Khokhlik

Lore

According to some legends, this spirit guards the pantry and can take the form of a cat. If the pantry was messy, he could become angry, starting to play pranks—knocking dishes off the shelves, and sometimes even spoiling all the supplies. Besides pantries, he could settle in the attic or basement. But the main mischief that the Khokhlik gets up to usually involves turning over house slippers, stealing socks, hiding keys, opening windows, and "whistling" in the dark. Sometimes it may seem as if he's deliberately scaring the owners—creaks, rustles, and strange sounds at night can be attributed precisely to the Khokhlik.

In other sources, you can find information that Khokhliki are lively and very nimble offspring of swamp devils. In any case, these spirits are little pranksters, depicted as black, shaggy, and covered in fur, with two sharp horns on the crown of their heads and a long tail.

The name "Khokhlik" is believed to have originated from words meaning "shaggy" or "unkempt." In any case, "Khokhlik" can be used to refer to any small spirit that doesn't cause much harm—only minor mischief.

Forest Khokhliki can play tricks on travelers; most often, they lead lost people astray in the forest.