The Domovoi, which means "kindly grandfather" in Kislevarin, is the most common of all Kislevite spirits, a well-meaning, though thoroughly mischievous, spirit that can take the appearance of an old, withered peasant with a long, grey beard or even a cat or a mouse.[1a]
In houses, inns, and taverns where bread and a small bowl of milk are occasionally left out for the Domovoi, it invisibly helps with small domestic duties such as cooking and cleaning. However, if the Domovoi feels neglected or if the household is lazy, it is known to mess up farmyards, tangle needlework, and spread animal manure on the door of the house.[1a]
One cautionary folk tale of Kislev tells of a man who tried to rid his house of the Domovoi only to be suffocated by it in his sleep, so it is a rare household that would deliberately set out to annoy a Domovoi! But however the Domovoi is treated, it is frequently a mischief maker, and peasants and nobles alike are often woken from their slumbers by an invisible tickler or by the noise of mysterious knocking or thrown plates and pans.[1a]