What do we know about Domovoy? The invisible guardian of the house

According to Slavic beliefs, a person is accompanied by various spirits throughout his life . Among them, those who live directly in or near a person’s home, who keep and protect the hearth and household, stand out. Surely, each of us has ever heard about Domovoy. This is the most important spirit of housing, it is found in almost every home! Who is he - the real Brownie? What does this good spirit look like and where can you find it? This is what our article is about.

Domovoi is the youngest Slavic God, loved by people since ancient times. He lives next to a person, which is why the idol of Domovoy used to be placed in every home.

You can also become the owner of such an idol!

Kummir brownie

They made mostly sculptural images of brownies. As a rule, they were made of clay (or, as they say now, ceramics), and were also carved from wood. The images could be very different: very often in the hands of the brownie they depicted a bowl for the needs, or the brownie sitting on a chest with goods, as if protecting the goods, or other images, even a grandfather and grandmother (Master and Mistress). The kummir of the brownie was made by the head of the clan, usually ranging in size from two tops to an arshin, that is, from 9 to 71 cm.

If you bought a figurine of a brownie, then you need to activate it, as if to breathe the Soul into it, otherwise it will be just a sculpture, an image. When a person himself makes a brownie from stone or wood, he invests his Soul.

Brownie names

The brownies were called differently: * Grandfather ; * Host (Housewife) - because the keeper of the hearth; * Neighbor - because he lived next door to people in the same house; * Cone - means that the brownie is short; * Lizun - it was believed that the brownie did not drink milk, but licked the cream from the surface. Or when a child cries, a brownie will come up to calm him down and lick away his tears; * Kuzmich (Egor Kuzmich) - the expression “podkuzmil” has survived to this day, i.e. he made a joke, because the brownie likes to play around, play pranks, about such people they say: “both old and young like to play”; * Nafanya – from the word Nav, i.e. A world that borders on Reality. These images served as prototypes for the cartoon “Kuzya the Brownie.” That is, Kuzya, Kuzenka is still small, he is not Kuzmich yet, but his mentor is an older brownie - Nafanya. * Egorych, Dobrokhot and other names.

* The brownie really doesn’t like being called the devil (the devil is someone who is beyond the line of perception). It was believed that everything bad and negative was beyond the line.

List of names for hedgehog boys

To give the baby hedgehog authority, masculinity, and even exalt him a little in the eyes of others, give him a respectable, adult, real masculine name.

Or a whole title.

General;
Captain;
Spikes (pointed from English);
Joy (joy from English);
Thorne;
Skipper;
A penny;
Hazel;
Chip;
Pepper;
Dizi (dizziness from English);
Crow;
Shadow;
Speedy;
Stormy;
Thomas;
Titanium;
Thunder;
Jacques;
Goldie;
Gatsby;
Leonardo;
Oliver;
Benji;
Boy;
Marv;
Billy;
Ozy;
Walt;
Richie;
Richard
Charlie;
Rocky;
King;
Punk;
Pinocchio;
Oscar;
Darcy;
Dixie;
Leo;
Bruno;
Starlight;
Caesar;
Fomich;
DiCaprio;
Max;
Zhorik;
Yashka;
Willie;
Timofey;
Big Bob;
Lancelot;
Eugene;
Ralph;
Edik;
Filya;
Fedor;
Hippolytus;
Vaska;
Steve;
Tobby;
Edgar;
Elvis;
Mozart;
Van Dam;
Van Gogh;
Chopin;
Columbus;
Fidel.

To expand this list, it’s worth remembering the names of your favorite movie and TV series characters, famous people, idols of youth or modern times, cartoon characters, looking through books with names for children, even calling friends for advice. Or, in general, look in mythology: expand your horizons and choose a non-standard name.

Options for nicknames can be your hobbies and interests. For example, you love plants, you can call this little cactus baby. And if fishing - Shark or, in general, Echinozoa (family of echinoderms, including sea urchin).

But it is advisable not to call your needle pet by anyone’s name, so as not to offend them. For the same reason, you should avoid nicknames that are similar in sound or meaning to the names of family members. For example, Mikhail and Potapych.

Attitude towards the brownie

Christian priests really don’t like brownies , they even have a mania to go baptize apartments, cleanse them of wickedness, of brownies. And the priests intimidate people, they say that brownies are demons, you need to get rid of them, not use their help, and so on.

The Slavs always lived amicably with the brownies , took care of each other, that is, there was a so-called symbiosis - mutual assistance, mutual support.

The brownie loves order , so a person in the house should always put things in order, everything should be in its place. It was considered especially unacceptable to leave knives on the table.

The brownie does not like swearing, swearing, scandals, and especially hates drinking. Because all this negativity is all unnatural, but the brownie is a natural creature. That is, why argue - it’s unnatural, because you can find common ground and solve any problem.

List of cute names

Despite all their prickliness, hedgehogs are still very “cute” animals. Therefore, affectionate, “cute” names suit them:

Pixie;
Mimi;
Mila;
Button;
Kuzya;
Gavryusha;
Tosha;
Toto;
Rosie;
Lulu;
Peach;
Pumpkin;
Buttercup;
Tisha;
Bead;
Masyanya;
Minnie;
Pinny;
Flower;
Fairy;
Periwinkle;
Clover;
Styopka;
Fluff;
Pushinka;
Pyshechka;
Dandelion;
Snort;
Futya;
Star;
Vanilla;
Marshmallow;
Berry;
Malinka;
Caramel;
Cookie;
Cutie;
Baby;
Tiny;
Tiny;
Romeo;
Kiryusha;
Stepashka.

Master's corner

The master's corner is the brownie's corner, it is always on the right side of the entrance. A small step, about 25 cm high, was installed here to make it more convenient for the brownie to eat. On the steps stood the Kummir of the brownie and the breviary (chalice) into which they brought his needs. That is, in the houses of the Slavs there was a Red Corner (beautiful) on the left - in it stood the Kummirs of the Family, and on the right was the Master's Corner - here stood the Kummir of the Brownie. Any guest made two bows: one to the Red Corner, the second to the Host Corner, expressing respect. If a person asked to stay, i.e. to spend the night, and still had a meal, then, in addition to bowing, he brought the brownie’s demands in order to respect the Master (not the male head of the Family, but the brownie).

Christians hung icons in the Red Corner, and they called the right corner the “black corner”; they placed a broom there, as if opposite the brownie, and the broom was placed with the handle up, although the Slavs always placed the broom at the threshold with the handle down . Firstly, so that it would be more convenient for the brownie (he is short) to take a broom and sweep away the evil spirits, and secondly, so that there would be prosperity in the house.

Russian stove (house under the stove)

It is believed that the brownie lives under the stove, but if we are talking about a modern stove, then this is an incorrect expression. The Russian stove differed from the modern firebox with a cast iron stove.

In a Russian stove there is a large fire chamber, the wood in it was lit all around, and a cast iron pot was placed in the middle in an empty place, i.e. as if in a circle of fire. Therefore, the water was heated not from below (it just boils away), but from all sides at once, and the food was not cooked, but simmered. On top of the stove there is a pipe and a stove bench. On the sides of the stove there are niches where dishes were placed to dry. At the bottom there is a furnace - a rather large cavity where firewood for the next fire was placed, or some objects, and cats could sleep there. * They washed themselves in a Russian stove, and not just cooked food. That is, they heated it, removed the coals, climbed into the oven, set up a tub and steamed and washed.

The brownie's favorite place was under the stove , that is, in the oven, which was covered with curtains so as not to disturb the brownie while people were doing housework. The brownie was attracted to the stove by the aroma of simmering food. But the brownie could also live under his pet’s bed, so the blanket was all the way to the floor so that the brownie felt calm and no one would inadvertently look in there. In modern apartments, the brownie likes to be in the kitchen behind the refrigerator, behind the stove, or in the wardrobe.

Eating a brownie (how to make friends with a brownie)

The brownie feeds on energy . They often made their own carved spoon for the brownie's cup, but this is only symbolism, the brownie is a Spirit, not a person, he only takes energy from food. While doing housework, he spends energy, and then restores it from food. Milk, sour cream, and cream were considered the highest energy foods , so they were always served to the brownie. If you added pancakes, pancakes, or other food, you added another cup so as not to throw the food into one pile. You can feed your brownie any food that you eat yourself: porridge, salad, milk, sausage, cookies, candy, etc. You cannot put alcohol (!) in either the Red Corner or the Khozyaisky Corner; our Ancestors did not drink. * Previously, everyone had their own cup, spoon, mug - this is the norm of hygiene, because everyone had their own toothbrush, and everyone also had their own spoon. And even if the food was made in a common cast iron pot, everyone ate with their own spoon.

To make friends with a brownie, you need to have dinner with him . When you sit down to have a meal (dinner), take the brownie’s bowl from the Master’s corner, place it next to yours, and from your bowl, with your spoon, put porridge or salad to the brownie, that is, share the food with the brownie. Then imagine the image of a brownie (put the Brownie Kummir in front of you and focus on it, or just close your eyes and imagine the kind face of a brownie) and say the phrase: “ Brownie, brownie, sit down for dinner with me ” (or “ Brownie, brownie, sit down with me for dinner ", "Brownie, brownie, dine with me"). Then you need to read the address of the Ancestor-Rod, which is read before the meal. That is, you invited the brownie, read the Ancestor Rod and had a meal together. Then you take the brownie’s saucer and place it with a bow in the Master’s corner in front of the brownie’s Kummir. He ate with you, and he’ll want to eat more there later. The bait should be in the saucer for at least 12 hours or a day. Let's say you had dinner in the evening, and the next evening you can give the brownie something fresh.

If in modern apartments the area or layout does not allow for a Master's Corner, the saucer is placed behind the refrigerator, gas stove, closet or under the bed, i.e. away, so as not to get your foot in there (it will be unpleasant for you if someone gets their foot into your cup). You should also take into account that brownies are usually short, so do not place the bowl high on shelves or in the refrigerator, etc. The cat will never take anything from the brownie's treasury.

Ideas for naming an albino white hedgehog

If a hedgehog as a pet is already extraordinary in itself, then an all-white pet is doubly extraordinary. Therefore, the most suitable names for them are “snow-white” and their derivatives:

White;
Bella;
Squirrel;
Little squirrel;
Snow White;
Lily of the valley;
Jasmine;
Puff;
Snowflake;
Snowball;
Crystal;
Moon;
Snow;
Belyash;
Marshmallow;
Dawn.

Anything that is in any way associated with the color white is ideal as a name for an albino.

How to pick up a brownie when moving

When you move to a new place of residence, you need to take the brownie with you. Previously, to do this, they took a single shoe or cut out a small sled from wood (you can take a single slipper), put this shoe in the oven (or behind the refrigerator, closet, sofa - where the brownie lives), closed their eyes, imagined the kind, pleasant face of the brownie and said the phrase: “ Brownie, brownie, get in the sleigh and ride with us .” This is done last, when all the household items have already been collected and all things have been taken out of the apartment.

In a new house, they put the shoe in a new place for the brownie: under the stove, sofa, closet... and say: “ Brownie, brownie, we have arrived home .” A saucer with cream or sour cream is placed next to the bast shoe; if there is milk, then butter is added to it to make it richer and more filling. But before bringing the brownie into the new home, they let in a black cat; she senses a positive or negative environment very well. And when the cat walked through all the rooms and got comfortable, then the sleigh with the brownie was already brought in.

How to make brownies friends . Ignorant people forget the brownie when they move, so there are times when there are two brownies in the house (the old one stayed and the new brownie came with you), and there are even quarrels between them, which can affect people. Then a special ceremony is carried out to make friends with the brownies. When you sit down to have a meal, two more cups are placed on the table (for your brownie and for the brownie of the old owners), you put food from your cup on the brownie’s plates and say: “ Brownie, brownie, eat with me, both the new Master and the old Master. ” . That is, you kind of fraternized them. There is an expression: “They ate porridge from the same pot,” and only siblings could eat with one spoon, that is, everyone had their own spoon, but they could eat with one in a circle from the same pot. After this, the old brownie will be favorable to you, he will tell your brownie about the order in the house, about the neighbors, and then the two of them will restore such order, you will not be overjoyed.

What to name a female hedgehog?

Although the hedgehog girl is prickly, she is above all a sweet lady, even under a layer of thorns. Therefore, here you can follow the same principle as when choosing names for hedgehog boys.

Here is a list of the most beautiful and most suitable:

Lola;
Daisy;
Ella;
Betty;
Elsa;
Bonya;
Lindsay;
Dappy;
Cindy;
Linda;
Roxy;
Eve;
Dani;
Elena;
Hayley;
Lily;
Sarah;
Harriet;
Crystal;
Sonya;
Tansy;
Peggy;
Penelope;
Zoe;
Gina;
Piper;
Tiffany;
Dusya;
Sophie;
Alice;
Elsa;
Jesse;
Blondie;
Bertha;
Moon;
Gretta;
Holly;
Heidi;
Margaret;
Scarlett;
Lydia;
Jane;
Julie;
Stella;
Leila;
Kelly;
Skitty;
Ethel;
Rose;
Coco;
Comet;
Diadem.

Creating a brownie

In the old days, when they were preparing for a wedding - Lubomir, i.e. the twinning of two Clans, the young people built their own mansions (house), marked in advance where the house and buildings would be, and where the Master’s corner would be, i.e. even before construction begins. They stood in the future Master’s corner and said: “ Brownie, brownie, help us in our deeds, you will have cabbage soup and porridge, ” that is, they turned to the future brownie, as if creating a brownie. You know, like fishermen, in order to get a bite, they feed the fish in one place. Then the fishermen can sit nearby and not catch anything, and the one who fed him will carry one fish after another in this hole. So here, the brownie is fed to a given house, although there is no house yet, but the brownie sees the construction and is already beginning to inhabit the space of his future household. But people don’t deceive the brownie, they build until evening, then they put cabbage soup and porridge in the future Master’s corner. So every day there are people for dinner, and don’t forget to feed the brownie, because he already helps during the construction, so that the work goes smoothly, otherwise the construction may go wrong, the log will not be cut correctly, something else will happen, and then you will have to live in this house you don't want to.

Best couple names

If you are the happy owner of two hedgehogs at once, then it would be nice to give them paired nicknames. Although this is not at all necessary.

For boy and girl:

Yin and Yang;
Day and night;
Adam and Eve;
Barbie and Ken;
Sun and moon;
Bonnie and Clyde;
Pepsi and Cola.

Pair of males:

Diamond and Diamond;
Timon and Pumbaa;
Chip and Dale;
Harry and Potter;
Goofy and Pluto;
Zig and Zag.

For two girls:

Olya and Yalo;
Vai and Fi;
Berta and Busya;
Gerda and Dale;
Dina and Dana.

This list can be continued indefinitely, it all depends on your imagination and personal preferences. But I hope you get the point.

Appeal to the brownie

The system of contacting a brownie is rites and rituals, that is, there is no one constant, they are different. itself is similar to prayer in front of an icon , that is, a person focuses on the icon, says prayers, asks for something, lights a candle, and bows. The appeal to the brownie is approximately similar, because Christians adopted rituals from the Slavs. The main thing to do is to stand with your face in the Master's corner, look at Kummir the brownie or imagine an image (always only the same image, so as not to multiply them), concentrate on it, make an appeal, put out bait and bow.

Every time you contact a brownie, you must feed him , otherwise the brownie will compensate for the expended energy by taking it from the person who turns to him, vital energy. That’s why in Rus' they said: “If you asked a brownie, then create a normal environment for him yourself.” Play with the child. Children try to imitate everything that adults do: dad chops wood and the children reach out to chop wood; the mother cooks or washes, and the children need to cook and wash, that is, the child takes on work experience. But when something needs to be done, but there is no time to be distracted by the child, the parents asked the brownie to play with the child. To do this, you need to stand facing the Master's corner, close your eyes, imagine the image of a brownie and say: “ Brownie, brownie, play with my child .” After this, you can go about your business, and the brownie will take care of the child. The child will start playing with a candy wrapper, a bow, a newspaper, whatever, and will sit there until you call him by name. The baby's name is the key to the baby. If you call the child by name, the brownie sees that you have freed yourself and no longer need his help. But you must immediately feed the brownie. Insomnia. When the child cannot sleep and is crying, stand facing the Master’s corner, close your eyes, imagine the image of a brownie and say: “ Brownie, brownie, calm my child down ” (not put to sleep, but calm down - the brownie is not Morpheus). Place the bait immediately. As a rule, this helps children under 5-7 years old; then the Soviet education system turns on, which clogs and breaks all the sensory channels in children in relation to the brownie.

If you have insomnia, you can’t sleep, you toss and turn, put some bait in the brownie’s saucer, go to bed, close your eyes, imagine the image of the brownie and say the phrase: “ Knock-knock, chok-chok, brownie, brownie, turn on the other side ,” and in a couple of minutes you will fall asleep. In this case, there is no need to stand in the Master's Corner, because impressionable people can fall on the floor and fall asleep there. If, on the contrary, you feel sleepy, but you don’t need to sleep for some reason, then you need to stand facing the Master’s corner, imagine the image of a brownie and say the same phrase: “Knock-knock, chok-chok, brownie, brownie, turn to the other side", sleep will disappear for 12 hours. This phrase changes the biological state of a person from sleep to wakefulness and, conversely, from wakefulness to sleep. Help with business. When a person is outside the house, he turns to the Gods - to Lada, to the Ancestor of the Family, or to Dazhdbog (“Dazhdbog for help”). And when he does something around the house, he turns to the brownie. It happens that things don’t work out, everything falls out of hand, then to make things work, stand facing the Master’s corner, imagine the image of a brownie and say: “ Brownie, brownie, help in my affairs ” (go “help in my affairs”). Then don’t forget to put in some bait, and a bow is required at every call. Find what's missing. The Christian phrase is familiar to everyone: “Damn, damn, play and give it back” - never say it, the brownie doesn’t like being called the devil. In order for the lost thing to be found, you need to stand with your back in the Master’s corner, bury your eyes, imagine the kind image of the brownie and say: “ Brownie, brownie, play and give it back .” Search for 3 minutes, if you don’t find it, put the bait in the saucer, and already change the intonation: “Brownie, brownie, well, play and give it back!” If after 3 minutes you haven’t found it, add more bait, and then say harshly: “Brownie, brownie, well, play and give it back!” Must find it. If you haven’t found it after 3 minutes, then this thing is not in the house. That is, we address him three times: the first time calmly, the second - demandingly, the third - imperiously, threateningly. The brownie can be like a child, he loves to play and fool around. Look after the house. Previously, when we left home for a short time, so that everything was in order, we turned to the brownie: “ Hey, Grandfather, don’t fall asleep, put things in order at night, make sure that the children sleep, that the mice don’t squeak, be the master of everything, save (maintain) the house is in order ." And don’t forget to feed the brownie.

When we left for a long time (to another village for a wedding, name day, etc.), we asked the brownie to look after not only the house, but also the yard: “ Hey, Grandfather, don’t fall asleep, deal with the thief in your own way, walk around the yard watch, and keep everything properly .”

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They say that the brownie still lives in every village hut, but not everyone knows about it. They call him grandfather, master, neighbor, housekeeper, demon-housekeeper, but this is all he - the keeper of the hearth, the invisible assistant of the owners. Of course, he can tickle in his sleep, rattle dishes at night, or tap behind the stove, but he does this more out of mischief. His main job is to inspect the farm. The brownie sees every little thing, tirelessly cares and worries so that everything is in order and ready: he will help the hard worker, correct his mistake; he enjoys the offspring of domestic animals and birds; he does not tolerate unnecessary expenses and is angry with them - in a word, the brownie is inclined to work, thrifty and prudent. If he likes the housing, then he serves this family, as if he went into bondage to her. For this loyalty, in other places they call him that: he has killed him. But he willingly helps the lazy and careless to run their households, torments people to the point that he crushes them almost to death at night or throws them out of their beds. However, it is not difficult to make peace with an angry brownie: you just have to put snuff under the stove, which he is a big fan of, or give any gift: a multi-colored rag, a crust of bread... If the owners love their neighbor, if they live in harmony with him, then there is no way they will want to part with it, even when moving to a new house: they will scratch under the threshold, collect the garbage in a dustpan - and sprinkle it in the new hut, without noticing how the “owner” is moving with this garbage to a new place of residence. Just remember to bring him a pot of porridge for his housewarming and say with all possible respect: “Grandfather Brownie, come home. Come live with us!” Whom the brownie really doesn't like are drunkards and simple-haired women: according to his ancient views, every married woman should definitely wear a headscarf. And whichever zealous housewife he likes, he worries about her day and night: in her dreams he will weave countless little braids on her head. It’s a hassle for her, go and comb it later, but he’s happy – he’s embellished his favorite. That's why he is also called licker. Rarely can a person boast that he has seen a brownie. To do this, you need to put on a horse collar on Easter night, cover yourself with a harrow, the teeth on yourself, and sit between the horses the whole night. If you're lucky, you'll see an old man - small, like a stump, all covered with gray hair (even his palms are hairy), gray with age and dust. Sometimes, in order to divert prying eyes from himself, he will take on the appearance of the owner of the house - well, he’s the spitting image! In general, the brownie loves to wear the owner’s clothes, but always manages to put them back in place as soon as the person needs things. Sometimes the brownie is so impatient with being spied on that, at his direction, the horses begin to hit the harrow with their backs and can beat the immodest and curious to death. It is much easier not to see a brownie, but to hear it: its crying and dull restrained moans, its soft and affectionate, and sometimes dull voice. Sometimes at night, in the form of a gray, smoky cat, he will fall on his chest and press: it’s him. To the one who, upon waking up, hastens to ask him: “For good or for bad?” - he will answer in a human voice, but quietly, as if the wind was rustling the leaves. He often strokes the sleepy ones with his soft paw, and then no questions are required - and it is so clear that this is for good. If you hear the cry of a brownie, even in the hut itself, you will be dead. When one of the household members dies, he howls at night, thereby expressing his unfeigned sadness. The house-elf predicts the death of the owner by covering his head with his hat when he sits down to work. Before the plague, fire and war, the brownies leave the village and howl in the pastures. If there is a big unexpected misfortune, the grandfather notifies about its approach, ordering the dogs to dig holes in the middle of the yard and howl at the whole village... If the chimney on the roof starts playing at the damper, there will be a trial because of some business and offense. If he wets someone with a brownie at night, that person will get sick. If he pulls a woman's hair - beware of the wife, don't get into an argument with her husband, or he'll beat you. If the brownie rattles the dishes in the supply - be careful with the fire, don’t drop a spark. To the joy of the neighbor, she jumps, purrs songs, laughs; sometimes, playing on a comb, he warns of an imminent wedding. For some reason, chickens enjoy a special favor with every brownie. Therefore, on November 14, a chicken name day is held in his honor - pies with chicken are baked, and the crusts are thrown into the hearth, donating it to its keeper - the brownie. Literature: Mythology of the ancient world, -M.: Belfax, 2002 B.A. Rybakov “Paganism of the ancient Slavs”, -M.: Russian Word, 1997 V. Kalashnikov “Gods of the ancient Slavs”, -M.: White City, 2003 D .Gavrilov, A.Nagovitsyn “Gods of the Slavs. Paganism. Tradition”, -M.: Refl-Buk, 2002 I. Bilibin. Brownie Brownie is a wingless, disembodied and hornless spirit that lives in every home, in every family. He differs from demons in that he does not do evil, but only jokes sometimes, even provides services if he loves the owner or mistress. Before the death of one of the family, he howls, sometimes even shows himself to someone, knocks, slams doors, etc. According to general belief, in the winter he lives near the stove or on the stove, and if the owner has horses and a stable, he is placed near the horses . If he likes the horse, then the brownie grooms it, braids its mane and tail, gives it food, which makes the horse grow kinder, and on the contrary, when he doesn’t like the animal, he tortures it and often beats it to death, puts it under a manger, etc. This is the opinion that many owners buy horses of the color that suits the court, that is, loved by the brownie. If the brownie fell in love with his family, then he warns of misfortune and guards the house and yard; otherwise, he hits and smashes dishes, screams, stomps, etc. He curls the hair and beards of those he loves, and pinches the ones he doesn’t love until he bruises at night. These bruises indicate some kind of trouble, especially if the bruise hurts a lot. It also falls on the sleeping person during the night and crushes him, so that at this time one cannot move or say a word (see Sleep paralysis). Usually this misfortune falls on the one who sleeps on his back, at this time they ask whether it is for better or worse, and the brownie answers in a gloomy voice - “yes” or “no”. They say that he does not like mirrors, also goats, as well as those who sleep near or under the threshold. Sometimes they hear how he, sitting in the master's place, is engaged in the master's work, while none of this is visible. The common people respect the brownie, so the peasant is afraid to offend him in any way and is even careful not to say his name without purpose. In conversations they do not call him a brownie, but “grandfather, master, big man, or himself.” When moving from one house to another, it is considered an indispensable duty on the last night, before leaving the old house, to ask the brownie for a new place with bread and salt. Everyone's economy, in their opinion, is under the influence of the brownie. They say that the brownie does not like lazy people. If the brownie does not love the owner, then he begins to play pranks, in this case, in front of the threshold of the house, they bury a skull or the head of a goat in the ground, and if his pranks are expressed in the spontaneous combustion of objects, bad inscriptions on the walls, and other things like that, then the brownie should be shown Who is the head in this house. You need to take a puga with an iron tip (whip) or a belt in your hand and go around the house and whip furniture, walls, floors and things and say in an authoritative and strong voice: “Know your place, know your place. You, the brownie, must guard the house, take care of the household, and please the mistress, and not fight, Know your place, know your place.” Any words can be said, the main thing is that they are spoken by the owner of the house. Some argue that a brownie is born an old grandfather and dies a baby. Spirits related to the brownie: kikimora (maybe even the wife), bannik, bean grass (also known as “ovinnik”), field spirit. According to ESBE, in the northern regions of the Olonets province the spirit of the hearth was called Zhikharko. He is short, disheveled, with a large beard, very good-natured, harmless and a great joker. Brownies are the only representatives of evil spirits who are not afraid of the Holy Image. Therefore, they can safely live in the houses of believers. It is easy to offend a brownie by calling him a “representative of evil spirits.” There is a belief that when the Lord God expelled Lucifer and his companions from Heaven, they went straight to hell. But not all of them got there... Those of them who were heavily burdened with sin ended up in the very center of the Underworld, those less so - closer to the surface of the earth. Thus, evil spirits are represented everywhere. As for the appearance of brownies, the same belief reports about certain “spirits” who repented of their sins before the Expulsion, but were never forgiven by God. This means that the brownies are not afraid of icons, but they are “a burden” to them, because they are constantly reminded of the punishment - to live with a person and help him. Forgiveness occurs if the brownie has helped the owner of the home in every possible way for 70 years. Then the brownie (spirit) gets the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of God. But the dark side of the brownie’s soul prevents him from being an assistant for seventy years, so they live with people for a long time. There are brownies that always cause harm. They are called evil spirits. They became “angry” at all the people, each for their own reason. Some of the evil ones consider people unworthy to serve them (but are forced to do so), others - for many grievances. It's bad for the house where the evil ones live. In the old days, it was believed that every house should have a brownie, and if the house was new, they were “invited.” Brownies help with the housework, preserve property, often count it (this is well played out in the cartoon about the brownie Kuzya), and love livestock, especially horses. Brownies protect the house from thieves, fires, and other evil spirits. There are many ways to call a brownie, for example: 1. Go out into the street at midnight, on a full moon, with your left shoe tied to a string, and pull it behind you. Under no circumstances should you look back. As soon as you feel the “heaviness,” this means that the brownie has agreed to live with you. 2. More bloodthirsty, but the most effective. You need to take a live rooster (preferably black) and cut off its head in the house, sprinkle the floor with blood. It is believed that if a lonely brownie wanders around the area, he will immediately accept this “sign”. B. Kustodiev. The merchant's wife and the brownie, 1922 Modern ideas Since the stove was no longer installed in houses, behind which, according to legend, the brownie lived, his place of residence has been moved behind the heating radiator. In the early 90s, the concept of “Drummer” appeared. By all indications, Barabashka’s actions were consistent with the allegations of an angry brownie. Influence on culture The image of a brownie is very much loved in Russia by ordinary people, from the brownie Kuzi in the cartoon of the same name to the work “Russian Sword” by Perumov. Christianity does not reject people’s confidence in its existence, although it has attributed it to dark, devilish forces. Orthodoxy calls on people to consecrate their houses and apartments in order to drive away all evil spirits, and severely condemns those who flirt with the demon. In J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels, "house elves" are mentioned. They serve in rich magical families and can only gain freedom when the owner gives them clothes. But these creatures have nothing to do with real house-elfs - they are pure elves, and they became “house-elfs” due to an inaccurate translation: house-elf is a copy of houseman/maid, servant/maidservant. Literature: E. Levkievskaya. Brownie in the ideas of the Slavs // Slavic antiquities. Ethnolinguistic Dictionary, ed. N.I. Tolstoy. T. 2. M., 1999, p. 120-124 Brownie Brownie, brownie, grandfather, old man, posten or posten, also licker, when he lives underground with mice - and in Siberia as a neighbor - takes on different forms; but usually he is a stout, not very tall man who wears a short, dark coat, and on holidays a blue caftan with a scarlet belt. In summer also in one shirt; but always barefoot and without a hat, probably because he is not afraid of frost and, moreover, everywhere at home. He has a decent gray beard, his hair is cut into a bracket, but it is quite shaggy and partially covers his face. The brownie is all overgrown with soft fluff, even the soles and palms; but the face around the eyes and nose is naked. Shaggy soles are sometimes shown in winter, along the trail, near the stables; and that the brownie’s palms are also covered in wool, anyone whose grandfather stroked his face at night knows this: his hand is woolly, and his nails are long and cold. The brownie sometimes pinches himself at night, which leaves bruises, which, however, usually do not hurt; it does this only when the person is in deep sleep. This belief is very naturally explained by the fact that people sometimes, at work or on the farm, get hurt unnoticed, then forget about it, and when they see a bruise a day or more later, they are surprised by it and attribute it to the brownie. Others, however, if they can come to their senses, ask the brownie when he is pinched: loving or not loving? for good or for ill? and are rewarded with an answer, namely: the brownie cries or laughs; strokes with a furry hand, or continues to pinch angrily; will scold you or say a kind word. But the brownie speaks very rarely; he strokes with a shaggy hand for wealth, warm for good in general, cold or rough like a brush for worse. Sometimes the brownie just pushes at night, wakes him up if he wants to notify the owner about something, and to the question: what’s good? portends with the same signs, good or bad. It happens to hear people boast that the brownie stroked them with such a soft hand, like sable fur. He is not an evil person at all, but more of a whimsical prankster: whoever he loves, or whose house he loves, he serves, he went straight into bondage to him; and whoever he dislikes, he will survive and, what good, he will die from the world. His service is such that he cleans, sweeps, scrubs and tidies up the house at night, where anything happens; He is especially keen on horses: he cleans them with a hairdresser, strokes them, grooms them, braids their manes and tails, trims their ears and brushes; sometimes he sits on a horse at night and sets the end, another in the village. It happens that the coachman or the stirrup becomes angry with the brownie when the master scolds them because the horse’s riding or running is spoiled; They then claim that the brownie hit the horse like that and, no worse than the gypsy, knocked the lynx into an amble or three legs. If he doesn’t like the horse, then he offends it: he doesn’t give it food, he grabs it by the ears, and shakes his head; the horse thrashes all night, tramples and snores; he twists his mane into a tangle and, even if you comb it day after day, at night it will tangle again worse than before, it’s better not to touch it. This belief is based on the fact that a horse, especially if it is on poor food and is not groomed, sometimes actually develops a tangle that is dangerous to cut and impossible to comb. If a brownie sits on a horse he doesn’t love, he will lead him in the morning covered in soap, and soon the horse will fall off his body. Such a horse was not suitable for the yard, and it must certainly be sold. If he gets really angry, he will break her butt or drag her poor thing into the gateway, twist and shake her in the stall, beat her under the manger, and sometimes even throw her upside down into the manger. Often he puts her in the stall, unbridled, and another master was able to see this himself if he went to the stable early, when the coachman, after a night out, did not have time to sleep through and get drunk. It is clear that all these beliefs are fraudulent and serve in favor of the coachmen. So, for example, the coachman once demanded from the master that he certainly exchange the horse for another one with a horse dealer he knew, assuring that this horse could not be kept, the brownie did not like it and would harass it. When the master, despite all the obvious arguments and attempts of the coachman, did not agree, and the coachman did not want to lose the promised Mogarychi, then the horse finally went completely berserk, unable to bear the torment of the brownie, and died. The coachman poured some shot into her ear; and since a horse’s ear canal is constructed in such a twist that the shot cannot fall back out, then the poor animal had to fall victim to the malice of the imaginary brownie. The brownie especially loves black and gray horses, and most often offends the nightingale and dun horses. In other places no one will pronounce the name of the brownie, and from this custom do not remember or name what you are afraid of, for example. fever - the brownie received so many allegorical nicknames, including the honorary title of grandfather. In some places they give him the property of a werewolf and say that he sometimes rolls like a lump of snow, a piece of hay, or runs like a dog. For the timid, the brownie is everywhere where only at night something creaks or knocks; because the brownie, like all spirits, visions and ghosts, walks only in the night, and especially before the light; but it seems that the brownie is not embarrassed by the first cry of the rooster, like most other spirits and visions. For the slow-witted and ignorant, the brownie serves as an explanation for various incomprehensible phenomena, ending annoying surveys and gossip. And how many times have rogues enjoyed and will continue to enjoy the patronage of the brownie! Coachmen, under his name, ride all night long and kill horses, or steal and sell oats, claiming that the brownie has washed the horse or does not allow it to eat; and in order to survive a hateful guest or neighbor, the roguish owner more than once spent three or four nights on end tinkering in the attic, the hallway and the stable, and sometimes achieved his goal. Often, however, random circumstances support the superstition about the brownie. During the last Polish war, our squadron stood in a famous castle, in Pulava, and the brownie began to survive uninvited guests: throughout the night in the castle, especially in the room occupied by our officers, such a terrible knock rose that it was impossible to fall asleep; Meanwhile, the most thorough searches could not open anything, it was impossible to even determine with accuracy where, in which corner or place of the brownie he was busy - although the knock was heard by everyone. The plowed castelyan shrugged and assured that this always happens in the absence of a master, whom the brownie loves and respects, and he behaves densely with him. It was accidentally opened, however, that the brownie sometimes calmed down without the owner and that it happened when the horses did not spend the night on the stable. They did several experiments, and the thing was explained: the stable was through the courtyard; No less, however, in one of the castle’s rooms there was a somehow acoustic point, regarding this stable, and the clatter of horses was heard in it so sonorously that it seemed as if this knocking out of the underground or from the walls. This discovery was very did not like. The people have a belief about how and where the brownie can be seen with your eyes, if you certainly want to: should take out (roll) such a candle that it would become, in order to stand on a passionate Friday at the passions, and on Saturday and Sunday at the ground; Then, between the ground and the impoverish, on bright Sunday, to light this candle and go home with it, right in a stable or a barn: you will see a grandfather who sits in a corner and does not dare to move out. Here you can talk to him. Vladimir Dal, “On the beliefs, superstitions and prejudices of the Russian people” V. Korolkov. Incuples, most of the folklore specialists adhere to the next version of the house of the brownie: when the Lord, when creating the world, dropped the entire rebellious evil heavenly power, which became proud and raised the rebellion against its creator, some unclean perfumes fell into human dwellings and there were eternal eyelids there. V. Korolkov. Own Owl Obwanik (Gumennik, Minor, Ovinnik, Zhikhar, Daedur, Suvinushko, Ovin Father, Ovinnushko, King Ovinni) - in Slavic mythology, the spirit living in Ovin (on Gumna). The Own looks like a huge black cat, the size of a courtyard dog, with eyes burning like coins. One, he can have other guises: depending on the geographical location: in the Smolensk region, the Own is shown in the guise of a ram, and in Kostroma can take a look deceased. The habitat of the Ovinnik - Ovin (Gumno). However, he can make “sorties”, for example, in the bathhouse: visiting a banner or in any other place of the courtyard. Own never comes into the house: it cannot, since the house is the “zone of responsibility” of the brownie, which is stronger than the Own. In the north of Russia (Russia), in Belarus, Vologda, etc. Approaches to determining the character of the Own and the ability to please him are somewhat different. But in general, the views converge: the Own is very complex, it is not easy to appease it, and in general it is quite hostile in relation to a person. However, this is quite explained by the fact that the Ovins, in which open fire was used for drying grain, often burned, depriving peasant families of food, and, sometimes, and all the property with the house: after all, neighboring buildings often began to blaze from the burning Ovin. The Own loves to fight very much, he can measure his strength with a banner, and maybe with a person, only such a struggle often does not end in favor of the latter. Own - nevertheless, one of the "house" spirits, although the most ferocious, and its main function is management in the "zone of responsibility", that is, on the threshing floor. He looks behind the order of masonry of the sheaves, behind how and when to flood Ovin. It makes sure that bread is not dried during strong winds. The governor does not allow you to drown Ovins on the treasured days - large holidays, especially on the lifting day and the cover: according to ancient rural traditions, Ovins should rest these days. In the event that the peasant-peasant is violated by these, centuries of the prevailing laws, the consequences may be the most sad: up to the death of the “culprit”. However, the Own loves to pack for no reason. If he manages to harm the peasants, he laughs, claps his hands or barks like a dog. The peasants tried not to quarrel with the Own, to propitiate him with all kinds of ways: more experienced begin to drown, only after they ask the “owner of the Gum” permission, they thank at the end of the season. On the birthday days of the throat, he is brought to him pies and rooster. The rooster on the threshold is cut off the head, all the corners of the ivin are chopped with blood, and the cake is left in the corner. True, such a method of amicitation was found and is not so common. On the night of Vasilyev, the day (on the eve of the New Year), the girls wondered when the family life will begin and what. They dried up the bare buttocks to the window and waited: if he strokes with her furry hand - family life will be in abundance, smooth - if the gum does not at all touch the fortuneteller, then this meant that this year she was not destined to get married . There was a more presentable version of this fortune -telling - in the drying, they substituted a hand, not the buttocks. The Own can be seen during the bright peace of Christ. Literature: Levkievskaya E.E. Myths of the Russian people // Publishing House "AST" 04/12/2003 S.V. Maksimov is an unclean, unknown and godfather // Publisher: Comrade. R. Golika and A. Wilborg 1903 V. Korolkov. The Bayannik Bannik (Baennik) is a banner - an evil spirit living in a bathhouse, in the beliefs of the Eastern Slavs, frightening people and requiring the victims that he should leave in the bath after washing. Often a banner is represented in the form of a small, but very strong old man with a shaggy body. Bannik is blamed in all failures in the bathhouse. Bannik's favorite occupation is to burn people with boiling water, throw stones in a stove-stove, as well as knocking into the wall, scaring soaring. The banner harms very strongly (tears the skin or steams to death) only to those who violate the prohibitions. To appease the banner, they leave him a piece of rye bread with a lot of coarse salt. So that the banner does not harm at all, take the black chicken and without plucking her feathers strangle and dig under the threshold of the bath. A banner in a feminine is called a bannich, a button accordion, a bath mother, a head. Oboderich is a shaggy, terrible old woman. It can also be shown naked or in the form of a cat. Lives under the regiment. Another version of a woman-bannik is Shishiga. This is a demonic creature that pretends to be a friend, and luring to a bathhouse, can steam to death. Shishiga is shown to those who go to the bathhouse with poor intentions, without prayer. A bannik is involved in holiness fortune -telling. At midnight, girls approach the open doors of the bath, lifting the skirt. If a banner touches a furry hand, the girl will have a rich groom, if naked is poor, and if wet is a drunkard. Any evil is very afraid of iron and a banner is no exception. V. Korolkov. Vasila Vasila Vasila or carried - in Slavic mythology, a domestic spirit, taking care of horses, a kind of courtyard. According to Belarusians, he looks like a person, but with horse ears and hooves. Vasila lives on the stable, cares in every way about horses - protects them from diseases, and when they are on a grazing, in the herd, from a predatory beast. Literature: Dictionary of Russian superstitions, Elena Grushko, Yuri Medvedev, Russian Blacksmith, Nizhny Novgorod 1995 I. Bilibin. Kikimora Kikimora Kikimore is an evil spirit. Small woman. At first, the ancient Slavs of Kikimore was a night deity of sleepy dreams. Later, Kikimors began to be called unbaptized or cursed in infancy with mothers of daughters who take the devils and sorcerers put them in the house. Kikimore confuses yarn and steal small children. Kikimory, although they are invisible, they are transferred to replicas with the owners. Sometimes kikimora wraps a gray cat. He loves to fuck in the house, thunders dishes, throws and beats pots and bowls, spoils bread and cakes, throws bulbs from the underground or from behind, knocks on her backs, lids from the boxes. In the afternoon, she sits behind an invisible stove, and at night she spins sometimes or picked up. Then he suddenly thunders, crackle on the ceiling; then in the Temks rolled into a ball to someone from the family on the leg and will drive it like an oat pillar; then when everyone is falling asleep, walks around the hut, rumbles, roars and sniffs like a teddy bear; That in the middle of the night jumps on the floor with blue lights ... The children were often found at dawn with sleeping heads down, and their legs on the pillow. Kikimora can be removed from the hut. Ecyclopies of Anastasia Alexandrova Kikimor (Shishimor, Suseyd, Maura) - a character of Eastern Slavic mythology. In East Slavic mythology, one of the types of house. The evil spirit in the appearance of a dwarf or a little woman, whose head is thin from the pellets and body, like a straw. Kikimora lives in the house behind the stove and is engaged in spinning and fabric, as well as prolies at night with a spindle and spinning of the owners of the house (for example, tears yarn). Kikimora can harm pets, in particular chickens, throws and hits dishes, interferes with sleep, makes noise at night. It is extremely difficult to get rid of Kikimora. The “chicken god” served as a talisman from it - a stone with a natural hole or a neck of a broken jug with a flap of Kumach, which was hung over the nestle so that Kikimora would not torment the chickens, as well as a juniper from which the salt shakers were tied. It was believed that babies who died unbaptized become Kikimora. The peasants also believed that Carpenters or stovers could “allow” Kikimoru during the construction of the house, who, for any reason, wanted to harm the owners for any reason. To do this, the masters made a doll from chips and rags (the figure of Kikimora) and laid it under the matrix (main beam) or in the front corner of the house. It was also believed that Kikimora is a victim of an abortion of a woman (an unborn child); How many abortions a woman made, she gave rise to so many kikimor; At the time of the death of a woman, all her Kikimoras come to her in order to captivate her soul in hellish worlds. This character of East Slavic mythology is a manifestation of Mara's evil spirit; Kiki-Mar. Mara is the general-European name of the night demon that saturates obsession and terrible dreams (hence the “Kosh-Mar”). In European legends, Mara sits on the chest of the sleeping man, causing suffocation. Kikimora is similar to Mokush - an evil spirit, continuing the image of the Slavic goddess Mokoshi. The name "Kikimora" is a complex word, the second part of which is the name of the evil spirit of Mara (Mora). The wife of the goblin (Leshachikha, Lopasta), which lives in a forest or swamp (Kikimora marsh, forest kikimora). It is described in the image of a small hunched ugly old woman, dressed in rags, sloppy and eccentric. I was accused of kidnapping the children, instead of which I left an enchanted field. The presence of Kikimora in the house could easily be determined by wet tracks. The word "kikimora" entered the Russian language also in a figurative meaning - an ugly or ugly dressed woman. The symphonic poem A.K. Lyadov (1905) is devoted to Kikimore. Kikimora Goddess of dreams among the Slavs in the 16th-XVII centuries. Shishiga Shishiga (also Leshenka) - a small humpbacked female being in Russian folklore, lives in reeds, prefers small rivals and ponds. It was believed that she walks naked with disheveled hair, pounces on the gaping passers -by and drags them into the water, brings trouble to drunkards. In the afternoon, it falls asleep, appears only at dusk. It can be assumed that Shishiga is related to the shish. The same creature plays an important role in the mythology of Komi. He lives in the Kama River and sometimes goes ashore to comb long black hair. Everyone who saw her will soon drown or die for another reason. They frightened and scare her children, warning against swimming in pools by the threat that Shishiga will drag them. Literature: myths of the peoples of the world. T. 1. - M.: “Big Russian Encyclopedia”, 1997 Brownies and Cats in the paintings of the artist A. Maskaev