The goddess Mara in Slavic mythology is the embodiment of death and night. Her symbol is a sickle with which she reaps lives.
Mara changed her appearance according to the seasons, appearing either as a beautiful girl with long black hair (in summer), or as an unbearable old woman (in winter).
Mara has ghost servants, the maaras. At night they wander into people's homes and whisper their names. Whoever responded to the voices was to die.
It was also believed that to meet his double or a woman with long black hair - a sign of the near end. By sending such signs, the goddess of death gave time to prepare for the transition to the afterlife.
In winter, she did not want to give way to the blooming spring and resorted to cunning tricks to prolong the cold. It is from ancient paganism came the ritual of burning an effigy at the stake on Shrovetide, so that the evil Mara would hurry away. But before the adoption of Orthodoxy, Shrovetide was called the feast of Mara.
