Domowik

Domowik, domownik, domowy, domowoj – a well-known guardian spirit of the home in Rus. It protected the house and the yard, assisted with daily chores, and also took care of the livestock. It was identified with the spirit of the former master of the house.

The domowik was treated by the household members as a family member, and it was important to remember to leave food for it. When moving to a new home, the domowik was asked to move along with the hosts to the new house. A neglected domowik would take revenge on the hosts (e.g., by breaking dishes, frightening the residents, or hitting the children) or would leave the cottage. It could also send evil forces, nightmares, and strigas.

It was believed that at night it wandered around the house, residing behind the stove, under the threshold, in the attic, in the pigsty, or in the barn. It took the form of a peasant-dressed little grandfather with long gray hair and a bushy beard. It could also take the forms of a cat, dog, snake, or rat. Sometimes it was also attributed a companion, a domowicha or domacha, most often identified with a kikimora, which would come out at night from under the floor and spin wool. The Polish equivalent of the domowik was the uboże.

Source: Wikipedia