In theSlavic religious tradition,Domovoy (Russian:Домовой, literally "[the one] of the household"; also spelledDomovoi,Domovoj, and known asPolish:Domowik,Serbian:Домовик (Domovik),Ukrainian:Домовик (Domovyk) andBelarusian:Дамавік (Damavik)) is thehousehold spirit of a given kin.[2] According to the Russian folklorist E. G. Kagarov, the Domovoy is a personification of the supremeRod in the microcosm of kinship.[3] Sometimes he has a female counterpart, Domania, the goddess of the household,[4] though he is most often a single god.[5] The Domovoy expresses himself as a number of other spirits of the household in its different functions.[6]
The termDomovoy comes from the Indo-European root *dom,[4] which is shared by many words in the semantic field of "abode", "domain" in theIndo-European languages (cf. Latindomus, "house"). The Domovoy have been compared to the RomanDi Penates, thegenii of the family.[7]Helmold (c. 1120–1177), in hisChronica Slavorum, alluded to the widespread worship ofpenates among theElbe Slavs. In theChronica Boemorum ofCosmas of Prague (c. 1045–1125) it is written thatCzech, one of the three mythical forefathers of the Slavs, brought the statues of thepenates on his shoulders to the new country, and, resting on the mountain of the Rzip, said to his fellows:[2]
Rise, good friends, and make an offering to yourpenates, for it is their help that has brought you to this new country destined for you by Fate ages ago.
The Domovoy are believed to protect the well-being of a kin in any of its aspects.[5] They are very protective towards the children and the animals of the house, constantly looking after them.[8] These gods are often represented as fighting with one another, to protect and make grow the welfare of their kin. In such warfare, the Domovoy of the eventual winner family is believed to take possession of the household of the vanquished rivals.[9]
They are believed to share the joys and the sorrows of the family, and to be able to forebode and warn about future events, such as the imminent death of a kindred person, plagues, wars or other calamities which threaten the welfare of the kin. The Domovoy become angry and reveal their demonic aspect if the family is corrupted by bad behaviour and language. In this case, the god may even quit and leave the kin unprotected against illness and calamity.[9]
The Domovoy is usually represented as an old, grey-haired man with flashing eyes. He may manifest in the form of animals, such as cats, dogs or bears, but also as the master of the house or a departed ancestor of the given family,[11] sometimes provided with a tail and little horns.[12] In some traditions the Domovoy are symbolised as snakes.[13] Household gods were represented by the Slavs as statuettes, made of clay or stone, which were placed in niches near the house's door, and later on the mantelpieces above the ovens. They were attired in the distinct costume of the tribe to which the kin belonged.[7]
Sacrifices in honour of the Domovoy are practised to make him participate in the life of the kin, and to appease and reconcile him in the case of anger. These include the offering of what is left of the evening meal, or, in cases of great anger, the sacrifice of a cock at midnight and the sprinkling of the nooks and corners of the common hall or the courtyard with the animal's blood. Otherwise, a slice of bread strewn with salt and wrapped in a white cloth is offered in the hall or the courtyard while the members of the kin bow towards the four directions reciting prayers to the Domovoy.[9]
The Domovoy is believed to be somehow connected with the house building itself, so sacrifices are also practised when a family moved to a newly built house to invite the god to inhabit it. In this case, a hen and the first slice of bread cut for the first dinner in the new house are offered to the god and buried in the courtyard, reciting the formula:[14]
Our supporter, come into the new house to eat bread and obey your new master.
Similar rituals are practised to invite a Domovoy to transfer from one house to another, and to welcome him.[14]
Other household gods, or expressions of the Domovoy, are:
SomeEnglish-speaking authors interpret the namedomovoy as "house elf".[17][18]
TheSlavic languages and their local forms have variations of the termDomovoy and alternative names to describe the household god, including:
The female counterpartDomania can appear as:
The household spirit may also be called Zhikharko (Russian:Жихарько in northern governorates of Russia. It is described as short, disheveled, with a big beard, good-natured, harmless and a big joker.[20]
One way of pacifying an irritated 'domovoy,' or house elf, among the Russians [...].
The Domoviye are among the most important Slavic house elves, although their name is sometimes used for other species. [...] The Domoviye (singular Domovoy) do favors for the family, stealing food and grain from the neighbors, cleaning the house, and taking care of the animals.
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