Zherdyay (or Zherdiay) is a night spirit in Slavic mythology. He is described as thin as tree branches and so long in stature that he can warm his hands in a chimney. It was believed that he walked aimlessly through the streets and looked into the windows of houses, sometimes knocking on them.
In Russia, tall and very thin men were offensively called by the name of this spirit. The word “zherdyay” itself is derived from “zherd'” (Russian: жердь), meaning “wooden pole”. The word should not be confused with “zhirdyay” (Russian: жирдяй), which is its antonym and is used as an insult to overweight people.
Behavior[]
It was believed that Zherdyay enters the human world through a gate that is set to the north (in some stories, to the west). Vladimir Dal in his book “About beliefs, superstitions and prejudices of Russian people” (1880) calls Zherdyay “a pathetic walker [chort], who is condemned to wander around the world without purpose and function”. Zherdyay envies people, because they have things to do and for this he does dirty tricks. It is not known how dangerous this spirit is, but one story mentions that people from just the sight of him faint.