Baba Yaga

Baba Yagá, by B. Zvorykin.

Baba Yagá (Russian: Бáба Ягá) is a recurring character in Slavic folklore and mythology.

Baba Yagá flying over his admiral, with a broom on the left hand. Illustration of Ivan Bilibin.

Baba Yagá is old, bony and wrinkled, with a blue nose and steel teeth, she has one normal leg and one bone leg, which is why she is often nicknamed "Baba Yagá Pata de Hueso& #3. 4;. These two legs represent the world of the living and the world of the dead through which she wanders. Baba Yagá is a wicked and cruel being, but not totally evil; she eats people, usually children. Her teeth allow her to break bones and tear through flesh with ease. Despite the fact that she consumes large amounts of meat daily, she always has that thin and bony appearance. Baba Yagá flies mounted on a pestle (sometimes a pot) and paddles the air with a silver broom. Baba Yagá does not allow any "blessed" Stay on her property as long as she knows the person has a blessing.

He lives in a shack that stands on two huge chicken feet that help him move around Russia. The fence of his hut is adorned with skulls, inside which he places candles. The idea of a house with chicken feet could derive from the huts of certain Finno-Ugric peoples, who built them in this way to protect themselves from animals. To enter the house, Baba Yagá says the incantation "Casita Casita, turn your back on the forest and turn towards me". The inside of the hut is always full of meat and wine. It is also guarded by Baba Yagá's invisible servants, who appear as spectral hands. Baba Yagá also has the white, red and black knights at his service, who control the day, sunset and night.

Baba Yagá has appeared in different Russian folklore stories, and some of them show different facets of her. In some, he helps the people who serve him. In others it is said that he guards the "Waters of Life and Death", since he is "the White Lady of Death and Rebirth". In others, he says that he has two sisters, named after her and hers with the same appearance as hers.

In Bulgaria, children are told that if they misbehave, Baba Yagá (or Dyado Yag, Дядо Яг) will come to take them away with a sack and eat them. It is also associated with black magic.

It is also said that he ages a year every time he is asked a question and that to rejuvenate him he drinks a tea made from the rare blue roses, for which he greatly rewards people who bring him one of these roses.

The figure of Baba Yagá probably derives from "the Witch", third component of the Tripartite Goddess (Virgin, Mother and Witch), symbol of the three ages of women.

Baba Yaga is widely used by modern Russian fairy tale authors, and since the 1990s, in "Russian Fantasy". In particular, Baba Yaga appears in Andrei Belanin's book cycle "The Detective Agency of Tsar Goroj (Царь Горох)". The childhood and youth of Baba Yaga were first described in the story The Bay (Lukomorie) by A. Aliverdiev.

Appearances

The first clear reference to Baba Yaga (Iaga baba) occurs in 1755; Russian grammar by Mikhail V. Lomonosov. In Lomonosov's grammar book, Baba Yaga is mentioned twice among other figures in much of the Slavic tradition. The second of the two mentions occurs within a list of Slavic gods and beings together with their presumed equivalence in Roman mythology (the Slavic god Perun, for example, appears equated with the Roman god Jupiter). Baba Yaga, however, appears in a third section without an equivalency, highlighting the perceived uniqueness of him even in this first known testimony.

In the narratives in which Baba Yaga appears, she displays a variety of typical attributes: a revolving hut on chicken legs; and a mortar, pestle and/or mop or broom. Baba Yaga often bears the epithet Baba Yaga "kostyanaya noga" ('bony leg'), or Baba Yaga "szheleznymi zubami" ('with iron teeth') and when inside her dwelling, she can be found lying on the stove, reaching from one corner of the cabin to another. Baba Yaga can feel and mention the "dukh russkiy" ('Russian aroma') of those who visit. Her nose can stick to the ceiling. Some storytellers may place special emphasis on the repulsiveness of her appearance.

In some tales, a trio of Baba Yagas appear as sisters, all sharing the same name. For example, in one version of "The Tsar Maiden" Collected in the 19th century by Alexander Afanasyev, Ivan, the son of a handsome merchant, goes to the house of one of the three Baba Yagas:

He traveled forward, in a straight line... and finally came to a small cabin; She stood in the open field, spinning on chicken feet. He entered and found Baba Yaga the Bony. 'Fie, fie,' he said, 'the Russian smell was never heard or seen here, but it has come by itself. Are you here of your own free will or by compulsion, my good youth?" "Greatly of my own free will, and twice as much by compulsion! Do you know, Baba Yaga, where is the thrice tenth kingdom[ru]?" "No, I don't," she said, and told him to go with her second sister; She might know.

—Aleksandr Afanasiev, "The Tsar Maiden", Russian Fairy Tales (1973)

Ivan Bilibin, Baba Yaga, 1911 illustration from "The Tale of the Three Wonders of the Tsar and Ivashka, the Priest's Son" (A.S. Roslavlev) Iván walks for some time before coming across a small cabin identical to the first one. This Baba Yaga makes the same comments and asks the same question as the first one, and Ivan asks the same question. This second Baba Yaga does not know this either and directs him to the third, but says that if she gets angry with him & # 34; and wants to devour you from her, take three horns from her and ask her permission to touch them; she blows the first softly, the second louder, and the third even louder & # 34;. Iván thanks him and continues his journey.

After walking for some time, Ivan finally finds the chicken-footed hut of the youngest of the three sisters spinning in an open field. This third and youngest of the Baba Yagas makes the same comment about "the Russian smell" before running to snap his teeth and consume Ivan. Ivan begs her to give him three horns and she does. The first blows gently, the second stronger, and the third even stronger. This causes birds of all kinds to arrive and swarm around the cabin. One of the birds is the fire bird, which tells him to jump on her back or Baba Yaga will eat him. She does so and the Baba Yaga rushes her over and grabs the firebird by its tail. The firebird leaves with Ivan, leaving Baba Yaga behind with a fist full of firebird feathers.

In Afanasyev's collection of short stories, Baba Yaga also appears in "Baba Yaga and Zamoryshek", "By Order of Prince Daniel", "Vasilisa the Beautiful", "Marya Moryevna", "Kingdoms of Copper, Silver and Gold", "The Tsar of the Sea and Vasilisa the Wise" and "Legless Knight and Blind Knight" (English titles from Magnus's translation).

Due to her popularity, Baba Yaga has also appeared in non-Slavic stories. His appearances in the world of comics, especially adult comics, can be mentioned in comics such as Hellboy, by Mike Mignola, belonging to the Dark Horse label, where he is an antagonist in one of the stories, and a strong appearance in Fables, by Bill Willingham., belonging to Editorial Vertigo, where she is an ally of El Adversario. In addition, she takes the form of Little Red Hood to introduce herself as a spy in Villa Fábula in the saga The March of the Wooden Soldiers, finally facing Frau Totenkinder. He also makes a brief appearance in the third volume of the comic 'The Books of Magic', by Neil Gaiman, trapping the protagonist until he is rescued by De. Occult when he threatens the witch to reveal his name in the Land of the Fairies.

In the story titled The Hunt, belonging to the anthology Fables and Reflections (Sandman 38, June 1992), also written by Neil Gaiman, Baba Yaga intervenes (for a price) to help the protagonist find the woman he wanted. believed to love She is described as more robust but with bony legs.

It also appears in the children's story The Adventures of Vanya the Strong, by Otfried Preussler, where Baba Yaga is Vanya's second great enemy, which she defeats with her spear, and as a reward she gives him gives the male horse, the fastest in all of Russia.

In the film Rebel Innocence, the protagonist uses constant parallels about Baba Yagá.

In 1990, it makes an appearance as part of a line of toys released by Matchbox in its Monster in My Pocket line or Pocket Monsters, which were plastic collectible figures no larger than 5 cm tall and of various colors, which were placed inside a black plastic volcano. On that occasion she was represented to him as a hideous robust witch with a grotesque appearance, not at all bony as in Russian mythology; she traveled at full speed inside a black cauldron propelled by an old flying broomstick and wore a necklace with two human skulls as pendants. Among the detailed information about this variant of Baba Yagá, it is known that she was 1.80 meters tall, her back and the rest of her body were covered by sores or blisters, and it is also known that she was born in the 12th century in some forest. remote from Russia.

The figure of Baba Yagá appears in the cartoon film Bartok the Magnificent, being a witch with a more humanized personality than she is usually depicted and, although during the film she does It presents her as a being to be feared, cruel, devoid of feelings, whose house stands on long legs and to access which requires solving a riddle, in the end the witch reveals her good feelings and adopts a more benign perspective.

Baba Yagá is one of the numbers of Modest Mussorgsky's work Pictures at an Exhibition, as well as op. 56 by Anatoli Lyadov, also a Russian composer.

Orson Scott Card casts her as an antagonist to the hero of his fantasy novel Enchantment, published in 1999.

In Spain, a comic called "Baba" by the Catalan author Luis Moreno, starring the witch, although this time in the form of a girl and with a cut of humor. This comic was published by Norma Editorial.

In the World of Darkness (the world where role-playing games from the White Wolf publishing house take place), Baba Yagá is the name of a vampire belonging to the Nosferatu clan. One of her last appearances was in the series & # 34; Lost Girl & # 34; from Showcase.ca where Baba Yagá is innocently summoned by a young woman, named Kenzi, in an act of solidarity to avenge the broken heart of her dearest friend, Bo.

He also makes an appearance in author David Safier's fourth novel, Happy Family; in Spanish, A happy family.

In the anime and manga Soul Eater there is a castle named after him.

In addition, he appears in the Studio Ghibli short film Pandane to tamago hime (パン種とタマゴ姫?; literally, Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess), which it can only be seen officially at the Ghibli Museum.

The witch also appears as the undisputed protagonist in the book-game: "En las garras de Bába Yagá", by David Ruiz del Portal y Juapi, published by Alfasur Editorial in 2013.

The witch also appears in the book series and animated series Ever After High as an academic advisor and teacher along with other famous fairy tale characters.

In the 2014 film John Wick, the character of the same name, played by Keanu Reeves, is referred to by mob leader Viggo Tarasov as "the person you send to kill to the damned Baba Yagá".

He also appears in the film Don't Knock Twice, from 2016, being the main supernatural danger for the protagonists of said film.

She appears in e#34;The strange case of the woman without memory", a book by the Spanish author Juan Pascal, in which she serves as a guide for the main character.

The witch from the animated series Dragon Ball with the same name -Baba- may be a reference to her, since she also wanders between both worlds (the one of the living and the one of the dead).

In the animated series The Legends, produced by Netflix, the witch appears as the antagonist of the story and is represented in the same way as in Russian folklore.

In addition, at one point in the Netflix series Trollhunters, the voice of a character with many names is heard, including Baba Yaga.

In the animated comedy film Monster Family (2017), Baba Yaga appears as an ancient witch held captive by Dracula, responsible for turning the Wishbone family into monsters.

In the 2018 Marvel film Ant-Man and the Wasp, the character of Baba Yagá is mentioned, relating it to the villain Ghost.

Baba Yagá appears in the 2019 film Hellboy.

In the Pathfinder RPG, Baba Yaga is the mother of Rasputin, in the adventure book Reign of Winter.

He also appears in an episode of the fifteenth season of the series Supernatural (2020), in which he wears a ring that gives him his power.

He also appears in the series "The Witcher" from Netflix, under the name "Voleth Meir" or "The Immortal Mother", locked up by the first Sorcerers in a cabin without doors and with chicken legs that turns towards whoever calls her.

The Spanish group Vita Imana publishes in 2022 the song <<Baba-yagá>> on his album VI

Video Game Appearances

• In Ragnarok Online it appears as an enemy of one of the Calabozos of the city of Moscovia
• In Hero's Quest de Sierra Online
• He showed up in the video game Castlevania: Lords of Shadowdeveloped by Mercury Steam. Gabriel Belmont, the protagonist of the game, requires the help of the old witch to reach the titan cemetery, so she explains to him that to help him Gabriel must bring him a blue rose.
• He also appeared in the video game of Harry Potter and the Azkaban Prisoner for PC, in the form of collectable chrome.
• It also appears in the Wizard101 video game as a non-playable character, being a leader of the monsters of the world Polaris.
• The witches of the Minecraft video game appearing in the Pretty Scary Update are based directly on Baba Yagá, as they are only generated in small huts in the middle of the forests.
• It appears in Super Scribblenauts as an unlockable character for $3,000.
• It also appeared in the Payday 2 update as an unlockable mask for all users.
• It also appears in the series of video games The Longest Journey.
• On January 26, 2016 the first DLC was launched for Rise of the Tomb Raider with the name "Baba Yagá: the Temple of the Witch".
• In the MMORPG CABAL Online the Baba Yagá appear as aggressive monsters in the Ice Valley area (Bloody Ice). They're level 34.
• In the Gems of War game of PlayStation 4 and Smartphones appears as a troop to recruit.
• In the video game The Witcher 3 the Forest Ladies are based on this figure.
• In the game Monsters Legends appears as a obtaining monster.
• In addition, an unused enemy in Super Mario RPG bears the name of Baba Yagá.
• In the Moon Hunters game, it usually appears in the environment of grasslands/forests and after interacting with her her her house is lifted and left.
• In the SMITE video game: Battleground of the gods was included belonging to the Slavic pantheon and having the role of magician within the game.
• In the Sims 2 you can access your home by means of a trick on the map of BellaDona
• In the mobile video game Day R Baba Yaga appears at the annual Halloween event to give thematic missions to the player.
• In the Fortnite video game it makes appearance as a rare look, with the set called "Aquelarre Original" and has a price of 1200 coins V. In this same video game on October 26, 2020, the skin of Baba Yagá appears directly with a price of 1200 Vbucks only the suit, as it is also offered other accessories inspired by Baba Yagá as the wing delta 800 Vbucks and the peak 800 Vbucks.
• In the video game Runescape appears with human appearance. It is part of a tribe of magicians, it is crazy and owns a shop selling magical equipment (Runas, Bács, etc...), lives in a house with hen legs, the house called Berty, walks in the northern part of the village.
• In the video game Dead by daylight appears as one of the aspects available to buy from the killer character "The Hunter"
• In the video game AFK ARENA appears called "Melusina - Baba Yaga", also appears as one of the playable heroes. It is part of the "non-dimensional" faction, in the category "ASCENDED", this is magic and its main ability invokes your home directly damaging your enemies.
• In the video game COOKING COMPANIONS the main character (the player) refers to Baba Yagá, this is understood by being set in a Russian forest and by the question he asks "Did you come on your own free will...or well you sent?", which means "Did you come to qui by their own will or were sent?".
• We can also find it in the addictive Coin Master game, building the village 87 you will know your home and some other things that characterize it, within the same game you will also find in the collections of cards that bears the name of Baba Yaga, each card has something related to your world these are the names of the cards,"Gran Lemmy", "Scove to Motor", "Fred Scared", "Caldero Caliente"
• In Alan Wake his name is pronounced within the folklore that is being created following the discovery of the protagonist on the role that has "Bárbara Jagger" in the control of the darkness that advances from "Cauldron Lake", and which is the center of all intrigues and threats against Wake, you can overthink that "Bárbara Jagger" can be the pseudonym of "Baba Yagá".