Household Spirits- Slavic GroupCollective"Guardians of the Home"
Also known as: Domovye Dukhi, Domashnie Dukhi, Домовые духи, and Домашние духи
Titles & Epithets
Domains
Symbols
Description
Every space in a Slavic household had its guardian: a spirit behind the stove, another in the yard, another in the bathhouse. When a family moved house, they carried embers from the old stove and lured the Domovoi into a boot left by the hearth, so he would follow them to the new home.
Mythology & Lore
Behind the Stove
The Domovoi lived behind the great clay stove or beneath the floorboards. He was addressed as "grandfather" or "master" and never named directly after dark. His offerings were small: bread and salt left near the stove, porridge set in corners. In return, he protected the household and warned of danger through sounds or dreams. When offended, he pulled hair in the night and made the livestock sick.
When a family built a new house, it had no Domovoi until one was invited. Some families carried embers from the old stove to the new one, calling the spirit to follow. Others left a boot or a pot by the hearth overnight, hoping the Domovoi would climb inside, and carried it to the new home in the morning.
The Third Steam
The bathhouse was the most dangerous space in the household compound. Its spirit, the Bannik, permitted three rounds of bathing for the family. The third or fourth steam was his, and anyone who stayed too long or entered alone after dark risked his anger.
At Yuletide, young women came to the bathhouse door to divine their futures. They reached a hand through the doorway and waited. If the Bannik touched them with a warm hand, the omen was good. If the hand was cold, the year ahead would be hard. If he clawed them, worse.