Bestiary · Slavic · Disease demons
Fever sisters
Also known as: fever sister, fever maidens, likhoradki, likhoradka, triasavitsy, tryasavitsy
The fevers as twelve sisters, daughters of Herod, who shake their victims; charms name each one and send them away.
Russian charms and legends tell of the fevers as twelve sisters, the daughters of Herod, chained in hell and set free in spring to torment mankind. In the legend of St Sisinnius they tell him their names, and each name says how she racks the sick: Tryaseya, "the Shaker", and her sisters. The charms name them one by one and send them away "where the cock does not crow". Afanasyev counts them among the cloud maidens and spinners, and compares them with the German elves who bring sickness.