Home keeper of the hearth. Brownie: guardian of the house or simple fiction? Everything in this life is relative
There is a lot in our world that humanity can only guess about. There are various spirits and energies that actively influence people's lives in almost all areas. Not all people believe in the existence of brownies, but esotericists are confident in the existence of energies. Grandfather, the keeper of the home, is one of the representatives of “power”. So, what do people know about these spirits?
Brownies are sent to each house or apartment through their own, so to speak, “service channels.” For them, it’s like work, a kind of business trip to this or that house, from one world to another. By doing their work efficiently and conscientiously, they develop and improve themselves, become a higher rank and move into a higher world. The brownie, the closest to a person, among all types of spirits (such as water spirits, goblins, nymphs, mermaids and others).
A brownie is energy, or rather a clot of formed energy capable of thinking. He is the spirit of housing, the soul of the house in which you live. Among the keepers of the hearth, in principle, as among people, there are smart ones and not so smart ones. The intellectual thinking of a brownie is akin to the thinking of the average teenager of the human race. They have their own civilization, communication, and in matters of a certain area they are much more knowledgeable than people. For example, with regard to corruption, evil spirits and dark entities, the knowledge of small creatures is much more extensive, as are many skills.
In appearance, the brownie is about a meter tall, looks like an old man overgrown with hair, who has beady eyes, arms and legs that are practically invisible due to his hair. But this spirit can also take on any forms and features. It is almost impossible to see it, but you can hear and feel it.
He often warns people about this or that event, appears in a dream or attracts attention to himself in every possible way and there is no need to be afraid of this, the spirit does not wish evil, but only warns.
The brownie will definitely sense people who come to the house with negative thoughts or magical evil and will let the owner know about it. For example, an ill-wisher loses everything, even dishes may break. The guardian tries to quickly drive bad people out of your home; they become uncomfortable and want to leave the premises as soon as possible.
Grandfathers, as brownies are also popularly called, celebrate their holiday on February 9-10. This is a kind of name day, our birthday. The brownie is ready to “accept” congratulations on any night of the month, since all the nights of February are considered magical. Don’t forget to congratulate him and be sure to appease him with something tasty, such as sweets and milk. Brownies love to eat, of course, in the figurative sense of the word, they absorb the energy and aura of food. They mainly prefer sweets, all kinds of baked goods and water. There is no need to provide alcoholic drinks, such treats attract dark entities into the house. After all, alcoholic drinks tend to evaporate, which worsens the atmosphere in the house and attracts negativity.
The brownie is a kind creature and you need to be friends with him. Learn to love and respect him, remember that where the guardian is honored, prosperity and love reign. For good people who go through life with a smile, the home spirit always comes to the aid of its owners
They say that the brownie still lives in every village hut, but not everyone knows about it. They call him grandfather, master, neighbor, housekeeper, demon-housekeeper, but this is all he - the keeper of the hearth, the invisible assistant of the owners. Of course, he can tickle in his sleep, rattle dishes at night, or tap behind the stove, but he does this more out of mischief. His main job is to inspect the farm. The brownie sees every little thing, tirelessly cares and worries so that everything is in order and ready; will help the hard worker, correct his mistake; he enjoys the offspring of domestic animals and birds; he does not tolerate unnecessary expenses and is angry with them - in a word, the brownie is inclined to work, thrifty and prudent. If he likes the housing, then he serves this family, as if he went into bondage to her. For this loyalty, in other places they call him that: he has killed him. But he willingly helps the lazy and careless to run their households, torments people to the point that he crushes them almost to death at night or throws them out of their beds.
However, it is not difficult to make peace with an angry brownie: you just have to put snuff under the stove, which she is a big fan of, or give any gift: a multi-colored rag, a loaf of bread... If the owners love their neighbor, if they live in harmony with him, then they will never want to part with it, even when moving to a new house: they will scratch under the threshold, collect the garbage in a dustpan - and sprinkle it in the new hut, without noticing how the “owner” is moving with this garbage to a new place of residence. Just don’t forget to bring him a pot of porridge for his housewarming and say with all possible respect: “Grandfather Brownie, come home. Come live with us!”
Whom the brownie really doesn't like are drunkards and simple-haired women: according to his ancient views, every married woman should definitely wear a headscarf. And whichever zealous housewife he likes, he worries about her day and night: in her dreams he will weave countless little braids on her head. It’s a hassle for her, go and comb it later, but he’s happy - he’s embellished his favorite. That's why he is also called licker.
Rarely can a person boast that he has seen a brownie. To do this, you need to put on a horse collar on Easter night, cover yourself with a harrow, the teeth on yourself, and sit between the horses the whole night. If you're lucky, you'll see an old man - small, like a stump, all covered with gray hair (even his palms are hairy), gray with age and dust. Sometimes, in order to divert prying eyes from himself, he will take on the appearance of the owner of the house - well, he’s the spitting image! In general, the brownie loves to wear the owner’s clothes, but always manages to put them back in place as soon as the person needs things.
Sometimes the brownie is so impatient with being spied on that, at his direction, the horses begin to hit the harrow with their backs and can beat the immodest and curious to death. It is much easier not to see a brownie, but to hear it: its crying and dull restrained moans, its soft and affectionate, and sometimes dull voice. Sometimes at night, in the form of a gray, smoky cat, he will fall on his chest and press: it’s him. To the one who, upon waking up, hastens to ask him: “For better or for worse?” - he will answer in a human voice, but quietly, as if the wind was rustling the leaves. He often strokes the sleepy ones with his soft paw, and then no questions are required - and it is so clear that this is for good. If you hear the cry of a brownie, even in the hut itself, you will be dead. When one of the household members dies, he howls at night, thereby expressing his unfeigned sadness. The house-elf predicts the death of the owner by covering his head with his hat when he sits down to work.
Before the plague, fire and war, the brownies leave the village and howl in the pastures. If there is a big unexpected misfortune, the grandfather notifies about its approach, ordering the dogs to dig holes in the middle of the yard and howl at the whole village... If the chimney on the roof begins to play the damper, there will be a trial because of some business and offense. If he wets someone with a brownie at night, that person will get sick. If he pulls a woman's hair - beware of the wife, don't get into an argument with her husband, or he'll beat you. If the brownie rattles the dishes in the supply - be careful with the fire, don’t drop a spark.
To the joy of the neighbor, she jumps, purrs songs, laughs; sometimes, playing on a comb, he warns of an imminent wedding.
For some reason, chickens enjoy a special favor with every brownie. Therefore, on November 1/14, a chicken name day is held in his honor - chicken pies are baked, and the crusts are thrown into the hearth, donating it to its keeper - the brownie.
Our ancestors believed that the house is a fortress, the main defensive line primarily... from evil spirits, evil spirits and the undead. And, according to our ancestors, nature was simply teeming with it. They believed that blood-sucking vampires could only kill their victims outside the house. Therefore, when building a home, they always performed cleansing rituals and resorted to protective magic.
For example, security signs were cut out on the eaves, windows, and under the roof and they tried to cover every hole in the house with some kind of mark against evil spirits. Inside the house, the family and the owner were protected and supported by the brownie himself. Who is he?
The history of the appearance of a guardian spirit in a house is very old. Maybe she is 5 thousand years old, maybe more. Back in the Stone Age, the hearth was considered the most sacred place in the house. During the Bronze Age in the 4th - 3rd millennia BC, the cult of male patrons of the hearth began to spread widely. Perhaps it was then that the image of the guardian spirit of family and home arose. In the Caucasus it was represented as a phallic symbol. Among the ancient Romans, each family member had his own patron - Lara. The Laras looked like dolls. They were put in a special chest. Wasn't it what they called the casket?
Our Slavic brownie was closely associated with the power of fire. In the hut he lived near the stove and could turn into a flickering light or ember.
The brownies were different: those who lived in the house were called brownies, and those in the yard were called yard spirits. The brownie is the main owner of the estate and the hut. He is a good spirit, although undead. He was honored, fed, pampered with offerings and never cursed in the name of the brownie. They called him affectionately: master, grandfather, but often they called him allegorically: He, Dobrozhil, Dobrokhot, Sused.
Brownie-home
You usually cannot see the brownie, you can only feel his presence. Either out of boredom he rattles pots in the night, shuffles his feet, groans, sobs in the dark, then he speaks in a soft, affectionate voice or in a dull, abrupt voice. Gives brief answers to hosts' questions. The brownie loves warmth, he was also called “wen”; the prankster is not averse to licking something tasty, so he was also nicknamed “lizun”. God forbid you spy on a brownie if he doesn’t want to: the person gets sick or the horse hits him with its hoof.
At night, the brownie sometimes gives a sign. Lean on the chest of the sleeping person and let's put pressure. In the morning a person will wake up worried. Was that sign for good or for bad?
Few were able to see the owner. They say that he is shaggy and overgrown with hair. And his paw is warm, furry, affectionate. If he strokes a person with it in a dream, there is no need to guess - it’s a good sign. Some claim that the brownie looks like a small, shaggy old man. Capable of turning into different animals, black cats, for example. Then some kind of fuss was heard in the entryway, like cats grappling, hissing, screaming, rowdy. Know that it was your owner who started a fight with someone else’s slime.
Don’t go into my domain, - He tells the enemy that someone else’s undead have nothing to do here.
The brownie is tightly tied to his hut. Even if it has become dilapidated, abandoned to the howling of blizzards and cold autumn rains, the brownie will remain living in a cold old stove all alone. Crying, moaning in the ruins. But a family cannot live without a home guardian. Who will protect her at night from all evil spirits? Therefore, since ancient times, a custom has been preserved: when changing homes, they take a pot of coals from the old house and move it to the new hut. They put the pot in the oven and say: “House-brownie, come with me, lead the housewife to the mistress - I’ll reward you as best I can!”
A brownie may have a family. His wife is called “domanya” or simply “neighbor”. The brownie family is not very picky - they agree to settle not only near the stove, but also in the closet, on the threshold. According to various beliefs, there could be several brownie-domoviki. One for each family member, with personal responsibility for the ward.
The brownie is a faithful assistant in the household. He especially loves a cheerful, friendly family. Then he tries his best to help her. And he will gladly help careless owners to run things further and “spoil the cattle.” However, it is not difficult to change his attitude towards home. We need to make a sacrifice to the brownie and get down to business properly. The brownie can also help the owner in trading matters. Brownie advice has always been valued when purchasing horses and cows. If the new purchased cattle doesn’t take root at court, you know the brownie doesn’t like it.
The brownie often tries to warn the family about misfortune. If he cries behind the stove - to the dead man. If he pulls a woman's hair at night - don't quarrel with your husband, the owner didn't drink him, don't argue until you become hoarse, otherwise the husband will become angry and beat you with a log. If household dishes rattle - be careful with the fire, if you make a mistake - an unextinguished firebrand will break out.
Be afraid, unfaithful wife, of the brownie! If I twisted my hem at night, the brownie would fall with a terrible weight on my feet and grab me by the throat. And he can beat a lustful man in the darkness and give him bruises. Protects family foundations. Well, if the brownie laughed in the night, the songs purred, you know, there will soon be joy in the house, or even a wedding.
Baking prankster
And there was also a ghost in the Russian house - a kikimora. Information about her is not very specific. It was believed that it was both a useful and harmful creature. The name kikimora consists of two parts. The first part of the word - kika - can be interpreted as a Slavic headdress with horns or simply the horned nature of a creature - an obvious sign of the undead. The second part of the word - mora, means that this evil spirit is related to all sorts of Troubles, Maras, which fool a person or even promise him death.
According to legends, kikimoras were found in houses, in stables, in forests and thickets. Folk fantasy painted; kikimoru in the guise of a short woman in a sundress, sometimes with a shishiga headdress, sometimes bare-haired, disheveled, with small horns. The kikimora's eyes are bulging and shining. Kikimora lives in the house behind the stove, loves mold, dampness, her favorite place is the corner of the hut where garbage is swept away. She is invisible, a spirit.
The domestic kikimora was considered the girlfriend of the forest brownie - the goblin. Kikimora had an ambivalent attitude towards people. She sympathized with hard-working, hard-working women. At night she could wash all the dishes with it, watched over the dough so that it rose well, so that the pies turned out fluffy and tasty. She lulled children to sleep, but kikimora simply could not stand careless girls and women, and harmed them little by little. Could sloths even survive from the hut.
Kikimora is a big prankster. She usually loved to play around with yarn, for example, she spoiled needlework started by a woman on a spinning wheel. Kikimora herself loved to spin, but no one had seen her products. Often she took up needlework that had already been started and abandoned by a woman. The spinners believed that if the kikimora worked hard on a shirt, then you wouldn’t finish it in a week. There is a saying: “Sleep, girl, the kikimora will spin for you, and your mother will weave.” This was a stern warning from the lazy spinners. If the kikimora has begun to harm its owner, then there is one sure-fire remedy. You need to go into the forest, find a bitter fern root, and infuse it in water. Then wash all the dishes clean with this infusion. Kikimora loves ferns very much and is ready to forgive everything for such a delight. Kikimoras attributed chicken illnesses that occurred in dysfunctional farms to pranks. If chickens pluck their own feathers, it’s her fault. A whirlwind will happen - a chicken disease that causes birds to spin on their perch and then fall down dead - the kikimora also had a hand. In such cases, they hung an amulet in the chicken coop - a stone with a hole, called the chicken god. Kikimora harmed sheep and horses. Either he plucks the wool from sheep, or he confuses the manes of horses, and at night he drives them so hard that in the morning they can barely breathe. A funny creature, kikimora, but formidable. If someone sees her in the house, it means that trouble is on the doorstep; a loved one may fall ill or die. It is not for nothing that this spirit is akin to Mare - Morena - the ancient goddess of death. The surest remedy for kikimora is the holy cross and prayer.
Spirits of the Court and the Sacrament of the Bath
The house-serf is in every way similar to his older “brother” from the hut, only his fur grows thicker. The yardman is more evil. Passion loves to torture cattle. All problems with domestic animals, horses, cows, sheep and chickens were explained by the pranks of the yard servant. He was only friends with goats and dogs.
To protect the animals from his mischief, they hung a killed magpie in the barn. The yard owner does not like these birds. To please the housekeeper, they tried not to keep white cats, white dogs, or white horses. Newborn calves and lambs were taken from the barn into the house, because the yard worker could strangle them, and this way the young animals were calmer in the house. Just don’t sleep, master, take care of the cattle. The villagers tried to appease the yard servant. He loves gifts. He loved colorful shreds, shiny tinsel, and crusty bread. All these offerings were carried to the barn and the spell was recited: “Master of the brownie, kindly neighbor, I give you a gift, thank you: accept the cattle, water, feed.” They hung a “witch’s broom” in the barn - a pine or spruce branch with thick needles.
The brownie also had other assistants - ringers. They looked like cats. Kolovershi - at night they carried money and all sorts of supplies from other houses for their owner.
In the courtyard of the barn, where the straw was dried, it was guarded by a special spirit - the barn. He was often represented in the form of a black cat. It was he who was the main fireman on the farm. He made sure that the overdried straw in the barn did not catch fire. However, a fire in a barn was often attributed to the mischief of someone else’s barn keeper, who deliberately set fire to the owner’s building. If you saw two cats fighting near a barn, they believed that it was the barn that was beating the scoundrel. According to legends, barn workers even fought with firebrands. However, the most mysterious building in the courtyard was the bathhouse.
Baths in Rus' were heated in black. The bathhouse had a bad reputation. The villagers, going to the bathhouse, took off their crosses. They were afraid of the spirits that lived in the bathhouse; they believed that it was better to be friends with them and not irritate them with Christian symbols. The main spirit of the bathhouse was the bannik. The bannik could not stand the wet steam, and angrily left its possessions when they were steaming there. But on cooled stones or in a sauna stove he could live for a long time. His worst prank is “container gas.” According to ancient beliefs, the souls of deceased ancestors - Navyas - lived in the bathhouse. The Navy treated the villager differently; they could help him, or they could kill him. A black chicken was always sacrificed to Bannik.
Even visiting lonely wanderers were afraid to spend the night in the baths. Bannik could choke. After the steam room, they left a broom, a piece of soap and water in a tub. At night we heard some kind of fuss, splashing, cackling in the bathhouse. They thought it was the banniks whipping brooms and frolicking. The most serious fortune telling was associated with the bathhouse. Some tried to stick their naked back into the bathhouse, others, lifting up their dresses, tried to stick their buttocks. Bannik gave a sign by slapping the body with a cold or warm furry paw. A cold hand was bad luck, and a warm hand was good luck.
The brownie is a good Spirit, the keeper of the hearth. Those. A brownie is a kind creature who keeps the hearth and hearth. Looks after the housekeeping and order. We have one more creature - the keeper of the hearth - this is the spouse, and the Brownie helps her. In the old days, the Brownie was perceived as one of the Ancestors, the founder of a given Clan or house, who in the next world did all his business and decided to help his descendants, i.e. he returns and starts helping around the house, looking after the housework.
Therefore, the Brownies were depicted as elders, wise by experience. These were mainly sculptural images. For example, a sculptural image of a brownie sitting on a chest of goods, guarding it, but such a kind grandfather. Or other images, even grandparents. The sculptures were made from clay and carved from wood. Very often the Brownie has in his hands the cup that was required. ...The size of Domovoy’s idol could be a span, it could be a foot, up to an arshin, i.e. This is the maximum size that I have seen - a yardstick, i.e. they were a yard high.
Therefore, the Brownies were also called differently: somewhere simply Grandfather, and since he is the keeper of the hearth, sometimes he was simply called the Host - the Hostess. Someone called him Sosedushko because he lived next door to the people in this dwelling.
A bowl was placed in front of the Domovoi, into which cream, sour cream, and milk were poured. It was believed that the brownie did not drink milk, but he licked it, like a cat, licking droplets of fat from the milk from the surface, so the brownie was sometimes called Lizun. But also because Domovoy loves children very much and when he plays with them, he does not kiss them, but licks them like a kitten. If a child is crying, Domovoi will come up and lick off his tears, and the child will stop crying.
The Brownie is also called Shishok. A lump means he is short in stature. My grandmother called Domovoy Yegor Kuzmich. Or just Kuzmich. The brownie loves to play. There is an expression: “As old as young.” Likewise, Domovoy likes to play around and play pranks, so they say about him: “He got on his nerves, he got on his nerves.” Also Domovoy, remember from the cartoon? They called it Nafanya.
This is from the Slavic word Naf i.e. A world that borders on Reality.
These forms and images served as prototypes for the cartoon script about the house-house Kuzya. Kuzya - this means that he is still small, not yet Kuzmich, but still Kuzenka. And his mentor is an older Domovoy - Nafanya.
He was also called Yegorych, Dobrokhot. The brownie really doesn’t like being called the devil, i.e. that which is beyond the line of perception. As a rule, for some reason it was believed that everything that was beyond the line was all bad and negative. That's why Brownie didn't like being called that.
When a person cannot find something in the house, he says: “Damn, damn, let’s play and give it back.” And then he runs around to psychics: “Calm down, there’s a poltergeist in my house.” And a poltergeist is like a violent, noisy Spirit.
Christian priests really don't like Brownies. They even have a mania - to go baptize apartments, cleanse them of Brownies. And they intimidate people, saying that the Brownies are demons. People get scared, they are asked to be baptized, to protect themselves from Domovoi, i.e. offer to refuse their help, support, etc.
Small Academic Dictionary Domovoy - according to the superstitious beliefs of Slavic and some other peoples: a good or evil spirit living in a house. Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary Domovoy - in Slavic mythology: a fairy-tale creature that lives in a house, an evil or good spirit of a house. Wikipedia free encyclopedia Brownie among the Slavic peoples is a home spirit, the mythological owner and patron of the house, ensuring the normal life of the family, the health of people and animals, and fertility. Lexical meaning of the word "brownie" Large encyclopedic dictionary Domovoy - in the beliefs of the Slavs and other peoples, a spirit living in the house, the guardian of the house, sometimes punishing for violation of customs.
The brownie does not harm the owners if he likes the residents of the house. He takes care of the house and can warn of misfortune by knocking or slamming doors. And in special cases it may even appear to someone at home. The brownie likes real, hardworking owners who love and care about their home and family. The brownie loves to keep the house tidy and clean, and helps the owners maintain cleanliness.
Symbolism of amulets Cereals and legumes are a symbol of prosperity, a well-fed life, and material well-being. Poppy, poppy seeds are a symbol of wish fulfillment. The cone is a symbol of hard work and success. Medicinal herbs, rose hips are a symbol of good health. Burlap abundance and prosperity. Coin for success in business. The donut is a continuous ring, a symbol of a strong family. Nuts and acorns prolong youth. Sunflower – health and well-being.
