Who is Baba Yaga?

Awhile ago I made a video that was an introduction to Slavic Paganism, and you guys seemed to really like it so today we’re going to dive a bit deeper and explore one of the most popular figures in Slavic folklore known as the Baba Yaga.

Baba Yaga is an elusive character that is difficult to fully understand and there are many stories that feature her in a variety of different ways. Sometimes she is a deadly obstacle for those that come into her path other times she acts as a benefactor and uses her magic to assist others. Usually she is depicted as an ugly old hag living in a hut deep in the woods. Her hut stands on chicken legs that allow her to move throughout the forest. When the hut moves it spins and emits a terrifying screeching noise.

Baba Yaga herself is described as thin and bony and in the stories she is sometimes found stretched out against a giant oven that reaches from one end of the hut to the other. This sounds kind of weird until you look at the size of some historical Russian ovens. Another interesting feature about Baba Yaga is that she rides a mortar and pestle. She uses the pestle like a rudder to guide her flight and together she uses the two pieces to grind up the bones of the people she eats.

Baba Yaga appears in countless Slavic folktales and stories. Sometimes she is not even depicted not one person but as three different sisters. For example, In the 19th century story, “The Maiden Tsar” the main character Ivan encounters the 3 Baba Yaga sisters one by one. The youngest sister is the most fearsome and tries to devour him. Before she can, Ivan blows a magic horn 3 times and a firebird flies into the hut. The firebird is an important magical creature in Slavic folklore that can either help the hero or be a harbinger of doom. Luckily for Ivan, the firebird allows him to jump on his back and together they escape the clutches of Baba Yaga.

The most popular story featuring Baba Yaga is probably the Russian fairytale called, “Vasilisa the Beautiful.” Vasilisa is a Cinderella type character with an evil step-mother. Her step-mother gives her a series of difficult chores to complete but all the candles are put out so Vasilisa goes into the woods in hope that she will receive some candlelight from Baba Yaga. She also takes with her a magical doll that helps lead her to the hut in the woods. When she finally meets Baba Yaga she is given a list of seemingly impossible chores she must complete before she is given the candlelight she desires. Baba Yaga then leaves the hut and Vasilisa and her magical doll work together to complete the chores. When Baby Yaga returns she is surprised that everything is completed and she gives Vasilisa a skull with burning coals she can take back to her family for light.

Before Vasilisa leaves she asks the identity of three strange men riding horses she saw during her journey. Baba Yaga responds that the white rider is the Day, the red rider is the Sun, and the black rider is the Night. I find this detail really interesting. It kind of reminds me of how in Slavic mythology there are three important figures named the morning star, the evening star, and the midnight star. At the end of the story Vasilisa returns to her step mother & step sisters and the skull with the glowing coals burns her evil family into ashes so that Vasilisa can live out her life in peace.

Over the years Baba Yaga has been featured in countless artworks, literature, movies, and tv shows. And I wonder what it is about her that resonates so much with people? There must be something in these stories that really connects with our subconscious. One the one hand her stories share some similarities with other European folktales such as Cinderella and Hansel and Gretel. And like many other European witches, Baba Yaga most often appears as a hideous hag with frightening features.

In my view the archetype of the witch is really powerful, which is why it features so prominently in folklore. And while the witch appears in almost all cultures, each culture always presents their own unique version of the archetype. So here in the stories of Baba Yaga we see a uniquely Slavic conception of the witch archetype and her stories likely reveal certain ancestral and subconscious insights into Slavic culture. I’m personally not Slavic so I may never fully understand the depths of this folklore though I can clearly see that the story of Baba Yaga is something special and a tale worth preserving for future generations.

Next I’d like to hear your thoughts. Did you grow up hearing the stories of Baba Yaga or this folklore new to you? Share below in the comments.