What does a merman look like? Who is Vodyanoy? Is there a merman in the world?

Vodyany or crowberry, in Slavic mythology, a spirit living in water. The merman is the owner of the waters. His image reflects the dangerous beginning of the water element. The Slavs represented the merman as a big old grandfather, plump with a flabby body. Its eyes are bulging, its body is covered in mud, it has a fish tail and webbed feet. The merman has a large beard and a green mustache.

Mermen graze herds of fish at the bottom of rivers and command mermaids and aquatic life. The merman is not too angry, but sometimes he likes to play a trick on a person. He drags musicians down to entertain him. Such a case is described in the fairy tale “Sadko”. Mermen love to live under mills, in deep pools. There used to be legends that millers entered into an agreement with the waterman. In order for this spirit to guard the mill, the miller had to push several passers-by into the water. It was believed that such a person sold his soul to the unclean.

Beautiful pictures and photos of the merman:

The merman rides a catfish, which in some places is called the “devil’s horse.” Som brings him drowned people. The merman demands respect. He doesn’t like it when people on the shore mention the priest, God, or talk loudly. The merman can take revenge by driving away the fish or damaging the mill. This spirit has the ability to transform. He can turn into a fish, a log, a child or a horse. Mermen love to party with goblins. If a fish disappeared from a pond or river, they said that it was eaten by the merman’s guests or that he lost it to them. To appease the waterman, the fishermen threw him a couple of fish from the first catch, bread and the rest of the wine.

In Slavic mythology, water- a frequently encountered character. Who is he? How is Grandfather Merman different from other spirits?

Vodyanoy - in Slavic mythology, a spirit that lives in water, the owner of the waters.

Grandfather of the water in Slavic mythology is the real ruler of the river or lake bottom. He has his own farm, livestock, consisting of fish and waterfowl, and mermaids and other inhabitants are considered his subjects. Although the merman is not very evil, he will not miss the chance to lure unwary swimmers to the bottom so that they will entertain him there. That is why in Slavic mythology the merman is not considered a positive character. His image personifies the very element of water: dangerous, unpredictable.

The appearance of a merman in Slavic mythology

The water grandfather is described in different ways in mythology. It was usually believed that he was like a fish: bulging eyes, a tail, and covered with mud. However, the appearance of the merman is changeable; this is one of the spirits capable of werewolf:

He does anything. He sticks his head out onto land and puts it on. The flowers can be blue or like burbot, colored... Nyago only has two mustaches. He looks like a fish with a boast. It has two wings at the bottom.

A merman is capable of becoming a fish, a person, a horse, a snag:

Veresina floats in the middle, under the bridge. Suddenly he laughs, he bursts into laughter, you won’t understand... He pretends to be all sorts of things.

The Slavs also described that Vodyanoy personifies the river itself. They explained that the mud was his hair, and the foam on the surface of the water was the drool that flowed from his mouth.

The merman lives in deep places, especially near the water mill. Water grandfathers could also live in springs, and they were considered especially strong.

Mermen are very fond of cattle, and from time to time they let their herd out for a walk along the river bank. There were beliefs that a clever person could take possession of the cows and horses of the water grandfather with the help of special rituals. But in general, it’s better not to approach the herd, so as not to anger the Water Grandfather.

How dangerous is Vodyanoy for people and how to protect yourself from it?

Previously, every swimmer knew about the danger of drowning. Before swimming or going on a boat, you had to ask Vodyanoy’s permission. It was also impossible to walk on water at night, and if it was impossible otherwise, then it was also necessary to turn to the spirit. It was also necessary to bathe only at the appointed hour, and not to remove amulets while bathing. Vodyanoy does not like it when they make noise, mention the hare, the bear, himself, or generally talk a lot. There are times when Vodyanoy is especially dangerous. This is the period of the Kupalina day, the time of flowering of rye, midnight, noon, especially night. Back then they were afraid to even walk past the banks of rivers or lakes.

The relationship between the waterman and the miller in Slavic mythology

Millers who constantly worked near water especially revered the water grandfathers. Because of this, they were often considered sorcerers who knew the other world. When the water mill was first built, various sacrifices were made, for example, horse skulls, food supplies, and conspiracies were read. The mythology of the Slavs says that the Mermen are very fond of black animals, which is why they were always kept in mills. Any dam breaks or millstone breakdowns were associated with the mischief of Vodyanoy.

Days of veneration of the merman in Slavic mythology

To prevent Vodyanoy from attacking a person, once a year, in the spring, he was honored: they brought him food, made sacrifices so that no one from the village would drown.

April third They carried gifts to the water man: “Keep, save our family.” They threw flour straight into the river: “Keep and feed our family.”

In the fall, the fourth of October, said goodbye to Vodyanoy - they carried the required goods and wished them a calm winter.

Vodyanoy is the personification of a powerful element, so our ancestors believed that he existed. Much has been forgotten since then, but we are trying to revive the spirit of antiquity, to show all the diversity of Slavic mythology. This is a real treasure!

Class insects, order Hemiptera

These insects got their name due to the presence of a front pair of wings, which differ in structure from the rear pair. The fore wings have turned into elytra with varying degrees of rigidity (chitinization) and looking like transparent membranes with many veins. The detachment includes 50 families, but only three of them have adapted to live in an aquatic environment:

The largest family is combing bugs (Corixidae).
Smoothfish family (Notonectidae).
Giant water bugs (Belostomatidae).

Representatives of these families have similar and distinct features.

Oral apparatus

All insects of this order are characterized by the presence of a piercing-sucking type of mouthparts. It has the appearance of a proboscis, the basis of which is a long, jointed lower lip with a groove. The groove contains the lower and upper jaws, which have changed into thin long bristles. This device is covered from above by a short upper lip. The structure of the mouthparts determines the way bedbugs feed. All of them pierce the integument of the victim with their upper jaws and introduce toxins into its body, paralyzing the prey and dissolving soft tissues. The entire oral apparatus is immersed in the victim, and the liquid contents of the victim are absorbed. Representatives of our three families are active predators, and their proboscis is short and curved, like the beak of birds.

Other Common Features

Aquatic bugs, unlike their terrestrial counterparts, have no scent glands or they are very poorly developed (in the giant water bug). They breathe atmospheric oxygen with the help of tracheal tubes that penetrate the entire body of the insect, and spiracles that open in the thoracic or abdominal part of the body.

Bedbugs reproduce sexually, the female lays from 10 to 200 eggs. Development - with incomplete transformation. The eggs will hatch into larvae that look very similar to the imago (adult). They molt 4-5 times, increasing in size and acquiring adult organs that the larvae do not have (wings, antennae, segments of the legs). After a few weeks, the larva turns into an adult. A special feature of bedbug eggs is the presence of a cap at the top. When the larvae open these caps, but do not yet emerge from the egg, the sight looks very funny.

Rowing bugs

The family has about 600 species. These are small bugs. The largest representative reaches 16 mm in length. They live mainly in stagnant bodies of water, feeding on algae and the larvae of other insects. They fly well. Their peculiarity lies in the structure of their limbs - they are all different. The first pair are short spatulas, in the male with spines. This is his musical apparatus - in the water he runs them along his proboscis, and the result is a rather loud chirping sound. The second pair is thin and long, with claws at the end. With them, the bug clings tightly to the algae, providing itself with support. The third pair are flat oars, with the help of which the bug swims quickly. The female attaches the eggs to the algae with special glue, and they look like a small gray pile.

Interesting! There are so many of these bugs in Mexican lakes and swamps that even in the last century Britain imported them in barrels to feed poultry. After all, bedbugs are a protein in its pure form, and up to 250 million individuals were placed in a barrel.

Common water bug

This representative of the gladysh family is common in fresh water bodies of Russia (a total of 7 representatives of the species are found). The length of the adult is 1.5 cm, the body is green or brown, shaped like an inverted boat. The peculiarity of the smoothie is that it floats upside down, and then it becomes like a submarine. Breathing is carried out through tracheal tubes, which open in the abdominal area. From the surface, it carries with it a bubble of air under the water, which looks like a bubble of mercury. They fly well and take off directly from the water, and the female lays her eggs on algae. Smoothies are a favorite object of observation for young naturalists; they are often kept in aquariums. But if you pick it up carelessly, the prick of the proboscis will be painful, but not at all poisonous to humans.

Sword bugs - belostomatids, or giant bugs

In the fauna of the Russian Federation they are represented by two species living in the Far East, with sizes more than modest - up to 4-5 centimeters. Far Eastern belostomas hibernate during the winter, and the rest of the time they lead a terrestrial-aquatic lifestyle. But real giant water bugs live where it is warm and humid - in tropical countries (South and North America, Thailand, India). In Florida (USA) they are called alligator ticks, and in India - finger biters.

Giant water bug: description

Let's start with the sizes. These insects grow up to 17 cm in length. They have different colors - from green to brown - depending on where they live. These bugs have their front legs (or first pair) turned into powerful pincers with hooks. It is with these that they firmly hold their prey until the injected toxin takes effect. They are active predators, mostly aquatic. Fish, frogs and even turtles are what the giant water bug feeds on. It even attacks small waterfowl! The toxin in the bedbug's saliva is similar in composition and effect to the venom of some snakes, but is not as toxic. It paralyzes the victim and dissolves its tissue, and the liquid contents are absorbed by the bug. In hunting, these predators are helped by retinal eyes and a hearing organ on the middle part of the body (tempanal organ). The bug can fly and loves the light of lanterns.

Because they fly towards light, they are called “electric lighting beetles.” It is in the light that people catch them in large quantities. Breathing is carried out through two tracheal tubes that open on the abdomen. These creatures have to surface every 7-8 minutes to take a breath. In case of danger, the giant bug pretends to be dead and becomes like a fallen leaf, which, however, can spray the secret of odorous glands located in the abdominal region at the attacker.

Caring daddies

The peculiarity of the giant water bug is its touching care for its offspring. And daddy does it. The female glues up to 100 eggs (she can lay up to 4 eggs at a time, so the bugs are forced to mate many times and spend a lot of time together) of gray color on the male’s elytra, and for a long two weeks he is doomed to remain on the surface of the reservoir (babies need oxygen), less feed and become easy prey for other predators. The male carries the eggs, sometimes moving his wings to air them. When the larvae open the lids of their eggs to exit, they do not immediately leave the parent. And he, poor thing, continues to be malnourished. This is the only type of bedbug that shows such care for its offspring.

A new species of insect that never existed!

This is exactly the message that has spread across the Internet quite recently. It was accompanied by creepy photographs and comments that after being bitten by a giant water bug, a person goes crazy and dies within two hours.

Next, it was suggested to follow the link and buy the antidote. Resourceful scammers never cease to amaze us. Is the water bug dangerous to humans? He may bite if you step on him or pick him up carelessly. It is painful, but not fatal. Apart from an unpleasant wound, which will heal within one to two weeks, and itching, getting to know a giant water bug does not bring any other troubles.

Gastronomic delicacy

In Vietnam, giant bugs are a very valuable resource. There, liquid is collected from the males from the pheromone-producing sacs. Ca "Cuong is the name of the product that has already entered the world market. One drop of this substrate changes the taste of the dish and, as the Vietnamese say, has a very beneficial effect... you know what.

In Thailand, these insects are simply fried - this is a common dish for local residents. It is called Malaeng da Na, it is sold in all markets and is inexpensive. There is probably not a tourist who has not tried fried giant bugs.

But in the Philippines, the legs of these insects are removed and... canapés are made for liqueurs. They are also fried whole or chopped with garlic, tomatoes, onions - basically, whatever you like. And they eat with pleasure.

Implications for the ecological system

In any ecosystem, everything is interconnected and represents a food-consumer chain. And if these amazing inhabitants appeared in the natural environment, it means that someone needs it. These insects are an important link in the trophic chain. They reduce the number of mosquito larvae, horseflies and other insects. In Vietnam, belostomas regulate the number of three-keeled turtles, the main pest for fry of commercial fish. But the line between benefit and harm is very blurred here. After all, bedbugs can cause significant damage to fish farming by eating fry. Is the water bug dangerous for humans? No, and you shouldn't be afraid of him.

But in Japan, the male giant tick is a symbol of caring fatherhood; he is respected and even haiku poems are written about him. And they don’t eat it there - after all, in Japan these creatures are listed in the Red Book with the status “on the verge of extinction.”

www.syl.ru

Giant water bug (belostoma): danger to humans, description and photo

The Belostoma bug is the largest representative of the order Hemiptera, reaching a length of up to 17 cm. The giant water bug lives in East and Southeast Asia, as well as in some regions of North and South America.

Giant water bug photo

The insect's body is flat, elongated and oval in shape, reminiscent of a fallen leaf. The color may vary depending on the bottom of the reservoir (this is necessary for camouflage), but most often it is brown. The eyes are large and reticulated. The wings are membranous and transparent. There are hooks on the front legs, the main purpose of which is to capture the future victim.

Belostomas can feed on small turtles photo

The insects live in shallow, algae-covered, warm waters and, when in large numbers, are capable of causing significant damage to fisheries by eating young fish, which is why they have received the nickname “fish killers.” The diet also includes frogs, amphibians, worms and small turtles.

Lifestyle

For most of their lives, bedbugs are underwater, breathing atmospheric air, which is why the insect needs to periodically rise to the surface. The respiratory organs consist of two breathing tubes located at the rear end of the abdomen, so in order to inhale, the bug sticks the back of its body out of the water. Bed bugs swim poorly, so they hunt in shallow water from ambush. As soon as the prey is within reach, the bug throws out its forelimbs, firmly digging into the victim, after which it makes a puncture with its piercing-sucking proboscis and introduces an enzyme that dissolves tissue, and then sucks out the resulting liquid mass.

Insects in the dark are attracted to the light of lighting fixtures, for which they received the nickname “electric-light bugs.”

In case of danger, belostomas freeze and pretend to be dead, and sometimes release an odorous secretion from the anal glands located in the back of the abdomen

Reproduction process

The breeding season for water bugs is in the spring. The fertilized female lays eggs on the male's elytra, tightly gluing them with secretions; the size of the insect allows more than a hundred eggs to be placed on the “daddy.” The water bug will stay with its offspring for a little over two weeks until the larvae hatch from the eggs and leave the parent. At this time, it is difficult for males to move and hunt; they lead a sedentary lifestyle, sometimes completely stopping feeding. This care for the offspring ensures a high percentage of egg survival.

Water bug with eggs on back photo

In Japan, belostomy is a symbol of exemplary fathers who take care of their children.

Hatching larvae photo

The bodies of hatched insects are soft, transparent white, after a few hours the cover hardens, acquiring a brownish tint, and the young bugs move on to the intensive feeding phase. Before becoming an adult (takes about a month), the larvae go through several molts, during which wings, external appendages and reproductive organs are formed.

A water bug with eggs on its back looks like a hedgehog

Danger to humans

The giant water bug is not dangerous to humans, but if you accidentally press or step on the insect, it can sting. The sting is very painful, the pain threshold is many times stronger than a bee sting. Children who most often suffer from its bites try to catch the insect and have to defend themselves. The most vulnerable areas of the body are the arms and legs. The bite site turns red and swelling appears, which goes away after a week.

Giant water bug bite photo

Gastronomic value

In Thailand, belostomy is a real delicacy; they are served fried or dried. The taste is like a cross between chicken and shrimp. An extract from the insect's anal glands is used as a flavoring additive for some types of soy sauce.

Fried water bugs belostomy photo

klopvon.ru

Water bugs Gladysh and Vodomerka: what they look like, photos of bites, danger to humans, video

There are about forty thousand species of bedbugs. A person encounters them everywhere: at the dacha, in the city and, unfortunately, even at home. Some bugs live in grass, others dig holes in the ground, and there are also those that prefer water bodies. What kind of water bugs are there and are they dangerous to humans?

Types of water bugs

Water bugs most often live in stagnant or slowly flowing water. They live one way or another in all existing climate zones. Nature created them to regulate the population of smaller insects. They are prey for fish and birds.

The following types are distinguished:

water striders;
smoothies;
rowers;
water scorpions;
belostomy.

In general, this species of insect is considered safe for humans. However, if you touch them, they can bite. Let's get to know the representatives in more detail to know the possible enemy.

Water striders - sliding on water

Water striders are small (up to one centimeter) elongated bugs. They live in lakes, rivers and even puddles. These insects do not drown. They move by sliding on the surface of the water, some can fly. They jump over plants. The water strider has three pairs of legs: the front pair is needed to capture food and select the speed of movement. The middle pair is used for walking. The hind legs help choose the direction of movement and turns, and are also needed for jumping.

Water striders have good eyesight and transmit information by oscillating the water surface.

They feed on larvae and small invertebrates. Large individuals lay eggs on plant leaves throughout the summer, arranged in one row using a mucous substance. The clutch is sometimes cord-like and can contain up to 50 eggs. With the onset of cold weather, they move under bark, stumps and moss.

Smoothies - chirping bugs

Gladysh are small bugs, up to one and a half centimeters in length. The body is shaped like a boat. The color makes these insects invisible to fish. They prefer to live in stagnant waters. They move through the water with their belly up to make it easier to grab the victim. The smoothie, like the water strider, has three pairs of legs. The rear ones help to quickly overcome obstacles. They can fly in search of food. Birds often do not notice this insect, since from a flight altitude it resembles a plant. Smoothies feed on other insects and even fish fry: they inject digestive juice into the victim’s body and then suck out the insides. They cannot stay in water for a long time; they need air. And just at this moment they can be eaten. They lay eggs in plant tissue. Moving away from danger, they can dive into the depths and stay there for about 7–8 minutes. In winter they live under the bark, in the forest floor.

Rowers - active at any time of the year

Greblyaki are small and medium-sized bugs (from seven millimeters to two centimeters), living in shallow water and in reservoirs with reeds. They stay in flocks. They hunt invertebrates and larvae, some species are herbivores. They can fly.

Paddlefish are active in winter, so they are often caught when fishing in ice holes.

Water scorpions - tail-breathing

Water scorpions are medium-sized bugs (from 2.5 to 4.5 centimeters) that prefer to live in stagnant waters and overgrown reservoirs, as they swim poorly and move slowly. Grasping legs in front and an elongated respiratory tube in the back make these insects look like scorpions, and due to their immobility, such bugs are often mistaken for a fallen leaf. Can stay underwater for up to 30 minutes. Having noticed the victim, they attack it with a sharp jump, grab it with their front “claws” and suck out its entrails. The sting of a water scorpion is painful. In the spring, large eggs with breathing tubes resembling thorns are laid inside plants and other organic matter. They wait out the winter in autumn leaves, moss, under bark, etc.

Belostomas - giant bugs

Belostomas reach a size of up to seventeen centimeters. The forelimbs are similar to the claws of scorpions. Found in the tropics and in temperate climates. They can hunt fish, frogs, snakes and even turtles.

The saliva of the belostoma contains a toxic substance that immobilizes the victim.

Sensing danger, they pretend to be dead, emitting an unpleasant odor. In Asia, belostomy is a delicacy. The taste is reminiscent of fried shrimp.

Photo gallery: what water bugs look like

The water strider glides through the water with incredible speed. In case of danger, the water strider pretends to be dead or releases a substance with an unpleasant odor. Paddlers make sounds like grasshoppers. Water scorpions grab the victim with the front pair of legs, on which claws are located. Female belostoma lay eggs on the back of the male, until there are about a hundred of them.

Are bites dangerous?

If you accidentally touch a bug while swimming, it may consider this a threat, and then a bite cannot be avoided. Water striders, smoothies and rowers are common in Russia, and only the bite of a smoothie can cause discomfort.

When an insect bites, it injects protein, so the wound does not heal for a long time.

The damaged area will swell, turn red and itch. To speed up healing, it can be treated with brilliant green. To relieve itching, various ointments for mosquito bites are suitable. The poison only causes pain, but in fact does not bring any harm to a person. A waterbug bite also does not transmit any infections.

Life of a water strider - video

Water bugs are insects that do not pose much danger to humans. A waterbug bite is unlikely, harmless, and causes little discomfort.

justdoits.guru

About the smooth water bug and the giant white stoma

Some people are used to seeing bugs peacefully swarming under the roots of trees (soldier bugs), while others know them as malicious pests of grain fields, flowers and seedlings (for example, the harmful turtle bug). Some people have to endure their presence in their own home (bed bugs). But the fact that there are also water bugs (smooth bugs, including giant ones) would be a revelation for many. Moreover, this is not a single species, but a whole group of insects - Hydrocores, and it deserves special attention.

Generally speaking, bedbugs from different families are quite different from each other. Each insect is unique in its own way, but there are also truly extraordinary specimens. For example, some bugs that live in water also turn out to be excellent flyers. How do they manage to exist in two elements at once - water and air?

So, meet the water bug or smoothie.

You can’t confuse Gladysh with anyone

Take a closer look at the photo of the smoothie bug. It absolutely lives up to its name:

His body, actually smooth and streamlined, resembles a boat, deftly and incredibly quickly cutting through the water. The water bug also has two powerful “oars” - these are the back pair of legs. They are significantly larger than the other limbs and bear elastic bristles. It is enough for the water bug to make a few strokes of the “oars” - and it has already moved a considerable distance.

This species of Hemiptera prefers bodies of water with standing water. But it is not at all necessary to be near lakes or ponds to see this water bug, because the smoothie settles in any puddle or in a barrel standing in the garden, and can even find itself on the veranda in the evening, attracted by the light of a lamp.

The water bug is capable of quite long flights. This insect rises into the air at night, usually with one purpose: to find a body of water rich in food. The smooth brown elytra and delicate membranous wings of a transparent color serve to fulfill this important mission.

Noteworthy are the two large (by insect standards) eyes. No one can escape the penetrating gaze of an aquatic predator.

Like all bedbugs, the smoothie has a piercing-sucking mouthparts. Having overtaken the victim, the water bug tenaciously holds it with its forelimbs, pierces its shell, injects a digestive enzyme during the bite and sucks the juice out of it.

This is interesting

Water bugs cannot be called silent. The male Gladysh is a real musician. It scrapes its front pair of legs along its proboscis, making a sound similar to the chirping of grasshoppers.

Strange habits of the “water bee”

A waterbug bite feels similar to a bee sting. Therefore, the Germans came up with a very suitable nickname for the smoothie - Wasserbiene, which translated means “water bee”.

The smoothie bug has one oddity that distinguishes it from other insects living in water. This water bug swims quite differently from how most insects do. A large creature with spread wings changes beyond recognition when it finds itself in the water column.

When diving, it turns upside down. It is this feature that helps representatives of the genus Notonecta hunt. The water bug controls the surface of the pond, where small insects and their larvae are easily found.

But any predator, having gaped, often turns out to be a victim. So the smoothie can easily be eaten by a bird or fish. True, nature gave him the opportunity to avoid a fatal meeting with the enemy. The back of the water bug is light, which makes it inconspicuous when viewed from the depths of the reservoir. The abdomen, on the contrary, is dark. Not every bird can see a water bug against the background of a dark bottom.

The smoothie bug reliably hides its eggs. Groups of light yellow eggs arranged in a circle can be found in May at the bottom of a reservoir or attached to the bottom of underwater plants. They ripen in about two weeks, and when the water is warm, they ripen faster.

The larvae, similar to their parents, only lighter, undergo four molts during the summer and reach sexual maturity. The chitinous cover remaining after molting so accurately follows the outline of the insect itself that it is easy to confuse it with a living individual.

Giant bedbugs are no joke

Gladysh is capable of causing serious damage not only to insects, but may also be responsible for the death of small fish. What then can we say about the giant water bugs, belostomas? They look menacing. Their powerful forelimbs resemble the claws of a crayfish and leave no hope that the prey will be able to escape the death grip of the predator.

The impressive size of the giant water bug (more than 10 cm in length) allows it to attack fairly large living creatures: frogs, turtles, fish. For the damage that water bugs cause to the inhabitants of reservoirs, they have earned the reputation of “fish killers.”

Fortunately, this type of insect is not yet found in Russia. Giant waterbugs are a scourge in North America, Southeast Asia and South Africa. Similar insects were found in one of the lakes in Western Europe.

Belostomas are distinguished by a touching attitude towards their offspring, and the lion's share of the worries about bearing children falls literally on the shoulders of the father: the female lays eggs directly on his elytra. Often about a hundred future bugs fit on it. In the spring, the male caring for the younger generation resembles a hedgehog

This is interesting

Thailand is famous for its special cuisine, unusual for European tastes. The Thais could not help but pay attention to such a “tidbit” as a giant water bug. Fans of exotic foods can try these insects fried, and this food is in good demand. Due to the attractiveness of giant bedbugs as a food product, their numbers have declined catastrophically in some regions.

Are encounters with water bugs dangerous?

Generally speaking, the ordinary “Russian” smoothie is not a very aggressive bug, and it is unlikely that the crazy thought of attacking a person will occur to him. But when people, neglecting basic caution, decide to pick up an insect, it will immediately respond with a burning sting that will be felt for a long time. It is mainly the most curious and fearless children who suffer from water bug bites.

The giant water bug is also not inclined to prey on people, but it happens that swimmers bitten by the white stoma jump out of the water with their faces twisted in pain.

However, most often the water bug, when meeting a person, acts wiser: it pretends to be inanimate or uses a technique typical of most bugs - it throws out an odorous secretion in order to scare off the enemy. Fortunately, water bug bites are not life-threatening, although they are quite painful.

On a note

Belostomas can harm people in other ways. In early spring or autumn, when their instincts force them to fly, swarms of giant water bugs moving at decent speed can encounter people walking near water bodies. These clashes do not promise anything pleasant.

No matter how menacing water bugs may seem to us, we should not be too afraid of them, much less destroy them en masse. Let's not forget that tireless smoothies destroy up to hundreds of mosquito larvae per day. The probability of being attacked by mosquitoes is disproportionately higher than being bitten by a mosquito.

And giant bugs are practically the only natural enemies of three-keeled turtles, which pose a real threat to juvenile commercial fish. Any animal is part of the food chain, and each participant in it must mind its own business. Water bugs are not living creatures that need to be feared and destroyed.

Smooth bug in water

Interesting video: a giant water bug fights a real snake

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It would seem that any person is able to answer the question, “Who is a merman?” After all, everyone watched cartoons. We read children's fairy tales, and in general, at least superficially. Familiar with this character of myths and legends. But in fact, the answer to the question “who is a merman?” is not so simple, since it is a rather complex and ambiguous representative of evil spirits, perhaps one of the most ancient representatives of pagan superbeings.

So, let's start answering the question “who is a merman?” in order. To begin with, Vodyanoy is an evil spirit who embodies the element of water. The merman acts as a negative and very dangerous character. Belarusians had a belief that the wider and more dangerous a lake or swamp, the stronger and more dangerous its water.

It was believed that there were a great number of merman and they were everywhere where there was water, even the smallest pond had its own merman.

The merman was also called the waterman, the water grandfather, the water king, and so on. All names indicated that he was the master of water. But due to the fact that he was still a dangerous spirit, prefixes often appeared in his name, indicating that he belonged to an evil spirit, for example, water devil, water demon, sea water devil.

The places where the merman liked to live most were deep and dangerous places on rivers. Vodyanoy was certainly associated with “dark waters,” that is, those sections of rivers or lakes where whirlpools were observed, or the water behaved in some strange way. Often such places were called “devil’s houses.” But water mills were especially loved by the waterman in thickets of reeds and sedges.

Appearance of a merman

What does a merman look like?

The merman was described as a man, more often even as an old man. In some traditions, the merman was also credited with a huge swollen belly and a swollen face.

According to beliefs, the age of a merman generally depends on the phases of the moon. So, during a young moon, he looks like a young man with fresh, seaweed-green hair, and at the end of the moon he turns into a gray-haired old man.

The appearance of the merman combined not only human, but also animal features - paws instead of hands, horns on the head, etc. An indispensable attribute of the merman was a beard and a green mustache, and he himself, as a rule, was entangled in mud from head to toe.

Origin of the merman

According to popular beliefs, a merman is not some kind of “self-formed” natural spirit, but a person who did not die a natural death.

In some traditions, they believed that children cursed by their parents or children of the devil become mermen. There is also a belief that mermen are children that Adam hid from God. And there are even myths that say that watermen are stones that the Almighty used to strike sparks during the creation of the world and man.

And, of course, there is a widespread belief that mermen are angels cast down from heaven.

Often the image of the merman was very close to the image of the devil. So, for example, a merman was often described as a man, very broad in the shoulders, with long and thin legs; in stories he sometimes has small horns, his body is covered with scales; tail “three quarters long”; the fingers and toes are very long, with curved, strong nails, and membranes between the fingers.

The image of the merman sometimes became close to the image of the goblin. So, in some places they believed that he looked like a goblin, only his fur was very shaggy.

Why is the merman dangerous?

The merman is initially hostile to humans. He can deliberately drag people to the bottom, sink boats, make fun of people, often quite evilly. It was also believed that a merman could come out of the water at night and harm livestock - dragging it towards him or riding on it. In this case, they still believed that the animal on which the merman rode would not last long, it would soon get stuck in a swamp or drown. They especially tried to keep an eye on the animals grazing near the water spirit’s abode, since they were the ones who were at increased risk of being corrupted by the evil water spirit.

Only in rare cases did a merman descend to help a person, for example, he could help someone not to drown or even provide his protection. Not many could boast of this, most often those to whom the waterman belonged, more or less favorably, were beekeepers, fishermen and millers. It was even said about the latter that the merman often invited them to visit him, where he presented various gifts.

But it should be understood that such closeness with the merman was very risky, because in the event of any troubles, the merman’s anger would first of all fall on those who were closely acquainted with him. Therefore, winning over the merman was the first thing for fishermen and water millers. Propitiating sacrifices to the waterman were most often made during the construction of a dam or mill, at the beginning of the fishing season, and so on.

As a rule, they used fish, bast shoes, boots, a pinch of tobacco, geese carcasses, flour with water in a bread cup, lamb or rooster heads, a horse skull, butter, an awl, soap, lard, poured vodka into water, and so on. .

Water millers, wanting to please the water mill, buried a black rooster alive when building a new mill.

It was already mentioned above that beekeepers depended on the favor of the waterman. At first glance, it may seem that there is no logic in this statement. But the whole point is that, according to popular belief, the first bees once “respawned” from a horse that was driven over and abandoned in a swamp by a waterman.

The harm that water can cause to bees is that it can make the air more damp, and bees do not like this. They also believed that the merman could send rain to the hive and completely flood it. Therefore, the mermen appeased the water spirit with fresh honey and wax, and sometimes even the first swarm of bees.

Ordinary people living next to any body of water also depended on the behavior of the merman. They also tried to somehow appease the water spirit. One of the most popular and effective sacrifices was the sacrifice of a horse, which, in some cases, was deliberately drowned in a lake or river. First of all, they resorted to this when people began to drown too often.

The merman rules over everything that is in the reservoir in which he lives, that is, all the fish, frogs, plants surrounding the reservoir, and so on are subordinate to him. It also has the power to lure living creatures from other rivers or lakes. Therefore, fishermen always tried to appease this water spirit, especially since if this is not done, the water spirit gets angry and begins to commit various atrocities, for example, it costs him nothing to fill fishing nets with river grass instead of fish, or even tear them.

In general, fishermen largely depended on the favor of the water spirit, so they developed a number of different prohibitions associated with this spirit of water. For example, in order to avoid damage from the merman, they tried to leave the house for fishing secretly, so as not to meet anyone along the way, and not to answer the question “where are you going?”

The merman manifests itself in different ways. Sometimes he likes to imitate various sounds, especially human and animal sounds. He can squeal, moan, whistle, hoot, howl, and so on. And if a merman screams, it means he is calling out to the goblin. But at the same time, the merman himself does not like unnecessary noise, so he severely punishes those who disturb his peace, even to the point of drowning. Moreover, this applies not only to those who swim on the water, for example, fishermen, but also to those who, say, walk along the water talking loudly or whistling. The merman can jump out and drag such a person into his underwater kingdom.

There was also a belief that a merman could drag away someone who bathes without a cross or without crossing himself, without prayer or at an inopportune time, that is, after sunset. Moreover, the merman does not immediately kill a person, he first pulls him under the water and pushes a silt stone over some snag and waits for him to choke. According to some beliefs, if a merman is very angry, he can even tear off a person’s skin.

In other cases, the merman did not kill people, but made them his slaves forever, forcing them to do various jobs - pouring water, carrying and washing sand, grazing herds of fish, and so on. The merman could force some of them to wander the earth and steal and drink vodka. That is why in some places the drunkard was associated with the merman or the servant of the merman, classifying him as an evil spirit.

Sometimes they believed that a man whom a merman had made his servant could pay him off and return to earth again. True, the ransom was difficult - you had to drown one of the people for yourself. But there were beliefs that even in this case, he would still not leave the water kingdom - he would simply cease to be a slave, and he himself would become a water one.

The merman loves to ride around his pond on a snag or catfish, which is why people called it the “devil’s horse.” The catfish was respected, as it was considered the favorite of the merman, so if they caught it, they never scolded it, fearing the revenge of the merman.

On moonlit nights, the merman likes to float to the surface and swing on the water, admiring the full moon and at the same time having long conversations with himself. He loves to splash and make noise, slap the water, raising small fountains of splashes.

They also believed that a merman often comes out of the water onto some bridge and washes himself and combs his long beard.

In many ways, the behavior of a merman repeats the behavior of the body of water in which it lives. Therefore, when the water splashes in the river, they say that the merman is playing, and when the water ripples, he is angry. And if there was a flood, they believed that the merman was celebrating his wedding.

According to some beliefs, the merman eats only dead fish, especially loves eels and burbot, and the offerings that fishermen and water mill owners donated to him. And although the waterman’s food is usually meager, nevertheless, the people believed that, like any evil spirit, he loves to give feasts, calling all his relatives to them. And after such feasts, the merman loves to gamble, and sometimes it comes to the point that he completely loses all the water and fish from his pond.

Housing and habitat of the merman

The merman's house itself was usually represented as being deep underground, and the water served only as the entrance to his abode, which, according to popular ideas, was sometimes very impressive. For example, they believed that the mermen had crystal chambers, decorated with gold and silver from sunken ships, as well as “gem” stones, illuminating the seabed brighter than the sun.

Such chic was not inherent to all mermen, but only to those who lived in the seas or near it. The northern merman, living in rivers or lakes, had more modest mansions. They were content with a sandy floor, tree branches instead of decorations, and rotten stumps instead of furniture.

According to some beliefs, the merman does not have his own home at all, so he has to struggle wherever he can - in holes under snags, in underground burrows, and so on.

In its home, the merman usually hides from cold weather and winter. During this period, he usually goes into hibernation and sleeps until Nikita Veshny or until the ice melts from the river or lake in which he lives.

It was also believed that the merman had their own herds of cows, horses, pigs and sheep, which they grazed in the coastal meadows at night. The cows and horses of the waterman, according to popular belief, have miraculous properties: for example, they believed that his cows gave twice or three times more milk than ordinary cows, and that the horses had extraordinary beauty and endurance.

The life of a merman

The merman has a wife, who is called the vodyanikha. As a rule, she is either a mermaid or a woman who did not die a natural death (a drowned woman), who was described as an ugly woman with huge breasts.

Mermen, according to popular belief, get married during high water (after melting snow or heavy rains).

The children of a merman and a vodyani are called vodyans. They often amuse themselves by tearing fishing nets. Although, according to some beliefs, a merman and a merman cannot have children at all, so they drag away the bathing children to themselves.

Magical properties of the merman

The merman was credited with the traits of werewolf, so they believed that he was able to turn into a small child with colorful hair.

It was believed that a merman could also take the form of a half-man, half-fish, which makes him similar to mermaids, since he was also sometimes described as a person who has arms, but no legs, instead a fish tail.

The merman also takes the form of an ordinary fish, for example, burbot, catfish or pike. It can also take the form of a bird, but only one associated with water - a swan, drake, goose and the like.

It should be noted that when a merman turns into an ordinary fish or animal, he still exhibits some anomalies, some unusual features. So, for example, if he turns into a pike, then it will not have fins.

The same applies to his human appearance - he will also differ in some details, the most noticeable of them - blood is constantly dripping from his clothes, and the place where he sat will always be wet.

In some places it was believed that a merman's abilities as a werewolf were much broader and that it would cost him nothing to turn not only into a fish or some kind of monster, but also into a horse, dog, bull, frog, cow, pig, or even into a log. But the log is unusual, with wings that can fly over the swamp and scare lost people.

The merman is the master of water. The merman's appearance is not entirely attractive. He is described as a fat old man with a bright green mustache, all entangled in duckweed and algae. Instead of legs it has a fish tail. A merman can turn into a horse, a child, or a big fish. But you can recognize it by the water dripping from the floor.

The habitat of the water creature is whirlpools and lakes. He likes to sleep under the wheel of a mill - there is a particularly deep place there.

It is believed that the merman controls all other inhabitants of the underwater kingdom. Loves to ride around on a catfish. Catfish is a kind of assistant in searching for drowned people. It’s not for nothing that they call him “the devil’s horse.” A merman herds fish.

The merman loves to comb his hair. He has a comb. If this comb comes across to any person, then it is worth returning it immediately. Otherwise, trouble cannot be avoided.

The merman does not seek to harm people. But if a person offends him, then he can take revenge. Most often, revenge manifests itself in the dispersal of fish or damage to the mill.

There were cases when the Mermen tried to drag swimmers to the bottom. If the Vodyanoi drowns a person, then he becomes his servant.

Vodyanoys can have wives. They become young drowned women who have undergone the ritual. They are called waterworts. They, together with the Watermen, sleep under the wheels of the mills. But they can get very naughty and break it, entangling the fishermen’s nets.

No one has ever been able to untangle the networks that were entangled by the waterwoman - Vodyanoy’s wife. The wife of a merman can be a girl whom her parents cannot give in marriage for a long time. After such a wedding, the girl lives with Vodyanoy and dies after giving birth. The merman can go to widows who give birth to children. He takes them with him.

Sometimes, fishermen can catch a Vodyanoy child with a net. It's easy to recognize. He is cheerful in the water and does not tolerate land well.

In winter, the Vodyanoy sleeps. The river is frozen. And in April he wakes up and begins to break the ice and create waves.

There is water in every lake, river, sea and even in a swamp. Most often, it settles deep under water.

In the old days, girls often used Vodyanoy for Christmas fortune-telling. The girls brought the skin of a calf to the ice hole, sat on it and outlined a cross around it. At a certain time, devils appeared from the ice hole and carried the skin along with the girl sitting on it to the house of the future groom. Then they rushed back with terrible speed. If the girl did not have time to say special words, then the devils drowned her and she ended up in the kingdom of the Vodyanoy.

The catch of fishermen, the fate of people who are in or near the water, and beekeepers depend on Vodyanoy.

It is fashionable to appease the merman. To do this, people threw bread into the water, poured wine, and crumbled tobacco. When fishing, the very first fish was released back.

To prevent flooding in the spring, people threw dead horses, ram heads, roosters, honey or butter into the river.

The merman punishes people who do not follow the rules near the water. He does not like shouting people who remember God and the priest.

The merman could break the fishermen's nets if they were woven incorrectly or made on a holy holiday.

Before the mill was built, Vodyany was cajoled so that he would not break the wheel.

People who went into the water drunk paid with their lives. The merman doesn’t like such people, so he drowns them.