February 16 is Kikimora Day. Slavic holidays in February and March. Slavic holidays in February

There is an evil spirit on Earth:
Doesn't know anyone and isn't related to anyone,
Often does not know where to bow his head -
Brownie Kikimora, playful spirit.

How does the Brownie find a home?
And does it settle into the family quickly?
If the house is built on an unclean place
Or an evil person brings her to the hut.

Constantly knocking in the corner or behind the stove,
From morning to evening there is a roar there,
It brings fear and horror to the household.
Maybe kick them out of the house forever.

You can cope with evil spirits,
Give good hope to a poor house?
Burn the accumulated trash, bad clothes,
Clear the yard of debris patiently.

Then protect yourself with a simple amulet:
Hang the “chicken god”** by a thread,
A pot with a broken bottom over a gate.
The brownie will say goodbye to her home forever.

*Not to be confused with Swamp Kikimora.
** Stone with a natural through hole.
February 16, 2018

Reviews

It’s not true, all Russian Gods and spirits are distorted and slandered by enemies. The brownie kikimora is a women's assistant. She finished the work for the mistress of the house at night, always cared for and helped her. Her husband was a house helper for men, he kept order and protected the house. And Baba Yaga is generally a holy woman, you can talk a lot about her.

I’ve read enough about the earthly children of Veles. I also know about Aunt Yogini. But in the stories about Kikimora Brownie, she is characterized this way. I haven’t seen any positive reviews about it, unlike the Swamp Kikimora. Arguing is useless. The truth is no longer known.
Thank you for your visit, review and personal opinion.

This is not a dispute, these are facts that few people know.
And yet - there is no prophet in his own country! People will readily believe what I said, but from a foreign author. Love your Gods. But no one canceled the dispute, and I myself will decide when and what to cancel!

P.S. Do not use the phrase - “Nothing can be known anymore”, everything remains, everything is there, everything is in sight, whoever needs it knows and sees. There would be a desire!

The daily audience of the portal Stikhi.ru is about 200 thousand visitors, who in total view more than two million pages according to the traffic counter, which is located to the right of this text. Each column contains two numbers: the number of views and the number of visitors.

Since ancient times in Rus' February 16 (March 2, new style) celebrated the day of Maremyana the Righteous, popularly nicknamed Meremyana-Kikimora. On this day, they tried to appease Kikimora (the accomplice of Morena and Mokosha, Domovoy’s wife) with special offerings so that she would not confuse the yarn and play pranks at night. People also said: “To Maremyana Yarilo - with a pitchfork.” For, according to legend, at this time Yarilo “raises winter with a pitchfork.”

Kikimora (in another way - shishimora) is not known to all Eastern Slavs. Beliefs about her are widespread mainly among Russians and, less so, among Belarusians. However, many features of this mythological image indicate that it was formed in ancient times, and most likely, under the influence of the veneration of Mokoshi.

Beliefs about demons, into which the souls of unbaptized or ruined children turn, exist among all Slavs. In Polish mythology, they fly before a thunderstorm with a plaintive cry, and if you bury a stillborn baby under the threshold, it will turn into a domestic servant demon who will steal grain and milk for its owner. Similar beliefs are common among the southern Slavs. Little tales about unbaptized children are taken from the Polesie archive of the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The etymology of the first component of the word kikimora - kik - is associated by other researchers either with the verb kikat (shout, make sharp sounds), or with the noun kika (crest, cap). The second part of the word - mora - in other Slavic languages acts as an independent word, denoting female demons that send nightmares to people. In Polish mythology, a mora is a woman whose soul can separate from her body at night, enter other people's houses in the form of a moth and strangle those sleeping. Similar beliefs exist among the southern Slavs. (For more information about the history of this word and its meanings among other Slavs, see: Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages. T. 19. M., 1992. pp. 211-214. See also: Cherepanova O.A. Mythological vocabulary of the Russian North. L ., 1983. P. 124-133; Vlasova M.H. New Abevega of Russian superstitions. St. Petersburg, 1995. P. 170-177. Little stories about kikimore are taken from the following sources: Mythological stories of the Russian population... P. 85-86; Maksimov S. V. Unclean, unknown and godly power. T. 1. M., 1993. pp. 64-65; Materials of the ethnolinguistic expedition to the Kargopol district of the Arkhangelsk region, stored in the folklore room of the Russian State University for the Humanities).

An evil spirit (kikimora) lives in this world by itself. Damned, she doesn’t know anyone, she’s not related to anyone; she has neither brother nor sister; She has neither a yard nor a stake, but she makes her way, homeless, wherever there is day and wherever there is night. Kikimora enters the hut, not knowing anyone, she settles behind the stove, not knowing anyone. It knocks and rattles from morning to evening, and whistles from evening to midnight, bringing fear to the household. Since that great disaster, the houses of the townspeople have been empty, the courtyards are overgrown with grass and ants.

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 (January 19), 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.

Why might Kikimora appear in the house?

The house may stand on an “unclean, “rotten” place,” that is, where either someone was once buried, or in a place of natural anomaly. If a woman living in the house has had an abortion. There is a belief that kikimors are sent to the owners by stove makers or carpenters who are 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. It was also believed that a girl stolen or exchanged by evil spirits, or one born to a woman from a fiery serpent, could become a kikimora.

Kikimora often breaks dishes at night, scatters cereals, onions, and even breaks furniture. She also loves to torment children. But her special weakness is to pull out the hair of men at night and pluck the feathers of birds. If the kikimora decides to finish some work for you, then she will hopelessly ruin everything, get dirty, messy - you will never untangle the yarn or wash the embroidery forgotten on the sofa. Kikimora can even drive the owners out of the house with his quirks.

The neighbor's passion (one of the kikimora's nicknames) for woolly material was also evident in the yard, where she plucked feathers from chickens and sheared sheep, which made them bald later.

But here’s what’s curious: the acquired wool did not disappear, but was found in the barn in the form of bedding for livestock. This invisible woman was certified as a lover of horse riding: in the morning the owner could find his horse driven into the soap. An amusing detail: beliefs that the kikimora harms livestock by counting them stipulate the modesty of her mathematical abilities, claiming that she can only count to three. The active little one performed all her “exploits” at night, and during the day she slept behind the stove, in the attic or in the underground. Sometimes, however, she could break her usual daily routine by running like a pig through the shops. Kikimora, if she settled in an empty house, then she won’t want to let anyone in: she will start throwing whatever she can: garbage, for example, or even stones. The swamp kikimora was a scary creature. She, the wife of the devil, was credited with kidnapping children, luring lost travelers into a quagmire, etc. On the other hand, the invisible woman was hardworking, and most of all she was fond of spinning, sewing and weaving lace - these activities were a hereditary craft among the kikimoras (and the great Makosh, as you know, spun the threads of fate). If she turned out to be a needlewoman, she could finish the spinning for the mistress, and if she lacked talent or skill, then she was dissatisfied with the results of her work, or, angry with the mistress, she tangled the wool and burned the tow. To prevent this from happening, it was necessary to bless the means preferred by the kikimora at night. Thanks to the tricks of the clumsy people from this family, the people coined the saying: “You won’t get a shirt from a kikimora.” She was also a very responsible watchwoman. In the Russian North, it was believed that in the summer she walks through the fields with a huge hot frying pan in her hands, stored in case a thief is discovered there: “whoever she catches in someone else’s field, he will fry.” They also said that this willful woman is capable of helping and patronizing the family, but only if her mistress is dexterous, diligent and skillful. Then she will undertake to lull the little ones to sleep, wash the jars, and provide good baked goods. Kikimora was considered a fortuneteller; they believed that her crying or rattling bobbins predicted trouble, and her appearance meant the death of one of the inhabitants of the house. In a mysterious way for us, the location of the invisible thing meant - for worse or for good. In some places, it was even customary to ask her about fate and receive answers in the form of a knock (after all, Makosh was responsible for fate).

Having settled in the house, Kikimora often becomes the wife of Domovoy, and if he is hard-working and cheerful, then Kikimora’s character can change for the better. Well, if Domovoy is a lazy person and a prankster, then Kikimora will show all his “kikimora nature”, for Kikimora, unlike Domovoy, is the evil spirit of the house, its dark side.

Kikimora, as a rule, is not shown to people, but they say that she is a small, ugly, unkempt old woman. Seeing her means great misfortune, even death.

Celebrating the wife's name day, Domovoy and Dvorov walk around drunk and chatter all night until the morning, giving no rest to either the owners or the pets.

On this day, household utensils were washed with a solution containing a tincture of fern roots, hoping in this way to bring pleasure to the birthday girl, who was believed to have an addiction to this plant. The path in front of the house was swept from the porch to the well or intersection. We got rid of old dishes with cracks and chips by breaking them and throwing them away. They burned the rubbish that had accumulated in the house, threw old clothes into the fire, and walked around the house with torches. Soon, on Gerasim Grachevnik, the kikimors became meek and docile for the only time a year. They knew, it was clear that on that very day they could be kicked out of the house.

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

The “chicken god” was considered a universal amulet against kikimora - 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. The “Chicken God” in the Vologda region was also called the “one-eyed kikimora.” On January 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.

Kikimora does 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.

A good amulet against Kikimora is considered to be a pot with a knocked-out bottom, which is hung in front of the entrance on the terrace, above a perch or on the beams in a barn. Sometimes a piece of red gum is tied to the jug. Today, for such protective purposes (at the dacha, in apartment buildings they won’t understand), it is quite possible to use the neck of a bottle.

In some regions of Rus', to protect against Kikimora, a “pig-slaughtering” stick was placed under the manger, and a tuft of bear hair was placed under the pole. Salt shakers in the house were tied with juniper belts. If they thought the kikimora had been “induced,” they looked for the doll in the house, and, having found it, burned it. Not finding it, they tried to persuade the supposed “thieves” to remove the enchanted item.

The arsenal of healing methods also included special spells and rituals. For example, at “Grachevnik”, they swept all the corners in the hut, and fumigated the stove with the sentence: “Oh, you goy, come out, Kikimora brownie, from the goryunin’s house quickly, otherwise they will tear you up with hot rods, burn you with blazing fire , will be filled with black resin. My word is firm." The path in front of the house was swept from the porch to the well or intersection. We got rid of old dishes with cracks and chips by breaking them and throwing them away. They burned the rubbish that had accumulated in the house, and threw old clothes into the fire.

Literature:

Levkievskaya E. E. Myths of the Russian people.

Maksimov S V Unclean, unknown and godlike power

February 16th is the day when amulets are created for the home. At the time of dual faith in Rus', the day of Maremyana the Righteous, popularly nicknamed Meremyana-Kikimora, was celebrated on Lute/February 16. On this day, they tried to appease Kikimora (the accomplice of Morena and Mokosha, Domovoy’s wife) with special offerings so that she would not confuse the yarn and play pranks at night. People also said: “To Maremyana Yarilo - with a pitchfork.” For, according to legend, at this time Jarilo Velesic “raises winter with a pitchfork.”
Our people's belief in kikimora began from time immemorial and belongs to a special myth of Russian demonology. An evil spirit (kikimora) lives in this world by itself. Damned, she doesn’t know anyone, she’s not related to anyone; she has neither brother nor sister; She has neither a yard nor a stake, but she makes her way, homeless, wherever there is day and wherever there is night. Kikimora enters the hut, not knowing anyone, she settles behind the stove, not knowing anyone. It knocks and rattles from morning to evening, and whistles from evening to midnight, bringing fear to the household. Since that great disaster, the houses of the townspeople have been empty, the courtyards are overgrown with grass and ants. If Kikimora settles somewhere, then the villagers in Grachevniki call for healers, who decide to exorcise evil spirits for great promises. On Grachevniki, the kikimoras become quiet and tame, and only on this day can they be killed.

Female house spirits were known to our ancestors, although they were very rarely called house spirits. Most often they were talked about in the northern regions of our country. They were called differently: domozhirikha, domanya, kikimora, shishimora, neighbor, mara. The last two (kikimora and shishimora) are more ancient and more consistent with the character of this spirit. These words consist of two parts: Mora - the goddess of death, obsessions; kikat – shout, make noise; shish - unclean spirit.
And indeed, the kikimora, unlike the brownie, is the evil spirit of the house. As a rule, she is not shown to people, but they say that she is a small, ugly, unkempt old woman. Seeing her means great misfortune, even death.
The kikimora's character matches her appearance. She loves to make a mess in the house: she often breaks dishes, spills cereals, onions, and even breaks furniture. She loves to make noise at night and scare children. But her special weakness is to pull out the hair of men at night and pluck the feathers of birds. If the kikimora decides to finish some work for you, then she will hopelessly ruin everything, get dirty, messy - you will never untangle the yarn or wash the embroidery forgotten on the sofa. The kikimora becomes especially active on White Christmastide, that is, Christmas, and can go on rampage for a whole week.

Why might a kikimora appear in the house? This happens in two cases:
1. The house may stand in an “unclean place,” that is, where a suicide or an unbaptized baby was once buried.
2. Kikimora can also be feigned. If the builders and stove makers did a great job, and the owner of the new house is in no hurry to pay, vindictive workers can play a cruel joke on him. Place a spoken doll or just a piece of wood under the stove or in the foundation. Kikimora is provided in the building.
On April 17, on the day of Gerasim the Rooker, the kikimora loses its fighting fuse. The spring air makes her fall into a dreamy state and becomes helpless. They call her and cut a cross in her hair or throw a chain with a cross around her neck. After such forced churching, the kikimora becomes human.

To ward off the kikimora from the dacha (in stone, especially in concrete houses, a completely different evil spirit lives), a “rose” from a bottle or a pot without a bottom is hung in the hallway. It’s impossible to understand why this would happen. It just works - no comments. Another old method, related more to the damage of livestock by kikimora - chickens, in particular. You need to find a pebble with a hole (not drill it yourself, but find it), hang it on a strap. This amulet is called the “chicken god”. Twenty years ago, Russian hippies wore holey stones for good luck, although they themselves looked worse than kikimoras.
However, do not forget about the most effective remedy - you need to love your home, keep it clean and tidy, and then no kikimora will start in it.

Soviet cartoon about the girl Glasha, who rocked her sister Dunyasha in a cradle. But suddenly Kikimora entered the house, whom Glasha mistook for a simple grandmother. And Kikimora stole Dunyashka, let’s catch up with Glasha. On the way, I saved Vodyany, who was drowning. So he helped Kikimora outwit and take his sister. Or maybe it was just a dream?
https://kinderlibrary.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/
http://www.velesovkrug.ru/prazdniki/imeninyi-kikimoryi.html

The well-known and beloved and respected spirit of our home, the Brownie, most often lives in our homes more than once. This is understandable - how long will such a thrifty “guy” be single? Brownie has a wife - Kikimora.

What can we say about Kikimora? Actually, it’s better not to talk about Kikimora. And if you speak, then in a whisper, and even better - not in your own home. This is exactly the case when you shouldn’t wake up a crazy person while it’s quiet. Because Kikimora’s character is wow! And even oh! And sometimes - oh!

Kikimora is the spirit of nightmares and household mold, a malicious creature with a shrill, creaky voice, knocks and rattles, causing chaos in the house. In fairness, it must be said that Kikimora shows his unsugared character to careless owners, and when he quarrels with Domovoy. What did you want? Should there be someone to blame? So you, dear owners, are appointed by them.

If one day everything suddenly begins to fall out of your hands, the cereal wakes up, the cabinet doors open and they even try to hit you on the forehead, the stove goes out, and someone invisible pulls your animals by the fur and thereby increases the chaos, if you want tearing and throwing, and preferably something heavy - everything is clear here - Kikimora and Domovoy quarreled. Let's treat this with understanding, it happens to everyone.

Kikimora's birthday is celebrated February 16. The brownie is sleeping at this time. And more often than not, he doesn’t sleep at all, but goes about his business. He has a vacation for the winter, he has the right. And Kikimora looks after the house and the household. Therefore, missing Kikimora’s name day is a risky business. She’s already not in the most rosy mood by the end of winter, and now the careless owners have forgotten about the holiday.

But it’s time to gradually prepare your home for spring - get rid of junk, wash curtains, put order in cabinets, check cereals, count supplies, and buy what you need. What is lost is to be thrown away, what has been worn out and worn out, what children have grown out of - also get out of the house. We are preparing a place for the spring wind! Not right away, not abruptly, but we’re starting. And we ourselves understand - the day has grown longer, the sky is turning blue - spring is coming. According to legend, on this day, February 16, Yarilo “raises winter on a pitchfork,” which means winter has begun to shorten.

Let's clean up the house on this day and respect Kikimora. Don’t throw your handicrafts anywhere, either. Kikimora really loves to sew and spin, embroider and knit. But he can’t. It will only ruin everything, mix up the threads, turn the tow into a bun. Give Kikimore a ball or a skein, or a piece of embroidery - let him play with it. It’s a pleasure for her, and it’s easier for you.
And in the evening you can sit at the table with a pie and some liqueur, surrounded by women. Give Kikimore a treat and thank him for looking after the house. At the same time, appease her so that she doesn’t play pranks at night, and doesn’t tangle the yarn and threads.

Brownie, on Kikimora’s name day, is announced at home. He is interested in treats and follows “safety precautions.” Not showing up for a name day with a wife with such a character is desperate recklessness! Although they don’t pour Kikimora for Domovoy’s name day, he, however, will not miss his.
He can walk and wander around, and if you have a yard, the yard servant will join in the celebration. The consequences of these violent festivities are, in general, insignificant - at most broken dishes, and incomprehensible noise in the house and in the yard. But not for long - Kikimora knows how to call to order, educates her husband behind the stove, and you see - again there is peace, harmony and silence.

On Kikimora’s name day, in addition to cleaning and preparing the living space for spring, they made various amulets for the household and home. They worked magically for cleaning, for harmonizing the home, for peace and harmony. On this day, they avoided conflicts and quarrels and preserved peace. There is no need to celebrate Kikimore on a grand scale, but respect is nice. The calmer and more pleasant you spend this day, the longer the atmosphere that is comfortable for the residents will remain in the house, the more secure and comfortable the household will be in it.

Ardana, 2017

More details on the forum:

Calendar of our Ancestors, Heritage of the Orthodox Family

Kikimora's name day - 16 lute (February)

the day when they create amulets for the house.At the time of dual faith in Rus' 16 Lute/February celebrated the day of Maremyana the Righteous, popularly nicknamed Meremyana-Kikimora. On this day, they tried to appease Kikimora (the accomplice of Morena and Mokosha, Domovoy’s wife) with special offerings so that she would not confuse the yarn and play pranks at night.People also said: “ On Maremyana Yarilo - with a pitchfork" For, according to popular belief, about this time Yarilo Velesic " lifts winter to the pitchfork».

Since ancient times in Rus' February 16 (March 2, new style) celebrated the day of Maremyana the Righteous, popularly nicknamed Meremyana-Kikimora. On this day, they tried to appease Kikimora (the accomplice of Morena and Mokosha, Domovoy’s wife) with special offerings so that she would not confuse the yarn and play pranks at night. People also said: “To Maremyana Yarilo with a pitchfork.” For, according to legend, at this time Yarilo “raises winter with a pitchfork.”

The etymology of the first component of the word kikimora - kik - is associated by other researchers either with the verb kikat (shout, make sharp sounds), or with the noun kika (crest, cap). The second part of the word - mora - in other Slavic languages acts as an independent word, denoting female demons that send nightmares to people. In Polish mythology, a mora is a woman whose soul can separate from her body at night, enter other people's houses in the form of a moth and strangle those sleeping. Similar beliefs exist among the southern Slavs. (For more information about the history of this word and its meanings among other Slavs, see: Etymological Dictionary of Slavic Languages. T. 19. M., 1992. pp. 211-214. See also: Cherepanova O.A. Mythological vocabulary of the Russian North. L ., 1983. P. 124-133; Vlasova M.H. New Abevega of Russian superstitions. St. Petersburg, 1995. P. 170-177. Tales about kikimore are taken from the following sources: Mythological stories of the Russian population... P. 85-86; Maksimov S. V. Unclean, unknown and godly power. T. 1. M., 1993. pp. 64-65; Materials of the ethnolinguistic expedition to the Kargopol district of the Arkhangelsk region, stored in the folklore room of the Russian State University for the Humanities).

Why might Kikimora appear in the house?

Kikimora often breaks dishes at night, scatters cereals, onions, and even breaks furniture. She also loves to torment children. But her special weakness is to pull out the hair of men at night and pluck the feathers of birds. If the kikimora decides to finish some work for you, then she will hopelessly ruin everything, stain it, make it messy - you will never untangle the yarn or wash the embroidery forgotten on the sofa. Kikimora can even drive the owners out of the house with his quirks.

The neighbor's passion (one of the kikimora's nicknames) for woolly material was also evident in the yard, where she plucked feathers from chickens and sheared sheep, which made them bald later.

But here’s what’s curious: the acquired wool did not disappear, but was found in the barn in the form of bedding for livestock. This invisible woman was certified as a lover of horse riding: in the morning the owner could find his horse driven into the soap. An amusing detail: beliefs that the kikimora harms livestock by counting them stipulate the modesty of her mathematical abilities, claiming that she can only count to three. The active little one performed all her “exploits” at night, and during the day she slept behind the stove, in the attic or in the underground. Sometimes, however, she could break her usual daily routine by running like a pig through the shops. Kikimora, if she settled in an empty house, then she won’t want to let anyone in: she will start throwing whatever she can: garbage, for example, or even stones. The swamp kikimora was a scary creature. She, the wife of the devil, was credited with kidnapping children, luring lost travelers into a quagmire, etc. On the other hand, the invisible woman was hardworking, and most of all she was fond of spinning, sewing and weaving lace - these activities were a hereditary craft among kikimoras (and the great Makosh, as you know, spun the threads of fate). If she turned out to be a needlewoman, she could finish the spinning for the mistress, and if she lacked talent or skill, then she was dissatisfied with the results of her work, or, angry with the mistress, she tangled the wool and burned the tow. To prevent this from happening, it was necessary to bless the means preferred by the kikimora at night. Thanks to the tricks of the clumsy people from this family, the people coined the saying: “You won’t get a shirt from a kikimora.” She was also a very responsible watchwoman. In the Russian North, it was believed that in the summer she walks through the fields with a huge hot frying pan in her hands, stored in case a thief is discovered there: “whoever she catches in someone else’s field, he will fry.” They also said that this willful woman is capable of helping and patronizing the family, but only if her mistress is dexterous, diligent and skillful. Then she will undertake to lull the little ones to sleep, wash the jars, and provide good baked goods. Kikimora was considered a fortuneteller; they believed that her crying or rattling bobbins predicted trouble, and her appearance predicted the death of one of the inhabitants of the house. In a mysterious way for us, the location of the invisible thing meant - for worse or for good. In some places, it was even customary to ask her about fate and receive answers in the form of a knock (after all, Makosh was responsible for fate).

Kikimora, as a rule, is not shown to people, but they say that she is a small, ugly, unkempt old woman. Seeing her is a great misfortune, even death.

Celebrating the wife's name day, Domovoy and Dvorov walk around drunk and chatter all night until the morning, giving no rest to either the owners or the pets.

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

In some regions of Rus', to protect against Kikimora, a “pig-slaughtering” stick was placed under the manger, and a tuft of bear hair was placed under the pole. Salt shakers in the house were tied with juniper belts. If they thought the kikimora had been “induced”, they looked for the doll in the house, and, having found it, burned it. Not finding it, they tried to persuade the supposed “thieves” to remove the enchanted item.

Literature: Levkievskaya E. E. Myths of the Russian people. Maksimov S V Unclean, unknown and godlike power

Introducing the heroine of the story, it is worth starting with the many names with which she was called in the superstitions of our ancestors: kikimra, kukimora, kikimorka, shishimora, neighbor, mara. This household spirit in a number of places was considered the wife of the brownie (who was called the sister-in-law, and she, therefore, the neighbor).

The historical roots of the character go back to ancient times and are associated with the cult of the stern goddess Morena (Mora, Mary), whose very name means death. As for “kik”, “kuk”, this is an ancient Balto-Slavic root, the speech meaning of which is hunchbackedness, crookedness; according to another version, from the verb to kick, i.e. scream, cry, lament. “Shish” indicates swarming, moving, stealthy actions (in Old Russian shish - thief, bandit).

Who became a kikimora?

According to fairly widespread beliefs, a girl who died before baptism or was cursed in the womb turned into a kikimora, i.e. if you had an abortion. There are so many abortions - so many kikimores who, before the death of their mother, will guard her soul in order to drag her to hell.

It was believed that a girl stolen or exchanged by evil spirits, or one born to a woman from a fiery serpent, could become a kikimora. They believed that it could appear in houses placed in bad places: close to the burial of a suicide, an inveterate dead person, etc., as well as near swamps. In addition, the kikimora could have been “released” by sorcerers or malicious craftsmen (carpenters, stove makers).

What did the kikimora look like?

In popular imagination, she was a very slender person: “she is very thin, small, with a head the size of a thimble, and a body no thicker than a straw.” And she was ugly in appearance, a sort of ugly disheveled woman dressed in rags. The age of the kikimora was generally defined as senile.

However, it happened that she was represented as a girl with a long braid, without clothes or in only a shirt (don’t you think it looks like the image of a mermaid? ;-(peasant women with a warrior on their head or with loose hair and even... in a male form They claimed that because of the kikimora, there was a “looming” in the hut, i.e. a pig, a dog, a hare seemed to be heard, whistling, children’s crying, knocking, and even songs with dances, and what kind of dances could be heard and clapping!

What did the kikimora do?

It was believed that she creates disturbances, annoys the owners: interferes with sleep (or, like Mara, gives nightmares), breaks pots, confuses yarn, knocks, throws onions from the underground and pillows from the floors. Moreover, which is typical, the head of the house was declared the main object of dirty tricks. It was as if she could even rip his hair out.

However, the neighbor’s passion for woolly material also manifested itself in the yard, where she plucked feathers from chickens and sheared sheep, which made them bald later. But here’s what’s curious: the acquired wool did not disappear, but was found in the barn in the form of bedding for livestock.

This invisible woman was certified as a lover of horse riding: in the morning the owner could find his horse driven into the soap. An amusing detail: beliefs that the kikimora harms livestock by counting them stipulate the modesty of her mathematical abilities, claiming that she can only count to three.

The active little one performed all her “exploits” at night, and during the day she slept behind the stove (well, like a brownie’s wife), in the attic or in the underground. Sometimes, however, she could break her usual daily routine by running like a pig through the shops. In thriller scenarios with the participation of a kikimora, it was assumed that she was capable of destroying a person and surviving from home. Honestly, who should she mock then? It seems to be unprofitable.

However, this explains the version according to which a kikimora, if it has settled in an empty house, will not want to let anyone in: it will start throwing anything at all: garbage, for example, or even stones. So maybe she was simply against communal services and wanted her own home?

The swamp kikimora was a scary creature. She, the wife of the devil, was credited with kidnapping children, luring lost travelers into a quagmire, etc.

On the other hand, the invisible woman was hardworking, and most of all she was fond of spinning, sewing and weaving lace - these activities were a hereditary craft among kikimoras (and the great Makosh, as you know, spun the threads of fate). If she turned out to be a needlewoman, she could finish the spinning for the mistress, and if she lacked talent or skill, then, dissatisfied with the results of her work, or angry with the mistress, she tangled the wool and burned the tow. To prevent this from happening, it was necessary to bless the means of the kikimora’s preferred labor at night. Thanks to the tricks of the clumsy people from this family, the people coined the saying: “You won’t get a shirt from a kikimora.”

She was also a very responsible watchwoman. In the Russian North, it was believed that in the summer she walks through the fields with a huge hot frying pan in her hands, stored in case a thief is discovered there: “whoever she catches in someone else’s field, he will fry.”

They also said that this willful woman is capable of helping and patronizing the family, but only if her mistress is dexterous, diligent and skillful. Then she will undertake to lull the little ones to sleep, wash the jars, and provide good baked goods. Kikimora was considered a fortuneteller; they believed that her crying or rattling bobbins predicted trouble, and her appearance predicted the death of one of the inhabitants of the house. In a mysterious way for us, the location of the invisible thing meant - for worse or for good. In some places it was even customary to ask her about fate and receive answers in the form of a knock (but after all, Makosh was responsible for fate!).

How did you get rid of kikimoras?

It was extremely difficult to get rid of the rampaging kikimora. The best amulet against it was considered to be the “chicken god” - a pebble with a natural hole or the neck of a broken jug with a piece of calico, which was hung over a perch, on beams in a barn, carried with oneself, etc.

A “pig-killing” stick was placed under the manger, and a tuft of bear or camel hair with incense was placed under the pole. Salt shakers in the house were tied with juniper belts. If they thought the kikimora had been “induced,” they looked for the doll in the house, and when they found it, they burned it. Not finding it, they tried to persuade the supposed “threaters” to remove the enchanted item.

The arsenal of healing methods included special spells and rituals. For example, on Gerasim Grachevnik (March 17, New Style), they swept all the corners of the hut and the stove, which was fumigated with the sentence: “Oh, you goy, come out, you brownie kikimora, from the goryunin’s house quickly, otherwise they will pull you away They will burn you with hot rods, they will burn you with blazing fire, they will pour you with black tar. My word is firm."

Among the measures there were some very strange ones. In particular, throw a cross over it (this is for an invisible thing!), and it will freeze in place, i.e. will be immobilized. Or this: catch and cut the hair on the crown of the head (also in the form of a cross), then she will turn into a person, although she will retain some physiological defect for the rest of her life (dementia, stuttering, etc.).

When is kikimora's name day?

In the literature on memorable dates about the day of March 2, when the Orthodox world, along with the memory of Theodore Tyrone, honors Mariamne the Righteous, as a rule, surprise is expressed: “how the righteous Maremyana (Mariamne) of the church calendar turned into Meremyana-Kikimora in the folk month, it is difficult to say "

In fact, there is nothing surprising here. In pre-Christian times, this day was dedicated to the goddess Morena (Sea, Mara), so to speak, a farewell to her on the occasion of the onset of the new year and the end of winter, of which she was the ruler. And since our heroine was in the retinue of this celestial woman, Meremyana Kikimora is an echo of ancient beliefs.

Agree, these rituals have a clear New Year's background. It was thanks to them that soon, on Gerasim Grachevnik, the kikimors became meek and peaceful for the only time a year. They knew, it was clear that on that very day they could be kicked out of the house.
As we can see, in the image of the kikimora there is a connection with other mythological characters, sometimes even an overlap of their aspects (maybe just confusion?). But why this story at all? After all, time moves inexorably, and superstitions retreat into the depths of centuries. Why not take the opportunity and, following the customs of our ancestors, take and throw away old, unnecessary things to create more space in the house (or at least make room for new storage of similar things...)?

Valentina Ponomareva