This is the story of a shamanic family, living in the village of Mikhalinka in Ukraine, where the young daugh ter, a shaman herself, protects the nearby forest.
The whole story in book PDF(en/fr) will be sent upon request.
There was once a time when spirits and legends lived and breathed alongside us in day- to-day life. Everything had its own spirit and people not only worshipped them, but feared them too.
ONCE upon a time, there was a forest spirit, named Raelcun, dwelling amidst the trees. Asleep in her sar- cophagus since long ago, she clasps a green lamp, housing a phoenix, in her hands.
One night, some villagers noticed a bright light shining out from some- where deep within the forest. Sud- denly, the phoenix was released from Raelcun’s lamp and flew up and over the trees, soaring high above the rain- bow blaze. Black ashes fell from the phoenix’s wings, covering the forest and the village.
Ever since that night, the forest has been known to the villagers as
« The Red Forest »
• • •
Kateryna souffre de somnambulisme.
Depuis ses sept ans, certaines nuits, elle se lève et erre dans la forêt.
• • •
“Some of the older villagers still believe in the forest legend of Raelcun. They have told me that my great-grandmother experienced the same symptoms as my daughter, Kateryna. They said that she was cured after the performance of a shamanic ritual."
Kateryna and her younger brother hang fairy dolls from the trees, as a warning for people not to enter the Red Forest. This is an old family sha manic tradition.
After the closure of the sugar silo, the village economy experienced a steep decline.
A regional resource development plan was approved by the local mu- nicipal council. This led to the villagers being able to log in the forest for wood.
“In my dreams, fairies come to my bedside and whisper in my ears: ‘Come and play with us in the for- est’. So, I follow a dim, green light and then I see Raelcun.”
“I believe that Kateryna is Raelcun’s messenger. She is a conduit for the mystical powers of Raelcun.” recounts Muidar, an old farmer from the vil lage.
