Baba Yaga: The Wild Witch of the East in Russian Fairy Tales

by Sibelan E.S. Forrester (Translator), Jack D. Zipes, Helena Goscilo (Contributor)

Baba Yaga is an ambiguous and fascinating figure. She appears in traditional Russian folktales as a monstrous and hungry cannibal, or as a canny inquisitor of the adolescent hero or heroine of the tale. In new translations and with an introduction by Sibelan Forrester, Baba Yaga: The Wild Witch of the East in Russian Fairy Tales is a selection of tales that draws from the famous collection of Aleksandr Afanas'ev, but also includes some tales from the lesser-known nineteenth-century collection of Ivan Khudiakov. This new collection includes beloved classics such as "Vasilisa the Beautiful" and "The Frog Princess," as well as a version of the tale that is the basis for the ballet "The Firebird."

The preface and introduction place these tales in their traditional context with reference to Baba Yaga's continuing presence in today's culture--the witch appears iconically on tennis shoes, tee shirts, even tattoos. The stories are enriched with many wonderful illustrations of Baba Yaga, some old (traditional "lubok" woodcuts), some classical (the marvelous images from Victor Vasnetsov or Ivan Bilibin), and some quite recent or solicited specifically for this collection

Genres: Folklore, Mythology, Nonfiction, Russia, Fairy Tales, Research, Anthologies

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Sibelan E. S. Forrester is Susan W. Lippincott Professor of Modern and Classical Languages and Russian at Swarthmore College. Most recently, she is the editor of A Companion to Marina Tsvetaeva (Brill, 2016) and co-editor with Martha Kelly of Russian Silver-Age Poetry: Texts and Contexts (Academic Studies Press, 2015). She has published translations of fiction, poetry, and scholarly prose from Croatian, Russian and Serbian, including Elena Ignatova’s Diving Bell (Zephyr, 2006), Vladimir Propp’s Russian Folktale (Wayne State UP, 2012). Her book of poetry, Second-Hand Fate, came out in 2016 from Parnilis Media (Media, PA).

Reviews

[Knjigoholičarka]

Reč-dve o ovom izdanju.

Uvodni deo sastoji se od kratke analize i mogućih tumačenja Baba Jage u okvirima narodnih verovanja, folklora, istorije, tradicije, simbolizma, mada više služi kao polazna osnova za neko dalje, sopstveno istraživanje na ovu temu i čak nas upućuje na dalju literaturu (između ostalog i na fantastičnu analizu Klarise Pinkole Estes u knjizi "Žene koje trče s vukovima"). Tako uvod daje neku osnovu za moguće razmišljanje i tumačenje Baba Jagine uloge u bajkama koje su date u drugom delu knjige, mada će vas ostaviti sa utiskom nedorečenosti ili površnosti.

Što se tiče tog drugog dela knjige, koji predstavlja svojevrsnu antologiju priča u kojima se Baba Jaga pojavljuje, osim činjenice da prevod na engleski zvuči krajnje rogobatno (pored nesrodnosti jezika, ovde opušteno možete okriviti i prevodioca koji je išao čak dotle da opsesivno koristi reč "comrade" ili da neke fraze prevodi bukvalno, npr. "white world" = beli svet, u situaciji kada bi "vast world" savršeno odgovaralo bez ikakvog kvarenja konteksta... naši prevodi ruskih bajki su apsolutno superiorni, verujte mi) stiče se utisak da je izbor priča mogao biti manji, budući da mnoge od njih variraju iste motive na malo drugačiji način, zbog čega se čitanje pomalo guši u repetitivnosti.

Takođe, knjiga je bogato ilustrovana, pa ćete moći da uživate u prikazima stare Jagišne, od Ivana Bilibina pa do savremenih, digitalnih umetnika.

Suma sumarum, zabavno štivo, ne naročito analitično, niti sa jasnim konceptom, ali svakako plod entuzijazma grupe autora koji su želeli da daju svoj doprinos očuvanju mita o Baba Jagi u ovom belom svetu.

[Anna (lion_reads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

[1.5 stars]

Hmm...how to rate this, exactly? This book was not what I expected. It was nice to revisit some of the folk tales from my childhood, but I was really disappointed with the book overall. Knowing it was from a university press and based on the title, I was hoping for a more critical analysis of the character of Baba Yaga. Instead, there is only an introduction which, while nice, gets buried in pages of the stories. By the time you get to the end, you don't remember what this collection is supposed to mean.

The formatting was extremely odd. Because all these stories have the Baba Yaga character in them, they often overlap in themes and tone (and sometimes even events), but for some reason, the publisher decided to include variations of certain stories in the endnotes. So you would end up with long double-columned endnotes with nearly the entire version of the story on there. I found this quite jarring and difficult to read. The endnotes would break off at some point to match up with the main story and it was simply a mess. It would have been easier to just catalogue or group together stories that are similar, or (if short on space) just describe the variation and the source in the endnote.

The book is printed on large, glossy, heavy paper which makes for a very expensive purchase. But while the cover and the material feels like great quality, many of the pages inside were not. They were blurry, different sizes and mediums and strewn throughout the whole book without a clear connection or commentary except for "Baba Yaga is in them." For something that costs $80 I expect more. At least make the designed drop caps appear high res! The use of Ivan Bilibin's beautiful illustration on the cover promises equally arresting artwork on the inside but doesn't deliver.

I am extremely confused about whom this edition was meant for. If it's a collector's piece, the production value and design are just not good enough. If it's a resource for academics then what an awkward, incomplete and unnecessarily expensive way to do it.

I have a bone to pick with the translation, as well. Sometimes it was great, but at other times it was just odd. One thing that comes to mind is the use of the word "comrades," which is a Soviet term and has become somewhat a cliché term used by American translators. What a word that was essentially "invented" by the Soviets is doing in a folktale that originated waaay before the 20th century is beyond me. In Russian, the word is quite obviously bureaucratic, no one would ever use it in a fairytale unless it was some sort of propagandized version of the tale. There were a couple of other moments like this that made me question the book.

I don't really understand this collection and I wouldn't recommend it. Russian folktales, especially those with Baba Yaga, are fascinating and strange, but get them somewhere else. The oddness of the entire book far outweighs the small brilliance of the introduction. Weirdest reading experience yet.

[Beth Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book with insights into Baba Yaga, the famed bony-legged witch of Russian, Slavic, and Ukrainian mythology, though this book focuses on the Russian. The introductions, with literary interpretations of Baba Yaga, were most interesting to me--though the footnotes at the end were also compelling. The bulk of the book contains translated tales. There is such strong redundancy among them, I don't recommend reading many in a row. The Ivans and Vasilias tend to blur together after a while. I can't help but wonder if there would've been a bit more variety if they had expanded the focus beyond Russia--but maybe that would've made no difference at all but in increasing their work. There are color illustrations throughout that include classical depictions of Baba Yaga as well as modern interpretations, including a steampunk take and excerpts from her guest appearance in Hellboy comics.

[lucii · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It is perhaps strange to conclude that Baba Yaga may be a symbol of hope because she is so ambiguous, as often frightening as benevolent. But hope may be best generated when a wise woman does not mince her words, and a true Baba Yaga is never one to mince her words." — Jack Zipes
___
Kleines best of:

"The witch came flying. Sniff, sniff through the house. 'My good daughter, my comely daughter! It smells of bones from Rus'!'"

"Then [the prince] started to cry and grieve, sat down on a stone, and fell asleep."

"The raven struck the floor and turned into a handsome young man. The first two were handsome, but this one was even more handsome."

"'Is everything done?' asked Yaga.
'Be so good as to look for yourself, granny!' said Vasilisa.
Baba Yaga looked over everything, felt a bit disappointed that there was nothing to be angry about, and said, 'All right!'"

[Laura Bang · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good selection of tales featuring Baba Yaga characters. The book design is quite pretty, too, although I wish some of the illustrations were larger and/or of better quality.

Also, I bought this just based on the tale because I am a fan of Baba Yaga tales, and then I belatedly noticed that one of my undergrad professors is the translator. I took a Russian Fairy Tales class with Professor Forrester at Swarthmore and it was one of my favorite undergrad classes. :)

[Maki ⌒☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The introduction makes the book worth it. There's also a decent bibliography for further Baba Yaga-related reading.

[Rainie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baba Yaga: The Wild Witch of the East in Russian Fairy Tales by Sibelan Forrester
4 stars

BACKGROUND

I read Russian Fairy Tales for the first time when I was young ~10ish years old in India and in Hindi. I was mesmerized. It was like a scene from a movie. We opened this old cupboard and in it was this magical book in Hindi about Russian Fairy Tales. I think it was the first book that I actually choose to read and as a result – these tales hold a special place in my heart, I feel transformed into a child whenever I hear Russian fairy tales now. Anyways, for some stupid reason I did not bring said book with me when I moved to the US and I cannot find that book anywhere since I don’t even remember the title of it and books in Hindi aren’t readily found here anyways

SUMMARY

I am gonna skip this ‘cause these are short stories so what summary would I give exactly anyways?

LIKES

Lots. Lots to like. For one, this was a gift from a friend, and two it had all the stories that I was seeking out so I could feel like a child again. Neither of those points are relevant to any other reader but it brought me so much joy I had to mention it.

The introduction was pretty cool. When I received this book, I was so interested in the stories itself I had never paused to consider the cultural significance of Baba Yaga. The introduction was great at getting me invested in that topic and summarizing the research the author did in answering that question. Now, I am curious too and might buy the other books the author recommended for further reading to learn more on this topic. It also made for a new reading experience as I could examine the role of Baba Yaga in these stories as I was reading them. It added another dimension and that is something I was not expecting and was pleasantly surprised by.

DISLIKES

There are a lot of stories that are similar that are listed back-to-back that I think were retellings of the same tale. Personally, I would have just preferred like a page of description of what was different between the retellings rather than read the same story over and over mostly because a lot of the times the retelling was just shorter – I don’t recall there being a huge difference in the role Baba Yaga plays between the retellings or even the endings being all that different. The differences tended to be really subtle (in some translation word choice perhaps) so it felt really repetitive to read the same story but shortened after having read it before when it was longer and better developed.
FINAL THOUGHTS

Would I recommend it? …my review is really personal so maybe? I guess it would depend who I was talking to – this isn’t something I would recommend universally.

Who would I recommend it to? People who are interested in Russian fairy tales and Baba Yaga specifically but don’t know where to start and want an easy and fun introduction to it.

[Jewels-PiXie Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a little girl, about 6 years old, the Headmaster of my primary school was Russian. He was a very likeable and interesting man and would often tell us fairytales from Russia. This is the first time I heard about Baba Yaga. The idea of a witch who lived in a hut that stood on a chicken's leg captured my imagination and never left it.
Over the years I've tried to find books about Baba Yaga, to no avail, until just before Christmas last year and it immediately went on my Christmas list.
This book is a really fantastically thorough and comprehensive collection of wonder tales about the Baba Yaga. It has a very detailed introduction and foreword with intricate notes, so would be of great use as an academic source.
I soon came to understand that there is not just one Baba Yaga but many Baba Yagas, just as typically we understand there to be witches plural.
I learned that the Baba Yaga's mode of transport is by mortar and pestle and that she uses a broomstick to sweep away her tracks. Although she has a formidable and fearsome reputation, in these tales she often helps the people who come across her path, whilst it is the people who behave more viciously. In fact, I began to wonder if she had really lived up to this reputation since it's only ever hinted at in the wonder tales. But on the final tale, and, I understand, the most popular, Vasilisa the Beautiful, we are told that Baba Yaga, grabs people and eats them like chickens. Defining enough to invoke a fearsome shudder!
The tales are very quaint and some terminology that I found charming and adding to the uniqueness appeared often 'for a long while, or a short while'. It adds a kind of nonsensical tone that is at home in these wondertales. And "morning is wiser than the evening'There is a really rustic authenticity about this collection of Wondertales that make them a treat to read.
There are many incredible illustrations of the Baba Yaga and the other characters. The tales are enchanting and engaging. We are taken to places that we don't expect and experience things that we wouldn't usually experience. It's often the humble characters that do well in these tales. And the Baba Yagas are drawn in a way that is familiar in each tale. She has long bony legs and arms and sprawls out in the space of her hut, this paints a really quite monstrous picture. She is demanding and commanding and expects to be waited on by anyone who stumbles upon her home. She issues terrible threats of what will happen to those who don't meet her demands. So the characters serve her out of fear rather than any kindness.
There are recurring symbols often given to those on their adventures by the Baba Yagas , but some by othef helpful characters , these things ,such as ball that will roll and it lead you in the right direction or a comb that will create a dense forest to hinder a Baba Yaga in pursuit.
The tales told me just enough about Baba Yaga to form more of an idea of her in my mind ,while also leaving enough mystery to continue to feed my fascination. It's a fantastical collection of tales.

[Newsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baba Yaga appears in many Russian tales but still remains a mystery because its origin can never be thoroughly discovered. Even the name by which we call it may not be her real name but a cover to a very sacred, fearsome and ancient figure who was present in very old rituals. Maybe we can consider her as Mother Earth because she was very close to nature and somehow a keeper of it. Her roles in tales are different. In some of them she represents a primeval wisdom but in others she was a not so clever villain who would be deceived easily by the hero or heroine. Regardless of how she is depicted, she is there to help the protagonists to mature by facing their fears or by learning to practice patience and courage.
I read about her in a tale while I was a little girl and I liked how her hut stands on chicken legs. Many years later I read about her in the fantastic "Women who run with the wolves" that talk about Baba Yaga's role extensively in the tale of "Vasilisa the beautiful" and considers her as the wild woman archetype or the one who knows and thus I began to respect her deep rooted figure even more.
I did not finish the entire tales. They were too much in number and many of them keep repeating themselves but nevertheless they were enjoyable. Many of them emphasizes on the different roles of both men and women in a relationship. While the role of men was more evident in facing danger directly, women fight subtly and deeply and in a more delicate manner. They completed each other and I liked it very much.
I wish the introduction part was longer. She is very attractive. Not pretty and young but so powerful and wise. Something which is not very common in well known feminine figures such as goddesses or heroines. I would like to read more about her and her origins. So if you know other related books please introduce them to me.

[Elliana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Right off the bat, this folklore was written extremely poorly. The author was repetitive and used the same sentences and descriptive words throughout this entire book. When describing a character they would use very basic and plain adjectives, such as, "they were so beautiful, so beautiful that it is impossible to describe." The story, in general, was very simple and could have been more detailed and complex which would have enhanced the story line. I would have liked to have seen each character developed more and a big unexpected plot twist to add dimension. All of the the characters had very small roles not to mention, the folklore was supposed to be based around Baba Yaga, but nope just a measly sentence that was to only add the one fact that she lives in a house with chicken legs. The scenes that could have been fun and playful with a lot of action were the opposite leaving you feeling unsatisfied and like you wasted your time. Going in a completely different direction, I would also like to inform the reader that this folklore is very stereotypical and has misogynistic views. On a side note, this story could be good if it was written differently and made into a novel. I really enjoyed the dragon in the story, but I would have expanded more on the Dragon's character and added more to the humor and fun side of the character. Overall the story could be taken in a completely different direction with bigger roles and do really well. The story does have promise, so I would like to see someone create an improved story that has real purpose to it.

[K.S. Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend was kind enough to track down this book and loan it to me. It contains retellings of a few stories from Russian folklore, originating in different areas and told in slightly different ways. Sometimes the Baba Yaga has a fairly integral role, in other tales she barely makes an appearance. The stories are more focused on the other characters and how they find their "happily ever after".

I was more interested in how Baba Yaga came to be such a fearsome character and this question wasn't really answered for me. Of course, there is the standard where she will kidnap you, cook you in her oven, and use your bones to build up her home or decorate her lawn. But beyond that not much else is revealed. Having said that, this book also contains some fantastic illustrations and artwork which were of interest to me. Overall, I am glad that I had the opportunity to read it and gain a better understanding of Baba Yaga's role in the folklore that has inspired so many stories over time.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure why my library has this in the children's section, as it is an academic overview of the the Baba Yaga stories in Russian folktales and then a collection of many of the stories. The overview is really good, but the stories tend to be repetitive after a while as many of them are different versions of the same story. The illustrations are lovely, but I wish they had made them bigger. Many of them are very small.

[Wyrd Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a pretty good collection centered around one of Russia's most popular folkloric figures. It's amazing how many times this old woman appears in tale types that otherwise don't have her. It shows how unique Baba Yaga really is.

Additionally, the foreword, introduction, and other sources listed in the book provide amazing content and new ways to explore Russian folklore.

Trigger warning for rape in the tales featuring the water and apples of youth.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific collection of Russian fairy tales. The only weakness? Sometimes the artwork displayed on the page is not connected to the tale in which it is found. Some tales end abruptly as is the tradition in some Russian tales, so the translations are true to the original tales. If you are interested in the history of tales and the variations found with similar characters or plots, this is a terrific volume.

[Kokechii · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, light read for me. I've always held a certain fascination with Baba Yaga, and the way she appears in different stories or even embodies different presentations of the character. It's not the best book about Baba Yaga, for sure, but for what I wanted it to be, a fun read during summer, it did its trick :)

[Ivy · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Doesn’t matter what time of day or night I opened this book, it puts me to sleep in under 3 pages. I couldn’t even get through the introduction (which is about 40-odd pages of a book just over 200. Very oddly structured). The writing is so dry it rivals dust. Can’t finish it without experiencing narcolepsy, but I’ll keep it around for when the insomnia hits.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of great stories, beautiful illustrations, and useful notes. It is not a complete scholarly investigation of Baba Yaga, but it includes enough commentary, especially in the introduction, to put Baba Yaga into her cultural context. I enjoyed the book.

[Camila · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories are so rich! While some of them are a bit repetitive, the magical appeal is still there. "Vasilisa the Brave" is still by far my favorite story featurette with Baba Yaga.

[Allison Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super interesting collection!

[Lesya]

Assigned reading

[Nathan Dehoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume collects a number of stories involving the infamous Russian witch, as well as some analysis of her character. It's a bit confusing, as a Baba Yaga can be either an individual or a type, and many of these tales involve three Baba Yagas who are sisters. Three is, after all, a natural number for witches. They're sometimes helpful and sometimes harmful, with the general theme being that they respect anyone who can outsmart them. A Baba Yaga often has children, sometimes including notably attractive daughters, but there's never any indication of a man being involved. As such, it could be seen as an example of parthenogenesis. Other frequent elements in the stories are the witch's mortar and pestle for riding and her house on chicken feet, which somehow everyone seems to automatically know how to enter even though it's capable of turning around. I don't think any of the traditional tales have the hut actually walk around, although some more recent uses of the character do. Baba Yaga also seems to have a particular annoyance toward Russians, often noting upon her introduction that she smells the stink of the Russian spirit. She frequently keeps animals as well; and in the tale of Vasilisa the Fair, she's attended by three horsemen representing different times of day. The stories are accompanied by many illustrations spanning the course of centuries. I kind of think of Ivan Bilibin's version as the definitive one, but a lot of other artists have done excellent renditions of her as well.

[Kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know that Baba Yaga is not the name of a person, but rather a sort of title? Sometimes you may encounter three of them in the same tale, all sisters. And, like the giant in "Jack and the Beanstalk", a Baba Yaga can smell a specific sort of blood — although she is naturally concerned only with Russian blood, rather than that of Englishmen.

This is a really nice, academically-oriented collection of Russian folktale, with plenty of interesting footnotes for those who want to dig further. Some tales have more than one variation included, which occasionally gives the material a rather repetitive feel. If you are reading this book for pleasure, you may find it more useful to dip into it occasionally, rather than trying to read one tale per night.

[Hesper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish this book wasn't so squarely aimed at an academic/special interest audience, because it's an excellent compilation of Baba Yaga folklore that most people simply won't get the chance to encounter due its limited availability outside of university libraries. Thing is, there's nothing in it that isn't accessible to a general reader—it's basically the Russian equivalent of Any Color Fairy Book, but with approximately 94670860876 percent more awesome.

If you're already familiar with the tales, you'll easily recognize all of them, and maybe appreciate that they've been collected in one easy to reference place. I know I do.

[J.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're interested in Russian folk tales, and especially the fascinating figure of Baba Yaga, you need to read this book. Mind you, it's not a commute read, because the book is large and heavy, printed on high quality paper, but it is a really cool book to read while you're having your evening tea and some dessert. The volume includes more than two dozen stories about Baba Yaga, but also wonderful Baba-Yaga related illustrations, both old and new, and a fairly lengthy introduction explaining Baba Yaga to the English-speaking audience. All in all, it's a true treat!

[Ashlee Draper Galyean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit, I was more interested in the explanations and ideas and meaning behind the stories than by the actual stories themselves (at least these translations of them). But that being said, the introduction was so priceless to me and my research and interest in Russian fairytales and Baba Yaga particularly that I NEED to have this book. I love how folklore influences a people and vice versa and I'm continually fascinated with the fact that although fiction is fiction it is actually full of all of the general truths of life thus making more nonfiction than some nonfiction books.

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tons of information and gorgeous illustrations, as well as many folktales.

[Rin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting! A collection of tales of the Baba Yaga, as well as a nice historical overview.