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Revision as of 06:28, 29 August 2004 by Eequor (talk | contribs) (Cleanup.)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)In Russian mythology, especially in the Caucasus region, Koschei (Коще́й) is an evil spirit with a terrible appearance, menacing principally young women. Koschei is also known as Koschei the Immortal or Koschei the Deathless (Коще́й Бессме́ртный). He cannot die; his soul is hidden inside a needle, which is in an egg, which is in a duck, which is in a hare, which is in an iron chest, which is buried under a green oak tree, which is on the island of Bujan, in the ocean. Koschei will die when the needle is broken.
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote an opera involving Koschei, titled The Immortal Koschei.
In Neil Gaiman's American Gods, Koschei is referenced as an evil wizard.
In Robert Heinlein's Job: A Comedy of Justice, Koschei is the supreme over-deity who presides over Jehovah and Loki. This characterization was probably taken from the works of James Branch Cabell.