Appearance is deceptive, or What does Baba Yaga look like

About what Baba-Yaga looks like, known since childhood to everyone, we know thanks to Russian folk tales, cartoon and cinematographic films. As a rule, she is presented as a negative character, with an eccentric and even harmful character, and a rather unattractive appearance. However very few people know, that not always in representation of people it was the ugly old woman building any intrigues to the main heroes of fairy tales. How did this fabulous mythological character arise, and what external changes did Baba-yaga undergo, the description of which is found in various sources? We will try to answer all these questions in the article.

Appearance

Such a fairy-tale character as Baba-Yaga is present in the Slavic mythology of different peoples. In different regions of Russia it has several names: Yagikh, Yagabov and Yagaya Baba. In Bulgaria, Poland, Serbia and the Czech Republic, too, there are similar mythological characters, though under different names, but here the appearance and most of the habits they have are very similar. Baba-yaga lives away from people in a remote forest. He is engaged in witchcraft and communicates with various forest dwellers. People with her communicate reluctantly, because Baba-yaga looks rather ominously: old, hunched, with a hooked nose and an ugly face decorated with a lot of warts, with long gray lohomas. And the character, according to the tales, is quite harmful: if it helps, then reluctantly, trying to complicate the life of the protagonist as much as possible.

Prototypes and prototypes

Having learned in childhood how Baba-Yaga looks, it is rather difficult to imagine that in the distant past our ancestors saw young and full strength, a rather powerful young beauty with fair-haired braids, capable of taking any shape: thunderstorms or animals, birds or clouds. In the pantheon of the gods of the ancient Slavs was a kind goddess - the guardian of secret knowledge, clan and traditions, the mentor of children and orphans - Aga Yaginishna, Yoginya, later turned into Babu Yaga. She lived on the border of Navi - the Dark Kingdom, and Yavi - the physical reality. Since one foot Yaga is in the realm of the dead, and the other is in the world of the living, it was necessary to move around our world with the help of a stupa - a special flying device. Do you agree that the resulting portrait of Baba Yaga differs significantly from the image that has been familiar to us since childhood? Such a goddess, guarding the border between the world of the living and the dead, exists in the mythological tradition of most European peoples: it is the German Holda, or, as it was also called, Perchta, the Greek Hecate and the Hindu Cali.

There is quite a logical question: "How did the powerful goddess-beauty turn into folk tales into an old woman-recluse rather unpleasant appearance and spiteful character?"

Transformation

About what Baba-Yaga looks like, we are told folk tales, written mainly by researchers and literary reworked relatively recently. Until this time, such stories were an element of oral creativity and passed on to the descendants through the story. The transformation of the young goddess into a creature closer to the natural and forest spirits took place after the matriarchy gave way to the patriarchate. With the change in the social system, a change in the supreme gods took place - the female deity gave way to a more aggressive masculine deity. Researchers suggest that such a change of objects of worship was negatively perceived by the priestesses of the Yogini-Yaga cult who left the tribes that betrayed, in their opinion, faith. Those who knew about the medicinal properties of plants and the practical skills of their use, who knew how to heal various ills, the witches (knowing and knowing) settled away from people, in the depths of the forests. Ordinary people, although afraid, but quite often turned to incomprehensible for them and therefore terrible sorceresses.

Acceptance of Christianity in Russia led to the fact that priestesses and followers of the cult of the pagan goddess Yogini began to be regarded as strictly negative characters, and eventually turned into a collective image of Baba Yaga.

On the face - terrible, but good inside

After analyzing most of the fairy tales about Baba Yaga, it is rather difficult to say whether she is a positive character or not. A similar problem arises from the fact that her actions quite often seem directed against the main character of the fairy tale. However, as the narrative develops, you understand that Baba-yaga, the description of which draws the evil old sorceress, directs along the right, albeit strange, path and saves from various misfortunes of the heroic character. Thanks to the Yaga, a temporary transition of a good young man from our world of Yavi to Navi and his safe return back to life becomes possible.

What a real Baba Yaga looks like, it's hard to say today. Hardly as described by her folk legends and fairy tales. But each of us has the opportunity to dream up and present it as we like it!