When the Witcher is gone, this is where Słaboniowa enters – a review of the book “Stara Słaboniowa i spiedzialuchy” by Joanna Lancucka

After the collection of Nawia ‘s stories , in a fit of fascination with Slavic mythology, I reached for a highly recommended book on a similar subject. The collection of stories about an elderly woman from the village of Capówki and her meetings with monsters from old beliefs, however, surpasses all expectations.

Słaboniowa is an old lady you come to when nothing else works anymore and you don’t know what to do. Whether it’s a crying baby incessantly, breathlessness during part of the night, or even a mysterious multiplication of sun strokes. The old lady is able to listen well, she never judges, and in most situations she will also give additional advice or even solve a given problem. Unfortunately, as the years passed, respect for her person and skills decreased, so now she is perceived rather as a non-religious woman believing in superstition. However, this does not prevent Słaboniowa from saving doubters, be it from Bane, or from a kikimora, or even from the devil himself.

Come to me, if you come back, it’s not a herb you home

Joanna Lancucka is a writer and artist from Szczecin, who grew up in a small village in eastern Poland, so it should not surprise anyone that it perfectly reflects the atmosphere of such a place. The inhabitants of Capówka are a small, religious community focused primarily on survival. No one here is surprised that men pour and then pour down their family, or that sometimes a girl marries to help her loved ones (e.g. six sisters) rather than spend the rest of her life with someone she loves. It is here that the biggest event is the opening of a local store or the wedding of one of the neighbors’ kids. Rumors spread faster in the countryside than a runny nose in kindergarten, and a murder that has been committed may remain undiscovered for many years, as everyone is mouth watering. Lancucka perfectly creates the image of backward heroes focused on the simple functioning of those who are at odds with knowledge or modern science. He is also not afraid to present crude behavior and obscenity, which gives the novel a lot of realism.
To some extent, the atmosphere of this publication reminded me of Stefan Grabiński’s anthology, The Demon of Movement , whose main theme was trains, not Slavic mythology, but its style evokes very similar feelings. I am extremely positively surprised because I did not suspect that I would become so involved in this reading.

I don’t believe it, but I will put up a red ribbon as a precaution

The book contains 11 chapters, each of them is a separate story about how Slaboniowa rescues people from his village (although due to the constant number of inhabitants, certain names appear several times and the events interact with each other). Things can be very different – and it is the kikimora that torments the newborn, and it is the aforementioned nightmare that suffocates some of the inhabitants. On other occasions, the old woman tries to deal with the noon, and another time she argues with the devil who has possessed a thirteen-year-old girl. Fortunately, the main character, a former witch, has the knowledge and experience to quickly recognize what is happening, and then strives to solve the problem. The woman is discreet, but also firm. Either the oppressed one heed her advice, or let him pray to God, but with the awareness that that it will give him little (apart from inner peace). Slaboniowa is a wonderfully strong personality who knows perfectly well what is going on in her village and how to manipulate the inhabitants (for their own good, of course). We do not know exactly how old this character is, but there are indications in the content about when he lived and they rather prove that during a potential encounter with the monster, a woman may not be able to cope physically, but mentally, taking into account the acquired knowledge and cleverness, with will surely be successful.

I will not leave you, Mruczku

A perfect mix of Slavic mythology with the realities of a poor village and a wise and willing to help character. Great story! I am sure that every fan of fantasy (and the one who loves myths from our region, and the one who does not know anything about them) will find something interesting in the novel. It is a pity that the edition is not in a hardcover, because the book definitely deserves it (by the way, I would like to add that there are some black and white illustrations in the middle). Łańcut undoubtedly created a piece of good literature.