Medieval Europe had rich traditions and superstitions. Each bath house was believed to have its own fairies. The Finland's sauna was the elves’ home, the North American Fox lndians had Manitou in their sweat lodges. There was Bannik in Russian and Ukrainian folklore. It was believed to be a spirit of the bathhouse (bania). At times, the bannik had a female companion, known as the bannaia or bainikha.

The bathhouse has always been a place of ablution. So it was perceived as a potentially unclean and dangerous place. Unlike many other characters of folklore, bannik is a capricious, sometimes harmful, household spirit. If the bannik was in bad mood he could cause one to suffocate in the steam of the bathhouse or simply make the structure burn down. He liked to spy on the undressed women bathing alone. Being afraid of this creature slavic peasants avoided bathing singly or at night. If the child was born in the bathhouse, it was carefully observed to prevent the bannik from carrying away the unbaptized infant.

He was described by witnesses as an old man with hairy paws and long nails. Bannik was believed to live behind the stove or under the benches and revealed himself only when he was unhappy with the bath or if someone had been disrespectful. He didn’t accept the bathers lie or boast in banya, or have sexual intercourse in the bath. Very often a newcomer became the reason for his appearance. He could throw red hot rocks, boiling water, sing and speak loudly in the banya.

People said you could protect yourself from the harmful influence of Bannik by making the sign of the cross before entering the bania, wishing your comrades a good bath and, when leaving, wishing the Bannik a hearty goodbye. Bannik liked to bath at least once a week and accepted only clean rooms, so cleaning and heating the bania were duties that could not be neglected. Being in a bad mood Bannik could transform harmless steam into deadly coal gas if he wasn't satisfied.

The third or fourth round of bathing was always reserved for the Bannik who liked to bathe alone in the dark. Soap, lye, and birch twigs were left behind for him. Bannik sometimes invited his forest friends to join him - sometimes the Devil himself. And if people heard the conversation of Bannik and his friends they should not enter the banya.

From time to time, people had to bring sacrifice to Bannik. After an old bania had been burned down and before a new one could be erected, a black chicken had to be choked and buried under the building site. Then, to assuage the rascal, salt was thrown over the stove during the first heating of the bania. To propitiate the bannik, peasants often thanked him upon exiting the bathhouse; they also left offerings of soap, water, and fir branches.