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domovoi

n. (alternative spelling of domovoy English)

Wikipedia
Domovoi

A domovoi or domovoy (; literally, "[he] from the house") is a protective house spirit in Slavic folklore. The plural form in Russian can be transliterated domoviye or domovye (with accent on the vowel after the v). In some accounts, the domovoi is described as having a wife (domovikha or kikimora) who lives in the cellar or henhouse. The Slavs and Balts of former times kept idols of the domovoi.

Domovye are masculine, typically small, bearded, and sometimes covered in hair all over. According to some traditions, domovye take on the appearance of current or former owners of the house and have a grey beard, sometimes with tails or little horns. This belief is commonly held to be a remnant of the pre-Christian cult of ancestors which is also reflected in some of the titles of the domovoi (e.g., dedko, dedushka "grandfather"). There are tales of neighbors seeing the master of the house out in the yard while in fact the real master was asleep in bed. It has also been said that domovye can take on the appearance of cats or dogs. The domovoi is more often heard than seen and his voice is said to be hollow and harsh.

Usage examples of "domovoi".

Oh, that dear little domovoi who had been so affected by the tears of Matrena Petrovna!

Truly, my dear little domovoi, that day we had been very near death, but God and the Little Father watched over us.

But now I certainly am happy, that weight at least is off my heart, off my heart, dear little domovoi, because of you, because of you.

And as he waited for that moment he had not budged any more than a Chinese ape or the dear little porcelain domovoi doukh in the garden.

She commenced to tremble again, and, falling back into her nightmarish horror, she no longer wasted fond expletives on her domovoi as on a dear little angel who had just rendered a service ten times more precious to her than life.

I want you to understand, monsieur le domovoi, that I am not able to believe anything so horrible.

Little domovoi, listen to me, listen to Matrena Petrovna - Anyone would have said she was expecting it!

After kindergarten each day, Domovoi Butler would escort his little sister to the Fowl Estate dojo, where he instructed her in the various forms of martial arts.