Generally, nature was a beautiful thing in slavic paganism rather than wrathful, even though some of the spirits are depicted in a sort of disturbingly eerie way. Russian folklore has this character, perhaps the most popular russian folk character, called Baba Yaga. She is said to represent mother nature. She’s sort of a funny character, but also will steal your children, at least that’s the plot of many folk tales that include her. She lives in a small cottage that stands on two large chicken legs, and turns to greet travelers at her command. I wonder if her being a scary character is a metaphor for mother nature. She always seems to be drawn to look “ugly” though her ego seems large, and she’s responsible for the disappearances of children, or in one case, turns a little boy into a goat. In one particular soviet film I used to watch as a kid, I remember I had sympathy for her. She seemed tired of people, wanted to simply be left alone, and complained of back pain. She had wit, but was still in charge when it came to respect, oddly enough. I always wondered what the purpose of this witch character was, but I recently read something about her being a representation of mother nature. In some ways it made sense to me, in others it is still a very large looming question as I try to figure out how certain narratives fit into that representation. Here are some of her characteristics
The hut that Baba Yaga lives in is sometimes surrounded by a fence made of bones, which scares away potential intruders or travelers! The fence has skulls whose hollow eye sockets glow when its dark in the forest. its said that if one of the fence tops is missing a skull then she’ll definitely look for another victim.
She travels in a wooden barrel or bucket with a broom
It’s been noted that she has an appetite for children, not sure why.
When she is felt to be coming you can tell by a turbulent wind that begins to blow, the trees around creaking and groaning as they lose leaves that whirl in the wind. A group of nature spirits go along with her on her way, shrieking and wailing.
She brushes away any trace of her coming through with a broom made of silver birch.
“Baba Yaga rules over the elements. Her faithful servants are the White Horseman, the Red Horseman and the Black Horseman. Fortunately, she appears to have no power over the pure of heart.”
Though she is usually shown as a terrifying old witch, Baba Yaga can also play the role of “helper and wise woman.” In this role she sometimes gives advice and magical gifts to hero travelers who seek her out and those pure of heart. “She is all-knowing, all-seeing and all-revealing to those who dare to ask.”
She is also said to be a guardian spirit of the fountain of the Waters of Life and Death. which I did not know
Baba Yaga is a favourite subject of Russian films and cartoons. The film Vasilissa Prekrasnaya (Vasilissa the Beautiful) by Aleksandr Rou, featuring Baba Yaga, was the first feature with fantasy elements in the Soviet Union. Georgy Milliar, a male actor, portrayed Baba Yaga in numerous movies from the 1930s to the 1960s. Please watch these they are so wonderful
