The Boginki are spirits in Polish mythology

Polish mythology

Polish mythology comprises beliefs and myths of ancient Poland, including witchcraft and elements of Paganism.An early Polish settlement featuring an allocated place of pagan worship, which is located near the ancient complex of Poganowo not far from the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea, was...

. Traditionally, coven

Coven

A coven or covan is a name used to describe a gathering of witches or in some cases vampires. Due to the word's association with witches, a gathering of Wiccans, followers of the witchcraft-based neopagan religion of Wicca, is also described as a coven....

s of old women would perform sacrifices and rituals for the nymphs of the riverbanks. Boginki were said to steal babies from their human parents that were replaced with Odmience

Odmience

In Polish mythology, the Odmieńce are the changelings left behind by the Boginki....

 – the Changed Ones. These spirits are said to be the original deities of life and predate the sky gods. They also appear to be forerunners of the Rusalki.