Bannik

[1] He is usually described as a small, naked old man with a long beard, his body covered in the birch leaves left over from well used bath brooms.

The third firing (or fourth, depending on tradition) was reserved for the bannik, and, given his inclination to invite demons and forest spirits to share his bath, no Christian images were allowed lest they offend the occupants.

The most common occurred during the steaming/firing that was reserved for the spirit itself or upon the quitting of the banya for the night; offerings of fir branches, water and soap were left, capped by a formal thank you uttered aloud.

In order to appease the bannik, upon the rebuilding of a banya, a black hen would be suffocated, left unplucked and buried beneath the building's threshold.

Despite this, most births occurred inside the banya and it was believed that the bannik was not truly happy or settled until a child was born within his domain.