What does a kikimora do? Who is a kikimora? What does a swamp kikimora look like?

Everyone has probably heard the word “kikimora”, seen the swamp kikimora in pictures, and read fairy tales about it. What do authentic Slavic beliefs tell about Kikimora?

Domestic kikimora is a Russian and, to a lesser extent, Belarusian mythological character, predominantly female, who lives in a person’s home and in other buildings, spins at night and brings harm and trouble to households and people.

Kikimora is a spirit that doesn’t like people very much. The domestic kikimora annoys the residents of the house, spoils their things, interferes with their sleep, and scares them at night. There is a swamp Kikimora, the description of which differs from the domestic one. She also harms people - when she meets her, she can knock her off the road or scare a child walking in the forest.

Swamp and domestic kikimors become “hostage” dead people, dead or ruined small children, stillborns, and miscarriages. The domestic Kikimora could have been planted by builders in order to harm the owners who had not paid them, or by sorcerers as a form of damage. To do this, they placed a doll, a rag, or a picture in an inconspicuous place. To get rid of the evil Kikimora, it was advised to find such a lining at home.

My father was building a house, and the carpenters were angry about something. They placed a kikimora doll in the last row, under the beam. At night, let’s scream: the child roars, it’s almost heartbreaking. There was no way we could sleep in this house. The old men judged. I had to remove and expose the roof and this row of logs. We found a doll. It's so small, made from rags.

In the swamp, and sometimes at home, Kikimora could start on its own, for example, at a place where someone, especially a child, tragically died, a crime or suicide was committed. Kikimoras are often found in abandoned houses.

What does it look likeKikimoraswamp?

No one has yet taken a photo of the swamp Kikimora, but there are many folk descriptions of it. The swamp kikimora in pictures and in life, as they said, resembles a small, hunched old woman, covered with grass and moss, dressed in dirty, torn rags. Although swamp and domestic Kikimora is shown to people only in exceptional cases, usually foreshadowing misfortune, sometimes you can try to see it:

The owner waylaid Kikimora early in the morning and saw: a small woman in a shamshur sitting on a horse and riding around the manger.

However, if you believe the fairy tales about Kikimora, she is able to take on any form - a familiar person, an ordinary woman or man, a beautiful girl with flowing hair. The spirit of the swamp and the house was reincarnated into different animals.

The housewife went to get firewood, and there was a pig in the hut. She came - he was on the bench, on the table, everywhere. And then a dog began to loom in this house.

What could be the danger of meeting withTOIkimora in the swamp or at home?

What are the ways to protect yourself from Kikimora? At home, Kikimora ruins the life of all its inhabitants - he hides things so that no one will find them, knocks and makes noise at home, spoils and confuses the yarn. They said this is because the domestic Kikimora also wants to manage things, but doesn’t really know how.

Swamp Kikimora scares travelers with scary sounds. She lures hunters into the thicket by quacking like a duck, for example. They protected themselves from the swamp Kikimora with a talisman, as well as from the pranks of Leshy. Do not go into the forest or near the swamp at odd times.

It is more difficult to get rid of domestic Kikimora. Fairy tales and beliefs about Kikimora say that if your home is “scaring”: strange sounds are heard, things are spoiled, in a word, everything that we call “poltergeist” happens, you need to look for a doll or other thing unnoticed by ill-wishers, and get rid of it with a special ritual. They said that Kikimora could be caught, the hair on the back of her head cut into a cross, and she would turn into a human, but in some way inferior.

The swamp kikimora is afraid of amulets - “chicken gods” (stones with a through hole), they carried it with them, hung it at home; juniper, fern.

February 16 They performed a ritual of getting rid of kikimoras. It was believed that on this day they were especially peaceful. Sorcerers performed rituals against annoying household spirits.

Tales aboutKikimoraswamp

Swamp kikimora is a more popular character these days. They tell stories about her and draw pictures. It was said in such fairy tales that the swamp Kikimora kidnaps children in villages, replacing them with her own or even with logs.

In some fairy tales, Kikimora appears as a good-natured character, rocking children, trying to help the mistress of the house, which makes her similar to the brownie.

In some places it was believed that Kikimora was the wife of a brownie, or they compared her image with Domakha (a female brownie). The swamp kikimora, which can be seen in modern pictures, is often compared to a mermaid. She acts as a real spirit-embodiment of nature.

Homemade Kikimora and Swamp Kikimora are two different characters. If the domestic Kikimora is a more ancient character, fairy tales about her have been preserved since ancient times, then the swamp Kikimora is more of a heroine of modern cartoons and stories.

Kikimora is a famous character in Slavic mythology. To understand the world of Slavic beliefs, the worldview of our ancestors, it is useful to study the stories and myths that have been preserved about the spirits of nature, home, and all things. Plus, this activity is extremely fun!

Origin of the name

According to S. Maksimov, the word kikimora is two-part: kick And pestilence.

"kick"- bird cry;
"pestilence"- gloominess, darkness, fog, ghost.

Alternative nickname - "shishimora" there is a taboo name for kikimora, as “shisha” was the name for evil spirits. There is a theory that it goes back to verbs of Russian dialect origin “shishit, shishat” - “to swarm, move, do furtively.”

Mythological image

According to Slavic beliefs, kikimors settle in premises if the “wrong” dead person was buried under them: the corpse of a child, a hanged or inveterate dead person, also in a house where a child died for some reason. There are known beliefs about kikimors as children kidnapped or exchanged by evil spirits. Sometimes it was believed that kikimoras appear from a love affair between girls and an evil spirit in the form of a fiery serpent. May be sent by a sorcerer.

It was believed that kikimores love to joke with people and sometimes appear in the form of a child abandoned on the road; picked up and warmed by people, they run away, laughing at them. She was presented in different ways: as the mistress of the hut, the wife of a brownie or a goblin. The swamp or forest kikimora was accused of kidnapping children, leaving behind an enchanted log in their place. Her presence in the house was determined by wet footprints. It was believed that one could protect oneself from kikimora by prayer or, conversely, by swearing.

Kikimor's favorite pastime is weaving and yarn. On the night before Christmas, they ripple and burn the tow, left without prayer by absent-minded spinners on their spinning wheels. This feature in the activities of the kikimora makes her similar to the pagan goddess Mokoshya, the influence of whose cult probably left its mark on the image of this household spirit. Occasionally, the kikimora was even considered a female assistant in baking bread, washing dishes, caring for livestock and lulling children to sleep.

In the Vologda province it was believed that kikimors give birth to their naughty children during Christmas time. The shulikuns will fly out of the house through the chimney into the street, where they remain until Epiphany.

It was believed that kikimora could be seen before special events that were significant for family members, often on the threshold. If she cries or loudly knocks with bobbins for lace weaving, this portends trouble; if she spins, then someone’s death should be expected. If you ask a kikimora, she can answer by knocking.

A caught kikimora could be turned into a human if the hair on its crown was cut in the shape of a cross. However, some defect reminiscent of the past will always remain: stuttering, stooped posture, weak mind.

In the image of the kikimora we have the remnant of some lower deity of the ancient Slavs. Belief in them is probably in connection with the cult of the souls of deceased ancestors. Some people identify kikimora with the French spirit cauchemar.

Appearance and description

People imagined kikimoras in the form of ugly dwarfs or babies with a head the size of a thimble and a body as thin as a straw. They have the ability to be invisible, run fast and see long distances, wear neither clothes nor shoes - these are forever young girls, small and restless. According to other beliefs, a kikimora looks like a small, crooked and ugly old woman, dressed in torn rags, funny and sloppy, who is afraid that she will be carried away by the wind, and therefore does not leave the house. Occasionally, the kikimora was represented in the guise of a man. Occasionally in the guise of a maiden with loose hair or a long braid, completely undressed or in a single-color shirt. Occasionally - in the guise of a married woman in a military uniform. There were beliefs that the kikimora appeared to look like a dog, pig, duck, and also like a hare and hamster.

Activities and lifestyle

Kikimors usually live behind the stove, under the floor, in the chicken coop, in the barn, or in the attic. They can also live in abandoned buildings, in the yard, in the bathhouse, on the threshing floors, even in the tavern. They hide from people during the day, are active at night, and sometimes bother their owners with noise and fuss. On quiet nights you can hear them jumping, spinning and twisting threads. They can spin the left yarn, but not from left to right, but vice versa, but more often they break and waste the threads, burn the tow, and tangle the wool that was thrown without a blessing. They sew poorly, the kikimora stitches are uneven, uneven: “You won’t get a shirt from a kikimora”(Russian proverb).

Kikimora's tricks

According to popular belief, kikimoras are a constant source of trouble; when they appear in the house, they do minor mischief: they disturb sleep by rustling, howling, squeaking, crying, breaking dishes, throwing off clothes, driving horses at night, trimming the feathers of chickens and wool from sheep:

Sometimes, in a fit of playfulness, kikimoras, like brownies, fall on their owners and strangle them at night, and can pull their hair. The following tale was popular:

One of the pranks of a kikimora is described in Alexei Tolstoy’s novel “Walking Through Torment”:

Textual analysis shows that A. N. Tolstoy used protocols of real interrogations of the Secret Chancellery. Based on them, we can conclude that the kikimora was noticed in 1722 and, therefore, is the oldest evil spirit recorded in St. Petersburg.

The magic of objects associated with kikimora

Kikimora dolls

There was a belief that kikimors were sent to the owners by stove makers or carpenters who were dissatisfied or offended when paying for the construction. A doll made from wood chips or sewn from rags, representing a kikimora, is placed somewhere in the house, often between logs or beams, after which a “planted kikimora” appears in the house, sending all sorts of obsessions to the owners: they are shown either a hare or a pig, now a dog, now a bull, I imagine songs and dances, doors open by themselves.

To stop the excesses of the kikimora, the planted doll had to be found and burned. Or throw it away in a remote area.

Chicken God

It was considered a universal amulet against kikimora « chicken god» - a black stone the size of a goose egg and with a hole of natural origin, a whole neck from a broken jug or a worn bast shoe. “Chicken God” in the Vologda region was also called "Kikimora one-eyed". On January 2 (15), Sylvester's Day, he was hung by a thread on the wall of the chicken coop to protect the chickens from brownies and kikimoras.

Other items

It was believed that the kikimora did not like juniper, from the branches of which they made a braid for the salt shaker so that the kikimora would not carry salt. Pots and other utensils were washed with fern infusion so that the kikimora would not touch them. In one 18th-century treatment book, it was suggested to put camel hair and incense in the house to get rid of kikimora.

Kikimora in the folk calendar

According to some local beliefs, the kikimora lives on the street or on the threshing floor until Christmas time, and then goes to God knows where. In the Vologda province it was believed that on Christmastide the kikimora gives birth to children. Newborns fly into the chimney onto the street, where they live until Epiphany; these are shulykans (shushkans). On Christmas festivities, the old women pretended to be “shishimor”: they put on torn clothes and sat on the floor with a long sharpened stick, dangling their legs from the beam and, placing a spinning wheel between their legs, they spun. The girls, laughing, grabbed them by the legs, and the “kikimora” fought them off with a stick. Sometimes the kikimora was portrayed by a guy dressed in an old woman’s rags and with a clay pot on his head, replacing a kokoshnik. After the pot was broken, the “kikimora” turned into an ordinary guy.

Saint Mariamne, whose memorial day is celebrated by the church on February 17 (March 2), was popularly called Maremyana-Kikimora and was often celebrated a day earlier - February 16 (March 1). “In Little Russia, a stuffed animal called mara or madder is apparently dragged through the streets when spring is welcomed (March 1) with the singing of stoneflies.”

On March 4 (17), on the day of “Gerasim Grachevnik”, the kikimora could survive from home; at this time they become quiet. To expel the kikimoras they used a conspiracy: “Oh, you goy, brownie kikimora, get out of the goryunin’s house quickly!”

One of the most mysterious figures of Slavic mythology and magical beliefs associated with it is the kikimora. A creature that, on the one hand, always remains in the “shadow” of the attention of ordinary people, but on the other hand, is capable of causing quite serious harm, as evidenced by the secret of its name. So who is a kikimora?

Kikimora is an unclean female spirit that lives in residential buildings, also associated with nightmares.

Kikimora is usually represented as an ugly, hunched old woman, in rags, unkempt, with loose hair. Quite often the kikimora was depicted wearing a woman’s kokoshnik on her head. Kikimora was also represented in the form of a tiny woman or an old woman.

Most of the time, the kikimora remains invisible, and makes its presence known only at night during the Christmas season or only on the night before Christmas. Kikimora makes her presence known through various actions (throwing objects, breaking dishes) or through her voice, noise: her voice sounds dull, as if from empty space.

Like many other unclean spirits, kikimora has the ability to quickly move from place to place, disappear in one place and appear in another, and in addition has knowledge of the future.

The secret of the name "kikimora"

The name of kikimora consists of two parts: “kik” and “mora”. The first part comes from the verb “kick” - “scream, cry, lament.” The second part goes back to the common Slavic root “mor”, which means “death”. Thus, the harmful essence of this kikimora is reflected in its name, namely “the one that brings death.”

Origin of kikimora

The origin of the kikimora in the popular consciousness was associated with ideas about the “unclean” dead. Kikimora appears in houses built on a “bad” place, for example, on a boundary or at the burial site of an “unclean” dead person. In some places it was also believed that children who died unbaptized or were abducted by evil spirits became kikimors.

In addition, there was an opinion that kikimors were inveterate dead or damned people. And sometimes it was believed that kikimoras appear from a love affair between girls and an evil spirit in the form of a fiery serpent.

Witchcraft "sharing" kikimora

In addition to the “natural” appearance of a kikimora in the house, there was also its witchcraft “sharing” with a person the magician did not want. To do this, they usually made a doll out of wood chips and rags, which was placed above the central ceiling beam or behind the stove, as well as in places where there was a lot of clutter. This action was accompanied by a special malicious conspiracy. As a result, the residents began to see various shadows, images of animals, and the like.

The evil caused by kikimora

According to traditional beliefs, kikimora can act as a harbinger of predominantly bad events. In particular, the appearance of a kikimora in a house or outbuildings was almost universally perceived as a bad omen - a restless spirit would begin to cause harm in the household and annoy the household.

In many places it was believed that if a kikimora was seen spinning, it meant the death of one of the household members. When she comes out of hiding or cries, it is also unfortunate.

According to popular beliefs, the work that the kikimora touches is then difficult for the hostess to finish. It is also known that the kikimora “works” untidy and does not complete any work itself. For example, if she works on an unfinished item, she will have to constantly rip it apart and sew it again.

The pranks of a kikimora can sometimes become so dangerous that if given time to get rid of it, it can even kill people from their homes.

Kikimora also scares small children at night, spoils household utensils, interferes with needlework, torments chickens and plucks their feathers, can cut tufts of fur from domestic animals, and so on.

Kikimora is an evil spirit that sends nightmares to people. In appearance, the kikimora is very thin and small: her head is the size of a thimble, and her body is thin as a reed; she wears neither shoes nor clothes and remains invisible most of the time. During the day, kikimoras are inactive, but at night they begin to play pranks. For the most part, they do not cause serious harm to humans, mostly they just play small pranks: they sometimes knock on something at night, or they begin to creak. But if the kikimora dislikes one of the family members, then the pranks will become much more serious: the spirit will begin to break furniture, break dishes, and harass livestock. The kikimora's favorite pastime is spinning yarn: sometimes he sits in the corner at night and starts working, and so on until the morning, but this work is of no use, it only tangles the threads and breaks the yarn.

Kikimoras prefer human houses as a habitat, choosing secluded places to live: behind the stove, under the threshold, in the attic, behind a chest, in the corner. Kikimoras are often taken as wives.

Sometimes kikimoras appear before people's eyes, foreshadowing imminent misfortunes: if she cries, then trouble will soon happen, and if she spins, it means that soon one of the inhabitants of the house will die. The prediction can be clarified by asking the kikimora, then she will definitely answer, but only with a knock.

Capabilities

Kikimoras have the ability to become invisible, can move quickly and see well at long distances. Kikimores also see people’s fears, they always accurately determine what a person fears most, and send exactly this nightmare to sleep.

Enemies

The enemies of kikimoras are domestic animals: cats and dogs. If they manage to fight back the kikimora once, then it will avoid these animals in every possible way, but if the kikimora manages to gain the upper hand, then it will continue to torment the living creatures.

How to fight?

Kikimoras can appear in the house in two ways: naturally and sent. If a kikimora was “sent” to a house, then it is necessary to find a kikimora doll in the house (with the help of which they called the kikimora into the house) and burn it. If the kikimora appeared naturally, then there is no point in fighting it, it will not cause much trouble, it is enough to rein in the kikimora when it gets too naughty. The kikimora is afraid of hot iron and fire, and you can appease this evil spirit if you wash the floors and dishes in the house with a tincture of fern root. To prevent the kikimora from carrying salt or dishes, it is braided with juniper branches. It is possible to completely expel the kikimora who has settled in the house without permission only with the help of a special conspiracy. In the house you need to sweep the floors with a wormwood broom, saying:

“Oh, you are a goy, kikimora,

get out of the goryunin's house quickly,

otherwise they’ll beat you up with hot rods,

They will burn it with a blazing fire and pour it with black resin.

Be, my words, strong and sculpting,

stronger than stone and damask steel.

The key to my words is in the heavenly heights,

and the castle is in the depths of the sea, on a fish on a whale;

and no one can get this whale fish,

and the lock cannot be opened except by me (name).”

In the understanding of many people, kikimora is a fairy-tale character who belongs to negative heroes. In fact, our ancestors believed in its reality, so we suggest you figure out who she is in Slavic mythology and whether you should be afraid of her. To begin with, it is worth saying that the name “kikimora” comes from the goddess Morena, who was also called Mara. People attached the root “kik” to this name, which means hunchback.

Who is a kikimora and what does she look like?

In fact, a kikimora is a spirit that lives in the houses of ordinary people, and she is the wife of a brownie. Its main habitat is behind the stove or with the animals in the barn. The kikimora's favorite pastime is playing pranks and scaring animals and people, for example, she knocks dishes, sets various traps and spoils things. If a kikimora comes out of its hiding place, then people hear inexplicable sounds, and they may also see different animals. Despite this, kikimora cannot be called a completely bad hero, since sometimes she still does good deeds. Speaking about who a kikimora is and analyzing it, it is worth noting that the Slavs considered it much kinder than brownies, since it almost never creates serious problems.

Kikimora's appearance

When understanding who a kikimora is, it is worth focusing on her appearance.

This spirit is represented in different ways, but the most common is the image of an old and ugly woman who has a thin body and a small head.
She is often depicted with a hump, which makes her image even more terrible.
One of the main distinguishing features is disheveled hair.
The terrifying image is complemented by an ugly face and rags instead of clothes.
There are other descriptions of the kikimora’s appearance, for example, some imagined her as a young girl with a beautiful and long braid, but completely naked.
It is extremely rare to imagine this spirit as a man.

Where did kikimora come from - 3 versions

Many people are interested in who the real kikimora came from, but on this issue people also did not come to a consensus.

Version No. 1 It was believed that this unclean spirit could become a child who died as a result of an abortion, or a girl who passed away before baptism.
Version No. 2. The origin of kikimora was often associated with the uninveterate dead and cursed people.
Version No. 3. Another version of the appearance of this spirit is the result of a girl’s love contact with an unclean spirit.

The image of a kikimora in Slavic mythology

In Slavic mythology you can find many stories about the places of manifestations of kikimora. She was often seen where murder was committed and in places where negative energy accumulated. In ancient times, people believed that if a kikimora appeared in front of a person, it meant that he would soon die. Like many spirits, kikimora has supernatural powers, so she can move from place to place with great speed. She is also credited with the ability to teleport and predict the future.

People with magical abilities can summon kikimora. Black witches attach evil spirits to their enemies in order to harm them. There are various conspiracies that help not only to see the kikimora, but also to expel it from your home. Usually people performed such rituals when the actions of the spirit became dangerous and caused huge troubles.

Who is a swamp kikimora?

This spirit is very similar to the "house sister" except in the place of residence. She is considered the wife of the devil who rules the forest. As for the appearance of the swamp kikimora, it almost completely matches the described features with the exception of skin color, which has a greenish tint, and hair length. The swamp kikimora usually appears in front of people who have been lured into a swampy swamp, and they do this in order to completely frighten the victim.

Help on Tele2, tariffs, questions