inkyami:Domovoy (rus. домово́й, literally “[he] from the house”) — the main dome

inkyami: Domovoy (rus. домово́й, literally “[he] from the house”) — the main domestic spirit — the protector of the household and one of the most well-known pagan characters in slavic mythology. Domovoy has numerous names (which is typical for most of evil spirits), that refer to his place of inhabiting, his respectful status among people or his demonic nature. Primordially, the role of the protector of the family and household was associated with the progenitor of the family — a long gone ancestor, but with time all the individual traits had faded, and the generalized image of the spirit-Domovoy has been formed in the popular mind. This fact explains some human-like traits, uncommon for the evil spirits, — according to the legends, it is only a small size, big hands and bare feet that distinguish Domovoy from human. However, is is believed that there is almost no chance to see Domovoy in the flesh. The prosperity, wealth and even health of the family members were thought to be dependent on Domovoy’s will, which is why there were loads of rituals and traditions performed to make Domovoy happy. It was believed that pleased Domovoy would help with household chores, keep the house safe from the rest of evil spirits, predict misfortune. Being tied to a place, Domovoy was unable to leave the house, and that’s why the family (with the help of rituals and gifts) tried to convince  Domovoy to join them in case of resettlement. According to the lore, the abandoned Domovoy trapped in the old house might get truly evil (or even insane), bringing harm and danger  to anyone entering the house, so moving out of the house with Domovoy was thought to be crucial. Here we can see an interesting parallel with bannik, whose resettlement with the family was also really important. -- source link

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