Encounter Atlas
The domovoi, 'the one of the house', is the household spirit of Slavic tradition. He is usually pictured as a small, grey-haired old man with bright eyes, sometimes with a tail or little horns, living behind the stove or under the threshold. He can also appear as a cat or dog, or take the look of the master of the house or a departed ancestor.
A domovoi protects the family, its children and its animals, and may warn of coming deaths, wars or disasters. If the family quarrels or swears, he can turn against them or leave. People kept him happy with leftovers from supper or bread and salt, and when a family moved, they invited him to come too, sometimes carrying embers from the old stove to the new one.
Many related spirits watch other parts of the homestead: the dvorovoi in the courtyard, the bannik in the bathhouse and the ovinnik in the threshing barn. Some English writers call the domovoi a 'house elf'.
What witnesses report
- Footsteps or sighs at night
- Feeling pressed on in bed
- Animals unsettled in the stable
- Small things moved or hidden
Famous cases
Seen the Domovoi?
Tell us what happened. Every report is read by a person before it goes on the map, and you can stay anonymous.
