Essay Questions

Why did the demons became scared of the first crowing of the rooster?

In the story, the daemons are described as appearing only during the night. Even when the witch appears for the first time, she is describe as getting supernatural powers only during the night, or rather, after the sunset. On the third night, at the end of the vigil, the demons and the witch become even more active than the nights before and they try to make Khoma stop praying and look into the eyes of the witch. Because of this, the demons and the witch do not hear the first crowing of the rooster and when they realize the rooster started crowing, they all started to try and get out of the church. The crowing of a rooster is used to signal the start of a new day and the sunrise and thus it is possible the demons were overpowered by the sunset, which also meant their impending death.

How is the witch described?

When the witch appears for the first time in the novel, she is described as an old woman who appears in the middle of the night to offer help the three young men lost on the roads. During the night, the witch approaches one of the men and then shows an incredible physical power which amazes Khoma. The with is also able to give other people power and we see this in Khoma’s case where he becomes able to run a long period of time while carrying another person without getting tired. The way in which the woman got her powers is described as being the result of the woman consummating the blood of other innocent people. In the past, killing, drinking blood, cannibalism and sexual relationships with demons or the devil were the ways through which a person gained dark powers. The power of attraction the witch possesses is another characteristic commonly found in descriptions centering around witches and all these characteristics make the woman fit perfectly the image of the witch.

How did Khoma protect himself against the demons and the witch?

Khoma protected himself by drawing around him a “protective circle”. This circle may have been drawn using salt, a natural ingredient which many believe has the power to repel evil. This association comes from the Bible where salt is described as being indispensable in the Temple and is linked with purity. Salt was used as a preservative but also as a way of purifying offerings. Salt was also used as a disinfectant for the priests using in the Temple and as such, it is associated both with physical cleanliness and with moral cleanliness. By drawing the circle of salt, the character protected himself from the influence of the demons and managed to remain clean from a Christian point of view.