Kikimora

The Kikimora (Russian кикимора, шишимора: " Kikimora, Schischímora "); मार is after the Christianization of the Slavs - Ugrian a poltergeist reclassified image of an old pagan deity. It comes both in the East and in the West Slavic Pantheon - with Russians, Poles and Czechs, Ugrian - before and has analogues also in the Southern Slavs.

The origin of the Kikimora applies some Russian authors claim that the female, also generally Slavic deity Mokosch (Russian Макошь, Мокошь ), probably originally a chthonic deity ( earth deity ) with clear parallels to other goddesses of Indo-European pantheon. On the other hand, combines the Kikimora in to trains, which can be an independent origin also appear possible. In the English-speaking Internet which also has descriptions of a Kikimora, although due to lack of source data is not always clear whether these go back to original Anglo-Saxon mythological ideas or - more likely - were taken from the Slavic languages ​​.

The Kikimora, which makes its appearance among the Slavs as an old, strangely dressed, mostly invisible woman is accused of, among other things, that she spins yarns, it brings the domestic distaff disheveled and confused, and that it rumbles and then attempts to residents to drive a house with sounds crazy, until they leave the house. To those who she sees, she brings bad luck - not infrequently such an incident ends with the death of an occupant of the house. However, it also steals the poultry or prevents it from laying eggs. Popular belief holds to that, in order to ward off the evil influence, the severed neck of a jug, or to hang a stone with a natural hole on the nests or in front of the stables. This may be e.g. read as in the resultant in the 19th century and until today not only among scientists very popular dictionary of the Great Russian language of Vladimir Dal, but also on the Russian Internet (see below). This explains the term Hühnergott.

Occasionally Kikimora and Mara (see below) were identified with each other. Conversely, the Kikimora the Russians sometimes an interpretation as a woman of the house spirit, the Domowoi, learn. Not only in homes but also in swamps Kikimoras should have occurred, which in some traditions werewolf was said to have similar characteristics. The word Kuriny bog (Russian куриный бог; Hühnergott ) again indicated his part in the Slavic languages ​​not only perforated bricks, but also other as a talisman against the Kikimora used items - such vessels with ausgeschlagenem soil or old things, like worn bast shoes, the same as perforated bricks were used.

Speculative must for now remain the question whether the second part of the name of the house spirit Kikimora, as already suspected D. Zelenin and is considered by modern Russian authors as very likely, is etymologically be linked to the same root, which is the German mahr or Nachtmar ( Nightmare ), the English or the French Nightmare Cauchemar (s) (all within the meaning of nightmare ) place. Also, some claim German Internet sources, the name Mahr (as well as, for example, Thrud, Toggeli, Schrat and Walrider ) is a synonym for Alb ( Alp ). The original designation of the three Greek goddesses of fate - Moirai (sing. Moira ), corresponding to the Roman Fates and the kindred Germanic Norns - seems to point in this direction, much like the also encountered in many Indo-European languages ​​root * mor - for darkness, gloom or death. Also in the Albanian Pantheon comparable figures occur, the so-called Mira. All this suggests that the ideas of the Kikimora and used as a talisman perforated bricks have a high age and have probably already been created with the religious ideas of the ancient Indo-Europeans. So it is in ancient Greek mythology, originally a Moira have given to those having their attributes (such as spinning, sizing and cutting of food or threads of fate, which was then attributed to the Fates, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos ) parallels the Kikimora. Fittingly, there has been, for example, in the eastern and southern Slavic mythology originally deadly female characters named Mora, Mara (Russian мара ), Morena and others that are linked to fateful encounters. The Celtic mythology that were found by Morgan Le Fay figure that later in the circle of the word became known as a healer, but also as a resident of the other-world of King Arthur, seems with these ideas to communicate (see literature, but also under Mara listed references to mythological figures and deities of other nations ).

The Russian composer Anatoly Ljadow (1855-1914) portrayed Kikimora 1905 in one of his symphonic poem, op 63 In Russian literature the figure of Kikimora has variously input is found, for example in the same stories of Albert Lichanow, Ludmila Milewskaja or Orest Somov.