Likho
Encyclopedia
Likho, liho is an embodiment of evil fate and misfortune in Slavic mythology
, a creature with one eye, often depicted as an old, skinny woman in black (Лихо одноглазое, One-eyed Likho) or as an evil male goblin
of forests. Rather than being included in the major canon of the Slavic belief system, the Likho is traditionally found in skazky
, or tales of fantasy and adventure equivalent to Western fairy tales.
Within the framework of superstition
s, Likho was supposed to come and eat a person. In particular, this was used to scare small children.
, but a noun meaning bad luck in modern Russian. Several proverb
s utilize this term such as the Russian "Не буди лихо, пока оно тихо", meaning "Don't wake likho while it is quiet" and the Polish "Cicho! Licho nie śpi", translated as "Quiet! Evil does not sleep" and "Licho wie", literally "Licho knows", but used to mean that a given piece of information is known by no one.
In old Russian the root meant "excessive", "too much" with pejorative connotations. Compare to Russian lishniy - one in excess. The word is likely to be related to Indo-European leikw meaning something to remain, to leave. The derived adjective likhoy can be used to describe someone who is a bit too daring or brave. In Czech
, lichý means odd (number), idle, vain. In Polish
, lichy means shoddy, poor, flimsy. In Belarusian language
, ліхі means bad, evil (like in prayer), odd (side of clothing). In Ukrainian language
it is type of bad luck or incident. In Ukrainian folklore it is sometime being portrayed as type of a bad spirit that can cling to one's neck.
Legends trace the name of Licheń Stary
, the site of Poland
's largest church and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń
to the ancient Slavic
pagan deity Licho, whose sanctuary
was allegedly located nearby.
Slavic mythology
Slavic mythology is the mythological aspect of the polytheistic religion that was practised by the Slavs before Christianisation.The religion possesses many common traits with other religions descended from the Proto-Indo-European religion....
, a creature with one eye, often depicted as an old, skinny woman in black (Лихо одноглазое, One-eyed Likho) or as an evil male goblin
Goblin
A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous illiterate creature, a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.They are attributed with various abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little...
of forests. Rather than being included in the major canon of the Slavic belief system, the Likho is traditionally found in skazky
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
, or tales of fantasy and adventure equivalent to Western fairy tales.
Story
There are several basic versions of tales how a person meets with Likho, with different morals of the tale.- A person eventually cheats Likho as in the Odyssey.
- A person cheats Likho, runs away (with Likho chasing him), sees a useful thing, grabs it, the person's hand sticks to it and they have to cut off their hand.
- Likho cheats a person and rides on his neck. The person wants to drown Likho, jumps into a river, drowns himself, but Likho floats out, to chase other victims.
- Likho is received or passed to another person with a gift.
Within the framework of superstition
Superstition
Superstition is a belief in supernatural causality: that one event leads to the cause of another without any process in the physical world linking the two events....
s, Likho was supposed to come and eat a person. In particular, this was used to scare small children.
Nomenclature
Likho is not a real proper nameProper name
"A proper name [is] a word that answers the purpose of showing what thing it is that we are talking about" writes John Stuart Mill in A System of Logic , "but not of telling anything about it"...
, but a noun meaning bad luck in modern Russian. Several proverb
Proverb
A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim...
s utilize this term such as the Russian "Не буди лихо, пока оно тихо", meaning "Don't wake likho while it is quiet" and the Polish "Cicho! Licho nie śpi", translated as "Quiet! Evil does not sleep" and "Licho wie", literally "Licho knows", but used to mean that a given piece of information is known by no one.
In old Russian the root meant "excessive", "too much" with pejorative connotations. Compare to Russian lishniy - one in excess. The word is likely to be related to Indo-European leikw meaning something to remain, to leave. The derived adjective likhoy can be used to describe someone who is a bit too daring or brave. In Czech
Czech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
, lichý means odd (number), idle, vain. In Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, lichy means shoddy, poor, flimsy. In Belarusian language
Belarusian language
The Belarusian language , sometimes referred to as White Russian or White Ruthenian, is the language of the Belarusian people...
, ліхі means bad, evil (like in prayer), odd (side of clothing). In Ukrainian language
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
it is type of bad luck or incident. In Ukrainian folklore it is sometime being portrayed as type of a bad spirit that can cling to one's neck.
Legends trace the name of Licheń Stary
Lichen Stary
Licheń Stary is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ślesin, within Konin County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Ślesin, north-east of Konin, and east of the regional capital Poznań. The village has a population of 1,100.The...
, the site of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
's largest church and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Licheń
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lichen
The Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń is a Roman Catholic church located in the village of Licheń Stary near Konin in the Greater Poland Voivodeship in Poland. It was designed by Barbara Bielecka and built between 1994 and 2004...
to the ancient Slavic
Slavic mythology
Slavic mythology is the mythological aspect of the polytheistic religion that was practised by the Slavs before Christianisation.The religion possesses many common traits with other religions descended from the Proto-Indo-European religion....
pagan deity Licho, whose sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
was allegedly located nearby.