Baba Yaga is an ogress who snatches, cooks, and eats her victims. Her victims are usually children. She is a guardian of the fountains of the water of life. Baba Yaga lives with two or three sisters – all known as Baba Yaga- in a forest but that spins continually on birds’ legs. The fence of their house is topped with human skulls. Sounds scary, right?
Baba Yaga often accompanies Death on his travels, devouring newly released souls. She can ride through air. She usually rides in an iron kettle or in a mortar that she drives with a pestle. She is also capable of creating storms wherever she goes. Baba Yaga and her deeds can frighten young children.
This terrifying ogress appears in Slavic folklore. In fact, the term ‘Baba’ in Old Russian means ‘sorceress’ or ‘fortune teller’. Baba Yaga has appeared in thousands of folktales in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
The first clear reference to Baba Yaga occurs in 1755 though. She is often found in a turning, chicken-legged hut, or driving a pestle. She often rests stretched out over the stove, reaching from one corner of the hut to another.
No doubt, Baba Yaga is one of the most memorable and distinctive figures in eastern European folklore.
Picture Credit : Google