Bies /ˈbjɛs/ or bes (Russian: бес [ˈbʲɛs]) is an evil spirit or demon in Slavic mythology. The word is synonymous with chort.
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After the acceptance of Christianity the bies became identified with the devil, corresponding to the being referred to in Ancient Greek, as either daimon (δαίμων), daimónion or pneuma (πνεῦμα). For example, biesy (Russian plural of bies) is used in the standard Russian translation of Mark 5:12, where we have the devils entering the swine in KJV. Compare to Ukrainian bisy or bisytysia (to go mad). In Slovenian (bes), Croatian (bijes) and Serbian (bes) the word means "rage", "fury".
In Alexander Pushkin's The Tale of the Priest and of His Workman Balda, there is a scene in which Balda has to force the "devils" (чёрти, Chorti) of the sea to pay an ancient rent, and interacts with an "Old Bies" who is their leader and his grandson. It is also the title of his poem "Demons" (Бесы).
The original Russian title of Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel known in its English translation as The Possessed is Besy (Бесы) (Russian plural of bes), i.e., more literally, The Evil Spirits.
The Black Tapes
In the 2015 videogame The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, fiends (called bies in the original version) are massive horned predators who possess hypnotic and self-healing powers.
In Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić's Croatian Tales of Long Ago "bjesovi" appear.
Bies are a personification of all the undefined evil forces in nature. Once they were placed amongst the most dangerous and the oldest demons in the central and eastern Europe. Biesy can penetrate the souls of individuals and control their physical actions, what eventually leads their victims into insanity. They live in primaeval forests, swamps and deep waters, usually far from human settlements. They are also believed to be guarding treasures hidden in the ground
.
After the acceptance of Christianity the bies became identified with the devil, corresponding to the being referred to in Ancient Greek, as either daimon (δαίμων), daimónion or pneuma (πνεῦμα). For example, biesy (Russian plural of bies) is used in the standard Russian translation of Mark 5:12, where we have the devils entering the swine in KJV. Compare to Ukrainian bisy or bisytysia (to go mad). In Slovenian (bes), Croatian (bijes) and Serbian (bes) the word means "rage", "fury".
The original Russian title of Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel known in its English translation as The Possessed is Besy (Бесы) (Russian plural of bes), i.e., more literally, The Evil Spirits.
The Black Tapes
In the 2015 videogame The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, fiends (called bies in the original version) are massive horned predators who possess hypnotic and self-healing powers.
In Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić's Croatian Tales of Long Ago "bjesovi" appear.