The Utopiec
In Silesia, a little green man lives at the bottom of every pond, keeping the souls of the drowned under upturned cups in his house beneath the water.
What was reported
The utopiec is a water spirit of Silesian folklore, in what's now southern Poland. He's small, with green skin or a green coat, webbed hands and water dripping from his clothes. He lives in ponds, rivers and wells, and in his underwater house he keeps the souls of people who drowned, trapped under cups or pots.
He could be dangerous, pulling people into the water, but he could also be friendly. Stories tell of him playing cards with people, buying tobacco in the market, helping fishermen and repaying kindness.
Explanations offered
The utopiec is a Silesian form of the topielec or vodník, the water spirits of Slavic folklore. Such stories warned children away from dangerous water. He's now a popular figure in Silesian culture and appears in local festivals, books and statues.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Opole, Silesia, Poland
- Witnesses
- Silesian folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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