A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - In Slavic folklore, this nature spirit is known as' Koshchey the Deathless' or 'Koshchey, the Immortal.' Still, it has many other very similar names (Kashey, Koschei, Kostiy, Kościej), varying from Slavic culture to another.
Koshchey the Deathless by Ivan Bilibin, 1901. Public Domain
In Slavic folklore, this nature spirit is known as' Koshchey the Deathless' or 'Koshchey, the Immortal.' Still, it has many other very similar names (Kashey, Koschei, Kostiy, Kościej), varying from Slavic culture to another.
He is always portrayed as an elder hunched over, with a long beard and gray hair. At the same time, he is physically and spiritually vital for his weak-looking appearance.
Koshchey is the ruler of darkness. He commands the forces of darkness and masters this art to absolute perfection, allowing him to control the souls and bodies of the dead.
Some regard him as the dragon, and others suggest he is a man because there is no detailed description of his character.
In ancient Russian beliefs, Koshchey is an evil sorcerer with a terrifying appearance, often described as sitting naked on a magic horse galloping through the wildness.
Koshchey can change his voice to charm and induce sleep when necessary. He is also a shape-shifter and can take the form of a whirlwind or a storm wind.
He is a nature spirit representing the destructive powers of nature.
This powerful prince of darkness can fly and suddenly appear from nowhere, accompanied by dark clouds, thunder, and lightning, or he can come under cover of a mist or fog and fly through the air. During the battle, he has been known to lick the venomous parts of his body and bite his challenger, thus causing intense pain and immobility.
Fond of stealing beautiful women, often the brides of the heroes, Koshchey, the prince of darkness and powerful sorcerer, made many enemies among the warriors. He is an elusive master; he can be a smooth talker who can turn on a charming voice and get easy female company. It is pretty challenging to kill Koschey.
"You cannot kill me," Koschei often sneers. "My heart does not lie in my body." He is known as 'deathless' or 'immortal.'
Indeed, it is believed that his life force, or, as he calls it, his "death," is outside his body, hidden in an unknown and inaccessible place.
Sometimes his "death" may be hidden in the point of a needle inside the duck's egg. Although he seems invincible, Kotschey may die if the hero discovers where the egg containing his life force is hidden.
Anyone possessing this magical egg has Koshchey's life in his power; the evil spirit begins to weaken, becomes sick, and finally loses all his magic powers.
In myths and legends, Koshchey - more snake-like than human - is ugly, tall, with long, spindly legs, boney, and fearful to look upon and into his reptilian, never blinking eyes.
Koshchey can see objects distinctly at a great distance, even with his eyes closed. His mouth may change according to mood and he has several large crooked teeth and a nose shaped like a raven's beak.
Koshchey lives in inaccessible and often uninhabited places.
Written by A. Sutherland Ancient Pages.com Staff Writer
Updated on March 22, 2023
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Expand for referencesPilkington - Fairy Tales of the Russians and Other Slavs: Sixty-Eight Stories
Dmitriy Kushnir - Creatures of Slavic Myth
