Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga depicted in Tales of the Russian People (published by V. A. Gatsuk in Moscow in 1894)
Baba Yaga being used as an example for the Cyrillic letter Б, in Alexandre Benois' ABC-Book

Baba Yaga is an enigmatic or ambiguous character from Slavic folklore (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) who has two opposite roles. In some motifs she is described as a repulsive or ferocious-looking old woman who fries and eats children, while in others she is a nice old woman, who helps out the hero.[1] She is often associated with forest wildlife. Her distinctive traits are flying around in a mortar, wielding a pestle, and dwelling deep in the forest in a hut standing on chicken legs.

  1. ^ "Баба-яга" . Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (in Russian). 1906.

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