Fun fact: “Chicken legs” is a misnomer, the Russian words for chicken and smoking are quite similar: куриных - курьих. The correct meaning was “smoked legs”, as mentioned in the video the house looked like a burial house placed on tree stumps. there was a practice of burning the tree stumps to preserve them from rot. Basically Baba Yagá’s house represented the gateway to the world of the dead

@Mokiefraggle

3 жыл бұрын

That makes a lot of sense that a mistranslation brought that about (or was it an error in transcription, since it seems like even Russian art has frequently depicted the hut with chicken legs?), and goes much better with her fence of bones.

@ullamolina2007

3 жыл бұрын

@@Mokiefraggle it’s not a mistranslation as much as a lost meaning - the tradition of burying dead in forest houses was long gone and forgotten thanks to Christianity, and when researchers found out what it actually meant, the house on chicken legs was already depicted in illustrations, films and overall public interpretation of a character

@GravesRWFiA

3 жыл бұрын

that is really helpful and very interesting.

@supme7558

3 жыл бұрын

Not true at all

@supme7558

3 жыл бұрын

I was told the story by a Russian music teacher how could she get it wrong she's Russian

Baba Yaga has the coolest house of any monster covered so far. A fence made of bones with a skull lock?! So rad

@theresacherco3503

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah that is a awesome house

@zarinaromanets7290

3 жыл бұрын

The Addams family would be proud

@alexdasliebe5391

3 жыл бұрын

Hut of brown, now sit down

@Wonko-bj4jx

3 жыл бұрын

@@alexdasliebe5391 came here to post exactly this

@SeaLordDanielle

3 жыл бұрын

Don’t forget that the house walks around with chicken legs

It's a monster of focus, commitment, and sheer f*ing will.

@Mockingbird54

2 жыл бұрын

And most importantly, don't touch his dog.

@mangalpandey9377

2 жыл бұрын

John wick films actually introduced the word Baba Yaga to the public.. So thank Chad Stahleski for that

@Superion866

2 жыл бұрын

God damn I got a good laugh out of this🤣

@juliereminiec4937

2 жыл бұрын

@@Mockingbird54 her Baba Yaga is a female

@aldrineagcaoili

2 жыл бұрын

@@juliereminiec4937 They're talking about John Wick

I laughed so hard the first time I watched "John Wick".

@DoBap_

2 жыл бұрын

I kind of feel like the Russians were mocking John now 😂

@davidsongilchrist6596

2 жыл бұрын

@@DoBap_ in the real world, that would definitely be the case. Lol My wife is Ukrainian, I helped teach her English back in high-school since I speak Russian. We saw John Wick and honestly couldn't take it serious on any level other than what appeared to be Keanus extensive training in operating firearms. Such a goofy story. Lol we audibly laughed at the baba yaga bit.

@DoBap_

2 жыл бұрын

@@davidsongilchrist6596 well when it comes out of Michael Nyqvist’s mouth, it sounds totally badass 😂

@KRUNWAY1

7 ай бұрын

Literally that just came to my head

In Serbian “Baba” means Grandmother. And my Grandmother would joke that she would turn into Baba Roga (Yaga), if we would misbehave

@sianavassileva403

3 жыл бұрын

In Bulgarian baba means granny, too ((:

@vsratoslava

3 жыл бұрын

Well baba yaga is grandma yaga in russian

@sianavassileva403

3 жыл бұрын

Precisely ((:

@klaythoring1326

3 жыл бұрын

Ukrainian too :)

@user-wx4nv8xr3d

3 жыл бұрын

babushka

I too was utterly confused by the use of "Baba Yaga" as a code name for John Wick.... It's like calling him Medusa.

@phelanii4444

3 жыл бұрын

When I first heard it I was hella confused. I think they might've meant Babaroga, which is used in a similar cultural context here in Bosnia as the boogeyman. I don't know if it's the same for eastern and western Slavs.

@TheFunwichHorror

3 жыл бұрын

I think they wanted to hint at John Wick's Slavic roots and just picked the most familiar mythological figure to westerners so that they 'get it' more easily. Either that or it's because they're both in fortnite

@Vampyr787

3 жыл бұрын

That's what happens then writers want spooky name based on slavic mythology for a hitman that works for russian mafia but didn't do any resarch into that. Baba Yaga is pretty much the most known thing from slavic culture so they just chose it. Still calling him Baba Yaga makes no sense. Likho(demon that brings misfortune), Bies or Chort(both are quite evil spirits and currently words are used synonyms for devil). Likho would be especially fitting because there way to escape it, once you are it's target it will not stop..

@EclipsisTenebris

3 жыл бұрын

I mean... it's a code name... the less sense it makes the better.

@krzysztofczarnecki8238

3 жыл бұрын

I actually laughed about that a bit too much when watching John Wick for the first time

I have read quite a lot books with old slavic tales. In majority of stories Baba Jaga is as you said old witch living in or near the forest and her house is full of magic things. She often help main character (young girl or young man or prince) and give him powerful magic gift (magical sword, axe, box, potion or flute) or advice but it's in exchange for some manual labor. So she is fair and wise character, but only to people who are fair, good and deserve it. I think she is cool character, because in many stories witches are evil, but baba Jaga is more neutral, she helps good people and punish bad people. Evil character in slavic tales is more often male like Koschei, which is immortal powerfull very skinny wizard (sometimes almost skeleton) riding magical horse. Sometimes he abducts princesses. Baba Jaga help hero to defeat koschei and save his lady.

@user-bx4sg7ik2d

5 ай бұрын

There is a version that Koschey was in the past the lover of Baba Yaga, who cheated on her and abandoned her when she became old. That's why she hates him and helps his enemies.

She also shows up and plays a major role in the movie “Bartock the Magnificent” which was a precursor to the “Anastasia” movie by the same studio. She set up as an evil witch but *spoilers* she turns out to just be an old lady that minds her business and sets the main character up to defeat the true villain. Truly one of my favorite childhood movies

"Elemental Goddess? Dark Sorceress? Terrifying Granny?" Anyone who knows enough mythology will know immediately that none of these categories are mutually exclusive

@LazyIRanch

2 жыл бұрын

I'm a little worried that I may be a Baba Yaga! I'm an old woman with messy white hair and chicken legs. I live far off-grid on a mountain with no neighbors for more than a mile. I raise goats, and over 15 years, several have died and some killed by predators. I adopted a dog last year who is very protective of the goats, but so obsessed with the goats that he goes out and finds the bones of goats long gone and brings them to me. I have a large collection of goat bones, which eerily look similar to human arm and leg bones. My adult son lives with me because he has mental illness (schizophrenia) and rarely goes outside. He has long hair and beard, like a dark haired Gandalf. He loves animals and doesn't trust humans. We don't have many friends up here because of rumors and gossip, some people think we are dangerous and dabble in witchcraft which is hilarious to me! 5 years ago, I rescued a baby raven who was rejected by it's parents because his beak was crooked. It got better as he grew, and he's perfectly healthy and beautiful now. Since I feed him daily, he never left and when I'm outside he follows me and I sing and talk to him. My best friend is a raven! I think Baba Yaga sounds pretty cool, so maybe I should creep people out by putting a sign by the road, "Caution! Baba Yaga is watching YOU!"

@CallmeOzymandias

2 жыл бұрын

@@LazyIRanch Sounds good. Although perhaps a fence of human bones would make even more of an impression 😉

@ShinningCrys

2 жыл бұрын

@@LazyIRanch dont forget some suspicious witchy things visible from the front yard ;D really drive the vibe home

@LazyIRanch

2 жыл бұрын

@@CallmeOzymandias I was thinking about making windchimes out of the goat bones! I already have chimes I've made out of off assortments of rusty metal to help scare away predators. The goat leg bones are eerily human-like.

@CallmeOzymandias

2 жыл бұрын

@@LazyIRanch Cool idea. I've never been much into taxidermy, kinda creepy. Bones, however, I find very interesting.

Fun fact: in Polish translation of Hansel and Gretel, the witch is sometimes referred as Baba Yaga. And Jaga itself is sometimes short name for name Agnieszka (Agnes).

@katzenlady5339

3 жыл бұрын

That's not surprising for me. I'm German and the description of Baba Yaga really reminded me of the witch in Hänsel und Gretel

@erinreznor

3 жыл бұрын

Agnieszka or Jadwiga

@autumnelemental97

3 жыл бұрын

@@erinreznor I heard that Agnieszka, because of other short name- Aga

@erinreznor

3 жыл бұрын

@@autumnelemental97 both names have the same diminutive form - Jagna

@autumnelemental97

3 жыл бұрын

@@erinreznor hmm, I didn't heard about that. Honestly, that makes sense. Thank You for that information

As a Bulgarian, she was absolutely the most prominant folklore figuire that we thought of and feared as kids, maybe the strongest counterpart from Eastern Europe to America's Boogeyman

Thank you so much for wearing my Baba Yaga sweatshirt! I'm honored! --Moon Brat Studio

I hear you on John Wick! Thought that was so weird when I first heard it I was like, "What? You're calling the most feared hitman in the world 'Evil Old Lady'? Ooookay."

@flameendcyborgguy883

3 жыл бұрын

As a Slav... She is not a meer mortal man. Boogiman... Well, his counterpart in slavic culture is Bobo, meanwhile Baba Yaga... She is something else. If not the goddes herself, there exist traces that in slavic myths, she was in fact daughter of Velez, aka god of underground and magic, and dude who comanded all demons. This control over deamons is possesed also by her in that version, making her princes of all demons... This plus her shapshifting abilities, makes her already realy dangerous, but from story to story, she have additional powers, that on themselfs could make character broken. I am just wondering whether Wick even deserves this title.... Probably yes.

@kirya7177

3 жыл бұрын

@@flameendcyborgguy883 I would say he lives up to his name quite nicely

@nathanliteroy9835

3 жыл бұрын

By the way, his name is wrong in the movies. In Russia she's called "bAba yagA", and in Western Slavic countries "YAga". Russians wouldn't call a famous character with wrong stress in the name.

@babayagagaming7740

3 жыл бұрын

Y E A H . . . Wick Voice

Emily's little Wick rant at the end was delightful haha I also find it interesting how that one Baba Yaga story with the girl who does the chores and gets rich, while her lazy stepsister gets eaten, parallels the German fairy tale of "Frau Holle" or "Goldmarie and Pechmarie" that I know. There we have the same family constellation, good girl falls down a well, ends up in a fairy tale land, meets Frau Holle, does her chores and gets showered in Gold at the end before she returns. Stepma and lazy girl see that, want that wealth and lazy girl also goes down the well but does nothing of worth and gets doused in bitumen at the end of her stay. The fact that baba yaga has a myth with a similiar skeleton, so to speak, just makes me wonder all the more where the roots of stories like these lie. I really really love Monstrum for the thorough work it does in contextualizing myths and mythical figures, because fairy tales and myths and monsters and gods and godesses are such a deep look into a culture's psyche and history and enviroment. It shines light on who we are as people, who we are as cultures in such an honest way.

@00moon

3 жыл бұрын

You know we have a pretty similar story in eastern India, and there's one in Russia too! Ours is more similar to Frau Holle with the tasks and stuff. I wonder if it was inspired by Frau Holle or existed on its own.

@MegaGun2000

3 жыл бұрын

@@00moon I thought of that too, in the versions I heard it would be an elderly mendicant, male or female with a bag. I'm pretty sure that our version was a unique one too. These stories seem to be tied to a common Indo-European/Iranian thread

@grege5074

3 жыл бұрын

he wasn't exactly "the boogeyman" ...

@marina_nanana

3 жыл бұрын

There is another Russian fairytale with a similar theme - Morozko. A young girl gets left in the winter forest by her father and evil stepmother to freeze. Morozko the Winter God/Death God finds her and tests her character. She is polite and gracious to him and he rewards her with riches. When she comes back home, her stepmother and step sister are jealous. They send the step sister into the forest so she can get riches from Morozko too. The step sister is rude and entitled, so he freezes her to death. It's similar to Cinderella and many similar stories. The kind, humble, polite, hard working girl is rewarded. The rude, lazy, selfish, spoiled one is punished.

@kadinmay

3 жыл бұрын

@@marina_nanana is Morozko perhaps related to the Slavic goddess Marzanna (polish name)? His name reminded me of her. She is also a goddess of winter and death. She is called by many other variations by Slavs including Marena in Russia and Mara in Ukraine. - update I just found reference to a male counterpart of Marzanna, Marzaniok.

I’m reading “Women who run with the wolves: myths and stories of the wild woman archetype” from Clarrisa Estés, which includes an interpretation of Vaselisa the Wise. Totally recommend it!

@whyyyyyyyyy167

9 ай бұрын

Yes! Such a good book. When she started talking about the tale and the transformation from childhood to adulthood it made me think of the book

@Lee-jh6cr

9 ай бұрын

A wonderful book! My pets ' vet began calling me Woman Who Runs with Wolves when I got 2 wolfdogs a couple years back. It's one of his wife's favorite reads.

@elizlikethequeen

7 ай бұрын

Wow. I read that in 95 while I was sitting around preggers with my daughter. I'm so happy to see there are people still picking it up for the first time! Thanks for the memory pop. 💜

Maybe it's regional, but Baba can also just mean grandmother. My step mom is Russian and her grandkids call her Baba and my dad "Baba Bill" (his name is Bill). The grandkids adore both of them, so it's definitely a term of endearment like "Nana"

@KaerRid

6 ай бұрын

Baba Bill is incorrect - there must be Deda Bill.) Baba - from Babushka, Deda - from Dedushka.)

Baba Yaga has her South Slavic counterpart - Baba Roga (meaning: Horned Grandma). She is also a very ambiguous character, her depictions and characterization varying from tale to tale, but a couple of things are in common: she has a horn (or two horns) on her head and hides in dark places to prey on children (old forests, huts, caves...). Some stories also depict her with bugs and snakes in hair, large nose, warts on face etc. The moral of Baba Roga stories is often to not be afraid of her, because though she is very ugly and frightening, she will play fair if you show her respect and keep your end of the bargain. Gotta say, not sure about Russian, but in South Slavic languages, the word 'baba' doesn't have negative connotations. It just means 'grandma'.

@AntediluvianRomance

3 жыл бұрын

Nowadays the word "baba" in Russian is often used as a more or less derogatory way to refer to a woman, implying that she's vulgar, rude, uneducated, etc. This meaning derives from "baba" being a term for a peasant, low-class woman. It reads as a neutral word in historical settings, and it can be still used to mean "woman" without negative connotation in vernacular speech.

@meanpersona4686

3 жыл бұрын

We have Baba Jaga in Poland too, but the word "baba" is and archaic version of "Grandma". It can be used as a more formal term for "grandmother", but very, very rarely. It's used as a light derogatory term for all women, not only old and hag-like.

@que_sera_2620

3 жыл бұрын

I wouldn't mind being called Bone breaker instead of Granny. 😆

@tamarajenic1771

3 жыл бұрын

Babaroga where i am from in Serbia ( im Val, we speak a mix of Serbian, Romanian and a bit of other languages) is more of a monster without a real shape or form ( at least that how i remember it )its not really an old hag per say although it could also be that, it hides in dark places like under your bed and takes young children who refuse to sleep and behave. The one thing I remember from my childhood about it was that one night I was so afraid to go to bed because of it that my Grandad had to take a bag and "beat" the monster into it and then throw the bag into a river only then was i able to sleep again. The old people would always say "be a good kid or babaroga will come and get you" and I guess that scared the s*** out of me. 😅 (and im sorry if i misspelled words or lack the vocabulary english is not my first language)

@melodi996

2 жыл бұрын

It evolved as a worrd for grandma, then used as a word for woman, then got vulgar connotations.

In Russian the stress is put in another way: “baba yagA”. “baba yAga” sounds quite funny to the Russian ear

@MissLadyTreya

3 жыл бұрын

its like yeeGA right?

@valentyn.kostiuk

3 жыл бұрын

@@MissLadyTreya You are making it sound long. ☺ (Don't know how could I tell from typed word) Actuality first part is also short and for me it sounds close to German "yes" -- "ja". We have separate vowel for that sound "Я". Баба Яга. Agree with Vadim about stress it goes to the last syllable.

@LilyEvans1996

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting. In Bulgaria we put the stress in yAga 😅

@pepesylvia848

3 жыл бұрын

It's pronounced the way it's spelled in English. Should spell it "bahba yagah" if that's the way it's pronounced.

@LilyEvans1996

3 жыл бұрын

@@pepesylvia848 i don't like silent letters lol they're confusing

5:10 imagine literally dying because you didn’t do your chores

I find it fascinating that so many cultures have a "Cinderella" narrative like Vasilisa's. There's even a Japanese variant, though in that one, the "evil stepmother" is eventually redeemed and becomes a loving mother figure to the heroine.

@LuzMaria95

2 ай бұрын

aww 🥺

@lupus3402

19 күн бұрын

what is the name of the japanese one?

I had to pause watching Ant Man when they were talking about how "you don't find Baba Yaga, she finds you" because the whole point is that YOU HAVE TO GO FIND HER!

I love Baba Yaga! She’s the most multidimensional character ever. She’s sometimes evil, sometimes good. You can never tell. And her stories show a lot of her sides which make her sooo interesting.

@Joseph1701-A

9 ай бұрын

You should watch Viy.

@arianewinter4266

7 ай бұрын

the thing is, she is neither evil nor good, she is cruel, unforgiving but also a great resource for protection and wisdom if you manage to follow the rules, she is true neutral like nature itself. the desructivness of a storm and the fertlity of the rain it brings with it

@YggDruid

7 ай бұрын

Old comment, but. All slavic gods are good and evil or neither good or evil.

@KRed1088

7 ай бұрын

Baba Yaga is my spirit animal

@Rare.99

7 ай бұрын

​@arianewinter4266 which makes her evil. If you have some poop mixed into your apple pie it makes it a poop pie

I loved that in the second season of The Witcher they depicted her as a powerful demon from another dimension named voleth mer the "immortal/undying mother of the forest" with the chickenlegged hut and the chant "little house little house, turn your back to the forest your front to me" opened it

Would like to mention that usually, Baba Yaga describes with one skeleton leg not without a reason. It`s symbolizes her realation to the underworld. For instance, in russian language we have that kind of expression "with one foot here, with other foot there", which is usually means "i`ll be back soon", but in example with Baba Yaga it literaly means what it means, with one foot in our realm, with other foot in the realm of dead. Also sometimes her hut describes with no doors and no windows( i know, it`s sounds dumb) which is more straight parallel to the coffin.

My cat has very skinny legs for the size of his body and I've progressed from calling him "chicken leg" to "baba yaga hut"

@jean-paulaudette9246

2 жыл бұрын

Heh...once it gains weight, it might be Jabba Yaga Hutt.

I was waiting for this episode. Sometimes I feel like Baba Yaga is overrepresented in the west considering the wealth of other interesting slavic folklore characters but I'd be lying if I said I can't see why that is. Hope Koshey, Tugarin and others get more love from yours and other channels in the future.

@SayHelloHelli

3 жыл бұрын

I hope they do koshey

@Vampyr787

3 жыл бұрын

The problem is a lot of slavic folklore was an oral tradition and a lot of places of worship that could have something written were destroyed by christanization. So a lot of it was lost and creatures were converted into demons. So lack of sources combined with not a lot of intereset on the west mean it wasn't very popular. Baba Yaga and The Witcher help popularize slavic myths on the west so it might spark more interest and media will make use of more creatures.

@user-eh1tv9pj2d

3 жыл бұрын

Tugarin is underrepresented in Russia, unfortunately...

@anonb4632

3 жыл бұрын

You can thank Mussorgsky.

@Belemonguin

3 жыл бұрын

We have a literal lich with a phylactery and nobody pays any attention to it.

Baba Yaga was also in Vampire the Masquerade as a 4th generation Nosferatu. She was awesome.

In Hungarian, we have a similar figure in fairy tales: the Vasorrú Bába, which translates to midwife/grandma with an iron nose. It's the witch in a lot of the tales, but usually not purely evil.

In Poland, there's also a children game "Raz, dwa, trzy, Baba Jaga patrzy!" ["One, two, three, Baba Yaga is looking"]. It's similar to english Grandmother's Footsteps. Parents also like to scare their naughty children saying things like: "if you won't be polite, Baba Jaga will come and take you".

@geriea1281

2 жыл бұрын

Same in Bulgaria it’s still used to this day

@juliereminiec4937

2 жыл бұрын

jaga is the polish spelling of Yaga

@duqial

3 ай бұрын

Hehe for Silesia the scaring is done the same but insert Bebok instead of Baba Jaga

"Terrifying Granny?" Hitting close to home here.. we called my Great Granny on my Mom's side 'Baba'.

@lizzleclerc

3 жыл бұрын

My dad’s family is Hungarian/Slavic & Romani, and we always called my grandmother and great grandmother “Baba.” Outside of the Baba Yaga etymology, I’ve mostly seen “Baba” used to refer to an elderly woman or grandmother figure-but not in a negative sense.

@ytanaka257

3 жыл бұрын

@@lizzleclerc “Baba” means grandmother or old woman in Japanese.

@vsratoslava

3 жыл бұрын

It’s short or simple for babushka which means grandma in russian

@Mokiefraggle

3 жыл бұрын

@@ytanaka257 It's actually "Obaasan" or "Obaachan" (sometimes without the formal "O" suffix, as "Baasan/Baachan") that means grandmother in Japanese. "Baba" is more often used as "old hag," and is almost always a little derogatory. See Yuubaba in Spirited Away, or the yokai known as Sunakake-baba, or the "sand-throwing witch/hag." Basically, growing up I would often call my grandmother "Baachan," but I wouldn't dream of calling her "Baba" to her face!

One of the most fascinatingly multifaceted figures in all of European folklore. This was lovely, thank you!

My mom used to tell me her story as a child and I genuinely intrigued by her, not scared. It was about how she takes a girl hostage and gives her wine or something. The girl had a little doll.

"Baba Yaga, coming late, little children sleep at eight." That line from ant-man and the wasp always cracks me up.

You almost said a Scooby Doo title “which witch is which?” If you had said that I would’ve freaked out! Thank you for another amazing video. 👍

@AFLoneWolf

3 жыл бұрын

Which witch's 'wich?

Ahhh as the video progressed I started remembering a story I read as a kid in a Russian book I had. Unfortunately I lost the book. 😢 It had such beautiful illustrations 😭 *Edit* : Ah it was definitely the story of Vasilisa that I read about. Waaaaa I am happy to get to hear the story again after so many years!

@1379andre

2 жыл бұрын

Was it that same book?

The story of Bony Legs was read to me as a little girl and it encouraged me to be good to anyone big or small. The protagonist Sasha was only able to escape Baba Yaga because she was good to the fence, the dog, and cat owned by Baba Yaga.

If she is considered a cannibal, though never described as a killer: one doesn't exclude the other, she might have been more like a ghoul: eating corpses. Or a symbol for the lethality and uncaring ruthelessness of the russian wilderness? It could be that originally, displeasing her would mean an untimely or sudden death, after which she could feed on you. So her saying 'I will eat you' could mean 'you will soon die and I will desecrate your corpse, leaving nothing for burial'

@picolete

3 жыл бұрын

" though never described as a killer" i think that burning people to the ground could be considered killing

@user-zh4vo1kw1z

3 жыл бұрын

@@picolete hey, it was the doll doing the burning, not her! But yeah, I typed my comment after she mentioned she is never described as killing, but before that story

@kadinmay

3 жыл бұрын

There is a concept in Russia and Ukraine where somebody would accuse a witch of something like “you ate my mother and you are eating my sister.” This means they have bewitched them into sickness and are slowly, perhaps quickly, “eating” the health of the victim. “You ate my mother (bewitched her, killed her) and you are eating my sister (bewitched her, killing her).” I wouldn’t be surprised at all if that contrast could be made, or perhaps Baba Yaga’s eating means more what you make of it- failure, and death. Who knows, maybe all they meant was she really does eat humans who displease her.

@druid139

3 жыл бұрын

Or Tesco..They sold horse meat, why not. 🤷🏻‍♂️

@annak.6848

3 жыл бұрын

I have read that since Baba Yaga straddles both worlds - the living and the dead, she is a “passage way” to the other side and her act of eating takes the protagonist to the other side. That is also why she lives in the woodland edge which is also transitional, and that’s why her izbushka usually with its back to the protagonist, facing the other side with the door.

2:18 This sounds EXACTLY like a news broadcaster doing a human interest story on Baba Yaga 😂"No flying broom for this witch," says local woman Baba Yaga, who dedicates each day to breaking boundaries and driving community engagement with the members of her humble, eco-conscious forest home built of all-natural materials donated by visitors.

@Donteatacowman

3 жыл бұрын

Oh, the story with the first evil stepmother sounds like it might have the same roots as the hungarian folk tale "The Diligent Girl and the Lazy Girl" on KZread. Or "Diamonds and Toads" by Charles Perrault. Or... or this is probably just one of those common story elements :)

@Donteatacowman

3 жыл бұрын

I also learned about Baba Yaga most vividly from Arthur!

@Dragrath1

3 жыл бұрын

"all-natural materials donated by visitors" that is a good spin, I love it lol XD

I wish my grandmother was still around, she was born in Kazakhstan and studied languages, she spoke Russian, German, English and a bit french. She would have been a teacher, but WW2 and the ruling powers did not allow her. She gave us a really old fairy-tale book with all Slavic tales. Since our family came from there and the other half from Czechia. Your video unlocked a really old memory about the doll story :D Thank you. I'll search for my fairy-tale book now.

Old, old lady here. When I was in grade school, our librarian would always start first half of hour with a chapter or two of the Baba Yaga tales. She looked just like her. She wore a hat while reading. It was the coolest class for six years in entire twelve year of public school.

"A scary grandmother figure doling out advice and punishment feels like a familiar monster to a lot of us" My teacher?

@juliereminiec4937

2 жыл бұрын

Baba Yaga only gives madvice ,when you do some house work for her.. ( Mother Hulda)

I love Baba Yaga and her mythology, the fact that she’s both benevolent and malevolent is accurate to all humanity; we have the capacity for both love and *monstrosity* 😈 Thank you Dr. Z and team at Storied/Monstrum for all you do - especially this last year💜

@cptpapa

3 жыл бұрын

Johnny Wick is like her both benevolent and malevolent.

@doomdrake123

3 жыл бұрын

She is more like a fierce force of nature. If you treat her with respect, caution, you can get a utility from her existence, but if you are the opposite... in the pot you go.

@kotaniyumiko

3 жыл бұрын

I read somewhere that she represents nature as a whole, so shes both nurturing and vicious

I learned about Baba Yaga and the Vasalisa story from Clarissa Pinkola Estés' Women Who Run With The Wolves. Her work also made me view the old woman archetype in a new light where older women can claim a more powerful character rather than just old.

12:38 That was where I first learnt about Baba Yaga, Kappa and the Banshee. These folklore facts made the episode way scarier than any Scary Your Pants Off books Arthur and his friends read!

OMG finally some Slavic mythology. Love seeing appreciation for our culture ❤️

This was such a nostalgic trip. Growing up in Czechia (a country in central Europe with mostly Slavic origin) I used to listen to the stories with Baba Yaga (in our transcription Baba Jaga) my whole childhood. I'm so happy you made an episode about her.

When you explained how houses (particularly grain storage or burial houses) were put up on stilts, I finally understood why the chicken legs under Baba Yaga's hut. I think any Baba Yaga story would be too terrifying for any kid under 10.

Seeing the PBS logo & this great content makes me smile ear to ear.

I love this channel and love Baba Yaga. The cultural history of Baba Yaga is vastly more interesting than Hollywood depictions..

@matthewvp8507

3 жыл бұрын

That's sadly the case with pretty much any legendary/folkloric figure. Hollywood will always find a way

I dunno, that title picture doesn’t look like Keanu Reeves’ John Wick to me! Lol

@roybacanimusic

3 жыл бұрын

Get this man more likes

@CyberSpider35

3 жыл бұрын

I was waiting for that exact comment!

@vsratoslava

3 жыл бұрын

They meant to use Babaika (or babayka) which is russian boogie man

@Maxer4000

3 жыл бұрын

In John Wick’s lore, they’re referencing an assassin whose nickname is “Baba Yaga” which was the most terrifying assassin at the time, before John killed her

As a kid in the 70s remember reading stories of Baba Yaga in a monthly literary magazine for kids. It might have been called Jack and Jill, maybe? I was an avid reader of all kinds of folklore and mythology. I was surprised when I was in college that no one else seemed to have heard of her.

@jeannetrenblay9791

Жыл бұрын

Same here.

The story you tell is very very similar to Frau Holle we have in the germanic cultures. Frau Holle (comes from "Holler " or Holunder which means Elderberry) is a folktale which originates back to Freya the Norse goddess. She was also described as a beautiful godlike woman / or godly entity often with a spindle to weave golden or pure white clothing and later became an "old eccentric elder" who rewards the hard working girl and punishes the one slacking off. Altough Frau Holle never threatened to eat anyone and had no bones in her heavenly realm there was a speaking tree, oven and other magical objects. Very interesting to have these paralells in Russian folklore. But Baba Yaga is like the metal version of Frau Holle. Yaga could also be an old german word for "Jäger" which means Hunter.

And how about minions of Baba Yaga, Swan-Geese? And also the fact, that in many stories Baba Yaga actually helps protagonist, by giving them magical artifacts to use against evil beings? But anyway, thank you for telling about mythological creatures of my country, hope to see more of it in the future

@bogdananekrasova9137

11 ай бұрын

Мне кажется, гуси-лебеди это белые гуси - в старом русском встречается рокировка согласных, то есть лебедь = "беледь", белая птица. Я читала, что Яга может означать "пастух". Может быть, именно гусей 😊. Сложно объяснить на английском.

I searched "John Wick" and this came out, wonderful

I only discovered your channel recently, and I've watched quite a few of your stories now. But Baba Yaga is the most fascinating I've seen so far. Time for me to subscribe, can't wait to see your future episodes!

Ok. So I heard the name babayaga and thought it sounded EXTREMELY familiar, and it finally came to me. Baba yaga was the witch in Bartok the Magnificent

She sounds like a complex woman with great power and passion for justice (if violent). Great video as always.

This explains a little more about The Owl House and Hootie.

@satanswife2546

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah

@satanswife2546

3 жыл бұрын

Dana's beloved cartoon is very much influenced by actual witchcraft, folklore and mythology all around the globe

@AmphibiaPiece

3 жыл бұрын

oh yes in hootys moving hassle

Thank you Dr Zarka for a concise and erudite review of Baba Yaga and her origins in Slavic folklore. I shall look forward to further postings with interest.

Just to toss in, there was a game recently called "Blacktail" which is all about Baba Yaga and you actually play as her, kind of. It's really good, highly recommended if you enjoy first-person adventures in the vein of Skyrim.

As a Russian person I did enjoyed this video so much! It's always so nice to hear about your culture and learn something new ❤️ Thank you

May I note as one of those "many Russians" that the stress is on the second syllable YagA, not YAga? Also "baba" in modern Russian is a derogatory term for a woman of any age, it might have some "positive" connotations in some usage cases, but even in those situations I would argue it's very questionable.

@darya4512

3 жыл бұрын

it hurts me every time I hear it pronounced that way

@frogman4700

3 жыл бұрын

"baba" isnt nessesarily derogatory when adressed towards older women, i've called my grandma "baba" instead of "babushka" quite often when i was little. Also in the past it carried less of a negative connotation than it does now.

@RussianPerspectiveChannel

3 жыл бұрын

Russian "baba", English "wife" and German "Weib" are etymologically related Indo-European words.

@TheIdleGenius

3 жыл бұрын

@@frogman4700 for little children I actually totally agree, it's just easier to pronounce "baba" and "deda" instead of "babushka and dedushka", but the latter doesn't have any negative connotations whatsoever.

@frogman4700

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheIdleGenius i called my grandma that when i was little and i still sometimes do now, and i cant imagine a single situation where she would be offended by it

Happiness is when you come across a well made mythology series.

In Lithuanian Baltic pantheon there is a deity Ragana, translated to english it is literally "witch" and yes, Ragana is a goddess in charge of balance, so she can cause chaos or help those in need, as long as there is universal balance. So Baba Yaga is most likely linked with Ragana, but I believe she had another name in the Slavic pantheon.

@iachtulhu1420

Жыл бұрын

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but south Slavs have Baba Roga instead of Baba Yaga/Jaga. Roga - Raga? Maybe I'm stretching too much, but Balto-Slavic language was once a real thing.

Don't forget that sometimes she was considered a goddess (more specifically a mother goddess).

@pbsstoried

3 жыл бұрын

Oh don’t worry, I talk about that-*Dr.Z*

@humanity600

3 жыл бұрын

@@pbsstoried oh! Never mind then. Great videos btw, the animations are astounding. 🤝

@MariaVosa

3 жыл бұрын

Do you always comment before watching the video? Weird.

@humanity600

3 жыл бұрын

@@MariaVosa my bad. Most people tend to not know this so I wrongly assumed.

@n3grozack440

3 жыл бұрын

@@humanity600 my boy this is Dr.Z we talking about she got a PhD in this stuff, she knows her things 😂😂

Now we even have a reference to Baba Yaga’s house in The Owl House

@AmphibiaPiece

3 жыл бұрын

Yes someone commented this, awesome i love that show

Baba Yaga also appeared in a movie called bartok the magnificent. That movie is basically a sequel or prequel of the Anastasia movie. That is the movie when I first saw Baba Yaga in my childhood and she is one of the childhood characters I never forget.

Love learning so much in Storied videos. Please keep them coming.

Hello, I am from India and I really like your channel! 😃 I remember reading that 'Baba' is short for 'Baboushka' meaning Grandmother. The grandmotherly epithet is associated with wisdom that comes with old age. Baba Yaga is derived from Slavic pagan forest goddesses whose shrines were carved into tree trunks deep in the woods. The roots of the ancient trees resembled the claws of chicken - hence 'the home of Baba Yaga stands on chicken legs in the woods'. Being the grandmother - a matriarchal figure - she punishes the wicked and gifts generously to the pious people, almost fate-like.

@woytzekbron7635

10 ай бұрын

Baba is not short for babushka, baba is all slavic for old woman, russian babushka or \Polish babcia is grandma, and it comes from baba, so kinda opposite that you think

@user-mr7pg8yv9s

9 ай бұрын

@@woytzekbron7635 Actualy the @RandomPerson0109 is correct it does mean a grandmother in russian, bulgarian, macedonian ect. Yes it could be used for other older women too (around the age of your actual grandmother)

@woytzekbron7635

9 ай бұрын

@@user-mr7pg8yv9s as the native slavic speaker, I am trying to explain that baba is not short for babuszka or babcia (grndma in modern slavic langs) whatever. babuszka or babcia is deminitive for baba, which in protoslavic was word for older, wise woman. You don't have to explain Polish guy how we call granny. Please read with understanding.

@woytzekbron7635

9 ай бұрын

@@user-mr7pg8yv9s it is so frustrating when people correcting you without read the text. When I said it doesnt mean grandma? tell me when? citation pls

@Lee-jh6cr

9 ай бұрын

My mother's family is Mazuren from NE Poland. Whenever I tied a scarf or bandana around my hair (70s hippie thing), my Mom would call me babushka.

I really love everything in this episode, the art and animation are great it's so rich in information much like Baba Yaga's folklore itself. Also, Vasilissa is so hardcore. XD

@vitart-info

Жыл бұрын

it is also very precise and full. May be, the most of what I've happened to come across so far and minimum of weird fantasies. I always (literally for decades already) considered her to be my mascot and alter ego, and I like what they tald us. A little bit too shallow spiritually, but it's for good: less words - less speculation.

Amazing video! I'd be glad to see some more videos about Slavic mythology, there are so many really dark characters.

Love how you tell the story!!!

I don’t have anything to add to this video but I just want to say, THIS STUFF IS SO COOL! I love Monstrum so much!!

Any longtime D&D player will tell you that you don't mess with Baba Yaga!

@vincelamb4063

3 жыл бұрын

I actually ran a dungeon in her hut. Fortunately for the players, it was so big on the inside they never ran into her. Imagine the hut like a bag of holding, or The Doctor's TARDIS.

@Veridiansolar

3 жыл бұрын

@@vincelamb4063 Very creative! You already set the tone that things are weird and you leave the suspense for maybe running into BY. Kudos my friend.

@vincelamb4063

3 жыл бұрын

@@Veridiansolar Thank you, but I can't claim credit for being creative. I used a module published in Dragon Magazine. I just knew a good thing when I saw it.

@Veridiansolar

3 жыл бұрын

@@vincelamb4063 that's all part of the game. As long the players have fun who cares how exactly you can up with the idea?

@bluemariomedia8351

3 жыл бұрын

I made my own baga yaga fight. But the twist is that she is invincible unless you attack her cauldron.

Great storytelling! Very glad I found your channel, and have subscribed, thank you!

Loved it! Well researched, well told, great!

She's somewhat similar to Hecate/Hekate.

@TaterKakez

3 жыл бұрын

I made that observation as well, Hecate is my matron in my craft 🥰🌙🌚she is balanced & the protective goddess for those on the fringes of society (and she represents so much, as you know, it’s difficult to name all she is 💜✨)

@alexandriacollins7119

3 жыл бұрын

@@TaterKakez They may, both, have been derived from the same, more ancient goddess, like how the Greek god(s), Pan/Hermes and the Hindu/Vedic god, Pushan ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_(god)#Origins & en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pushan#Etymology ) do...

@enigmatachasm6855

3 жыл бұрын

My craft knows her as Angrboða.

@chadfalardeau5396

3 жыл бұрын

One aspect of the triple goddess

@morganrobinson8042

3 жыл бұрын

@@alexandriacollins7119 Yeah, but going that far back you pretty much have to make half-guesses based upon Indo-European and hope for a miracle to get confirming archeological evidence. We'll probably never be able to confirm most fairly reasonable theories like this because it all goes right back to the edge of Deep Time. I mean, it's likely you are right, but the proof is in the pudding.

This video made the Russian heritage in me so happy. Also, would love to see videos on the elemental spirits Undine, Sylph, Gnome, and Ignis.

@maryumgardner5958

3 жыл бұрын

I'm not Russian but learning more about your heritage and embracing it is a very wonderful thing :)). I hope they do African folklore. My family on my father's side is Jamaican and afro Jamaicans have roots in the West Africa region. I have the Southern Bantu in my DNA as well.

@Kuwagumo

3 жыл бұрын

Russian folclore is great! Im brazillian, and hope to see more myths from here, but learning new ones is why i went here for lol

@Kuwagumo

3 жыл бұрын

@@maryumgardner5958 oooh i never heard of jamaican myths, hope they cover them soon!

@krk5770

3 жыл бұрын

I love, when one slav tries to claim for himself something, that belongs to all

@FireGriffon

3 жыл бұрын

@@krk5770 So yeah, Russians are just a member in the Slavic group, not the whole group itself. I mean, I have nothing against Russians, they’re fellow Slavs after all, but it irks me when all other Slavs are ignored and just Russians are represented.

I love the artwork for Vasilisa's doll. :) ;)

This was really fascinating ! It's inspired me to do some art work on my own on this character. Interesting enough, myself and my older sister called my grandmother Baba, and at different times when we were little kids. I called her Baba when at that time my older sister had then been calling her a regular grandmother name.

Как обидно, что они не вставили кадры из мультика "летучий корабль" :) Такие ужасы, а потом: пой частушки, бабка ежка...

@CyberSpider35

3 жыл бұрын

Да, был бы забавный контраст. Вообще на Западе её изображают жуткой и... в неуклюжих подражаниях западным произведениям тоже, но здесь у нас по-моему её ни то чтобы не воспринимают всерьёз, но это несколько менее тяжелый образ)

@alexchopov

3 жыл бұрын

хоть сама не верю я в эти суеверия :-)

@pepesylvia848

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah yeah, happy perkele to you too.

Glad to see Baba Yaga finally tackled on Monstrum! 🙌🏻 The first time I learned of her, was the Arthur episode where Sue Ellen told Arthur and Buster of Baba Yaga, the Kappa, and other urban legends from her life of traveling around the world with her family! As I got older, I began to learn that in some pagan communities, Baba Yaga is often seen as a sort of Slavic version of The Morrigan, or Hecate-- other goddesses that were seen as Goddesses of Magick.

@s29nv1sr1

7 ай бұрын

You and I are like the same person lol 😁 my first encounter with Baba Yaga was that same episode of _Arthur,_ I still remember Arthur and Buster's confusion at (while also running away from) the spinning hut on top of chicken legs and Sue Ellen having to explain it to them. It's absolutely crazy to think we still have that memory all these years later!

Awesome. My new favorite channel. Thanks.

I loved your work!!!!! I'm always looking forward to your explanations! They are awesome!!!!! Thanks for sharing knowledge of the most amazing stories!!!!! Ps. Happy valentines day!

I really enjoyed this episode! I also like how you addressed that Baba Yaga is not always evil in stories and all the protagonist have to do is do a task for her. Could you please do more videos on Slavic creatures? The Russian (and other Slavic cultures) have so many interesting characters in their folklore ranging from the domovoy to Koschei the Deathless. Each character has such a unique story to them and a lot of Russians still to this day believe in most of this spirits (especially the domovoy)

I wonder if there's maybe also metaphorical symbolism with the baba yaga and the protags being coming of age. Maybe in some of those stories she represents adulthood and how scary and daunting that can seem, but then in reality she isn't, at least for the protagonist. It's easy to then plug in meaning with holding onto pieces of your childhood, or lessons from it, never forgetting loved ones, etc., with the doll and what not.

Thank you! Very well done! So nice to come across a nice clever content! Thank you!

3:45 i had that book in my childhood! those illustrations fascinated me *-*

5:10 That version with the diligent girl and the lazy stepsister reminds me of Frau Holle.

@sms1511

3 жыл бұрын

I heard the same story from my African grandmother, but its more about kindness. The first girl helps an old women in the road (who is really a witch) and gives her water and is rewarded with gold and riches. When the selfish step sister refuses to help she is cast with poop and stench to follow her everywhere 😂

She sounds a bit like the Greek goddess Hecate, who was similarly "demonised" (for want of a better word) by christianity and then considered to be a witch or the goddess of witches.

This is the first time I have seen your channel, and I think that your channel is very interesting , I think that your channel makes my curiosity grow up to know more and more stories ❤

this was great info. thank you so much.

She's absolutely cool and traveling by mortar seems more plausible and comfortable than flying on a broomstick.

She's back! The monster queen!

@anastasiamurawski6179

3 жыл бұрын

Monster queen hey? Doesn't Lady Gaga and Baba Yaga sound a lot alike? Witches often refer to themselves as Ladies (Lady Ann example) . She is known as Mother Monster to her fans the little monsters. Little Monsters indeed!! I was on her FB site, those little freaks are evil! They threatened to cut my throat, because I said something snarky about her, their queen!!

My first time hearing of Baba Yaga was from Arthur! Even that tame depiction scared me in elementary school 😅

Baba Yaga has been one of my favorite fairy tales for a very long time. I had a children's book called Boneylegs. I loved it a lot. Easily one of my favorites growing up. It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized it was telling a version of Baba Yaga.

No wonder John Wick is called after her, they're the worst nightmares to come across. Although Dr. Z has a point.

Thanks for doing an episode on Slavic folklore! Well done, and much appreciated! I would only note that it is pronounced Baba Yagá as opposed to Baba Yága

Thank you for sharing.

This was extremely well done. Thank you 😊