Mythological Characters of the Domestic Space in Russian Folk Beliefs: Lexicographic and Ethnographic Aspects
Mythological Characters of the Domestic Space in Russian Folk Beliefs: Lexicographic and Ethnographic Aspects
DOI: 10.17746/1563-0110.2016.44.3.130-138
O.K. Ansimova1 and O.V. Golubkova2 1Novosibirsk State Technical University, Pr. K. Marksa 20, Novosibirsk, 630073, Russia 2Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr. Akademika Lavrentieva 17, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia
Russian mythological characters relating to the domestic space are described on the basis of folkloric, ethnographic, and lexicographic sources. The integration of evidence has revealed transformations undergone by views of male and female spirits (the domovoy and kikimora, respectively), allowing us to compare local beliefs and stories featuring them in urban and rural areas of Russia, and to reconstruct common Russian ideas of home spirits with reference to the notion of linguistic and cultural literacy. The results demonstrate that the idea of domovoy is quite popular even among urban dwellers, generally matching traditional Russian beliefs. The domovoy is believed to be a home and family patron, either invisible or small and shaggy, an old man or a cat, supposed to be entertained with food and invited when moving to a new home. Unlike the image of the domovoy, that of the kikimora has undergone substantial changes. Modern urban residents view the kikimora mostly as an untidy, ugly woman, sometimes called kikimora bolotnaya, the second word being an adjective of boloto (‘bog’), thus turning her into a forest rather than a domestic spirit. The idea of the kikimora as a home spirit is still held by villagers, who view her either as an undead being or as a bewitched item (doll). Domestic mythical characters, then, have changed without losing their topicality.
Keywords: Russian mythology, lexicography, cultural literacy, folk beliefs, domovoy, kikimora, traditional culture.
