Lysa Hora (folklore)

Lysa Hora or Bald Mountain (Ukrainian: Лиса гора, Lysa hora, pl. Lysi hory; Russian: Лысая гора, Lysaya gora, Polish: Łysa Góra) is a concept of East Slavic, and particularly Ukrainian, folk mythology related to witchcraft. According to legends, ravens, black eagles, witches and other paranormal creatures periodically gather on the "bald mountains" for their "Sabbath". Mentions of Lysi Hory can be found in various historical and literary sources, such as in the writings of Nikolai Gogol and Mikhail Bulgakov (who uses it in The Master and Margarita as the mountain where the Iyeshua (Jesus of Nazareth) was crucified). The exact origins and factual evidences of the concept are unclear.

Researchers list dozens of supposed "bald mountains" sites throughout Ukraine and Poland. The most famous among them are the Lysa Hora and Zamkova Hora hills in Kiev, Ukraine, and Łysa Góra in Poland.

See also