Nav (Croatian, Czech, Slovak: Nav, Polish: Nawia, Russian: Навь, Serbian: Нав, Slovene: Navje, Ukrainian: Мавка, Mavka or Нявка, Nyavka) is a phrase used to denote the souls of the dead in Slavic mythology.^[1]Rel]]The singular form ( or ia * (heaven or paradise).^[1]

The words nawia, nav and its other variants are most likely derived from the Proto-Slavic navь-, meaning "corpse", "deceased".^{[[2]](https://openlibrary.org/search?q=Kempi%C5%84ski%2C%20Andrzej%20%282001%29.%20} [[CITE|2|https://openlibrary.org/search?q=Kempi%C5%84ski%2C%20Andrzej%20%282001%29.%20*Encyklopedia%20mitologii)

The nawie, nawki, sometimes also referred to as lalki^[1] (all plural forms) was used as a name for the souls of the dead. According to some scholars (namely Stanisław Urbańczyk, among others), this word was a general name for demons arising out of the souls of tragic and premature deaths, killers, warlocks, the murdered and the Drowned Dead.^[3]Mity%2C%20podania%20i%20wierzen]]They were said to be hostile and unfavourable towards humans, being jealous of life.^[3]Bulgarian he Ruthenian Primary Chronicle the navias are presented as a demonic personification of the 1092 plague in Polotsk.^[2]Encyklopedia%20mitologii]]According to folk tales, the nawie usually took the form of birds.^{[[1]](https://openlibrary.org/search?q=Szyjewski%2C%20Andrzej%20%282004%29.%20} [[CITE|1|https://openlibrary.org/search?q=Szyjewski%2C%20Andrzej%20%282004%29.%20Religia%20S%C5%82owian*%20%5B*Rel)

The phrase Nawia or Nav was also utilised as a name for the Slavonic underworld, ruled by the god Veles, enclosed away from the world either by a living sea or river, according to some beliefs located deep underground.^[1][1] Veles guides souls.^[1][1] ea of Jav, Prav and Nav in the literary forgery known as the Book of Veles.