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In Slavic mythology, notsnitsa (Belarusian: начніца, romanized: načnica,[1] Polish: nocnica, płaczka,[2][3][4] Bulgarian: горска майка, ношно, romanized: gorska majka, nošno, Serbian: шумска маjка, бабице, ноћнице, romanized: šumska majka, babice, noćnice,[5] Croatian: mrake, vidine, Slovene: nočnine, mračnine, Ukrainian: нічниця, romanized: nichnytsia,[6] Russian: ночница, romanized: nochnitsa[7]), often referred in plural, is a nightmare spirit or demon that torments people and especially children at night. Other names for notsnitsa in East Slavic languages include kriksy, plaksy, plachky, plaksivicy, kriksy-varaksy, kriksy-plaksy, night hag, night maiden.[7]