Throughout the Slavic region, the term baba connotes an "old woman," which when combined with the Russian term yaga, for "hag," equals the name of this well-respected elder. In Poland (the land of my ancestors) Baba Yaga is referred to as Ienzababa or Jezda and the Czechs know her as Jazi Baba. In addition to her official name, she is also referred to as the Guardian of the Underworld, the Mistress of the Forest, the Goddess of Death and Regeneration, the Wolf-Goddess, the Bone Mother, the Mistress of the Animals, and the Guardian of the Water of Life and Death. These powerful descriptions demonstrate the depth of this ancient figure, who is far more than the simple "witch" she became when Christianity entered the region and her stories began to migrate to neighboring lands.

The complexity of this character can also bee seen in her choice of personal transportation. In The Bones of Baba Yaga, a young brother and sister, who have been wandering the woods, suddenly come across Baba Yaga's hut and are overcome with fear. Yet, before they even have the chance to run, a strange noise comes from the woods to catch their attention. As the sound swiftly rises to a roar, the wind lashes at the tree-tops, and the ground trembles below their feet as Baga Yaga makes her unusual entrance. "Hurtling through the air towards them came what seemed to be a flying kitchen bowl, ringed with flames. As it came closer they saw it was a sturdy grinding mortar, paddled along by a hideous old hag with a giant pestle" (Phillips 103). As she whizzes by, she carefully conceals any trace of her trail with a birch broom, specifically designed for the purpose.

An examination of this setup reveals the great depth of its meaning. The womb-like vessel in combination with the phallic pestle are representative of her dualistic feminine and masculine nature. Yet, this mortar and pestle are also symbolic of the destructive (to grind) and nurturing (to prepare) qualities of this ancient Earth Mother. Robert Bly sees the deadly yet regenerating nature of Baba Yaga's mortar and pestle as "the thorough way Nature grinds up and reuses her children. Nothing is lost, it is all recycled" (43). This all powerful and terrifying Great Mother can give life as well as take it away. The combination of destructive, nurturing, and regenerative aspects also represent the three phases of human existence, birth, life and death. Therefore, some also see Baba Yaga as a Triple Goddess figure, a theme that is further developed by her shape-shifting ability to transform herself into an archetypal maiden, mother, or crone.

These many manifestations are seen by few, because she is very careful to conceal any evidence of her passing through human territories. To hide her tracks she uses a birch broom, which "may be regarded as further evidence of her all-pervading influence, as symbol of the inverted Tree of Life" (Dixon-Kennedy 26). The fact that she goes out of her way to avoid being seen by humans means it isn't just anyone who stumbles upon her home. Most fairytale figures find Baba Yaga's domain either by accident, while wandering in the depths of the forest on a quest, or because they have been sent there by a not-so-well-wishing relative.

Baba Yaga's hut is anything but your typical peasant's cottage and those who discover it are often overcome with fright. It is generally made of human bones, though some stories say it is made from food. It is surrounded by a fence made of bleached bones, which designates it as a liminal place–where the land of the living and the land of the dead meet. Yet, the strangest thing of all is the fact that it does not rest upon the ground, but sits perched on chicken legs, balancing on a spindle, or some other similar situation. Stories tell of a hut, which

This unique support system allows the hut to continuously spin around and change its direction, even though it may seem to remain in the same position. There are numerous explanations for this strange phenomena, including: "When the moon is full the opening points to the west, and the charnel hut is accessible to the living. The Yaga who sits in the house is like the full moon, pregnant and healthy. But when the night skies show a crescent like the horns of a headless sacrificed bull, Yaga no longer lives in the hut. It is empty as her barren belly" (Hubbs 44-45). Other stories focus on the fact that while the hut is continuously turning, the door is always open "away from the village" or "towards the darkest part of the forest" According to Robert Bly,

We have entered Baba Yaga's world, where she reigns in all her terrifying glory as the guardian of the initiatory feminine mysteries of the Underworld. "Baba Yaga's hut is the place where transmutation occurs; it is the dark heart of the Underworld, the dwelling place of the dead ancestors who are symbolized by the grinning skulls around her house" (Johnson 94). From such bones, she also brews new life and her home is a great source of abundance. "The center of Baba Yaga's hut is the pech' (a Russian stove connected to the outside world by a stovepipe called a "snake"). All who come to her house ask to be fed or are sacrificed to it. When the pech' is not in use, it becomes the bed for Baba yaga, which fills the whole house with her body." This is significant in Slavic culture, where "the stove is the repository of dead souls, the ancestors" (Hubbs 46). But one can not just simply show up at her doorstep expecting a meal, since she is also the protective wolf goddess who will quickly devour anyone who enters her den.

So how do we safely enter Baba Yaga's domain? According to Marion Woodman, "There are laws of civility in dealing with these sacred energies. They expect companionship (taking bread with), a sharing of energy that becomes forever a part of whoever partakes." (185) But before bread can be broken, one must first know to ask for it, for such food is not freely given to strangers. Another way to survive a visit with Baba Yaga is to approach her with great humility.  Vasilisa the Wise proves that she has this quality, when she does all the chores that Baba Yaga asks of her without a single complaint. In return, she is given the fire that she came for in the form of a burning skull, which then destroys the evil stepmother and stepsisters who sent her there. A third way to survive is to intelligently answer a typical question such as "Did you come here of your own free will, or did someone send you?" "The difficulty lies in how to say the truth about complicated things, which is essential if you plan to survive in the world" (Bly 54). An overly simplistic yes or no means certain death from this Bone Mother.

As terrifying as it may be to face Baba Yaga, to survive is to be forever transformed. She would much rather kill our ignorance than ourselves "by forcing us to examine ourselves in the dark mirror of the Underworld, and then to resurrect us, pour forth the Water of Life upon us, and grant us the deep wisdom that only a close acquaintance with the Underworld may bring" Johnson 95). Yet, in the dualistic Slavic culture, where life and death are still closely connected, this answer is far too simple since most folktales require two waters instead of just one for renewal. Unlike most cultures who have just one "Water of Life," Baba Yaga guards the "Waters of Life and Death." Sometimes the "Water of Death" is indeed used for killing "by stopping the breath or freezing the lifeblood of whoever drinks it," but more often it is part of a healing process. In many Slavic folktales, "the first, the 'water of death,' heals the wounds of a corpse or knots together a body that has been chopped up. The second, the 'Water of Life,' restores life" (Phillips 49). In either case, it is often the wise old Baba Yaga or her serpent who looks after these all important waters.

Restoration, renewal, nourishment, and enlightenment can all be found by surviving a journey to Baba Yaga's underworld. It is a difficult journey, which in the past may have been acted out through initiatory rituals. In ancient times when Baba Yaga was seen as a divine bird or horse mistress to hunters and warriors, she was believed to be a "guide and initiator of the male into the mysteries of the female world" (Hubbs 43). Yet, tales such as Vasilisa the Wise make it obvious that she was part of feminine initiations as well.

Such ancient ceremonies may no longer be acted out in Slavic countries, yet the essence of their knowledge still survives. It has been passed down through the generations in the form of folktales to those who still gather round a mother's pech' to nourish their body and their soul. Anyone who takes the time to listen to the tale of Baba Yaga will receive more than just the gift of a story. Whether they realize it or not, they may find that they have become a little more prepared for their own symbolic visit to Baba Yaga's hut, that day when they will be dragged on a journey towards the spinning vortex of the Underworld.

Works Cited

Bly, Robert. "Interpretation by Robert Bly." The Maiden King: The Reunion of Masculine and Feminine. New York: Henry Holt, 1998. 5-114.

Dixon-Kennedy, Mike. Encyclopedia of Russian & Slavic Myth and Legend. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1998.

Franz, Marie-Louise von. Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales. Rev. ed. Boston: Shambhala, 1995.

Hubbs, Joanna. Mother Russia: The Feminine Myth in Russian Culture. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1988.

Johnson, Kenneth. Slavic Sorcery: Shamanic Journey of Initiation. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1998.

Phillips, Charles, and Michael Kerrigan. Forests of the Vampire: Slavic Myth. Myth and Mankind. Amsterdam: Time-Life Books, 1999.

Woodman, Marion. "Interpretation by Marion Woodman." The Maiden King: The Reunion of Masculine and Feminine. New York: Henry Holt, 1998. 117-225.