How the Egyptians became characters in Russian folklore

The legend of the pharaoh people in Russian folklore has been known since the 16th century. According to legend, the pharaoh people descended from the warriors of the Egyptian pharaoh, who drowned in the Red Sea while pursuing prophet Moses and the Jews fleeing Egypt. When the waters closed over their army, all the Egyptians perished, but they did not vanish without a trace; instead, they were transformed into strange creatures with fish tails. Even their horses turned into half-horse, half-fish creatures. From then on, these cursed creatures were doomed to dwell in the water until the end of time.

Pharaoh people should not be confused with mermaids. Their main difference lies in their origins. While Slavic mermaids are mostly drowned women or other “unjustly deceased” (i.e., those who died an unnatural death) spirits, pharaoh women are drowned Egyptians. Russian mermaids have no tails – they’re often rather unattractive two-legged creatures that can be dangerous to humans. Pharaoh people, on the other hand, are pretty: they have blond curls and the body of a fish. According to some legends, pharaoh people have fins instead of ears and their voices are deep and hoarse. Their image is especially popular in the Russian North, where belief in them persisted longer than in other regions.