Koshchei
Koschtschei ( Russian Кощей ; also called Koschtschej, Kaschtschei, Kashchej or Koschei) is a figure in Russian mythology . He appears as an ugly old man who primarily threatens young women. He is also often referred to by the nickname Кощей Бессмертный , which literally translates as "Koschtschei the deathless", more freely translated as "the immortal" or (incorrectly) "the eternal" - in other Slavic languages (e.g. in Polish) its name is derived from the word "kość" ( Polish for "bone"), which suggests a skeletal personification.
features
The peculiarity of Koshchei is that the fact that he keeps his soul outside of his body makes him very difficult to kill. It is hidden in a needle, which is in an egg, which is in a duck, which in turn is in a rabbit, which sits in an iron box that is buried under an oak on the island of Bujan , which is far out in the sea lies. To defeat Koshchei you have to reach your soul. When the box is dug up, the hare escapes, from which, when killed, the duck escapes. If you kill it and remove the egg, you have power over Koshchei. He loses his magic and weakens. Koshchei will die if the needle is broken (some stories claim that it must be broken on his forehead).
Other mentions
- Koschtschei plays a role in one of the many versions of the legend of the firebird . In this tale, Koschtschei is an old, malicious sorcerer or ruler, from whom the hero of the story must save the princess.
- Koschtschei is also mentioned in the Russian fairy tale The Frog Queen .
- Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote an opera around 1901 with the title Kashchei the Immortal .
- In Gebr. Strugazki's book Monday Begins Saturday , Koshchey is described as the greatest villain of all time, sitting in infinite pre-trial detention while the judges conduct an endless investigation into his endless crimes.
- The immortal Kashchai , a Soviet fairy tale film from 1945, is based on the legendary figure
- In Harebrained Schemes ' third PC game in the Shadowrun Returns series, Shadowrun: Hong Kong, a drone is named after Koschei; its builder briefly explains the origin of the name and references to transhumanism .
- In the game book series Sagaland there is the immortal tyrant Kaschuv, who is based on Koshchei and who has also hidden his soul.