Baba Yaga

The Account

Slavic folklore's ambiguous witch — sometimes helper, sometimes eater. She flies in a mortar, sweeps her tracks with a pestle-broom, and her fence is topped with skulls that glow at night.

From the Public Record

Baba Yaga is a female character from Slavic folklore who has two contrasting roles. In some narratives, she is described as a repulsive or ferocious-looking old woman who fries and eats children, while in others she is depicted as a nice old woman who helps the hero. Both versions often depict her as a witch. She is often associated with forest wildlife. Her distinctive traits are flying around in a wooden mortar, wielding a pestle, and dwelling deep in the forest in a hut with chicken legs.

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