Basic Information
Plural: Kaukai [1,3]
Alternative names:
- Barstukas (Lithuanian, plural: Barstukai) [1,2]
- Bezdukas (plural: Bezdukai) [1]
- Krukis (Slavic) [14]
- Pukys [14]
- Parstukas (plural: Parstukai)
- rarely, Caucos (Latin)
Name analysis:
- Кауки (Russian 'kaukai')
- Барздуки (Russian 'barstukai')
Type: Draconic Hybrid
Origin: Lithuanian Mythology, Latvian Mythology, Slavic Mythology, Baltic Mythology
About Kaukas
In Baltic and Slavic folklore and popular belief, a Kaukas is a creature associated with abundance and wealth, [1,11] sometimes referred to as a fairy, [1,2] spirit, [5,6] or spirit-like being. [11] Kaukai can transform, or become unseen, and often are compared to a similar species, the Aitvaras. [9,10]
Sometimes Kaukai are considered a sub-variety of or part of the Domovoi group, [13,14] but it may also be considered as a synonym for Domoviye instead of a sub-class, as is the name 'Krukis.' [3,13] The Domovoi are tutelary deities of the home; they can act as guardians, bring good fortune to the family, and influence everyday events, such chores. [13]
Kaukai represent the consistency or stability of the earth, represented by the Lithuanian skalsa or skalsd. [1,6] Like the Aitvaras, Kaukas is bound up with the notion of a dragon guarding a hoard or treasure. [11]
The term 'kaukas' usually refers to the household bound creature; [14] whereas, the wild or forest-dwelling Kaukai are generally called Bezdukai or Barstukai. [5,6] The housebound Kaukai brings good fortune, good luck, and sometimes stolen goods, to the household. [11,12] A household Kaukas will live in a shed, barn, or house, nesting in a darkened area, like a basement. [5,10]
A Kaukas will leave a token gift, such as a few kernels or a single straw of hay, to indicate their favor and future blessings. [1,6] These blessings are not necessarily in the form of a measurable, financial gain; [1] in fact, they never give coins or money. [6] Instead, they increase property, notably products of the earth, like hay and corn. [5,6] They do this by imbuing items with abundance so that they are seemingly inexhaustible; thus, a Kaukus's gift is not technically material fortune. [1,6] There is an expression, Kaukas is incease, which suggests the Kaukai themselves symbolized endless supply. [6]
Early textual descriptions of Kaukai from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries say they are "little men who eat vegetarian food." [5] They are semi-supernatural beings that acted as guardians. [12] Documents as early as the 1500s mention Kaukas, [9] identifying the species with the deity Velinas [9,10] and therefore connecting it with the souls of the dead. One researcher qualified Kaukai as the "souls of the dead." [6,7]
In Latvia, Kaukai are subterranean beings under the rule of Puskaitis, [3] who has dominion over the underworld in Lithuanian folklore. [4] In other accounts, Puskaitis is the patron divinity of Kaukai. [6] Under him, Kaukai (also called Barstukai) influence the fertility of the earth and its harvest. [2,4] Puskaitis sends Kaukai to complete household chores for those who give him offerings. [12] In other traditions, farmers made an offering to the Kaukai directly, leaving tables of food in the barn for a midnight feast. [2]
Under the Slavic name Krukis, Kaukai are the patrons of blacksmiths or smithies and also act as guardians or protectors of domestic animals. [13,14]
Etymology and Names
The various names attributed to Kaukai are due in part to the many languages and cultures in which they appear. Sometimes the name is borrowed or derived from another tradition.
The origins of the word Kaukas and its variants include the following:
- Kaukas (Slavic) is likely derived from the Latvian Kaukai. [3,14]
- Kaukas is the Lithuanian name for Krukis. [14]
- Bezdukas (plural: bezdukai) comes from the Lithuanian bezdas, which means elder tree. [6]
- Barstukas (plural: barstukai) is a synonym for parstukas (plural: parstukai), which comes from the Baltic deity Puškaitis or Puskaitis, whom they serve.
These words establish a link between the Kaukai and mushrooms and roots, [7] the skull and head, [6] clay, [5] underground or the earth, [6,7] and a nebulous form or shape. The number of terms and proper names that the word 'Kaukas' has influenced reveals its antiquity. [6,10]
Kaukas and Kaukai
The word 'kaukas' appears across many languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian, Finnish, Estonian, and some Slavic languages. In Lithuanian, kaukas can mean 'ghost,' [8] 'goblin,' or 'sprite', but the lexical associations with the word kaukas indicate a strong connection to the earth and underground. [6,7] The root kauk- exists in many words, including the following: [6]
- kaukolas / kaukolis / kaukolys: a dry lump of earth [5]
- kaukstyra: river [10]
- kaukatiltis: a location with many mushrooms [5]
- kaukė: mask [6]
- kaukoratis: a cluster of mushrooms [5]
- kaukolė: skull, [6] cranium
- kaukagrybis: a name for phallus impudicus, a species of fungus [5]
- kaukaras: knoll, the top of a hill
The root kauk- is used in words that indicate the earth, [5,10] mushrooms, [5] and the head and skull. [6]
Other words associated with Kaukas point to a rounded shape [6] or nebulous form sometimes attributed to these dragons. These words also indicate the connection between the Kaukas and spirits or ghosts. [8,10] The following words provide an example:
- kaũkas: boils [6]
- kauko/kauki : (Estonian, Finnish) devil, spirit [11]
- kaukos: glands [6]
- kouko/kouki : (Finnish, Baltic) devil, bear [10]
An Old European belief maintained that the skull contained the essence, or life principle, so people often cared for the skull and buried it separately. [7] This clarifies the connection between underground and the head or skull; [6] furthermore, it may explain why Kaukai were described as the souls of the dead. [7]
Bezdukas and Barstukas
Bezdukai (singular: Bezdukas) and Barstukai (singular: Barstukas) are sometimes called the Kaukai of the forests, [5] or forest-dwelling Kaukai. [6] Their patron deity is Puskaitis, who lives under the elder bush, and this explains the variant name, as the elder tree was called bezdas. [6]
Barstukas is synonymous with Parstukas, which comes from Puškaitis, the Baltic deity whom they serve.
Puškaitis shares the same root as pūškuoti, which translates as "to exhale" [6] from Lithuanian. [1,2] The connection suggests a "breathing" essence or power. [6,7]
Kaukas as a Namesake
The Kaukas has historical roots, and as such, many use Kaukas as a namesake. [5,10] Examples of this include the following:
- kaukelis/kaukoras: name for mandragora officinarum, an aromatic root [5]
- kaukucones: a class of priests [10]
- Kaukas's Hills: three small hills on which priest made offerings; these hills were located in Uznemune in southern Lithuania near Dovine [10]
- kaukas's comb: a name for a plant that resembles a human hand and possesses magical properties from its association with the underworld [5]
It was believed that if someone could brush his or her hair with Kaukas's Comb without breaking off a single piece, then that person would gain the knowledge of everything hidden in the earth. [5] The specific plant species isn't entirely clear, but it may be one of (or related to) the following:
| Scientific name | Local name(s) |
|---|---|
| Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis | Buddha's Hand Bushukan (Japanese) Fingered Citron |
|
Anthurus archeri Clathrus archeri Lysurus archeri Pseudocolus archeri |
Devil's Fingers Octopus Stinkhorn |
| Chiranthodendron pentadactylon | Devil's Hand Tree Monkey's Hand Tree Hand-Flower |
| Gymnosporangium genus | Certain members of the genus, such as Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae (Cedar-Apple Rust Fungus) |
| Proboscidea genus | Certain members of the genus, sometimes called Devil's Claw |
| Clathrus ruber | some specimens of Red Cage Fungus may qualify |
The above table is just a suggestion of possible species that may have been called Kaukas's comb.
Kaukas Habitat and Distribution
Before humans and Kaukai made an agreement, most lived in the forests. [5] Afterwards, they settled in houses, cattle sheds, barns, and even fields, [10] and the remaining forest-dwelling Kaukai became known as Bezdukai. [6] Since Kaukai are earth-born, they often nest underground, [5] though Bezdukai often settle in (or below) an elder bush. [6]
If a Kaukas abided within a family home, it would live in dark places around the home, such as a storehouse, cellar, or basement; [1,5] however, one may also settle in a dark corner of a shed, barn, or house. [10] A Kaukas would leave a single straw or kernel for anyone who won its favor; [6] thereafter, it would bless that individual with an increase in the earth's products. [5]
A Kaukaus would multiply things like wheat and hay but never coins or money [5] because Kaukai brought skalsa rather than material wealth. [6]
Kaukas Life Cycle
A person may hatch a kaukas, but the means require diligent handling and precision.
To hatch a baby Kaukas, the person must slaughter a boar of seven years and remove its testicles. These must be placed inside the post of the porch doorway; usually a hole is made for this purpose. Alternatively, they can incubate in any enclosed, warm space. [6]
As soon as the Kaukas hatches, it will tap and rap on any hard surface nearby. [6] The doorpost is preferred because it represents the line between indoor and outdoor; it signifies the transition from the forest to the house. [6]
Kaukai only eat vegetarian food; they will not eat fish, meat, or eggs. [6]
The average Kaukas lifespan remains unknown. However, it has been suggested that a Kaukas never dies because it belongs to a liminal space between death and birth. [7] This would mean that a Kaukas manifests itself in the world, rising to the surface to influence human life, only to return to its initial, unborn state underground. [6,7]
Acquiring a Kaukas
One may acquire a kaukas either by hatching one from the testicles of a seven-year-old boar [6] or by attracting one to live in the house. [1,5]
Traditionally, a woman of the household, usually the wife, would craft a loose garment from a single piece of thread and bury it in a corner of the home in hopes of luring a kaukas. [1,5] This also invited the kaukas to take up the residence as its own; though it would certainly nest in a darker area of the house, such as the cellar. [1,5]
Quotations
Kaukai are described in many texts, including the following extracts.
Kaukie sunt lemures, quos Russi vboze appellant, barbatuli, altitudine unius palmi extensi; iis qui illos esse credunt conspicui, aliis minime. his cibi omnis edulii apponuntur. quod nisi fiat, ea sunt opinione, ul ideo suas fortunas (id quod accidit) amittant. nutriunt etiam quasi deos penates , nigri coloris , obesos et quadrupedes quosdam serpentes, Giuoitos vocatos. hos timore perculsi, dum ex antris aedium ad pastum appositum prorepunt, seque pasti in ea recipiunt, aspiciunt et colunt. Si quid infortunii accidat cultori, serpentem male fuisse tractatum censent.
[Translation: Kaukai are ghost, which the Russians represent as bearded, tall, holding one palm outstretched. Those who believe can see them in other forms. They feed them editable [vegetarian] foods, for unless this is done its fortunes (which exist) are lost. Nourish the household gods along with a thick, black serpent and some quadrupeds, as described by Giuoitos. These panic, creep from their caves, into adjacent buildings for food served. They receive it, and look towards and respect him [the provider]. If misfortune befalls the inhabitants, [it is because] the snake has been mistreated.]
-- Jan Lasicius, 1582
De Russorum religione... [15]
Physical Description
Kaukai are often described in humanoid terms, being described variously as gnomes, [5] fairies, [1,2] dwarves, [10] goblins, [11,12] or simply as "little men" though they often look more like tadpoles than people. [5] Kaukai may also be referred to as subterranean spirits, [3] household spirits, [13,14] a subclass of Domovoi, [3] or spirit-like beings. [11]
However, a Kaukas may also manifest in other forms, usually symbolic. For example, a Kaukas may reflect the same imagry as a dragon guarding is hoard; [11] in some legends, Kaukai have survived as beings similar to the Aitvaras: [10,12] flying dragons with flaming tails. [12]
Quick Facts
- Puskaitis is the patron divinity of Kaukai. [6]
- Kaukai are associated with abundance and wealth. [1,11]
- A Kaukas brings good luck and blessings to the household to which it is attached. [11,12]
- The Kaukas species is related to the Domoviye, which is a class of spirits associated with the home. [3,13]
- Bezdukai or Barstukai refers to forest-dwelling Kaukai, [5,6] while the term Kaukai is generally reserved for the household variety. [14]
- A Kaukas's blessings imbue the products of the earth, making their supply seem endless. [1,5]
- From documents in the sixteenth century, the Kaukus species is associated with Velinas, [9,10] and therefore the souls of the deceased.
- Kaukai were sometimes referred to as the souls of the departed. [6,7]
- Krukis, the Slavic name for Kaukas, the species acts as patrons of blacksmiths and guardians of domestic animals. [13,14]
- The various names used to refer to the Kaukas species illustrate their connections to the earth or clay, [5,6] roots and mushrooms, [7] the head and skull, [6] and the subterranean world. [7]
- Kaukas is the namesake for many proper nouns and ideas associated with magic or the unseen spirit world. [5,10]
- A Kaukas can be hatched from the testicles of a seven-year-old boar. [6]
- To attract a Kaukas, a loose garment made from a single thread is buried in a corner of the home. [1,5]
- Kaukai are often described in humanoid terms, being described variously as gnomes, [5] fairies, [1,2] dwarves, [10] goblins, [11,12] or simply as "little men" though they often look more like tadpoles than people. [5]
- Kaukai are very similar to Aitvarai.
Related Articles
Term Reference
Footnotes
- Bane [World] 198
- Dixon-Kennedy [Slavic] 33
- Dixon-Kennedy [Slavic] 148
- Dixon-Kennedy [Slavic] 286
- Gimbutas 211
- Gimbutas 212
- Gimbutas 213
- Gray [Mythology] 228
- Larson 89
- Larson 90
- Lurker 187
- Rose [Dragons] 204
- Slavic and Eurasian Pantheons
- Turner 276
- Lasicki 51
For more information on footnotes and references, please see the bibliography.
