Berehynia

Berehynia or Bereginia (Russian: Береги́ня, Ukrainian: Береги́ня, Polish: Brzeginia) is a female spirit (Vila) in Slavic mythology, which recently came to be regarded as a "Slavic goddess" with a function of "hearth mother, protectoress of the home" in late 20th century Ukrainian romantic nationalism centered on matriarchal myth.

Slavic folklore

Originally, obscure shadowy ghost-like naiads similar to Rusalkas lived along the rivers, lakes, and ponds, and were considered ill-tempered and dangerous. A water-bank where they were thought to be found was to be avoided by young men and women, especially in the dark.

Early in the 20th century fakeloristic scholarship speculated that the Berehyni combined a prehistoric Scythian earth-goddess and rusalky (guardians of the banks).

Ukrainian nationalism

Since Ukrainian independence in 1991, she has undergone a fakeloric metamorphosis, and today is identified as a combination of the "hearth-mother" (associated with the guardianship of the nation itself) and the rusalka. This metamorphosis has its roots in the late 1980s, as several Ukrainian writers sought to personify their vision of an ideal Ukrainian woman. Consequently, Berehynia today also has a place in Ukrainian nationalism, feminism, and neopaganism. The re-interpretation as "protectoress" is due to a folk-etymology, which associates the name, which is derived from the word bereh (Russian bereg) "river bank", with the unrelated verb berehty (Russian berech) "to protect".