Hello, lovelies!
Either elusive or an additional close family member, a household spirit is a staple of many cultures around the globe. It takes many forms, and can be both malicious or caring, but its presence in the home is considered of vital importance to the family's protection and keeping the house clean and neat.
So, when writing a story set in fantasy, or one with folklore and fantasy elements, this creature can add a layer of domesticity to your worldbuilding.
However, since there is such variety in world cultures regarding this creature, there are many places to draw inspiration. So, here are a few ways to use the concept of household spirits, and how you can make them appear in your story.
General Description:
This is perharps the trickiest part. Like I said earlier, household spirits typically take many forms depending on where they come from, and so their appearance is often linked to both the style of the home and the other creatures within a culture's folklore.
For example: since Anglo-Saxon culture has many stories surrounding Fae, goblins, and otherwise related creatures with humanoid appearances, but with deliberate, uncanny features, the household spirits follow the format of a small, humanoid creature, with a red cap, pointed ears, and long noses.
So, when either constructing or taking inspiration for a household spirits, take a look at the other creatures within the folklore of your world. Not only that, but considering this is a creature whose habitat is the same as humans', their appearance will be much more familiar and well-known to the humans in your story, as opposed to other, more distant creatures, who may only appear outside civilisation.
So, if your folklore follows more humanoid creatures, a household spirit will follow that description as well. If the folklore instead revolves around more animalistic or otherwise non-human descriptions, that will also have to be how the household spirit is described. It's part of a folklore eco-system, after all, no matter how close it is to humans.
Even so, just because they may not appear in the wild, the climate and environment in your world building will have some influence on the household spirit.
For example: in most Russian folklore, household spirits are said to be small, but very hairy. This is possibly because of the cold climate in most areas.
If your setting is also that of a cold climate, you may choose to do something similar. If it isn't, think about what makes the most sense for a non-human creature to look like in the climate you choose.
For example: if your terrain is mountainous, or otherwise rocky, it's possible the household spirit has a hard, rocky skin as well, to make it sturdy and not easily hurt by the nature around the home while it's doing chores.
So, keep these things in mind when researching, taking inspiration, or constructing your own household spirit.
Usage:
Like mentioned before, household spirits can bring an air of domesticity to your world building. However, that doesn't mean it needs to have a benevolent nature.
Spirits are not humans and don't need to have the moral compass of humans. Creatures related to the Fae are a good example of this.
So, it's possible your household spirit chooses its home based on care and love, but also because of self-preservation and selfishness. Many traditions in folklore, after all, involve leaving offerings to this spirit, either to thank it, or so it won't get mad.
Just because this creature is related to home and domestic life, doesn't mean it has a warm, loving, meek character. Although, if that suits your story better, go for it.
That said, this spirit may also act as a reflection of the home itself. If the family and the house is taken care of and has a positive atmosphere, you may choose to present this creature in a happy, caring, nurturing way. However, if the family involves abuse, neglect, lack of care for the house, or otherwise contributes to a negative atmosphere, you may choose to present this creature in a more vicious, or melancholic way.
This is a show-don't-tell way to inform both the audience, and the characters of the nature of someone's household.
The way a household spirit appears into the home can contribute to both these points. Maybe it appears more frequently during times of happiness, because that's when it feels loved and safe as well, and stops appearing the more a family falls into bad habits.
It's also possible the household spirit actually doesn't show themselves in front of the family at all, because it doesn't care about their attentions, only the offerings they give them.
Depending on their nature and the state of the household, playing around with how and why this creature would appear in front of humans can once again inform the reader about the atmosphere of the house and what the consequences of the actions are of the people living there.
This is especially handy, since this creature is already so close to humans, and so doesn't require a journey to a remote location or a chance encounter, like a unicorn or mermaid may need.
It's a creature inside the home, one that is part of day-to-day life, and so can add both a layer of depth and understanding to the characters living in the household it inhabits.
I hope this has helped somewhat in adding to your story and given some direction in where to take this creature in your writing. If there are other creatures you would like me to do, leave a comment!
Goodbye, lovelies!
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