Baba Yaga

 

 

ORIGIN

She comes from Slavic folklore.

 

FIRST SIGHTED/RECORDED

The first recorded folktale concerning her was in Mikhail V. Lomonosov's Rossijskaya grammatika (Russian grammar) in 1755, where she is mentioned as a figure of largely Slavic tradition.

 

APPEARANCE

In most pictures, she is shown as an elderly looking woman who is deformed in some way and, at times, very ferocious looking. She is often seen flying around in a large mortar whilst holding a pestle (in some cases this can either be a mop or a broom). In some tales, her nose is depicted as sticking to the ceiling (maybe assuming that it was either very long or very large). Other parts of her body such as her breasts, buttocks and her genitalia have also been described as repulsive. She also has extremely long teeth.

 

GENDER

Female

 

ALSO KNOWN AS

She is sometimes referred to as Baba Yaga Bony Legs (Baba Yaga Kostianaya Noga). The word baba in Old Russian may refer to either "midwife", "sorceress" or "fortune teller". In modern Russia, the word babushka means "grandmother" as does the Polish word babcia. This can also be used in a detrimental way. There is no clear term for the word yaga, it is thought to maybe represent a "snake" or "serpent".

 

REPELLED BY

There doesn't seem to be anything specific that she is repelled by. As she cannot affect those who have a pure heart, it is quite possible that a show of love or a pure act can distract her or possibly kill her.

 

MAGICAL POWERS/SKILLS

As she is closely associated with a hag it is quite possible that she can both cast spells and make powerful potions. It appears that she has no power over those who are of a pure heart. She also seems to be able to rule over the elements, with the red, white and black horseman as her servants, whom she refers to as her red sun, bright dawn and dark midnight. In her more benevolent aspect, she also gives advice.

 

HISTORY/ABOUT

She is mainly depicted as a single Witch but at times she can be one of a trio of sisters of the same name. Her personality is not strictly the same. In some cases she may either help or hinder you, maybe even take on a maternal role as such. She also has strong associations with wildlife. She has often been identified as one of the most memorable figures in Eastern Europe. It is also said that inside her hut, she can be found stretched over her stove. You may also find that she mentions the "Russian scent" (russkiy dukh) which is basically a human scent.

 

CAN BE FOUND

It is said that she can be found deep within the forest, living in her hut that stands on chicken legs. Around the house is a fence that is decorated with human skulls.

 

TALES

There have been tales that she likes to frighten the hero of the story, usually by telling him that she is going to eat him. However, she will help him if he shows her that he is brave. In Vladimir Propp's Morphology Of The Folktale, she often appears as the villain of the story. In various other tales, she kidnaps children, roasts them in her oven and eats them. In a version of "The Maiden Tsar" by Alexander Afanasyev, released in the 19th century, she is depicted as a trio. In the story, a merchants son makes his way to the home of one of them.

 

ANY SIGHTINGS?

In most of the tales that have been told about her, the one that stands out most with people is the one were people search for her in hope that they may receive help from her. It is safe to say that people still try and do this to this day, walking through a deep forest in search for the strange little hut, to no avail obviously. Some claim however, that they have met her and she has helped change their lives, almost like finding a Genies lamp. The best one however is a "sighting" in 2007 in Ohio where someone spotted what they thought was a Baba Yaga's hut.

 

SIMILAR CREATURES

Jezibaba, Hag, Baba Roga