| rdfs:comment
| - Koschei the Deathless is a recurring antagonistic figure in slavic folklore that shares quite some characteristics of the later fantasy trope of the lich. Described as having the appearance of a boney old man and being capable of sorcery, Koschei's soul is stored in the eye of a needle, which is inside an egg, which is inside a duck, which is inside a hare, which is inside an iron chest (sometimes, the chest is made of gold or crystal) which is buried under a tree on the mythological island of Buyan in the sea. As long as the needle is intact, Koschei cannot be killed. If the tree is felled and the chest is opened, the hare will dart away. If the hare is killed, the duck will emerge and try to fly away. If the duck is killed, one can get hold of the egg which contains the needle which cont
|
| abstract
| - Koschei the Deathless is a recurring antagonistic figure in slavic folklore that shares quite some characteristics of the later fantasy trope of the lich. Described as having the appearance of a boney old man and being capable of sorcery, Koschei's soul is stored in the eye of a needle, which is inside an egg, which is inside a duck, which is inside a hare, which is inside an iron chest (sometimes, the chest is made of gold or crystal) which is buried under a tree on the mythological island of Buyan in the sea. As long as the needle is intact, Koschei cannot be killed. If the tree is felled and the chest is opened, the hare will dart away. If the hare is killed, the duck will emerge and try to fly away. If the duck is killed, one can get hold of the egg which contains the needle which contains Koschei's soul, at which point one will have Koschei at one's whim - he will loose all strength and get sick and frail, losing also his sorcerous abilities. If the egg is tossed about, then Koschei, too, will be flung about, much similar to how a Voodoo Doll works in popular culture. Presumably, other things done to the egg and/or needle also affect Koschei in the same fashion as a voodoo doll affects the person it is linked to.
|