Koschei
In Slavic folklore, Koschei (Russian: Коще́й, Koshchey, also Kashchei or Kashchey; Ukrainian: Кощій, Koshchiy; Polish: Kościej) is an archetypal male antagonist, described mainly as abducting the hero's wife. None of the existing tales actually describes his appearance, though in book illustrations, cartoons and cinema he has been most frequently represented as a very old and ugly-looking man. Koschei is also known as Koschei the Immortal or Koschei the Deathless (Russian: Коще́й Бессме́ртный, Ukrainian: Кощій Безсмертний), as well as Tzar Koschei. As is usual in transliterations, there are numerous other spellings, such as Koshchei, Kashchej and Kaschei. The spelling in Russian and other Slavic languages (like Polish "Kościej" or Czech "Kostěj") suggests that his name may be derived from the word kost' (rus. кость, pol. kość) meaning 'bone', implying a skeletal appearance.
Koschei cannot be killed by conventional means targeting his body. His soul is hidden separate from his body inside a needle, which is in an egg, which is in a duck, which is in a hare, which is in an iron chest (sometimes the chest is crystal and/or gold), which is buried under a green oak tree, which is on the island of Buyan, in the ocean. As long as his soul is safe, he cannot die. If the chest is dug up and opened, the hare will bolt away. If it is killed, the duck will emerge and try to fly off. Anyone possessing the egg has Koschei in their power. He begins to weaken, becomes sick and immediately loses the use of his magic. If the egg is tossed about, he likewise is flung around against his will. If the egg or needle is broken (in some tales this must be done by specifically breaking it against Koschei's forehead), Koschei will die.
In popular culture
- In Vasilisa Prekrasnaya (Vasilisa the Beautiful), a Russian cartoon based on the Russian fairy tale.
- A villain in Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird.
- In the Soviet animated film Beloved Beauty (1958).
- Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote an opera involving Koschei, titled Кащей бессмертный —Kashchey the Deathless.
- Mercedes Lackey's novel of Stravinsky's Firebird features Katschei as the main villain, retelling the classic tale for a modern audience. Also, in her 500 Kingdoms series, the Katschei is referenced in the novels The Fairy Godmother and "Fortune's Fool."
- Koschei appears as an antagonist to the hero in the 2007 comic book Hellboy: Darkness Calls. The Baba Yaga will grant him death only through Hellboy's destruction, but in Hellboy, Koschei's soul is hidden in an egg, inside a duck, inside a hare, inside a goat. Vasilisa Prekrasnaya also appears and helps Hellboy. Koschei's origin story is later revealed in (as yet uncollected) backup stories to single issues of Hellboy: The Wild Hunt.
- In The Sandman: Fables and Reflections, Koschei's emerald heart (or, more likely a piece of green glass being passed off as such) passes into the possession of a Gypsy trader, then a werewolf, and finally Baba Yaga.
- In the comic Atomika, he appears as one of the old gods of Rus who fight Atomika, the new god of the Soviets. In the comic's mythology, he murdered Lada, causing Rus to be covered in ice and snow.
- In Monday Begins on Saturday by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky as one of the creatures held in the NIIChaVo institute.
- Koschei appears as one of the central characters in Catherynne Valente's novel Deathless, which sets his story against the rise and fall of the Soviet Union.
- Koschei appears as a historic character in Monster Hunter Alpha by Larry Correia
- Koschei appears as the focus of the song Unavenged by Random Encounter
Other uses of the name
- James Branch Cabell used the spelling Koshchei in several of his books. His character, however, was a sort of over-deity who presides over all the "first-level" human gods (such as Jehovah and Loki). Robert A. Heinlein used Cabell's version in his book Job: A Comedy of Justice.
- In John C. Wright's Last Guardian of Everness Koschei is the herald of death, the taker of souls when someone has to die.
- In Keith Taylor's novel Bard II, Koschei appears to menace Felimid mac Fal, a roving Irish bard who is the novel's lead character, and his lover Gudrun Blackhair, a female pirate chieftain.
- In Charles Stross's novelette A Colder War, Koschei is the American code name for sleeping Cthulhu, captured along with shoggot'im (shoggoths) from Nazi Germany by the Soviet Red Army.
- In David A. McIntee's Doctor Who novels The Dark Path and Face Of The Enemy, Koschei is a name used by a Time Lord who will later call himself the Master. Iris Wildthyme briefly wonders whether a character she hunts in rural Russia is the same Koschei, in Stewart Sheargold's short story 'The Scarlet Shadow' from the collection Iris Wildthyme and the Celestial Omnibus.
- In Andrei Belyanin's Tsar Gorokh's Detective Agency series of novels, Koschei is the main villain of most of the stories. He is described as a criminal mastermind a hundred times worse than Osama bin Laden.
- In Rifts, a role-playing game, the Koschei is a type of demon found in Russia (Rifts draws upon various mythologies and folk traditions for the demons and other creatures that populate its world).
- In the MMORPG RuneScape, one of the quests (the Fremennik Trials) features Koschei the Deathless as a mysterious warrior whom the player must best thrice in combat to prove their worth as a warrior.
- The Werewolf RPG sourcebook Rage Across Russia mentions Koschei as one of the five Talons of the Wyrm. It is summoned from the Umbra by Baba Yaga during her battle with Nosferatu.
- In The Deathless by Keith R.A. DeCandido, the modern day resurrection of Koschei is thwarted by Buffy Summers, the Vampire Slayer.
- In The Witcher (both video game and the story "The Road with No Return"), Koschei is a species of huge, magically-created spider-like creature. In the video game, Koschei serves as one of the "boss" creatures.
- Russian punk group Sektor Gaza produced one of its albums in a form of rock-opera named "Koschei" in 1994.
- In the MMORPG Tibia, Koshei The Deathless' Phylactery is a broken amulet, separated on 4 pieces hidden on the world. To permanently kill Koshei, you have to reforge the amulet, kill Koshei and use the amulet on his dead body.
- Russian-American Video Game Cover group Random Encounter actively performs an original song titled Unavenged which features lyrics inspired by the Legend of Koschei.
- Irregular Webcomic! recently ran a comic mentioning the Egg of Koschei the Deathless, as well as Baba Yaga's hut.
- Nickname of the Master from Doctor Who.
See also
External links
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