Young brownie. Brownies

I remembered.

At first - brief information by mast:
Brownie is a Slavic pagan meme symbolizing the guardian spirit of the home.
The brownie is generated by the collective consciousness of people and animals living in the house.
Since, in pagan times, the Slavs did not have apartment buildings, it turned out that the brownie was a companion of the same family (clan) for several generations. He was “transported” when moving from a previous home to a new home, or he was “invited” to somehow materialize from nothingness.
What kind of people lived in the house - the brownie was like that.
It was believed that the brownie protects good owners, and punishes bad ones, even to the point of fire and death.
It was considered a special sign that if a brownie removed the doors from the house, then one could not stay in the house. This brownie either warns good owners about impending misfortune, or drives out bad tenants. You have to leave home, otherwise there will be trouble.

So here it is:

In the late 90s, my cousin got married. Together with her husband, she bought a room in a large Petersburg communal apartment on Petrogradka.
In Soviet times, this area was one continuous communal sewer, but since the early 90s they began to actively resettle it.
In their house, the communal apartments were already completely occupied, with only one remaining. My sister and her husband were tempted by the low price and the prospect of quick resettlement. And we came across a surprise.
As it turned out, this communal apartment could not be resettled because of one inadequate family - a divorced woman with two sons. The aunt was an insane bitch, embittered at the whole world, and her eldest, adult son was the same aggressive gopnik with a suspended criminal record. Both drank everything that burned. The youngest son, on the contrary, stood out strikingly for his cleanliness, politeness and good performance at school.
As the settlement progressed, the house was gradually filled with prosperous people and furnished both externally and internally. We repaired the entrance, re-laid pipes and electrical wiring, organized parking in the yard, installed video surveillance, hired a concierge, etc.
The house has been transformed. And only one communal apartment with broken windows and a dirty landing looked like a rotting tooth in the middle of a Hollywood smile.
All the residents of the house really wanted to end this torment. Especially for the other residents of the communal apartment. They suffered the most from the destruction, unsanitary conditions, gop companies, permanent brawls, night concerts, scandals, fights and theft. But they didn’t have money for separate housing, and the real estate agencies, after talking with the family, frowned and left.
So 2 years passed.
And then one day, the eldest son distinguished himself - he raped some girl. At first he was taken to a pre-trial detention center, but then, before the trial, he was released on bail. And he, of course, returned home.
Further - from the words of the sister:
“It was quiet that day. No company, no drinking, no noise. The younger one (who is normal) went somewhere, the mother stayed with the older one. These primates were neither seen nor heard at all.
We went to bed peacefully. But at about 4 o'clock in the morning there was a crash in the corridor, as if something had collapsed. It was the door to the room where the primates lived that suddenly broke off. The occupants of the room were sleeping at that moment, and were themselves surprised when they woke up and crawled out in response to the noise."
How the massive pre-revolutionary doors could have been torn off is unclear. After all, it seemed you couldn’t knock them out with a battering ram - they had endured so much from their inhabitants.
The inhabitants swore, hung the sheet on the doorway and went on to sleep.
And a few days later, the eldest son, with a hangover, fell on the stairs in the entrance and killed his head. The entrance was empty and the stairs were dry and clean. How he fell out of the blue is a mystery.
After a couple of weeks, my mother suddenly got sick and suddenly died. She used to have more than enough health, despite her drunkenness.
Just like that, in an unknown way, the door was removed, then - within half a month, an entire family died out, poisoning the life of the whole house. Both died in the house. Only the youngest son remained, who was a normal person.

Who knows - maybe the brownie's cup of patience has run out?
It may well be that now, with the weakening of the alien Christian religion, the long-forgotten spirits and gods of the Slavic lands are awakening from a thousand years of oblivion.
And who knows how it will go further.

The brownie is a kind spirit, the keeper of the house and everything that is in it. The brownie looks like a small old man (20–30 centimeters tall) with a large beard. It is believed that the older the brownie, the younger he looks, since they are born old men and die babies. The god Veles patronizes the brownies, from whom the spirits inherited several abilities, for example, the ability to predict the future, but the main thing, of course, is wisdom and the ability to heal people and animals.

The brownie lives in almost every home, choosing secluded places to live: behind the stove, under the threshold, in the attic, behind a chest, in a corner, or even in a chimney.

The brownie takes every possible care of his home and the family that lives in it, protecting them from evil spirits and misfortunes. If a family keeps animals, then the brownie will look after them; the good spirit especially loves horses, but if the brownie doesn’t like the animal, he can beat it to death.

The brownie loves cleanliness and order in the house, and does not like it when the inhabitants of the house are lazy. But the spirit dislikes it much more when the inhabitants of the house begin to quarrel with each other or treat it with disrespect. An angry brownie begins to let him know that the person is wrong: he knocks on doors and windows; interferes with sleep at night, making terrible sounds or screams, sometimes even wakes a person up, pinching him painfully, after which large and painful bruises remain on the body, which hurt more, the more angry the brownie is; and in extreme cases, the spirit is capable of throwing dishes, writing bad messages on the walls and starting small fires. However, the brownie will not cause serious harm to a person, and sometimes the spirit living in the house plays pranks without any particular reason.

The brownie rarely appears to a person, although children and animals can see him, often he even plays with them, but the spirit can be heard quite often, usually this is an unusual knocking or incomprehensible grumbling, sometimes the brownie howls - this portends trouble in the house. When moving, it is customary to invite the brownie with you; to do this, they put a basket in which they put bread and salt or a cup of porridge and say: “Grandfather Brownie, come out. Come live with us!”, and in the new place they again put the basket in the center of the room and say: “Grandfather Brownie, come home. Come live with us!”

Habitat

The brownie lives in the red corner, on the stove behind the chimney, in the oven and under the oven, at the threshold, on the cabbage (hence the nickname in some regions of Russia - holbeshnik), in the attic, in the corner of the cage, in the underground. “The holbeshnik lives in a hut under the stove, precisely in the wooden frame of the stove on the underground side” (Dahl). He is often seen in the barn (especially on the north side), in the manger, stable, hay barn, and attic. In some Russian regions, it was believed that the brownie lives in a pine or spruce branch with overgrown needles, called a “uterus,” specially suspended for him in the yard. A place favored by a brownie cannot be occupied - you might get sick.

In the 19th century, in some rural parishes of the Kaluga diocese, a peasant, moving to a new hut, transferred burning coals from the old stove to the new one and invited the brownie into the built housing, addressing him with greetings: “You are welcome, grandfather, to a new home.”. In the old estate, they opened a gate or a hole from the underground, put a bast shoe in front of it and called the brownie, then they moved the things to the new house, and dragged the bast shoe all the way on a string, where the brownie supposedly was riding. The first loaf of bread, cut off at dinner in the new house, was buried in the right corner under the hut and the brownie was again called to move in. Or the owner, bowing to the east with freshly baked kovriga, invited the brownie to a housewarming party and left the kovriga on the stove - if in the morning the kovriga turned out to be bitten, that means the brownie had come.

When they built a new house, they put a coin, or even four, in the underground floor - in the four corners of the log house - for the brownie. When the first loaf of bread was baked in the new oven, the top was cut off, salted and thrown under the oven - for the brownie. It was believed that the first inhabitant of the house, or whoever first crossed the threshold of a new house, would then become a brownie.

How to find out if there is a good brownie in the house - general signs

The presence of a good brownie in an apartment is always noticeable if you listen to yourself. Their habits are usually very similar. If you don't have pets, but you hear footsteps at night that sound like a medium-sized dog, it's most likely a brownie. You should not be afraid of these sounds; they only mean that the spirit guarding the house is checking whether everything is safe in the territory under its control, and is busy with its other duties.

If you are wondering how to find out if there is a brownie in the house, watch your pet. Cats may start purring for no apparent reason, which means that the brownie is scratching them behind the ear. Sometimes they play together, because brownies, like young cats, love to play. From the outside it looks like the cat is chasing and playing with someone invisible. If the cat behaves strangely, and at the same time he is not scared and does not show aggression, there is definitely a good brownie in your house. Dogs play with good spirits much less often than cats. Usually they just look at something invisible without reacting to their owners.

Notice if you have a feeling before a knock on the door or a phone call. In an apartment in which a good spirit lives, it is pleasant not only to sleep at night, but also to be. You are happy to return to your home, your family has good relationships, and even if a quarrel breaks out, everyone quickly calms down and adequately resolves the dispute. You should be friends with a good brownie, leave him treats and toys, and thank him for his help and care. Sometimes they show dissatisfaction, but it will still be different from the manifestation of evil spirits.

How to find out that there is an evil house spirit in the apartment

In principle, it is impossible to call an evil creature a brownie, but they are very often confused, so this classification is considered correct at the present time. If so

the creature is in your apartment, sleeping without light will be uncomfortable. Even adults in such conditions may be afraid to remain alone in the apartment, especially with the onset of darkness, which adds strength to dark creatures.

Quarrels and scandals, excessive drinking and other sources of negative energy are present in a living room exclusively at the same time as an evil spirit, which is often confused with a brownie. Sometimes, if people live “wrongly,” the good brownie gets offended and leaves, and is replaced by evil spirits.

Frequent illnesses of all family members are another sign of the presence of something bad in the house. It is unpleasant to be in an apartment where evil lives. Perhaps you don't want to go home after a working day? Try to clear your apartment of negativity. It also influences the desire of friends and neighbors to come visit you. In an apartment whose residents are adjacent to evil spirits, it’s uncomfortable to be there, usually people want to quickly go back to their native walls. I love it evil entity who lives in your house should be driven away and called for a real brownie, who will protect him from further attacks of evil forces.

In what cases does Domovoy need to be appeased?

Brownies are not very picky creatures, content with little. He behaves quietly and will never deliberately reveal himself, but, on the contrary, hides from people. But if something doesn’t suit him, he will be angry and indignant. How does such anger manifest itself?

• Things started disappearing.
• Some items are often found in a different place than where you put them.
• You often find open cabinet doors or wrinkled laundry.
• There are crumbs scattered around the kitchen.
• Sounds are heard: rumble, rustling.
• You often feel uncomfortable in your own home (brownies can influence the atmosphere).

What to do to avoid anger?

To prevent the brownie from getting angry, you need to provide him with the most comfortable living conditions. Here are some useful tips:

• Brownies do not tolerate scandals and shouting, so do not swear, do not utter swear words, try to raise your voice as little as possible. Such creatures also feel emotions, so drive away the negative ones.
• Don't be lazy, brownies can't stand lazy people.
• House keepers don't like tobacco smoke, so don't smoke in your apartment. And, in general, get rid of this bad habit.
• And all brownies love order and cleanliness. So if there is always a mountain of unwashed dishes in your sink, then don’t be surprised that something strange has started happening in the house.

How to appease the Brownie? 5 ways

1. It is not for nothing that the brownie is called the mistress of the house. He loves cleanliness and order. To appease the brownie, it is enough to simply keep the house clean: periodically clean, take out the trash, and make sure that dust does not accumulate. If all things are in disarray, the brownie will begin to get upset and angry, he may even start doing strange things, but more on that below.
2. A brownie is a spirit, a creature that is always depicted and presented as an elderly man, a grandfather. Like any older person, he loves to be treated with respect. And of course, he loves when people talk to him. It is important to make it clear to the brownie that you are addressing him. He cannot read minds, but he is always welcome to listen to you and understand. If you want to appease your brownie, address him politely and with respect (Father Brownie or Master-Father). He will also be glad if you address your home with warmth and tenderness - thank him for maintaining peace and comfort in the apartment.
3. To appease the brownie, you can treat him. The brownie's favorite treats are milk and baked goods that you made with your own hands. Pour a little milk and put some buns or porridge on a saucer and place it all on the highest kitchen cabinet away. It must be said that this gift is intended for the brownie, because he will not touch someone else’s. It’s not for nothing that brownies don’t eat from pets’ bowls. Don't be surprised if it turns out that nothing was eaten. The brownie is a spirit, so it only feeds on the “spirit” or smell of food. This is why, by the way, the brownie does not like dirt and litter lying around - they give off a bad spirit, bad energy.
4. To appease the brownie, you can give him small toys. Even though he is an old man, he still loves to play. For example, it is good to use small beads that can be put in a box (preferably a homemade one - brownies love owners who do a lot of things with their own hands). The box with beads should be placed in a secluded corner in the apartment so that the brownie can calmly play with them whenever he pleases.
5. As mentioned earlier, brownies also monitor the energy cleanliness of the house. Therefore, there should be fewer quarrels in the house; the brownie really doesn’t like it if a bad energy charge accumulates. This happens if you carry grievances within yourself for a long time and do not express them. The brownie loves spiritual purity, openness and goodwill. Therefore, if you want to appease the brownie, be sure to quarrel less with your family and be kind and open with them.

How to pick up Brownie when moving?

When moving to new apartment you can take your faithful assistant with you. To do this, you need to sweep, then lightly scatter the garbage and invite the brownie to come with you three times. Then the garbage is collected and, together with a broom, transported to a new location. There you should scatter the garbage again and invite the brownie to live with you three times. After a day, the garbage can be collected and thrown away as usual, and treats can be provided for the brownie. It’s better to take a new broom for this, however, you can use it later. It would be a good idea to let a cat into your new apartment first; it is believed that it can remove negative and alien energy. If there is no cat, just bring in a new broom - the result will be the same.

How to force Domovoy to give things away?

Brownies are completely different characters. Some are strict and important, others are cheerful and mischievous, and there are also angry and hostile ones.

Sometimes it happens that a prankish brownie steals small things. It would seem that a minute ago she was lying here before my eyes, and then suddenly she disappeared. In such cases, you need to go to the corner of the room and say: “Brownie, brownie, play and give it back.”. If something is not discovered, you can scold him: “Such a grown-up grandfather is the one who plays pranks. Oh no no no!" He will feel ashamed, and he will definitely return the “loss.” Or the night before moving, give him a treat in the form of a slice of rye bread with a mug of milk and say the words: “Father, my master, my good brownie. I will give you new mansions, bright chambers. Come with me, there will be no happiness without you.”

The next morning, you need to put an awl or coal in a sack or bag, invite the brownie to move with you again in the manner described above, and carefully transfer the brownie.

How to drive away an evil brownie?

If the brownie won’t calm down and constantly harms everyone, try driving him away. To do this, sweep the floors with a broom every day (start on Monday and skip Friday), paying special attention to the corners. At the same time, say the following words: “I’m sweeping you out, you alien, harmful brownie, I’m kicking you out.” Do this until you feel that the brownie has left. Be friends with your brownie, and he will always help you with everything. Peace and goodness to your family!

Brownie Day

In Rus', the name day of the brownie is considered to be April 1st. On this day, treat the brownie more attentively, and along with the treat say: “Congratulations, grandpa, on your birthday!” It is advisable to choose a treat so that it does not spoil, and it needs to be renewed on the 1st of every month. But the most important rule communication with the brownie is a peaceful atmosphere in the house. Do not allow swearing, shouting, or violent showdowns. From constant quarrels, the brownie will first become nervous and then angry. There will still be no great harm from him, but he will deprive you of his protection and protection. Therefore, if you want to maintain peace and comfort in your home, resolve all issues in a friendly and gentle tone. And then your “housewife” will help you in everything, protect you and fill your home with goodness and prosperity.

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In the old mill there lived a real white witch with her faithful brownie... From this woman I was fed with good energy and optimism.

I came to this mill in Smirnovka when I was collecting information about ancient buildings in our region. In a small village, from the landlady from whom I rented a room, I heard interesting story about a local witch.
“You are going to the mill,” Elizaveta Petrovna said more affirmatively than questioningly, and then added with concern: “Just be careful with Miroslava... She is very strange - she always tells incredible stories about spirits, magic and brownies.” He heals with herbs and knows all sorts of secret spells. Witch!

During the day, people avoided the mill, but in the evenings they came to the elderly woman who lived there for advice and medicine. Miroslava knew a lot about witchcraft, love spells, and talked about guardian angels. Long ago, her mother taught her to understand herbs. The white witch gave everyone who came to her a cure for his illness and helped many people.
“Although Mirosya is not evil, she communicates with evil spirits,” Elizabeth warned me.

On the way to the mill, I thought that I would now see a witch in an appropriate outfit and with a hooked nose. However, I was pleasantly surprised when, on the threshold of the mill, I met an elderly woman in ordinary clothes. There was so much warmth, some kind of satisfaction and happiness in her gaze that I also began to smile. It is clear that it is not surprising that people consider the old woman crazy, because no one today can enjoy life as sincerely as she does! Miroslava greeted me as if I were an old friend, went to the kitchen and prepared some herbal tea. Then she sat down at the table and began to tell me about herself and her life. I didn’t say that I had already heard something about her.

In the fifties of the last century, she worked at the mill, but when it was closed, local authorities allowed Miroslava to live in the house where the so-called “office” was located. The poor girl did not have her own family; she lived by collecting herbs and thanks to what people brought as gratitude for the medicine.
- And you live here alone? No relatives? - I asked.
“I don’t have any relatives, but I don’t live alone,” she answered with a smile.
- And with whom? - I asked.
“A brownie lives with me,” she answered in a whisper, and I could hardly restrain myself from laughing.

“Still, my mistress was right when she said that she was not all right in her head,” I thought. And the hostess began to tell me about this brownie, who either got angry and made noise at night, or behaved well and helped with the work. - But I know the approach to him! I give him a bowl of his favorite millet porridge, and he immediately becomes quiet,” she said quietly.
I listened to her chatter in silence because I didn’t know how to react. I didn't want to offend the old lady...

Every time I went to the mill, I chatted for a long time with Miroslava. And the hostess never tired of talking about her invisible friend. One day I couldn’t resist and asked what he looked like. The woman answered without hesitation that she was appearing at different images: sometimes it’s a cat, other times it’s a bird, a mouse, a stray dog... Most often, the brownie was hiding under the stove, the threshold or in the farthest corner of the hut. It was there that she left a small bowl of his favorite porridge at night. Mirosya assured that the patron of the mill helps her with the housework. Allegedly, more than once in the morning I found socks with mended holes.

But life with a brownie was not always easy. Sometimes the old woman got angry at his tricks and pranks, screamed, and in response he ran on the roof and stomped. Then he pretended to leave to help other people. But it was enough just to ask him for forgiveness and put down a bowl of food, and the spirit would return again. It was impossible not to love Miroslava for her undying optimism and love of life. It was as if I was recharged with energy from her.

Trouble came from unexpected places. They decided to give the old mill to the museum. Whether they will restore it is another question, but old Miroslava was asked to move out. They offered a place in a dormitory for poultry factory workers. I don’t know what came over me then, but... I invited a woman to live with me. My house in the suburbs is not God knows what kind of mansion, but there is enough space for the two of us. But my daughter still doesn’t want to live with me.

I have never regretted my decision. Miroslava turned out to be a wonderful companion. She was never intrusive, she was busy in the kitchen every morning and prepared a sumptuous breakfast for us. After some time, I was surprised to notice that the old woman was collecting the remains of food in the same bowl that I had seen a couple of times at the mill, and putting it outside the threshold. One day a mouse appeared near the bowl, and then the woman joyfully announced that the brownie had finally found it and would now stay with us...

One night a storm began: a strong wind rose, then rain began to pour out of buckets. My tenant left the doors to the veranda open, and there was a draft in the room all night. As a result, important documents from the institute ended up in the garden in the rain. Miroslava helped me collect the wet papers. I remember that I left for work indignantly. I returned in the evening and found all the sheets on the table clean and dry! Mirosya said that this was the merit of the brownie. Thus the spirit thanked her for the porridge...

When the old lady died, I realized that I had to do something. Therefore, she herself began to put the clay bowl outside the threshold. And it seems that the brownie stayed with me, because a couple of times I have already found items that were once missing on the table. Little by little I begin to believe that a good spirit lives with me, and I feel safe with him.

The brownie lives in almost every home. Most often it can be found where several generations of a family have lived. It is not easy to detect his presence, but if the brownie is not satisfied with something, he will definitely show his dissatisfaction.

The brownie is a mystical entity that has been protecting people’s homes from time immemorial. It is able to protect against many misfortunes: fires, scandals, theft, ill-wishers. However, if the family begins to disrespect their home and creates a mess, the brownie may get angry, and then you will know for sure that he lives with you.

Signs of the presence of a brownie

1. Loud noise. Sometimes at night the brownie can express himself by rearranging the dishes in the kitchen, slamming doors, and loudly stomping. He usually gets angry when housewives stop carefully maintaining order. In this case, the brownie becomes mischievous, hides things, thereby calling for cleaning.

2. Pets. The most common pets, cats and dogs, always see and hear more than people. If you notice that your dog sometimes looks warily into the corner, begins to wag its tail and tries to play as if with itself, most likely it sees a brownie. Cats may also suddenly freeze and then begin to purr, arching their backs as if being stroked by an invisible hand. However, if animals show anxiety, whine, hiss, or hide under furniture, perhaps there is not a brownie in your house at all, but an evil spirit. In this case, it is necessary to clean the house or apartment. Walk through all the rooms, sprinkling the space with holy water, put a little salt in each corner, and then walk with a lit candle.

3. Loss of sweets and small items. We often forget that the brownie also feels our mood and is ready to help us in difficult times. Left without a treat, he may steal a few candies, the wrappers of which will periodically catch your eye in the most unexpected places. He can also shift keys, scissors and other objects out of spite. Pour milk into a small cup, put porridge with butter in a saucer and place it in a corner. Ask the housekeeper for forgiveness for your inattention and ask him to guard your house with the same strength. Also ask for missing items to be returned in exchange, for example, for jelly beans.

4. Sleep. Brownies who love their home and owners often help them. For example, in a dream they can tell you a solution to a problem, indicate who in your close circle is hostile. In rare cases, the brownie indicates the place where the treasure is hidden. This is how he shows respect, thanks for your care, but most often it is gratitude for the fact that when you moved, you did not forget about him and offered to go to a new home.

5. Security. We often feel a state of anxiety, but when we return home, we notice that our fears have evaporated somewhere. A feeling of peace, warmth and comfort appears. And at night we are not tormented by nightmares, we easily fall asleep and wake up cheerful and rested. This is also an indirect sign of the presence of a brownie in the house, caring about your safety and peace of mind.

6. Warning. Sometimes it happens that in the middle of the night we suddenly wake up with a strong feeling of anxiety, and in a dream we feel as if something has fallen on us and is pressing on us. This is how the brownie warns of impending danger. He can also make a loud noise, slam the door, press the bell front door. In this case, you should take care of your safety and prevent gas, water leaks or fire by rechecking all important places in the house.

7. Guests. Often before someone drops by to visit you without warning, you have a premonition of it. This may be intuition, but most often the brownie warns about all uninvited guests in advance. A quiet knock or a ringing telephone warns of people with good intentions. A feeling of anxiety, a suddenly broken glass and worried pets signal that ill-wishers want to visit your home.

8. Children. If there are children in the house, pay close attention to them while playing. Brownies treat younger family members with special attention and respect, play with them and protect them. You can often notice that a child sets up an extra utensil for a puppet tea party, laughs loudly, and tells something into the void. Young mothers often notice that a child who suddenly screams in his sleep becomes silent, his blanket is adjusted, and the cradle rocks quietly.

9. Feelings. When moving to a new home, you should carefully listen to your feelings, especially if someone lived in the house before you. Often, owners leave their apartments and houses without taking the spirit with them. In this case, the brownie is unlikely to treat you kindly. His trust must be earned. If you feel anxious, leave the little spirit a treat and offer friendship. As a gift, you can give him a piece of fabric, old clothes, hay, or a shoe. If this a private house, then the brownie will definitely choose a secluded corner where he will settle down with great comfort. In apartments it is more difficult for a brownie because of the small space, but even here he can find a place under the bathroom, on the mezzanine or in an old suitcase. If, after time, your life has improved, you feel calm and peaceful, it means that the brownie has accepted you as the new owners and is ready to serve. If the feeling of anxiety grows, things disappear in the house, scandals become more frequent, it is worth thinking about driving away the evil spirit.

10. Appearance. In rare cases, the brownie reveals himself. If a small gray or smoky kitten insists on asking at your door, let him in. Brownies are often embodied in these animals. It also happens that the brownie warns about something so significant that it dares to appear in front of us. It could be a small blurry silhouette, a cat, a gray-haired old man. It is important at this moment to concentrate and ask what news your home protector has brought. If you feel warm, happy news awaits you; cold, chills, trembling or a feeling of danger - expect trouble.

If you discover the presence of a brownie in your home, try to make friends with it. This little helper can improve your life, help you and protect you from any evil. However, if it is aggressive and haunts you, perform a ritual to expel the entity, because it may turn out that it is not a brownie, but an evil spirit. We wish you good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

Brownie - character Slavic mythology living in people's houses. Every person, young and old, knows about the brownie. In terms of fame, he is on a par with Baba Yaga and Koshchei the Immortal. Since ancient times, the Slavs considered him a good domestic spirit, ensuring a favorable life in the family. Time passes, but interest in this mythical creature never stops fading. People continue to invite him when moving to a new home, looking for information on how to appease him and even call him. In this article we will try to disclose complete information about who is a brownie and why does he never cease to interest people?.

The brownie is a character from Slavic mythology who is a good spirit. Its main purpose was to protect home and family.. He kept order in the household and protected family members from evil spirits. Each house had its own brownie. These good spirits were believed to live up to 700 years. At the same time, their main feature was that their entire lives flowed in the opposite direction from human ones. Brownies were born old, becoming younger and younger over time.

The domestic spirit is also common among other peoples. So, for example, among the ancient Armenians, household spirits were called Shaapet, among the peoples of Northern Europe - Kobolds, in England - Brownies, in Japan - Zashiki-warashi, and in Altai and Tuvan traditions - Kagyr-kan.

About, Every child knows what a real brownie looks like. He is described as a little old man, 30-50 centimeters tall. It is sometimes said that a household spirit has the image of one of the deceased family members. But most often he is described as a little grandfather. The brownie's face is decorated with a thick beard. And he is dressed in a white or red shirt, belted with a sash.

A lesser-known version of the brownie's appearance is that of pointed ears, long claws, and a full body covered in fur. Such appearance defines the home patron more as evil spirits. It is no coincidence that there is a legend that the brownie, along with mermaids, merman and other creatures, were thrown from heaven by God along with the devil. That's why they are considered demonic creatures. But it so happened that the Slavs preferred to trust the traditions of their ancestors. Therefore today The brownie is known to us as a kind old man who protects the family and ensures order in the house.

Today many people ask questions Do brownies exist and is there a brownie in a particular house?. The questions are quite interesting. But each person has the choice to believe or not in the creatures of Slavic mythology. As for brownies, there is currently a theory about the brownie as a clot of energy that forms in the house. Therefore, a positive atmosphere in the house contributes to the formation of positive energy, and a negative atmosphere contributes to negative energy. The resulting energy, in turn, is embodied in the image of this same brownie, who is considered either a helper in the family, or, if negative energy, an evil villain.

Having answered the question of the existence of a brownie, it next arises the question of the presence of a brownie in a particular house or even in an apartment. Having studied various sources, you may come across the fact that when mentioning brownies, they most often talk about private houses. Nothing is reported about the apartments. Nevertheless, Slavic traditions speak of the brownie as the patron of the family and protector of the home, therefore if the family lives in an apartment, then the brownie can easily find a place for himself there. Our ancestors believed that the protector of the home could live on the stove behind the chimney, in the oven, at the threshold, in the attic, in the underground or on a cabbage(design near the stove for climbing onto it). Therefore, in some places the brownie was called golbeshnik:

“The holbeshnik lives in a hut under the stove, precisely in the wooden frame of the stove on the underground side.”

It was believed that the place of a household spirit should not be taken. Otherwise, it is fraught with illness.

How to pick up a brownie when moving?

The Slavs believed that the brownie brings happiness to the house. Therefore, when moving to another house, the question arose about how to take your pet spirit with you. For this case, the Slavs had a special ritual. On the last night or before leaving the old house, family members called the brownie with them. Each clan used its own words to invite the brownie to a new place of residence:

"My master, come with me"

"Grandfather Brownie, come out. Come live with us!"

"Brownie-brownie, master father, get into the sleigh, let's go with us"

Some sources mention the need to prepare a basket of bread, salt and porridge for the brownie before leaving the old house. This is due to the fact that the brownie is free to choose. Whether to go with family or not. The gift allows you to appease the spirit and help you make the “right” decision.

Afterwards, they opened the underground or gate and placed a bast shoe on a string next to it. The brownie "sat" in it. And all the way to the new home, the home spirit rode in a bast shoe. Arriving at a new house, it is customary to first invite the brownie into the house:

"You are welcome, grandfather, to a new home"

In some regions, it was customary to bring burning coals from the stove of the old house, which were placed in the stove in the new place of residence.

When a family moves into a house where someone has already lived, then first of all it was necessary to ask the old brownie to leave. After all, it is possible that the old owners did not take him with them, or he himself did not want to move home. To do this, before finally moving to a new house and bringing your brownie there, you had to come into the house and say:

“You vacate the house and premises for us. Your owners have left, and you and God leave.”

After this, the stranger’s brownie left the home. Most often in the form of an animal.

Good Brownie and Evil Brownie

Speaking about the character of the brownie, it should be understood that everything depends on the atmosphere that develops in the family. If order is maintained at home, family members live in harmony and do not quarrel, then the brownie will maintain the appropriate way of life.

Home Defender does not like quarrels and lack of cleanliness in the house. If there is constant discord in the family, they do not take care of the household, the family gets angry and eventually begins to cause harm, showing their dissatisfaction.

In order for the brownie to always be kind and not get angry, he must be cajoled. To do this, you need to constantly keep the house clean, care for pets, communicate with the brownie and, of course, feed them. What do brownies eat? What to feed them? They love milk, baked goods and porridge. You can prepare treats for him and put him in some secluded place. At the same time, you must tell the home spirit that this is a treat for him. Otherwise, he won’t touch someone else’s. It is possible that when carrying out such a ritual in a private house, a cat, rodents or birds got to the treat. Therefore, in the apartment there is little chance that you will see an empty plate of treats. Unless, of course, you have pets in your home. Therefore, after some time, the “leftovers” of the treat can be fed to the birds. Considering the brownie's love for animals, he is unlikely to mind. Such events will allow you to make friends with the brownie, and he will always protect the family and keep order in the house. For example, having a love for animals, a house spirit can take care of livestock. He especially likes cats and horses. They say that a brownie can scratch horses' manes and tie red ribbons to them. If he doesn’t like the animal, he can torture it to death. Therefore, the Slavs believed that an animal could be at home or not. Some people only got along with colored cats, others only got along with gray ones. And all this was connected with what the brownie liked.

The brownie could have warned the family about the danger which threatened them. If a person with evil intentions came to the house, the house spirit would begin to rage, warning his family. There could be strange knocks in the house, or a guest’s cup or plate could break. All this means that the brownie asks you to be on your guard. Before the death of one of the family members, the brownie cries and howls. He often makes dogs howl. That's why when someone dies, we hear a dog howling. If the brownie laughs, this is good.

There are known cases when the brownie strangles in his sleep. In science, this phenomenon is called sleep paralysis. Our ancestors believed that this happens when a brownie sits on a person and squeezes his chest. At this moment it was necessary to ask the brownie for better or worse. If he remains silent or starts coughing, it will be bad. And this is logical, since such a symptom is a serious disease.

Brownie Day

The brownie has his own holiday. It is celebrated on February 10 (January 28, old style) and is called Kudesy or Velesichi. This name is due to the fact that the brownie is subordinate to the Slavic god Veles. On this day, it is customary to feed the house spirit with a special treat. The Slavs cooked porridge for him, baked pastries and served them with the words:

"Grandfather-next-door! Eat the porridge and take care of our hut!"

How to make a brownie