The Living and the Dead. The Mythology of Unnatural Death in Slavic Culture

How often do you wonder why Slavic mermaids sit on branches instead of splashing in the water?

The answer to this question lies in the close connection between the world of the living and the dead in our folklore.

This book is a deep study of the influence of ancient Slavic burial rituals, concepts of unnatural death, and mythical beings on modern culture.

The monograph is based on archival materials, field recordings, and an analysis of rituals.

The author, Dmitry Zelinin, is a researcher of East Slavic folklore, and his works have become classics of ethnography.