Why Baba Yaga Helps Some People... and Eats Others

Baba Yaga is one of the most feared witches in Slavic folklore. But why does she help some travellers and try to eat others?Deep in the Russian forest, her mysterious house stands on chicken legs, surrounded by human bones. And the truth about her origins may be stranger than the stories themselves.Baba Yaga has haunted Russian fairy tales for centuries, but she's far more complicated than the wicked witch we recognise today. In some stories, she threatens to cook and eat children. In others, she gives heroes the magical objects, knowledge or help they need to survive. Through traditional tales including Vasilisa the Fair, Marya Morevna and The Frog Queen, we explore the contradictions behind this mysterious figure. Why does Baba Yaga travel in a mortar and pestle? What inspired her extraordinary house on chicken legs? And could she have originated as something other than a witch? Drawing on the Russian folktales collected by Alexander Afanasyev and the research of Vladimir Propp, Marija Gimbutas and Andreas Johns, we investigate the history, folklore and possible origins of Baba Yaga.