There is a domovoy in each house, and he watch not only the house itself but all the inhabitants as well (obviously, today we should say that there is a domovoy in each apartment). This spirit is a big trickster and mischief-maker: he tickles sleeping people, squalls, knocks on the wall, throws pans and plates – just for the sake of nothing. He is on good terms with the domovye of the houses next-door to his own – until they start pilfering; then he gets up to protect the house and the property.
There are two kinds of the domovye – a domovoy who lives in a house and a dvorovoy who lives in a courtyard (now people can meet a dvorovoy only in the country). A domovoy is a shapeshifter and could take a shape of various animals -a cat or a dog, a snake or a rat.
A domovoy is fond of those people who live in the full consent, and take good care of their property. But he does not like lazy-bones and trollops and tries to hurt and harm them in every way.
To secure himself from tricks and anger of a domovoy, a man should present this spirit some gift.
Russian domovoy resembles in many ways the Scottish brownie. It was represented as an elongated carved wooden statue.