There are various conclusions drawn when assessing Baba Yaga’s relationship and possible influence over witches from Slavic and Germanic witches. As noted by Andreas Johns, some of the key differences lie in the fact that Baba Yaga has no (recorded) origin story, whereas other witches have an assortment of stories detailing how they came to be the magical entities that they are (none of which actually involve Baba Yaga). Many of the common attributes of Slavic witches, such as stealing milk from cows, is not present in any form in the stories of Baba Yaga, though she does drink from the breast of a maiden in several stories (Johns 2004). Joanna Hubbs, however, points out numerous commonalities between Baba Yaga and the common understanding of a witch in Slavic tradition:
- Both are able to transform and change their appearance at will
- Both are able to control the forces of nature and the weather
- Both performed their “chief mischief” in the middle of the summer, a time when women of the village wandered into the fields and forests at night to pick medicinal plants to protect the community.
- Both were able to bring about
disease , crop failure, and death (Hubbs 1989)
Similarly, Linda Ivantis notes the parallels in the varying forms of transport and how unique they are in both Baba Yaga and the witches’ cases. Many stories tell of witches jumping onto unsuspecting victims and riding them through the air, as well as how clever victims are sometimes able to trick the witch into letting them ride her, a theme present in several Baba Yaga tales. Ivantis also notes that the menacing image of Baba Yaga does indeed seem to “cross over from the magic tale” into realistic conceptions of what a witch may look like (Ivantis 1989) .
Perhaps most telling of Baba Yaga’s influence, or lack thereof is the fact that no image or note of her is made in any of the real-life accounts or witch trials or sightings. Nor is she referenced in documents like Malleus Maleficarum, which would set the standard for
Defense against a Baba Yaga
Unlike other beasts of folkloric imagination, there are no surefire ways to kill a Baba Yaga. Generally speaking, avoid dark, secluded corners of the forest, especially if you are in remote parts of Russia. Additionally, you have something of an advantage if you are not of Russian heritage, as Baba Yaga has been recorded to be able to “smell the Russian scent.” (Johns 2004) If you are, for some reason, able to implement magical devices, such as handkerchiefs that can make bridges appear/disappear, a towel that can turn into a river, or a comb that turn into a great forest, then run like hell and if she tries to chase you, use your magical items to make her journey more difficult. However, if you are unfortunate enough to be captured and lured to into her hut, do whatever you can to trick her into getting into her oven, as this has been used on several occasions by children who she tries to cook.
Bibliography
Hubbs, Joanna. Mother Russia: The Feminine Myth in Russian Culture. N.p.: Indiana UP, 1988.
Ivantis, Linda J. Russian Folk Belief. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1989.
Johns, Andreas. Baba Yaga: The Ambiguous Mother and Witch of the Russian Folktale. New York: Peter Lang, 2004.
Page written and created by Jed E., John L., and Sophia L-N.
