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) Baba Yaga(Yaga). A type of a witch, spirit under a cover of an ugly old woman- magician, who lives in a forest; angry, monstrously looking old woman with a large nose, uncombed hair, enormous height; bride/helper of satan; cotrols whirlwinds and blizzards. "Her bones are coming out from some areas of her body; nipples hang down below the waist; she hunts for human meat, steals children, she flies in an iron mortar, sometimes, devils drive her; when she flies, a great tempest developes, everything groans and moans, cattle bellows, pestilence and cattle plague take place; those, who see Baba Yaga, become mute."(Vladimir Dal') Baba Yaga lives in the forest in "izbushka na kuriyh nojkah" ("hut on chicken legs"), eats people; the fence around the hut is made of human bones with skulls on top, door is bolted with a human leg and locked with a human hand, instead of a lock- mouth with sharp teeth. In the oven Baba Yaga usually tries to fry stolen children. Baba Yaga has in her possession magical horses, which breath out fire, fast running boots, flying carpet, self-playing gusli and self-cutting sword. This character jealously guards the source of "life" water and stores providently copper, silver and gold in her pantry. Baba Yaga's connection with wild animals and forest's fauna creates for her an ancient image of a mistress of the animals and world of the dead. But also such attribute, as a shovel, with help of which she puts children into a stove, interprets her image as the one of a priestess. Baba Yaga can be an antagonist of the main character of the tale (for example, when she finds the main character in her hut, she cuts out a strap out of his back and so on) but she also can help the main character, if he deserves it. She is not related to either evil or good powers- the main character even addresses her gently as "grandma", "Babusya-Yagusya". Baba Yaga was initially a progenitress, a very ancient Slavic deity- the guardian of hearth, clan, traditions and children. Baba Yaga- wife of Veles, who guards with him an entrance to Nav', located near the legendary river Smorodina("Currant"). Metaphorical meaning: Yagishna- angry, quarrelsome woman. |
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