Mara is a pagan Slavic goddess associated with seasonal rites based on the idea of death and rebirth of nature. She is an ancient goddess associated with winter's death, rebirth and dreams. In ancient Slavic rites, the death of the Goddess Mara at the end of winter becomes the rebirth of Spring of the Goddess Lada or Vesna representing the coming of Spring.
In Slavic folk beliefs, Mara plays several roles. First and foremost, she is a ghost, a copy of a living person who appears after her death. It was believed that Mara appears when something of value to the deceased person remains in the world of the living. For example, if a person died without fulfilling their dreams or desires, their mara might appear to haunt them until those dreams or desires are fulfilled. In some interpretations, Mara is identical to Death and Winter. This is because she is often associated with the cold, dark, and mysterious aspects of the natural world. She is also sometimes depicted as a beautiful woman with long, flowing hair, which is similar to the way that Death is often depicted in Western culture.