What is a domovoi?
The domovoi is a house spirit of the folk beliefs of Russia and other Slavic countries. The name comes from the Russian word for “house.” A guardian who watches over the family, he has also been thought to be the spirit of the family’s ancestor in changed form.
Folklore and features
The domovoi is said to live behind the stove (pechka), under the floor or under the threshold, and to look like a small, hairy old man. He protects the family and livestock and watches over the household so that things go well, but if the house is messy or he is treated carelessly, he gets angry and makes mischief, making noises in the night or hiding things. People offered him food and treated him with care, it is said.
Moving house and the domovoi
When moving to a new house, it was thought that the domovoi had to be brought along. There were customs such as carrying embers from the old stove to the new house, or preparing an old shoe for the domovoi to ride in. Slavic folklore also includes the forest spirit leshy and the water spirit rusalka.
