Russian Fairy Tales (RUSS 0090)

Russian Spirits

Russian terms are transliterated according to the Library of Congress system, with the stressed vowel indicated by bold type. Parenthesized numbers refer to pages in Ivanits’s book.

Domestic Spirits

The protectors of the house and the farmstead. The most malevolent spirits are the ones that live farthest away.

domovoi

A well-wishing spirit of the house who helped with domestic chores. Domovoi played tricks on people only when the owners were lazy or negligent, and lived in harmony with things from the church. Appearance: An old peasant with a long gray beard; also appeared as a cat or a dog. Tricks: Stole neighbor’s oats; if unhappy, was known to mess up the yard, tangle needlework, spread manure on the door, or, in extreme cases of anger, suffocate the victim. (51–57, 61–63)

domikha, domovikha, domovichka

The wife of the domovoi. (57)

kikimora, shishimora

A female spirit that, in some regions, was believed to be the wife of the domovoi. (57)

dvorovoi

A spirit that lived in the yard, had the same appearance as domovoi, but was more evil-natured. (58–59)

bannik

A dangerous spirit known both to protect peasants and to kill them by suffocating them or peeling their skin. (59–60)

bannaia, bannikha

The wife of the bannik. (59)

ovinnik

The most evil and dangerous of the domestic spirit, lived in the threshing barn. Also called gumennik and ryzhnyi khoziain. (60–61)

The Nature Spirits

Manifestations of the unclean force, harmful to peasants.

leshii

The master of the forest and wild animals. Outside of the forest, leshii was interchangeable with the devil. Appearance: A peasant without a belt, who could vary his size and who frequently had features of the devil. The leshii could be transformed into a familiar person, a beast, a domestic animal, or a mushroom. Tricks: Could lead a peasant astray, make him sick, or tickle him to death. Was known to hide woodcutters’ axes. Carried off young girls and women. (65–70)

lesovikha

The leshii’s wife. (67)

vodianoi, vodianoi chërt

An evil and dangerous water spirit who drowned people. Appearance: A naked old man, or half-fish, half-human, covered with mire, slime, or scales, sometimes with a long beard and green hair. Features of the devil. Could be transformed into a fish. (70–74)

vodianikha

The wife of the vodianoi. (72)

rusalka

A drowned maiden or the soul of an unbaptized child, who was connected with the unclean force. Was known to steal children and entice, tickle to death, or drown passersby. Could be the vodianoi’s wife or consort. Appearance: Often appeared as a woman with long hair, but the external representation was inconsistent. (75–81)

bereginia

The river bank female spirit. (78)

polevoi

The spirit of the field, who had qualities of both domovoi and leshii. (74)

poludnitsa

A female spirit of the fields. (75)

lugovik

The spirit of the meadows. (64)

bolotnyi

The spirit of the swamps. (64)