Lomonosov's Rossiiskaia grammatika ('Russian grammar'). The first clear reference to Baba Yaga ( Iaga baba) occurs in 1755 with Mikhail V. ДЄs one of the most famous witches, Baba Yaga makes an appearance in hundreds if not thousands of folktales in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus predating the eighteenth century. Folktales ДЄccording to professor Andreas Johns, the character appears in 'about seventy tale types', in contrast to Koschei, who is more associated with a handful of types of the Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index. The heroine Vasilisa outside of the hut of Baba Yaga as depicted by Ivan Bilibin (1899)ДЄs noted by Lithuanian scholar Marija Gimbutas, the character of Baba Yaga shows considerable ambiguity: she is described as a witch with cannibalistic tendencies, with preference for children in some accounts, while in others she is a wise prophetess who gives guidance to heroes. In other Indo-European languages the element iaga has been linked to Lithuanian engti ('to abuse (continuously)', 'to belittle', 'to exploit'), Old English inca ('doubt', 'worry', 'pain'), and Old Norse ekki ('pain', 'worry'). The term appears in Old Church Slavonic as jД™za/jД™dza (meaning 'disease', 'illness'). Related terms to the second element of the name, Yaga, appear in various Slavic languages Serbo-Croatian jeza ('horror', 'shudder', 'chill'), Slovene jeza ('anger'), Old Czech jД›zД› ('witch', 'legendary evil female being'), modern Czech jezinka ('wicked wood nymph', 'dryad'), and Polish jД™dza ('witch', 'evil woman', 'fury'). This etymology has subsequently been explored by other scholars in the 20th century. For example, in the 19th century, Alexander Afanasyev proposed the derivation of Proto-Slavic * oЕѕ and Sanskrit ahi ('serpent, snake'). While a variety of etymologies have been proposed for the second element of the name, Yaga, it remains far more etymologically problematic and no clear consensus among scholars has resulted. Additionally, baba may have also been applied as a means of distinguishing Baba Yaga from a male counterpart. The element may appear as a means of glossing the second element, iaga, with a familiar component. These associations have led to variety of theories on the figure of Baba Yaga, though the presence of the element baba may have simply been taken as its primary meaning of 'grandmother' or 'old woman'. In the Polesia region of Ukraine, the plural baby may refer to an autumn funeral feast. This function extends to various geographic features. For example, in variety of Slavic languages and dialects, the word baba may be applied to various animals, natural phenomena, and objects, such as types of mushrooms, cake or pear. Similarly to other kinship terms in Slavic languages, baba may be employed outside of kinship, potentially as a result of taboo. Baba may also have a pejorative connotation in modern Russian, both for women as well as for 'an unmanly, timid, or characterless man'. In contemporary, unofficial Polish and Russian baba is the pejorative synonym of 'woman' (especially old, dirty or foolish woman). In Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian and Bulgarian, baba means 'grandmother old woman'. In modern Russian, the word Р±Р°Р±СѓС€РєР° or babushka (meaning 'grandmother') derives from it, as does the word babcia (also 'grandmother') in Polish. In Old Russian, baba may mean 'midwife', 'sorceress', or 'fortune teller'.

The first element, baba, is transparently a babble word. Variations are found in the languages of the Eastern Slavic peoples. Johns summarizes Baba Yaga as 'a many-faceted figure, capable of inspiring researchers to see her as a Cloud, Moon, Death, Winter, Snake, Bird, Pelican or Earth Goddess, totemic matriarchal ancestress, female initiator, phallic mother, or archetypal image'. Her depictions vary greatly across tales, ranging from a child-eating monster, to helping a protagonist find his missing bride.ДЄndreas Johns identifies Baba Yaga as 'one of the most memorable and distinctive figures in eastern European folklore', and observes that she is 'enigmatic' and often exhibits 'striking ambiguity'. According to Vladimir Propp's folktale morphology, Baba Yaga commonly appears as a donor, as a villain, or may be altogether ambiguous. She may play a maternal role and has associations with forest wildlife. Д«aba Yaga may help or hinder those that encounter her or seek her out. In Slavic culture, Baba Yaga lived in a hut usually described as standing on chicken legs.

In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga ( / ЛЊ b Й‘Лђ b Й™ Л€ j Й‘Лђ ЙЎ Й™/ Russian: Р‘Р°Р±Р°-РЇРіР°, romanized: Baba-Yaga, pronounced ( listen)) is a supernatural being (or a trio of sisters of the same name) who appears as a deformed or ferocious-looking old woman. Baba Yaga as depicted by Ivan Bilibin, 1900

Miriam jarfix