rusałki is a creative interpretation of the songs found in the archives of "Muzyka Odnaleziona
(Rediscovered Music) by Andrzej Bieńkowski. It comes from the north-east part of Ukraine where
it is sang by woman wearing rowan daisy chains, circling around the village. The song is addressed
to the fairies, the souls of drowned virgins, who changed into demons, seduce men and tickle them
to death. On one hand it can be understood as a ritual, separating the warm, safe space of the village
from the cold world of water nymphs, which in my interpretation might represent active female
sexuality. However, when you hear the exact words of the song, it turns out that women are
addressing the rusałki tenderly and lovingly. The song becomes a gift, a meeting place, a subversive
wink, that can't be caught by the male gaze.
