Vedmak

In Slavic mythology, a vedmak^[a][3] is a warlock or male witch, the female equivalent (witch) being vedma.^[4] This role greatly focuses on the Shamanic aspects of Slavic paganism.^[5]

Vedmak

Creature information
Other name(s)	Vidmak
Folklore	Slavic paganism
Origin
Country	Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, Russia

For example, they treat people and animals.^[6] On the other hand, they are thought to be people connected to the devil, and are capable of bringing harm by sending illnesses, killing cattle, spoiling a harvest, etc.^[7] The word was also used as an insult.^[7] A vedmak can turn into any animal or any object.^[7]

Etymology

Vedmak stems from Proto-Slavic *vědět ("to know") and Old East Slavic вѣдь ("knowledge; witchcraft", compare the use of the term "cunning" in English folklore).^[8]

Language	Names
Belarusian	вядзьмак	вядзьмар	ведзьмак	ведзьмар
Bulgarian	вещер
Croatian	vještac
Czech	vědmák
Macedonian	вештер
Polish	wiedźmak	wiedźmarz
Russian	ведьмак
Serbian	вештац
Ukrainian	Відьма́к	відьма́р	відьма́н	відьма́ч	відьмун

The Witcher

Under the influence of The Witcher fantasy saga by Andrzej Sapkowski, the term vedmak is sometimes also rendered as "witcher" in English in certain contexts. The word used for "witcher" in the original Polish version of the novels, "wiedźmin", was coined by Sapkowski himself as a neologism, and the word "wiedźmak" (cognate of "vedmak") is used in the books only as a derogatory term for witchers. "Ведьмак" is also the word used to translate "wiedźmin" in the Russian translation of the books.^[9]

See also

• Witch (etymology)
• European witchcraft
• Slavic mythology
• Krsnik (vampire hunter)
• Shamanism

Notes

1. Belarusian: вядзьмак, вядзьмар;^[1] Bulgarian: вещер [ˈvɛʃtɛr] ^ⓘ: Croatian: vještac; Czech: vědmák; Macedonian: вештер [ˈvɛʃtɛr]; Polish: wiedźmak; Russian: ведьмак [vʲɪdʲˈmak] ^ⓘ; Serbian: вештац;^[2] Ukrainian: відьмак [ʋʲidʲˈmak] ^ⓘ.