This piece is inspired by Hugues Merle's painting 'La Légende des Willis' from 1847, with some personal changes.
The Wilas or Vilas are mythological spirits from Slavic folklore. Also known as 'Rusalki' in Russia, they are water or wind spirits that take the form of young women, floating and dancing through the clouds and sometimes acting as vengeful entities that lure men to their death. According to other sources, they may also be ghosts of deceased young women, eternally bound to each other. Similar to Nymphs or Sirens, they are often found near water, and it is said that their songs have a hypnotic or alluring power.