The Vodyanoy is a water spirit of Slavic mythology, depicted covered in slime, weeds, and moss. He dwells beside watermills and in sloughs, kettle holes, and the whirlpools of rivers and ponds, and the souls of drowned or unhappy girls are said to keep near him.
He poses a danger to anyone who enters the water; when angered, he is said to drag people and animals beneath the surface and drown them.