University of Warsaw

Institute of Western and Southern Slavic Studies

Lecturer: Patrycjusz Przemysław Pająk

Tsiola Konstantina
Baba Yaga. A literary figure that appeals not only to children’s imagination

The figure of Baba Yaga is undoubtedly one of the most famous and notorious
in Slavic Mythology. From her earliest recorded written mention in 1755 in
Mikhail V Lomonosov’s book on Folk Slavic Figures until today, Baba Yaga
provokes and stimulates the imagination of children and adults.
The external appearance of Baba Yaga, the mystery around her dark secrets,
her hut and even the origin of her name have caused awe and curiosity in the
minds of people for centuries. Known as the ambiguous mother and witch of the
slavic mythology, her figure generates more questions than answers.
In the face of Baba Yaga, we can distinguish two very important tale roles,
those of the villain who harms or seeks to harm the protagonist and the donor,
who is helpful and gives the hero a very precious and valuable help. She
confoundingly takes on both roles, sometimes within the same story. Baba
Yaga's role in folklore is usually associated with the teaching of a lesson, either
for the hero/heroine or the characters around them.
The distinctiveness and the uniqueness of her figure, incited many authors to
write about her. Books and fairy tales about Baba Yaga can be found in many
libraries all over the world. Everyone can hear and read the folk legends and
myths surrounding her figure, whο has also inspired both contemporary and
later artists, while many times Baba Yaga has been presented and considered
nowadays as a strong figure who embodies female empowerment and
independence.
But which is the story of the literary slavic figure of Baba Yaga and why does
she constantly appeal in people’s imagination?
According to legends dating back to at least the mid-18th century, Baba Yaga
is a witch who resides in the forest. She appears as an old deformed woman,
unkempt and thin. She usually uses a magical mortar and pestle for

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transportation, but sometimes flies around on a broom. Baba Yaga’s house,
which sits in the darkest corner of the woods, stands atop chicken legs. In the
center of the hut is the hearth, which is connected to the outside world by a
serpentine tube-buri. It is a kind of built wood oven called a pech and has a
place to sleep when the witch is not using it as an oven. This oven will either
feed the guests or they will feed its contents with their bodies.
A rooster head sometimes pokes up from the roof and the witch protects her
hut with a fence built from human bones. The human bone fence gives the
message of death to the future visitors to stay away from her house. The fence
of the witch's hut sets the boundaries between the two worlds, that of the living
and that of the dead.
There is only one way to get through Baba Yaga's territory. The man who will
approach her fence will have to be worthy and have a pure soul while also
having to answer her questions correctly by successfully passing the type of
tests. If they fail, then Baba Yaga throws them into her huge oven, bakes them
and eats them. The uncertainty of the outcome of the traveler's life provokes the
human imagination and makes him sympathize with the sufferer. It makes you
think about your own life and whether you would risk doing the test in order to
cross Baba Yaga's fence.
Something else worth mentioning is that Baba Yaga does not wish to be
noticed by those who have not heard her call. The heroes who visit her usually
find her hut either by chance, wandering lost in the dark woods, or because a
relative wanted to get rid of them and send them to her.
Even the most common nicknames of Baba Yaga such as Goddess of the
Forest, Goddess of Death and Rebirth, but also guardian of the water of Life and
Death, all these designations indicate that Baba Yaga is not just a witch, but a
character of great depth with many hidden secrets. Baba Yaga prompts the
listener and reader of all ages to learn more about the mysteries and dark secrets
that surround her.
There’s no question that Baba Yaga is a fearsome figure in Slavic folklore. But
she also sometimes acts as a fairy godmother with a dash of evil. She is a figure
in which the positive and negative are mixed. Baba Yaga is full of the powers of
destruction, of desolation and chaos but at the same time she can be helpful.
The folk tale of "Vasilisa the beautiful" is a unique depiction of Baba Yaga's
good side, showing her initially plotting against a young visitor and yet helping
her by the end of the story. In this myth, a stepdaughter named Vasilisa is sent

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into the forest by her evil stepmother to find fire for her family.Vasilisa has a
tender pure heart and is willing to help anyone in need.
Vasilisa passes each stage of her initiation with complete success and gains
access to the unquenchable flame. So she takes one of the flaming skulls that
adorn Baba Yaga's gruesome fence and returns home with the trophy of her feat.
The same light destroys her enemies who sent her on this mission.Vasilisa also
finds her happy ending, as she marries the tsar’s son and moves into a palace.
Seeing the good side of Baba Yaga, one enters the process of thinking and
wondering, how does a wicked witch, queen of the underworld and darkness,
become able to convey hope and offer help. The listener's and reader's
imagination begins to timidly create a side of Baba Yaga with a positive
connotation.
Baba Yaga appears in some versions as a donor, in others as a villain. She can
also be a very hostile donor when she attempts to harm the hero but fails and
relinquishes a magic object or agent. Even when she acts as a donor, her typical
behavior, when she greets the heroine or hero, is ambiguous.
Another nickname that surrounds the figure of Baba Yaga, is ‘‘the Goddess of
Life and Death’’. She, in Slavic mythology, seems to hold the water of these
two worlds. Thus, the water of death is used by the witch to stop the breathing
or freeze the circulation of the blood of the one who will drink it. But the same
deadly water can be used to heal a wound or glue together parts of a body that
have been cut. The water of life is what will renew, regenerate and sustain life.
Baba Yaga is the one who keeps the two miraculous liquids and decides each
time whether and how to use them in each case.
In some cases the essence of Baba Yaga is also perceived as triple. Apart from
some references to her connection with the moon and her cycles, which is also
related to her feminine mysteries, there is also her connection to the daily solar
cycle. At this point it is worth emphasizing that Baba Yaga, by many authors
and artists as well as by ordinary readers, is considered a symbol of the power
of female nature. It is said that at dawn a white rider on a white horse leaves her
territory, at noon a red rider and finally, at dusk a black rider. Thus her triple
nature is both lunar and solar at the same time, which is something that reveals
her androgynous nature of her power.
All these stories and characteristics around her face show the multidimensional
form of Baba Yaga and someone could understand why this Slavic literary
figure becomes an object of admiration and discussion. She is traditionally
depicted as a figure associated with darkness, evil and hidden mystery.

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 Perhaps Baba Yaga stirs people's curiosity as she is essentially a figure that
highlights all the human characteristics and behaviors that exist in the world. On
the one hand, a person hearing about Baba Yaga can distinguish cunning,
exploitation, abuse, greed, passion and evil. On the other hand, these elements
can be neutralized by the best human aspects, such as kindness, appreciation,
helpfulness and helpfulness. All these are usually summed up in the character
of Baba Yaga.
It is obvious that folktale characters such as Baba Yaga have a strong
emotional content and coloring, which helps to explain their enduring
popularity.
Reading and watching the legend of Baba Yaga, it is up to everyone how they
will characterize her. Maybe she is an old powerful witch who hides the deepest
and darkest secrets inside her hut. Maybe her actions and manner have some
other message behind. This hidden message keeps coming to people’s mind and
provokes them to learn more about her. One thing is certain, that children
reading the fairy tales about Baba Yaga, as well as adults hearing about all these
folk myths, connect with her character and are captivated by the magic of this
Slavic myth.

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