TY - JOUR AU - Ivanchuk, V. P. PY - 2019/12/29 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Domestic Spirits in The System of Lower Hutsul JF - Zaporizhzhia Historical Review JA - ZHR VL - 1 IS - 53 SE - Historiography. Ethnology DO - UR - https://istznu.org/index.php/journal/article/view/135 SP - 240-246 AB - In this article an attempt, based on ethnographical descriptions from the end of the 19th century till the beginning of the 20th century and also the author’s modern field materials, is made to follow the peculiarities of Hutzul imagination about home spirits/goblins. In general, among the specified mythological characters we outstand goblin-ancestor (spirit-guardian), goblin-nurse child (spirit-enricher) and goblin- animal. We follow manic genesis of the spirit-guardian as a creator character in the result of fulfilling transitional burial ritual of the genus’ ancestor. At the same time, we research ritual customary imitational actions directed at the creation of the spiritenricher (purchase, hatching out of an abnormal egg, coins, inheritance and etc). Characters’ functional abilities (guardianship over domestic households, provision of monetary welfare, presenting talents) external –visual (anthropomorphic/ zoomorphic features) and everyday characteristics (food, accommodation, habits) are analyzed in detail. The connection between the goblin and the violent death of the spirit’s owner is found. This is correlated with the identification and perception of the spirit-enricher as «dark magic» or devil.A special attention is paid to the analyses of zoomorphic hypostases of Hutzul domestic spirits (weasel, serpent/eels). Connection between the listed mythical characters and domestic households, namely their guardian functions over the cattle is analyzed. It is also found that the serpent is able to influence imitationally the bad weather, chase away clouds, prevent hail. These abilities in their turn show their connection to the dark dead (prematurely dead, people who committed suicide and drowned, wizards and witches). We also paid attention to syncretic properties of goblin-ancestor, goblin-nurse child and goblin-animal as well. Their ambivalent properties referring to their master are also described here. This paper defines common and distinct properties of Hutzul domestic spirits with their corresponding creatures Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, Checks, Serbian and Bulgarian lower mythology. ER -