Kikimora

Kikimora (tormenting spirit) In Russian folklore, female house spirit who lives behind the oven, said in some accounts to be the wife of Domovoi, the male house spirit; sometimes said to be a mora, a person with two souls. Kikimora appears in numerous folktales, though no precise image emerges. She looks after poultry and sometimes takes part in household tasks if the wife herself is diligent; if not, she causes havoc by making noises in the night and waking those asleep. Sometimes she causes women to tangle their spinning if they arise from their spinning wheels without making the sign of the cross. Anatol Liadov’s symphonic poem Kikimora captures the capricious nature of the spirit. Ivan Bilibin’s sketch shows a composite animal made up of chicken legs, semihuman hands, furry ears, horns, and a beaked face and wearing a peasant costume.