(auto-translation from Czech)

- You have one of the most unique isolated cultures I’ve ever seen. How do you manage to stay so self-contained?

- You use some very smart language here. *laughs* I guess, it’s just who we are, how we live. We keep up with each other, help out.

- Who told you the story?

- My mama. And she got told by her mama. And so on. It’s the lucky tail. Kids should know about that since being a baby.

- Can you tell me what exactly the lucky tail is?

- Uh, haven’t I told you just a few whiles ago?

- Yeah, I just want it to be on this recording. Can you do it again please?

- Well, if needed. Lucky tail is a spirit. A forest spirit who lives in the spring thickets. When the leaves only begin to grow after winter, he comes. Mostly spring. Though sometimes he can confuse autumn with spring and come out a few weeks before Christmas. Usually when it is sunny. So some people say.

- Well, haven’t heard that before.

- More for your recording. I thought to give all I know.

- Good. What exactly is a spirit?

- It’s when… Well, my grandma used to tell me that when a soul spends a long time connected to something, it gives birth to a spirit.

- So, does everything have a spirit? Can a child have a spirit?

- I am not very deep into this, but a child is already alive, I suppose. It’s more than that. Maybe if a child is dead.

- Can a toilet have a spirit?

- Well, if you think too much about toilets, then maybe. *laughs*

- Is a spirit the same as a god?

- Oh, no. Tell me, you see no difference at all?

- No idea. Your definitions are very unusual.

- God is above. A spirit is below. On out level. Not hell. Spirits are with us. You have not seen any gods in your life, have you?

- I’m afraid, no. *laughs* I have not seen spirits in the city too.

- Well, it’s a city’s problem.

- What is the purpose of a spirit?

- To conjure. To give more to the world. To Earth. If it’s a good spirit. In the Bible it is so. It comes and makes.

- Is lucky tail a good spirit?

- No, he is not. He destroys. Comes to village and anyone he sees who does not comply he weaves into a long dance. He kills. He destroys.

- Thank you very much. So, what is the final goal of their actions? Sort of destination?

- I have not heard of any goal. They just live with us. The common folk. Not like you. They do fun of us or help us.

- Lucky tail makes fun of you?

- He is a weird trickster.

- A trickster?

- A biter. A trickster. An awful, how you say, vandal.

- Do you really believe he exists? Sorry for interrupting.

- Whatever. If you believe or not, you have to deal with him or to have consequences. That’s it. Be mature.

- Why does he dance?

- Oh, he dances people to death. Maybe it’s just mockery. You can try to find something to answer yourself of course. If we don’t know, then you won’t.

- Isn’t a dance beautiful? Not evil.

- Have you danced a lot? Do you ever let your body move? Like I did when I was younger?

- No.

- We work all day and still dance. You see? *laughs*

- Was he always here? The tail?

- I… never thought about it. He is a spirit, so must be as long as we are here. A few thousands of years or so.

- Yeah, we are not so ancient.

- What does it matter if it was before us? It was for God to deal with. Not us.

- Why is he white?

- Like rabbits. Where he took his skin from. It’s his kind.

- Is he not a spirit then?

- Spirits come from something as I said. You barely understand me.

- I assure you, I’m listening carefully.

- Why is he not just a monster? A beast?

- He is more powerful that a beast. You cannot kill him like you can a beast. He cannot die himself like all living things do of our level. He is everywhere around the forest in spring. He can be at any of our homes. We must be aware.

- Why spring?

- What?

- Why he comes in spring?

- Nature makes so. Nature wakes up and he does. He is very hungry.

- But rabbits don’t fall into sleep in winter.

- I know. He is not just a rabbit as I said.

- And rabbits lose the white fur in spring instead.

- Well, he disappears before the summer comes. Always.

- Does he eat his victims?

- People say, he bites and drinks your life though the wound. You become your worse self after this. My friend was like that, bitten.

- How could you tell?

- Early spring. She moans all day. Someone pointed out a red spot on her shirt. We tore it and looked closer. The bite mark was there.

- Did you help her?

- Help her? After that? She made a fool of herself. She didn’t wear anything white to protect her body. Both men and women should. A woman should as well cover herself fully to not get bitten. He likes girls more. The bite was on the armpit, right next to the chest. That slut.

- Do many people get bitten?

- Nobody that I know besides her. We all follow the rules.

- If he is so hated, why do you have songs for him and dolls?

- You don’t always sing about your love. It’s a warning for the Mother Earth. And well, he does bring luck to those who comply sometimes.

- Why would something scary bring luck?

- Maybe you steal it from him. Maybe that’s God’s blessing.

- Is he, as a spirit, connected to God?

- Gods are love. He is not love.

1902 expedition to rural Bohemia