{"id":56,"date":"2025-08-08T17:38:24","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T17:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marevo.world\/site\/?p=56"},"modified":"2025-09-14T16:52:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T16:52:08","slug":"chugaister","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marevo.world\/index.php\/2025\/08\/08\/chugaister\/","title":{"rendered":"Chugaister"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"post-main-grid\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1250\" src=\"https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister.jpg\" alt=\"An old man, Chugaister, with a long beard, a body covered in hair, and a crooked stick.\" class=\"wp-image-174\" srcset=\"https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister-768x960.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"post-main-text\">\n\n\n<p>Known by many names: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>chugaistyr<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>chugaistrin<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>ochugaister<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>chugai<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>didko<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>forest man<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>forest grandfather<\/em> or simply <em>grandfather <\/em>(in Boykivshchyna)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>nochnyk<\/em> (Zakarpattia)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>hay<\/em> (Rakhivshchyna)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Interestingly, the use of names like &#8220;grandfather&#8221; is probably related to the taboo of pronouncing the names of demons aloud, so as not to accidentally summon them.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-left-grid\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister-stork-1.jpg\" alt=\"A stork.\" class=\"wp-image-176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister-stork-1.jpg 800w, https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister-stork-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister-stork-1-768x960.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"post-left-text\">\n\n\n<p>Modern researchers explain the etymology of the word as follows: <em>chuta<\/em> (<em>chuganeia<\/em>) is a traditional woven upper garment of the Hutsuls, made of fabric that looks like a large sheepskin with long wool. Women wear white <em>chutas<\/em>, men wear black ones. In folk tales, <em>chugaisters<\/em> are either black or white. The Hutsuls also call storks &#8220;<em>haisters<\/em>.&#8221; Thus, the <em>chugaister<\/em> is a kind of combination of a sacred bird and a half-beast, half-human creature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The image of the <em>Chugaister<\/em> is most widespread in the <a href=\"https:\/\/marevo.world\/index.php\/glossary\/#carpathians\" class=\"glossary-link\"><em>Carpathians<\/em><\/a>. region, especially in Hutsulshchyna. Interestingly, this mythological creature is not known to other Slavic people. The most written about this magical creature was by Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky in his work <em>Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-right-float\">\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Physical Description<\/strong> of Chugaister<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Chugaister<\/em> is a tall old man. Some legends say he can be up to 7 meters tall (taller than a spruce), so he can be seen above the treetops. He has a very long beard and a body fully covered with thick fur. He is very old, so he has no teeth and therefore speaks with a hiss. Over many years his clothing has worn out, so he has very ragged clothes or sometimes walks completely naked. On his feet he has claws or even hooves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Habitat and Nature<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>He lives in dense forests because he is quite large. He dislikes fields and villages, as these are open spaces, but sometimes he can appear as a whirlwind of dust or wind. Therefore, it is wise not to make noise in the forest because he will hear you, and trouble may come in the form of a powerful wind or a wild beast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The old man has his own domain and takes care of all the forest animals. He herds them three times a week: on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. He does this not just for himself \u2014 the animals help him too, for example by bringing water, food, and branches.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pic-right-float\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister-flute.jpg\" alt=\"Sopilkas with ornaments.\" class=\"wp-image-177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister-flute.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister-flute-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/marevo.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u0441hugaister-flute-768x614.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text-left-float\">\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chugaister&#8217;s <strong>Habits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Chugaister<\/em> loves to play his musical instrument \u2014 the <a href=\"https:\/\/marevo.world\/index.php\/glossary\/#sopilka\" class=\"glossary-link\"><em>sopilka<\/em><\/a>. There are legends that if you hear music in the forest, he will warmly start his song, and whether you want it or not, you will begin to dance, and you will keep dancing until you wear out all your shoes. But if you endure this difficult dance, a reward awaits you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He also enjoys other entertainments like singing and dancing. It&#8217;s no surprise that he is often seen near the campfire, playing his <a href=\"https:\/\/marevo.world\/index.php\/glossary\/#sopilka\" class=\"glossary-link\"><em>sopilka<\/em><\/a>. It was believed that <em>Chugaister<\/em> hunts dangerous female spirits harmful to people \u2014 <em><a href=\"https:\/\/marevo.world\/index.php\/2025\/09\/03\/mavka\/\">mavkas<\/a><\/em> or <em>povitruls<\/em> \u2014 and eats them. More precisely, he cooks them over his famous bonfires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Legends<\/strong> with Chugaister<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are legends that there is only one forest man, or that seven brothers became <em>chugaisters<\/em>, or that there are only three or four <em>chugaisters<\/em> in total. There is also a legend that once <em>Chugaister<\/em> was an ordinary man, but one day he greatly harmed his neighbor, who cursed him to live in the forest for eternity and be unable to die. Under the power of this curse, he was forced to leave his home and go deep into the dense forests. No one \u2014 neither human nor beast \u2014 can harm him. And so he has wandered the forests for years, his beard growing long and his clothes nearly worn out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Relationship with People<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Lumberjacks respect <em>Chugaister<\/em> and always leave him a portion of food when they go to work or cook something in their huts. In the evening, they rejoice if the dishes are empty, meaning <em>Chugaister<\/em> came and ate, so the house is safe, and no <em>mavka<\/em> or <em>povitrulia<\/em> will dwell there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shepherds also leave treats for <em>Chugaister<\/em>, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/marevo.world\/index.php\/glossary\/#banosh\" class=\"glossary-link\"><em>banosh<\/em><\/a>, kulesha, or milk, remembering that he is toothless.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chugaister is a tall old man, some legends say he can be up to 7 meters tall. He loves to play his sopilka and cares for all animals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nature"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Chugaister &#8226; Marevo<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about the Chugaister, a forest spirit of Ukrainian folklore, his appearance, habits, music, and role as guardian of the woods.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/marevo.world\/index.php\/2025\/08\/08\/chugaister\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chugaister &#8226; 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