In various cultures and folklore traditions, the presence of witches is seen not only in villages or towns but also in the depths of forests. Forest witches, also known as wood witches or green witches, are mythical beings deeply connected to the natural world and its elements. They are often portrayed as powerful sorceresses who possess extensive knowledge of herbalism, divination, and other ancient practices. Forest witch mythology can be traced back to ancient times, where they were believed to be guardians of the woods and protectors of the balance of nature. These witches were said to have a deep understanding of the magical properties of plants, trees, and animals, and they were highly skilled in using them for healing, enchantment, or even curses. In various myths and legends, forest witches are often associated with specific animals or creatures that are integral to their magical powers.
Baba Yaga: The greatest 'wicked witch' of all?
The Slavic crone, known for living in a house built on chicken legs and feasting on children, is a complex, and arguably feminist, figure – as a new book shows, says David Barnett.
In fairy tales, women of a certain age usually take one of two roles: the wicked witch or the evil stepmother, and sometimes both.
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A key figure from Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga certainly fulfils the requirements of the wicked witch – she lives in a house that walks through the forest on chicken legs, and sometimes flies around (close to ground level) in a giant mortar and pestle. She usually appears as a hag or crone, and she is known in most witch-like fashion to feast upon children.
As demonstrated in the Russian fairy tale Vasilisa the Beautiful (depicted above in a 19th-Century illustration), Baba Yaga can be both heroine and villain (Credit: Getty Images)
However, she is also a far more complex character than that synopsis suggests. Cunning, clever, helpful as much as a hindrance, she could indeed be the most feminist character in folklore.
So enduring is the legend of Baba Yaga that a new anthology of short stories, Into the Forest (Black Spot Books), has just been released, featuring 23 interpretations of the character, all by leading women horror writers. The stories span centuries, with Sara Tantlinger's Of Moonlight and Moss offering a dream-like evocation of one of the classic Baba Yaga stories, Vasilisa the Beautiful, while Carina Bissett’s Water Like Broken Glass sets Baba Yaga against the backdrop of World War Two. Meanwhile Stork Bites by EV Knight ramps up the horrific aspects of the myth as a salutary tale for inquisitive children.
The history of Yaga
Baba Yaga appears in many Slavic and especially Russian folk tales, with the earliest recorded written mention of her coming in 1755, as part of a discourse on Slavic folk figures in Mikhail V Lomonosov's book Russian Grammar. Before that, she had appeared in woodcut art at least from the 17th Century, and then made regular appearances in books of Russian fairy tales and folklore.
If you’re a film fan, you might recognise the name from the John Wick films starring Keanu Reeves, in which the eponymous anti-hero is called Baba Yaga by his enemies, giving him the mysterious allure of an almost mythical bogeyman. Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki used Baba Yaga as the basis for the bathhouse proprietor in his award-winning 2001 movie Spirited Away. Baba Yaga appears in music, too; Modest Mussorgsky's 1874 suite Pictures at an Exhibition features a ninth movement called The Hut on Fowl’s Legs (Baba Yaga). She might well be making an appearance on the small screen soon, as well; Neil Gaiman used her in his Sandman comics for DC, the adaptation of which has just had its second season announced by Netflix.
In various myths and legends, forest witches are often associated with specific animals or creatures that are integral to their magical powers. For instance, they might be seen accompanied by a familiar, such as a black cat or an owl, which assists them in their spells and rituals. Moreover, forest witches are believed to be able to shape-shift into different animals, allowing them to move through the forest unnoticed and harness the energies of the wildlife around them.
Baby Yaga crosses the wicked witch trope with the fairy godmother trope to create an ultimately far more unpredictable and powerful role than either of those – Yi Izzy Yu
Gaiman also used Baba Yaga in The Books of Magic comic series, and the way he has deployed the character highlights her moral ambiguity: where she was helpful in Sandman, she is more of a baddie in Books of Magic. He tells BBC Culture he first encountered Baba Yaga aged six or seven when he read children's fantasy book The Dragon's Sister and Timothy Travels by British writer Margaret Storey, in which she appeared. "[I] felt she was the most interesting of all the witches, and felt that way even more when I read some of the Russian stories in which she appears," he says. "She seems to have her own life outside of the story, which so few fairy tale characters do.”
Into the Forest is edited by Lindy Ryan, a writer and full-time professor of data science and visual analytics at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey who is also the founder of Into the Forest's publisher Black Spot Books, a small press dedicated to female horror writers. So how did an American end up fascinated by this Slavic myth?
"My Russian stepmother emigrated to the United States shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union," says Ryan, "and along with my stepsister and step-babushka, she brought borscht, matryoshka dolls, and Baba Yaga. While most girls my age were growing up with nicely sanitised Disney version princesses, I preferred the stories by Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Andersen – and, of course, in the books of Slavic fairytale and folklore that talked of Baba Yaga."
Baba Yaga has been an inspiration for animation legend Hayao Miyazaki, including with the character of the bathhouse proprietor in Spirited Away (Credit: Alamy)
In fact, the origins of Baba Yaga might go back far further than the 17th Century — there's a school of scholarly thought that says she's a Slavic analogue of the Greek deity Persephone, goddess of spring and nature. She's certainly associated with the woods and forests, and the wildness of nature. "The essence of Baba Yaga exists in many cultures and many stories, and symbolises the unpredictable and untameable nature of the female spirit, of Mother Earth, and the relationship of women to the wild," says Ryan.
What lifts Baba Yaga above the usual two-dimensional witches of folklore is her duality, sometimes as an almost-heroine, sometimes as a villain, and her rich, earthy evocation of womanhood. "Baba Yaga still remains one of the most ambiguous, cunning, and clever women of folklore," says Ryan. "[She] commands fear and respect, and simultaneously awe and desire. I admire her carelessness and her independence, even her cruelty, and in a world where women are so often reduced to hazy blurs of inconsequence, she is a figure that reminds us that we are ferocious and untameable, and that such freedoms often come at a cost."
In fact, she’s something of a proto-feminist icon. "Absolutely she is," says Yi Izzy Yu, one of the authors who has contributed a story to Into the Forest. One of the ways in which she merits such a description is that she completely upends the nurturing mother stereotype applied to women by eating children rather than pushing them out or breastfeeding them. "She’s powerful despite not being attractive in a conventional sense. She lives by her own magical terms rather than mundane rules," says Izzy. "And she challenges conceptual categories at every turn. Even her home is both house and chicken, making her, yes, housebound in a sense, but not in any way 'tied down'. In this [way], I guess, she is an early motorhome gypsy."
A true outlaw
Izzy likens Baba Yaga to trickster characters from many mythologies, such as Norse god of mischief Loki or Coyote from Native American folklore. "While Baba Yaga often plays a villain, she is also likely to offer assistance. For example, in Vasilisa the Beautiful, she helps free Vasilisa from the clutches of her evil stepfamily," she says. "And while Baba's dangerous to deal with, like many of those who operate on the shadowy side of the law in contemporary movies, she can as well prove herself invaluable in dangerous circumstances.
"In this way, Baba Yaga complicates the passive female nurturing role with a type of 'I'll do whatever the heck I want' outlaw power that you ordinarily only see associated with men. You could say then that Baba Yaga crosses the wicked witch trope with the fairy godmother trope to create an ultimately far more unpredictable and powerful role than either of those."
Izzy was born and grew up in Northern China, and as a great deal of Russian literature was translated into Chinese, Baba Yaga crossed the border and into the Chinese psyche. "My first exposure to Baba Yaga was a Chinese cartoon I saw when I was very young. I remember this cartoon because I told my grandmother that Baba Yaga looked exactly like my Big Uncle. This made her laugh. Big Uncle did not laugh," says Izzy.
The John Wick films are some of the unlikelier cultural works to reference Baba Yaga, as the name given to Keanu Reeves' anti-hero by his enemies (Credit: Alamy)
WITCHES OF THE WOODS
Forest witches are also thought to possess a connection with the spirits of nature. They can communicate with the spirits of trees, rivers, and other natural elements to gain wisdom and guidance. This close bond with the natural world is often depicted in artistic representations, showing forest witches with flowing garments made of leaves, twigs, or other organic materials. In many folktales, forest witches are often portrayed as both benevolent and malevolent beings. On one hand, they are seen as wise healers and protectors of the forest, using their powers to bring harmony and balance to nature. On the other hand, they can also be portrayed as vengeful and dangerous if their sacred spaces are violated or if they are provoked. Overall, forest witch mythology is a fascinating part of folklore that showcases the intertwining relationship between humans, nature, and the supernatural. These witches serve as gatekeepers to the mystical realm of the woods, possessing ancient knowledge and a deep connection to the forces of the natural world. Whether seen as healers or as formidable beings, they continue to capture the imagination and curiosity of those who are drawn to the mysteries of the forest..
Reviews for "The Relationship Between Forest Witches and Mythical Creatures"
1. Sophie - 2/5 - The concept of forest witch mythology seemed intriguing, but the execution fell flat for me. The story lacked depth, and the characters felt one-dimensional. I was hoping for a more immersive and engaging reading experience, but unfortunately, it left me feeling disappointed.
2. Michael - 1/5 - Forest witch mythology promised an exciting and mystical adventure, but instead, it delivered a confusing and convoluted mess. The plot was disjointed, making it difficult to follow and connect with the story. The writing style was also lacking, with awkward dialogue and inconsistent pacing. Overall, I found this book to be a complete letdown.
3. Emily - 2/5 - I had high hopes for forest witch mythology, but it failed to captivate my interest. The world-building felt underdeveloped, leaving me feeling disconnected from the story and its characters. The pacing was slow, and nothing seemed to happen for the majority of the book. I wanted to be immersed in a rich and enchanting world, but instead, I was left bored and unimpressed.
4. David - 1/5 - Forest witch mythology had all the ingredients for a fantastic tale, but the execution was severely lacking. The writing felt amateurish, with clunky prose and repetitive descriptions. The characters were forgettable, and their motivations were unclear. Overall, this book left me feeling frustrated and unsatisfied. I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a compelling fantasy read.
5. Samantha - 2/5 - Forest witch mythology had the potential to be a captivating read, but it fell short in several aspects. The pacing was inconsistent, making it challenging to stay engaged in the story. The plot lacked originality and felt predictable. Additionally, the romance subplot felt forced and unnecessary. While there were some moments of intrigue, overall, I found this book to be lacking the enchantment and depth I was hoping for.