Who is the kikimora?
The kikimora lives in the house, usually behind the stove or in the cellar. She is described as a small, hunchbacked woman with tangled hair, and in some areas as having a head like a thimble or a beak. At night people hear her spinning, rattling pots or breaking dishes. In some traditions she is the wife of the Domovoi.
Helper and pest
If the woman of the house is hardworking, the kikimora helps her with her chores. If she is careless, the kikimora makes everything worse, tangling the yarn and tormenting the poultry. Some tales also tell of a swamp kikimora that lives in the forest and frightens travelers.
The weight on the chest
The second part of the name is related to mora, a Slavic word for the nightmare spirit that sits on sleepers. Waking at night, being unable to move and feeling a weight on the chest is known today as sleep paralysis. In folk tradition, the experience had a name and a face.
Where she is found
The kikimora is known in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, and related figures exist in Poland and the Balkans. The details vary widely from region to region.
Episode on this topic
- Kikimora: The Many Faces of a Slavic Folk Figure (in German)
- Related: Domovoi, Baba Yaga
Further reading
- Linda J. Ivanits: Russian Folk Belief, 1989.
- W. F. Ryan: The Bathhouse at Midnight, 1999.