Kikimora – Nightly Evil Female Spirit And Goddess Of Chickens In Slavic Beliefs
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Ancient beliefs say that Kikimora spirits (there are many of them) probably live in every household. However, in some versions of her story, she usually appears in homes of dysfunctional, unhappy families where abuse, quarrel, and screams occur daily.
Swamp Kikimora, after which the spider Kikimora palustris is named. Art work by symbolist
painter Vasiliy Ivanovich Denisov (1862–1922).
Kikimora originates in Slavic folklore. In the ancient beliefs of the East Slavs, there are two different kinds of Kikimoras.
One dwells in the forest and is married to the Domovik (Domovoi). The other one comes from the swamp and is married to Leshy.
Kikimora sleeps in dark places of the home, usually in the cellar or behind the furnace, and during the nights, she comes out and works with weaving, spinning, and needlework.
If the home is well kept, Kikimora is happy with the family. She helps them with housework, guards the family members, and protects the chickens. Generally, Kikimora likes skillful and hard-working women that perform their traditional work at home.
An angry and displeased Kikimora may be a troublesome spirit for the family because she interferes in people's lives, disturbs their sleep (mainly irritating children), and makes noises by scratching and whistling at night. She also moves and throws objects, makes them disappear, or changes their places.
Appearance Of Kikimora And Her Psychic Abilities
She is an evil spirit in the form of a small woman with a thimble head, long flowing hair, chicken feet, a body as thin as a straw, and a face, which is almost human-like but shapeless. Kikimora could quickly become invisible.
Illustration of a Kikimora (1934) by Ivan Bilibin (1876-1942). (Kikimora as house-spirit and guardian of chickens - hence her depiction in chicken-like form). Image credit: Ivan Bilibin - Public Domain
Despite her small size, she is a powerful spirit with psychic abilities that help to warn her family of a disaster or dangerous enemies approaching the house where she lives. In other words, she first delivers warnings of misfortune rather than good news.
However, she can be a challenging spirit to work with and keep happy. Once Kikimora is inside the house, it is difficult to get her to leave.
To encounter Kikimora spinning was believed to be a bad omen of impending death.
Kikimora – A 'Chicken Goddess'
In the beliefs of Slavic people, Kikimora is a goddess of chickens. She guards them but sometimes torments them and can even harm pets. Kikimora wants a well-arranged chicken yard where all chickens laying eggs are protected.
The character of Kikimora became a popular inspiration for authors of fairy tales and musicians like Anatoly Lyadov (1855 -1914), a composer and a teacher. He wrote that Kikimora "grows up with a magician in the mountains. From dawn to sunset, the magician's cat entertains Kikimora with beautiful tales of ancient times and distant places as she rocks in a crystal cradle.
She spends her first seven years living in a magician's mountain cave, and after seven years, she leaves the cave to go live among people.
In his poem "Kikimora," Lyadov describes this house spirit as a tiny brown witch with a thimble-sized head and a body no wider than a straw.
Written by – A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer
Updated on March 4, 2023
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesMacculloch, J. A.. The Mythology of All Races Vol 3
Leeming, D. The Oxford Companion to World Mythology
Ivanits Linda J. Russian Folk Belief
More From Ancient Pages
-
Pyramid Texts Of Ancient Egypt That Charted Journey Of Pharaohs Into Afterlife
Featured Stories | Feb 26, 2020
-
Secrets Of The Chephren Pyramid And Its Unknown Mysterious Force
Featured Stories | Mar 20, 2015
-
Mysterious Visitors From Other Realms And Enigma Of Atmospheric Phenomena
Featured Stories | Jul 19, 2018
-
Deadly Catastrophe In Pompeii And An Overlooked Piece Of The Well-Researched Disaster
Archaeology | Jul 18, 2024
-
Sphinx Statue With A Smiley Face And Two Dimples Unearthed In Qena, Egypt
Archaeology | Mar 6, 2023
-
Mysterious Deaths Around Empress Cixi – Cruel Tyrant Or Victim Of Propaganda?
Featured Stories | Apr 9, 2018
-
Why Did Ancient Egyptians Fear The Vizier?
Ancient History Facts | May 24, 2018
-
Ancient DNA Solves The Mystery Of Mitochondrial Eve And Human Evolution?
Archaeology | Sep 21, 2022
-
Mystery Of The Amazing 2,500-Year-Old Underwater Rochelongue Treasure
Featured Stories | Jul 7, 2023
-
Mysterious Circular Neolithic Structure Used For Unknown Purpose Found In Marliens, France
Archaeology | Apr 16, 2024
-
Researchers Will Search For “Fingerprints” Of Thera/Santorini Eruption In Tree Rings
Archaeology | Mar 4, 2017
-
Mysterious Hornet Spook Light In Missouri
Featured Stories | Jun 26, 2024
-
Llangernyw Yew: Chilling Prophecy Of The Oldest Tree In Wales
Featured Stories | Oct 28, 2022
-
Viking Age silver coins unearthed in Jutland
Artifacts | Aug 27, 2015
-
El Mirador: Ancient Pyramids Hidden In The Lost City Of The Maya
Featured Stories | Aug 1, 2018
-
Ancient Petroglyphs Of Cholpon-Ata And Mysterious Balbals Figures That Guard Grave Sites, Kyrgyzstan
Featured Stories | Aug 24, 2015
-
On This Day In History: First Siege Of Rome Began – On March 2, 537
News | Mar 2, 2017
-
Ancient Magical Bowls Inscribed With Spells And Other Rare Artifacts Seized In Jerusalem Raid
Archaeology | Mar 14, 2022
-
Genes And Languages: Development Of Pre-Incan Culture In Central Andes
News | Oct 26, 2020
-
Ancient City Of Ipiutak Was Built By A Fair-Haired Race With Blue Eyes And Not Us – The Inuit Say
Featured Stories | Apr 23, 2019