Likho, liho, lykho (, , , ) is an embodiment of evil fate and misfortune in Slavic mythology. A creature with one eye who is often depicted as an old, skinny woman in black (ÃÂøàþ þôýþóûð÷þõ, One-eyed Likho) or as an evil male goblin of forests. Rather than being included in the major canon of the Slavic belief system, the Likho is traditionally found in fairy tales.
There are several basic versions of tales about how a person meets with Likho with different morals of the tale.
Within the framework of superstitions, Likho was supposed to come and eat a person. In particular, this was used to scare small children. In Ukrainian folklore, it is sometimes portrayed as type of bad spirit that can cling to one's neck.
Likho is not a real proper name but a noun meaning bad luck in modern Russian and Ukrainian and the odd number in Polish (obsolete). Several proverbs utilize this term such as the Russian "ÃÂõ ñÃÂôø ûøàþ, ÿþúð þýþ ÃÂøàþ" and the Ukrainian "ÃÂõ ñÃÂôø ûøàþ, ÿþúø òþýþ ÃÂøàþ", literally translated as "Don't wake likho while it is quiet"; similar to "Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you"; or the Polish "Cicho! Licho nie à Âpi" translated as "Quiet! Evil does not sleep"; and "Licho wie" (literally "Licho [only] knows"), used to mean that a given piece of information is known by no one. In old Russian, the root meant "excessive", "too much", "remaining" and "odd number" (contrasted with chetno in the chetno i likho game) with pejorative connotations, similar to the unlucky 'odd man out'.
Compare to Russian lishniy â one in excess. The word is likely to be related to Indo-European leik<sup>w</sup> meaning something to remain, to leave. The derived adjective likhoy can be used to describe someone who is a bit too daring or brave. In Czech, lichý means odd (number), idle, vain. In Polish, lichy means shoddy, poor, flimsy. In Belarusian language, ûÃÂààmeans bad, evil (like in prayer), odd (side of clothing). In Ukrainian language, it is type of bad luck or incident.