths.

For those deep fir forests conceal wicked creatures and vengeful Gods returned to upon the earth, circling the night and all too ready to swallow the careless wanderer. Warsaw-based photographer Marcin Nagraba‘s 2018 series 𝘗𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘗𝘰𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺 gives form to these nightmares.

Until Christianity arrived in Eastern Europe between the 7th and 12th centuries, the Slavic region was polytheistic, with as many Gods as there were dialects. Early Byzantine explorers describe the ancient Slavs as worshipers of thunder and earth; their Perun analogous to Zeus.

Costume designer Agnieszka Osipa brings many threads of these Gods together, swathing them in mythic armour and ritual tokens. The result is a visually arresting reimagination of the wonder and wisdom of ages past.

#folkhorror #folkart #pagan #oldgods #slavicfolklore #marcinnagraba #paganpoetry #agnieszkaosipa #photography #easterneurope