Kikimora in Slavic mythology. Swamp kikimora

Kikimora is an evil spirit that sends nightmares to people. In appearance, the kikimora is very thin and small: her head is the size of a thimble, and her body is thin as a reed; she wears neither shoes nor clothes and remains invisible most of the time. During the day, kikimoras are inactive, but at night they begin to play pranks. For the most part, they do not cause serious harm to humans, mostly they just play small pranks: they sometimes knock on something at night, or they begin to creak. But if the kikimora dislikes one of the family members, then the pranks will become much more serious: the spirit will begin to break furniture, break dishes, and harass livestock. The kikimora's favorite pastime is spinning yarn: sometimes he sits in the corner at night and starts working, and so on until the morning, but this work is of no use, it only tangles the threads and breaks the yarn.

Kikimoras prefer human houses as a habitat, choosing secluded places to live: behind the stove, under the threshold, in the attic, behind a chest, in the corner. Kikimoras are often taken as wives.

Sometimes kikimoras appear before people's eyes, foreshadowing imminent misfortunes: if she cries, then trouble will soon happen, and if she spins, it means that soon one of the inhabitants of the house will die. The prediction can be clarified by asking the kikimora, then she will definitely answer, but only with a knock.

Capabilities

Kikimoras have the ability to become invisible, can move quickly and see well at long distances. Kikimores also see people’s fears, they always accurately determine what a person fears most, and send exactly this nightmare to sleep.

Enemies

The enemies of kikimoras are domestic animals: cats and dogs. If they manage to fight back the kikimora once, then it will avoid these animals in every possible way, but if the kikimora manages to gain the upper hand, then it will continue to torment the living creatures.

How to fight?

Kikimoras can appear in the house in two ways: naturally and sent. If a kikimora was “sent” to a house, then it is necessary to find a kikimora doll in the house (with the help of which they called the kikimora into the house) and burn it. If the kikimora appeared naturally, then there is no point in fighting it, it will not cause much trouble, it is enough to rein in the kikimora when it gets too naughty. The kikimora is afraid of hot iron and fire, and you can appease this evil spirit if you wash the floors and dishes in the house with a tincture of fern root. To prevent the kikimora from carrying salt or dishes, it is braided with juniper branches. It is possible to completely expel the kikimora who has settled in the house without permission only with the help of a special conspiracy. In the house you need to sweep the floors with a wormwood broom, saying:

“Oh, you are a goy, kikimora,

get out of the goryunin's house quickly,

otherwise they’ll beat you up with hot rods,

They will burn it with a blazing fire and pour it with black resin.

Be, my words, strong and sculpting,

stronger than stone and damask steel.

The key to my words is in heavenly heights,

and the castle is in the depths of the sea, on a fish on a whale;

and no one can get this whale fish,

and the lock cannot be opened except by me (name).”

In dictionaries, kikimora is interpreted as a female spirit that lives with people, which causes harm and causes a lot of trouble, acting only at night. She is also called shishimora or mara, and is credited with the role of the brownie's wife. There were also swamp kikimors who led travelers astray, and each of these creatures had its own approach.

Who is a kikimora?

Until now, people believe in the existence of household spirits and try to appease them. Kikimora is one of the few creatures that is very difficult to please. There are stories of these spirits throwing vegetables at their owners, scattering clothes and tearing pillows, and harming pets. With all this, the nightly “entertainment” of these spirits leaves no traces, and the next morning the house is in complete order. Over time, the kikimora became the personification of a careless housewife, for whom everything falls out of hand.

There are several versions about the origin of these creatures, these are souls:

1. Unbaptized or murdered children.
2. Suicide
3. Children cursed by their parents.

Kikimora got its name from the merger of the words “kyka” - to kick, scream, and “Mara” - the name of the Slavic goddess of trouble. These harmful household spirits choose as victims the weak: children, women or the elderly. There is an opinion that builders or sorcerers who are offended by payment can allegedly send a kikimora by throwing a doll into the house. And the swamp kikimors, the wives of the devil, lead travelers off the road and kidnap children.

Slavic mythology - kikimora

The pagan Slavs greatly revered all the spirits who were in the service of the gods, and each had its own approach and special offerings. In various chronicles and legends it is noted that shishimoras are weak creatures, but can receive additional strength if there is a will from above. And these are the most dangerous. It was believed that seeing mara meant imminent death. The Slavs personified a real kikimora with a harmful spirit; they were divided into 2 types:

1. Brownie. They lived only in houses or outbuildings. If it was inhabited by sorcerers, you could get rid of the “gift” if you find the doll and burn it. If you check in on your own, you won’t be able to smoke mara. The only chance is to achieve good, peaceful relations in the family, then she will leave, since it was believed that this harmful spirit settles in a house where they often quarrel.
2. Bolotnaya. Legends describe her as an ugly old woman who frightens and confuses travelers. They differ from a brownie only in their place of residence, but in their dirty tricks and character they are similar. People who had the opportunity to spend the night in the forest certainly took away from this evil spirits, which could ruin the overnight stay and take their horses into the swamp.

Does kikimora exist?

Kikimora among the ancient Slavs was considered:

• the evil deity of nightmares;
• harmful spirit at home.

Legends about shishimoras say that they are born from a fiery serpent, and then they are transferred to be trained by sorcerers. And they are already pushing the spirits into people’s homes. And today, many paranormal researchers are sure that the kikimora exists, they just call it a drummer. Even the birthday of the kikimora was determined - March 2 - the day of the Slavic goddess Mara; on this day they threw away all unnecessary rubbish, especially old dishes, so that the spirit could play enough. For this purpose, a place was specially determined near a well or an intersection, to which a path was swept.

Where does the kikimora live?

Where do kikimores live? Our ancestors believed that these spirits lived behind the stove, in the warmth. At night, the mara could make noise, rattle, knock, and jump tirelessly, preventing the owners from sleeping. And if you didn’t like the house, then the spirit could even rid the owners of it with various dirty tricks, finishing off with broken dishes, broken furniture, and damage to livestock. But swamp shishimores have a home in a secluded place in the swamps, from where they come out to harm travelers. It was believed that the wives of the devil settled in places near the swamps, where murders or robberies were committed, and a lot of negative energy had accumulated.

What does a kikimora look like?

She was described as a little old woman with a hooked nose, a hump and in rags. The creature supposedly has a voice, but communicates with people only with sounds similar to the knocking of dishes or a child's cry, meowing or barking. Invisible and tireless, they run very fast, have long arms and short legs, a large head, a thin figure, always bulging eyes and shaggy paws and hands, they even have horns and a tail, in places the skin is covered with feathers or hair.

What does a swamp kikimora look like? Almost the same as a homemade one, only the skin color is earthy, with growths of grass and moss. Some legends say that shishimora can also appear in the form of:

• girls or women with long hair;
• ancient old man;
• a little girl playing with children or abandoned on the road;
• any animal.

What is the kikimora afraid of?

It is believed that it is almost impossible to appease shishimora, but fighting it is quite possible. You definitely need to put things with prayer, and sprinkle the corners of the house with holy water and draw crosses there. in Slavic mythology it is described as a harmful spirit that could be fought in several ways:

• weave more things from juniper, maras don’t like this plant;
• wash dishes and floors with fern infusion, which repels evil spirits;
• keep a lit candle at night.
• hang in the chicken coop - a pebble with a hole in the middle.

How to call a kikimora?

The pagans had a special ritual - the awakening of the kikimora, which was celebrated on March 1, when spring begins. They held round dances, baked pancakes and danced, children and girls carried treats to the forest goblin and kikimore, so as not to get lost in the forest and to be with mushrooms and berries. And now in many regions folk festivals are organized for this holiday, and in the Fairy Tale Reserve both children and adults wake up the kikimora, noting which window of the house she looked out of. Beliefs say:

• on the right - the summer will be fruitful and rich;
• to the left - rainy and unfavorable.

Kikimora - myths

Our ancestors believed that seeing a kikimora meant trouble or death; if it started making noise or knocking, it was a sign of possible troubles for the family. The image of the mischievous kikimora grandmother, who loves to tangle yarn, is considered by modern researchers as a copy of the image of the Greek moira, who spins the threads of fate. Analysis of fairy tales allows us to consider this spirit as a useful assistant who looks after the house if you come to an amicable agreement with him. And if it harms the owners, it is because they are lazy and careless.

The kikimora in the swamp also allegedly does mischief for a reason. She points out where a person has violated the boundaries of nature, luring into the thicket only those travelers who came to the forest without respect. And children are only taken away to whom their parents are inattentive, in order to teach them how to care. There is a belief that if the mother and father come to their senses in time and start looking for the child, the kikimora will return him alive and healthy, and even give him the ability to read the secrets of the forest.

Slavic mythology is rich in a variety of small spirits, whose behavior is ambiguous. Kikimora or shishimora is a weak evil spirit that loves to bring trouble to people. In most cases, it is easy to deal with with the help of amulets and prayers. However, one of its varieties, the swamp kikimora, poses a serious danger to humans. She lures the traveler into the quagmire and eats him.

Kikimora can be easily dealt with with prayers

Main characteristics of the creature

Kikimora is a character who can be both good and bad. Many contradictory legends do not clarify her image. Only in the middle of the 19th century. researchers managed to structure scattered information about this creature.

Features of the name

Philologists consider the word “kikimora” as a compound word. It has two parts: “kick” and “mora”.

The “kick-” part has the following meanings:

• is traced back to the ancient Balto-Slavic root “kik-/kyk-/kuk-”, which means hunchbackedness, twistedness;
• derivative from the verb “kick” - scream, howl;
• from the Proto-Indo-European word “kukan” - swamp spirit.

The second part of “mora” also has several meanings:

• a derivative of the independent word “mora/mara”, denoting female demons;
• cognate with the word “sea” - death or what brings it;
• goes back to the Proto-Indo-European root “ma-” - wave your hands, nod your head, fool, deceive;
• or which originally meant swamp and standing water.

You can find the word “kikimora” spelled as “shishimora”. This is the same spirit, but its name is derived from the Russian dialect:

• shishit/shishit - to fuss around, to do something unnoticed;
• shish, shishiga - the name of a small unclean swamp or forest force.

However, it is impossible to accurately determine its specific meaning due to the large number of options.

Classification

Like other evil spirits, it has several varieties. Depending on your place of residence, there are:

1. Forest shishimora. It lives mainly on forest edges, but can also look into people's houses.
2. Bolotnaya. The homeland of such creatures is swamps or any bodies of water with standing water. He leaves his shelter at night and walks freely wherever he wants.
3. Homemade. It settles in people's homes or in outbuildings.

Lesnaya

One of the varieties of kikimora is called forest due to its place of residence. According to legends, this is a small evil spirit that lives in the roots and large hollows of trees.

Like other kikimoras, the forest one loves to scare lost travelers at night. She creaks with branches, howls with terrible voices and sends troubles. However, if a person is kind and courteous to her, she will help him find the right path out of the forest and protect him from other evil spirits.

Some researchers of Slavic folklore find legends according to which the forest shishimora was considered the wife of the devil.

Bolotnaya

Swamp kikimora is the most terrible and evil representative of the shishimora. These spirits did not help, but only destroyed people. They frightened travelers with their screams and forced them off the path, and then dragged them into the quagmire.

She is considered a close friend of the goblin and the wife of a merman or swamp. She is the mother of forest creatures - foxes, small, gentle spirits who confuse paths and frighten travelers, but cannot cause much harm.

According to its name, it lives in swamps, but can settle in reed thickets, rivers and lakes. There are legends that mention shishimoras living in abandoned wells.

Swamp kikimora - the most dangerous variety

Home

A creature that lives in houses built in places with bad energy. This could be a site where a cemetery used to be located or where people died en masse.

The villagers believed that an improperly buried person, and especially a child, could return to the house in the form of a shishimora.

The domestic kikimora is a gentle spirit that sleeps during the day and plays pranks at night. These creatures love to do household chores, especially spinning and embroidery. However, they do it very poorly, and housewives have to redo everything for them.

They trade in petty tricks, love to scare people and send bad dreams to them. But if they get angry with one of the family members, they begin to cause serious problems: breaking furniture, breaking dishes, mocking domestic animals.

History of appearance

How the real swamp kikimora or the first of the genus appeared is unknown. Researchers believe that this was the child of one of the water goddesses, who drowned in a swamp or was kidnapped by evil spirits.

According to legends, only children who died under certain conditions or were associated with a dark force during their lifetime became kikimoras.

The following options exist:

• children who commit suicide become kikimores;
• unbaptized babies, stillborns or miscarriages, from which their mothers disposed of by drowning them in a swamp;
• children from the connection of earthly women with the fiery serpent;
• babies kidnapped by dark forces;
• children who were cursed by their parents before birth.

Appearance

What a kikimora looks like depends on its habitat. Some imagine her as an old woman, others see her as a beautiful maiden. There are legends where she is mentioned in the form of a chimera with a human body and a fish tail.

However, we can identify generalized concepts that occur more often when describing her appearance:

1. Small height, not exceeding 50 cm.
2. Long, unruly hair that stands on end. Usually black, sometimes with a greenish tint.
3. Thin, wrinkled body and disproportionately long limbs.
4. Knotty and crooked fingers.
5. Its paws are furry, which allows it to move quickly and silently.
6. Big eyes and a long nose.

Depending on where she lives, she may wear different clothes.

The forest one is dressed in tree bark and leaves. There may be a wreath of dried flowers or a mushroom cap on the head. On her back she carries a box where she collects pine cones, poisonous mushrooms and berries. She likes to put them in people's baskets when they don't see it.

Homemade looks tidier. She wears a simple white or gray shirt and may tie a scarf on her head. If she is angry with her owners, she appears before them in the form of an old woman in a torn, dirty dress.

Legends describe differently what the swamp kikimora looks like. However, most sources claim that this creature is more terrible than its relatives. From a long stay in the water, the evil spirits become completely covered with mud and acquire a characteristic swamp smell. Her skin is green and covered with a large number of warts. Moss and algae serve as her clothes. She often decorates her hair with fish bones and water flowers.

A domestic kikimora may look like an unkempt old woman

Capabilities

Shishimora of any type has a number of supernatural abilities. These include:

1. The ability to become invisible. Kikimoras spend most of their time in this form.
2. They move quickly. The human eye is not able to track the speed of their movement.
3. The ability to see people's fears.
4. They can create illusions and send nightmares.
5. They can transform into animals and birds.
6. They have excellent eyesight. They can see over long distances and through objects.
7. They have an extraordinary voice with which they can lure unwary people.

Fighting kikimora

Depending on the type of shishimora, people have developed several rituals to appease the raging creature or drive it away.

Forest and swamp

Sorcerers' or Volkhov's conspiracies helped to overcome the evil spirits that lived in the forest or swamp.

They also used many amulets that the swamp kikimora was afraid of:

1. The Chicken God is a stone with a hole in the center.
2. Canvas incense bags in which juniper or dried weeping grass were stored.
3. or ordinary wooden ones, previously soaked in fern decoction.
4. Travelers carried holy water and salt with them, with the help of which they fought off the naughty kikimora.
5. Bunches of dried wormwood, which they carried with them and laid out in secluded corners of the house, also served as amulets.

People believed that with the help of gifts they could call shishimora husbands - a goblin or a merman - and ask them to calm down their wives.

Homemade

Methods of dealing with the domestic species of kikimora differ depending on how it got into the house.

If she came on her own, this is a sign that not all is well in the family and household. To prevent it from bringing problems, it was necessary to sprinkle every corner of the house with holy water, throw away old and broken things, and maintain an atmosphere of spirituality and purity in the family.

If it was sent by sorcerers or envious people, then it is not easy to expel it. It is necessary to find the source of its power. Usually it was a small doll, which was buried near the threshold of the house or on the path leading to it. The doll had to be sprinkled with salt and burned over an open fire.

Natural enemies of an evil spirit

The enemies of kikimoras are domestic animals: cats, dogs and roosters. If they can rein in the raging creature, then the shishimora would admit defeat and behave quietly, or even leave the house altogether.

But if she gained the upper hand, then the livestock had to constantly endure her attacks. In this case, it was possible to rein her in only with a special ritual.

The rooster is the natural enemy of the kikimora

Prototypes in other cultures

In the mythology of other peoples there are references to creatures similar to kikimora.

1. The Swamp Girl is the sister of the mermaid who lives in the swamp. He has a beautiful appearance and a charming voice, thanks to which he lures people into the swamps.
2. Eleinoma - in the ancient Greek mythology of swamps.
3. Timi are creatures that live in forests or bodies of water. They look like people, but their appearance is disfigured by numerous wrinkles and warts.
4. Ochertyanyk is a swamp spirit in Ukrainian folklore that lures unwary travelers into a quagmire.
5. Loima is a swamp kikimora in Belarusian mythology, an insidious spirit of swamps only female.

Everyone has probably heard the word “kikimora”, seen the swamp kikimora in pictures, and read fairy tales about it. What do authentic Slavic beliefs tell about Kikimora?

Domestic kikimora is a Russian and, to a lesser extent, Belarusian mythological character, mostly female, who lives in a person’s home and other buildings, spins at night and brings harm and trouble to households and people.

Kikimora is a spirit that doesn’t like people very much. The domestic kikimora annoys the residents of the house, spoils their things, interferes with their sleep, and scares them at night. There is a swamp Kikimora, the description of which differs from the domestic one. She also harms people - when she meets her, she can knock her off the road or scare a child walking in the forest.

Swamp and domestic kikimors become “hostage” dead people, dead or ruined small children, stillborns, and miscarriages. The domestic Kikimora could have been planted by builders in order to harm the owners who had not paid them, or by sorcerers as a form of damage. To do this, they placed a doll, a rag, or a picture in an inconspicuous place. To get rid of the evil Kikimora, it was advised to find such a lining at home.

My father was building a house, and the carpenters were angry about something. They placed a kikimora doll in the last row, under the beam. At night, let’s scream: the child roars, it’s almost heartbreaking. There was no way we could sleep in this house. The old men judged. I had to remove and expose the roof and this row of logs. We found a doll. It's so small, made from rags.

In the swamp, and sometimes at home, Kikimora could start on its own, for example, at a place where someone, especially a child, tragically died, a crime or suicide was committed. Kikimoras are often found in abandoned houses.

What does it look likeKikimoraswamp?

No one has yet taken a photo of the swamp Kikimora, but there are many folk descriptions of it. The swamp kikimora in pictures and in life, as they said, resembles a small, hunched old woman, covered with grass and moss, dressed in dirty, torn rags. Although swamp and domestic Kikimora is shown to people only in exceptional cases, usually foreshadowing misfortune, sometimes you can try to see it:

The owner waylaid Kikimora early in the morning and saw: a small woman in a shamshur sitting on a horse and riding around the manger.

However, if you believe the fairy tales about Kikimora, she is able to take on any form - a familiar person, an ordinary woman or man, a beautiful girl with flowing hair. The spirit of the swamp and the house was reincarnated into different animals.

The housewife went to get firewood, and there was a pig in the hut. She came - he was on the bench, on the table, everywhere. And then a dog began to loom in this house.

What could be the danger of meeting withTOIkimora in the swamp or at home?

What are the ways to protect yourself from Kikimora? At home, Kikimora ruins the life of all its inhabitants - he hides things so that no one will find them, knocks and makes noise at home, spoils and confuses the yarn. They said this is because the domestic Kikimora also wants to manage things, but doesn’t really know how.

Swamp Kikimora scares travelers with scary sounds. She lures hunters into the thicket by quacking like a duck, for example. They protected themselves from the swamp Kikimora with a talisman, as well as from the pranks of Leshy. Do not go into the forest or near the swamp at odd times.

It is more difficult to get rid of domestic Kikimora. Fairy tales and beliefs about Kikimora say that if your home is “scaring”: strange sounds are heard, things are spoiled, in a word, everything that we call “poltergeist” happens, you need to look for a doll or other thing unnoticed by ill-wishers, and get rid of it with a special ritual. They said that Kikimora could be caught, the hair on the back of her head cut into a cross, and she would turn into a human, but in some way inferior.

The swamp kikimora is afraid of amulets - “chicken gods” (stones with a through hole), they carried it with them, hung it at home; juniper, fern.

February 16 They performed a ritual of getting rid of kikimoras. It was believed that on this day they were especially peaceful. Sorcerers performed rituals against annoying household spirits.

Tales aboutKikimoraswamp

Swamp kikimora is a more popular character these days. They tell stories about her and draw pictures. It was said in such fairy tales that the swamp Kikimora kidnaps children in villages, replacing them with her own or even with logs.

In some fairy tales, Kikimora appears as a good-natured character, rocking children, trying to help the mistress of the house, which makes her similar to the brownie.

In some places it was believed that Kikimora was the wife of a brownie, or they compared her image with Domakha (a female brownie). The swamp kikimora, which can be seen in modern pictures, is often compared to a mermaid. She acts as a real spirit-embodiment of nature.

Homemade Kikimora and Swamp Kikimora are two different characters. If the domestic Kikimora is a more ancient character, fairy tales about her have been preserved since ancient times, then the swamp Kikimora is more of a heroine of modern cartoons and stories.

Kikimora is a famous character in Slavic mythology. To understand the world of Slavic beliefs, the worldview of our ancestors, it is useful to study the stories and myths that have been preserved about the spirits of nature, home, and all things. Plus, this activity is extremely fun!

Read more about Slavic mythology.

In Slavic myology there were many unusual beliefs and fantastic characters, legends about which are still passed on from mouth to mouth. So, until now we can easily explain who the merman, the witcher and the kikimora are. The interpretation of each character suggests a deep subtext, rooted in ancient times.

History of creation

The history of kikimoras and the biography of the family dates back to ancient times. Kikimora personifies the spirit of nightmares. The origin of the East Slavic character is explained by mythology. According to popular beliefs, this creature lives in the homes of the Slavs and brings all kinds of harm. There are two variations in the appearance of the heroine's name. According to the first, it was called “shishimora”. “Shish” corresponded to evil spirits, and “mora” to the goddess Morena. In another explanation, "kiki" stands for "hunchback."

The personification of evil spirits, kikimora had no friends and did not communicate with anyone. She did not have her own home, so the creature lived in the house where a simple peasant lives. Kikimora had no relatives and was restless. When asked where the creature lives in the house, fairy tales answer that she preferred to be behind the stove. She announced her presence by knocking, whistling, falling objects and other unpleasant antics.

There was an opinion that unloved children, as well as small unbaptized drowned women, turn into kikimoras. Kikimoras appeared as a result of the romantic union of widows and maidens with a fiery serpent in the guise of a beautiful prince.

The ancient Slavs believed that carpenters and stove makers summoned kikimora using a special doll. By hiding it between the walls of houses, the craftsmen could cast a spell, thereby calling the beast into the house. Therefore, the craftsmen were always regularly paid for their work.

Residents of the Urals believed that children who disappeared in the swamps were stolen by swamp kikimors. They allegedly wrapped ropes around the child, pulling him into the swamp. Most of the village legends and tales associated with the disappearance of children in the swamps told about kikimoras. Mystical characters deprived their victims of memory and common sense.

In Slavic mythology

Mythology offers many explanations for the appearance of the image of the swamp kikimora. The most plausible is the image of innocent maidens drowned in the dirty quagmire of a swamp. Some stories described the kikimora as a wife. By marrying this character, the strange creature gained the opportunity to live in human homes. If the goblin became her chosen one, then the swamp forever remained her home.

According to legends and traditions, the kikimora was a negative character with negative energy directed at the owner of the home. The mythical creature interfered with homework and everyday life. Kikimors weaved threads in the opposite direction and were constantly in motion, so they confused any woman’s work. In addition to the living space, the creatures chose other places to settle. They liked barns and bathhouses, chicken coops and taverns. The main reference points for kikimoras were places where negativity accumulated. Therefore, the monsters chose dirty corners where old unnecessary things lay.

The image of the kikimora was compiled thanks to popular beliefs that described the appearance of the creature. Usually she was presented as an old and scary woman, hunchbacked, with disheveled hair. The costume was assembled from old cast-offs and rags. The head was crowned with a kokoshnik. The heroine had a thin build. The wind would easily carry it from place to place.

Film adaptations

The multi-part cartoon “Glasha and Kikimora” is a famous animation project that tells about the life of fantastic fictional creatures. Work on it was carried out from 1978 to 1995.

In 2011, the feature film “The Kikimora Who Laughs,” which tells about the psychological foundations of personality structure, was released on big screens. Actress Anna Troyanskaya played the main role in the film. The performer's photo was used in the design of posters for the film's distribution.

The character also appeared in the 2013 animated project “How to Catch the Firebird’s Feather.”

Despite the small number of media resources telling about the fantastic creature, it was one of the popular mythological images glorified by the Slavs. Composer Anatoly Lyadov wrote a symphony called “Kikimora” in 1909.

• Swamp and domestic kikimors celebrate their birthday in March. The holiday dedicated to the goddess Mara (Sea) falls on March 2. It is believed that spring begins on this day. On this day, our ancestors performed rituals to appease the deity. The first ritual was general cleaning. They used an old broom to sweep rubbish out of the house and then burn it. Unnecessary clothes and dishes were thrown out of the yard or left on the road.
• It was possible to drive out the kikimora by calling the priest for help and treating the house with church incense. To preserve their home and household, peasants sprinkled animals, crops and buildings, making mystical spells.