Lantern Tales of the East: Library

Bestiary · Slavic · Spirit of misfortune

Likho

Also known as: Lykho, Likho One-Eyed

Evil fortune as a one-eyed being of the Russian tales, which should not be woken while it sleeps.

Likho is misfortune in person. In a Russian tale a man goes looking for Likho, and it appears to him as a one-eyed giant; the sayings warn: "when Likho sleeps, don't wake it". The Poles say the same of Evil. Afanasyev places Likho beside Nedolya and Woe as beings that cling to the luckless.

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