Baba Yaga | The Grimm Archives
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- Of Russia's folklore, there is little that has inspired creative minds so much as the Baba Yaga. But who is she, and where did she come from? Welcome to the Archives.
Follow the animator, Ben Tobitt, here: / benjamintobitt
Follow Fredrik here: / fredintheknud
Or, you can support him on Patreon here: / fredrikknudsen
You can find more of Ryan Garside's music here: / ryan-garside
This video relied on a few articles by Nicholas Kotar, the website Ancient Origins, and the New World Encyclopedia, but most of all, on a book entitled "Baba Yaga: The Ambiguous Mother and Witch of the Russian Folktale" by Andreas Johns. If you're interested in Baba Yaga, and are willing to read some dry prose, I'd highly recommend the book.
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Hello Fredrik, I am from Russia, I am a historian and my specialization is religion and mythology, so I could give you some answers on this subject. Please forgive me for my poor English.
Baba Yaga is an ancient god of death. One of the tree, actually. Slavic mythology has very interesting and rich myths about death and the underworld. Here how it works - there is Yav’ (Явь) the realm of mortals, and Nav’ (Навь) realm of death. There were three gods that represents death: Koshey (Кощей) - evil god, some sort of grim reaper, Veles (Велес) - shepherd that protects the souls of the dead, and Yaga - gatekeeper of underworld.
Yaga lives on outskirt of forest, because forest in Slavic mythology represents Nav’, so basically she lives between realms. Her house is a portal to the underworld, because it’s a grave. Ancient Slavic graves were small house-like structures, that were stand on pillars that were “smoked” by sacrificial smoke. You see - the word куриный (chiken) and verb курить (to smoke) sounds similar in Russian, so this is how this misunderstanding was created. Title “Bone-legs” (or “bone-leg” to be correct) means that she is half-dead, because of her existence in between realities. She has long nose because she can’t see living, only smell them.
Baba Yaga as a good character came from myth about “Vasilysa The Beautiful” kidnaping. Vasilysa is a character referring to life and nature. Koshey kidnaps her and drag into Nav’. Because of that, world is now covers with snow (in many cultures winter associated with death). So now, brave hero must go into underworld to save Vasilysa. (Sound like Dark Souls plot, aren’t it?) But first he has to meet the Gatekeeper - Baba Yaga, so she could open the portal to the realm of death. Baba Yaga would trial our hero and if he will not pass the test, she will cook and eat him. But most of the time it ends well.
By the way - one of the version on what “Yaga” means, is that it comes from “yagushka” (ягушка), a small doll that supposed to hold a soul of a died person, for a while. Hope this would be helpful to you. Love your channel.
Wow thank you for the informations , it is very interesting .
Russian: says poor english
Me, a native speaker: has worse english
Funny, she's named after a soul receptacle but Koschey is the one who's a straight-up D&D lich.
Just a note to those who might read this guys comment in the spirit of honesty and truth Most of what he is saying is not supported by scholars and researchers and has a fair bit of Russian bias. When DTRH was talking about Russians taking credit in the video he was talking about people like @Cancer 4 Cure.
"“Vasilysa The Beautiful” kidnaping. Vasilysa is a character referring to life and nature. Koshey kidnaps her and drag into Nav’. Because of that, world is now covers with snow (in many cultures winter associated with death). So now, brave hero must go into underworld to save Vasilysa. (Sound like Dark Souls plot, aren’t it?)"
I was thinking it sounds more like a blend of Persephone & Hades story with Eurydice & Orpheus, from greek mythology.
2:26 Traditional Russian houses used big brick stoves for heating, and they had a warm little bed built into the bricks. So when a Russian fairy tale talks about someone "lying on the stove," they don't mean the person was literally on top of a burning metal pot lol. It looks like this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_oven#/media/File:Atkinson_Isba_1803_crop.jpg
Just a bit of trivia. Love the vids :D
cool! thanks for this
that makes a lot more sense thank you
All poor Russians sleep on their stove. The animals too are brought inside the ibza.
I'd like to make a note that this is TECHNICALLY the second episode in the series. The first was released October of last year on its own channel, but I took it offline so that people weren't directed to the wrong place, since my channel is going to be the new home of The Grimm Archives for now. I'm going to be refurbishing it a tiny bit and re-releasing it in the next week or two onto this channel.
Also, yes, I loved John Wick.
I enjoy the inclusion of your spooky assistant. It's always good to have a helping hand.
I really am loving this video, it's so ambient but yet engaging. Keep up the good work. In the future, can you do video on the dullahan, I haven't found anything in-depth of its origin online.
Fredrik Knudsen I'm glad you started this series. Have been searching for something just like this for a while now. Good work and hoping to see even more. 👍
Fredrik Knudsen The video was awesome! The animator did a terrific job with the artwork.
Mr Knudsen, when exactly is the Spring-Heeled Jack episode coming in this series?
I've heard she can kill three men with a pencil.
I heard she doesn't have to tilt her head when she eats a taco.
I've heard she's a very nice person, and I would like you all to stop speaking so ill of her.
With. A fucking. Pencil
Actuallt i think it was a pen
Thank you, I needed to see your comment.
I'm a strong, young, independent Baba Yaga who don't need a man.
@@wespaul9345 don't get got uknw my baba yagas lurkin outcheaa
Well if you look like her , you will not get one anyway.
2:28 Ouch! Actually, Russian stoves were tall and made of masonry so it was common for a regular person to have a bed fashioned on top without getting burns.
One time Baba Yaga stole my gamecube
(not clickbait!!!)
SHOCKING!!!😱😱😱
Damn she done got u too eh
(Gone sexual)
So the John Wick movies simplified Baba Yaga into a Russian boogieman, presumably because they sound similar. The reality that they named an unstoppable hit man after an old woman with a hut that walks on chicken legs is funny to me.
That's because mothers and grand-mothers used to scare kids shitless with stories about Baba Yaga, so calling Wick after her is actually showing off how much the Russians feared him.
they probably messed up when researching Russian folklore. They should have named Wick Babay or Babayka - a generic boogeyman that steals children.
Didn't they say that he was the one you called to kill the boogieman?
@@revstalker7334 except they didn't. Baba Yaga was seen as a somewhat humorous fairytale figure even when my grandparents were still kids.
Roach dog jr?
The chicken house from RuneScape makes sense now.
@Roscoe Patterson Lunar Isle. It's owned by a Lunar witch literally named Baba Yaga.
But if the house have legs, how does the fence with the skulls follow the house? Does the fence also have legs?
Markus flakes fuck😂😭
Markus flakes my guess would be that the fence stays in a stationary location. And the house returns to that location frequently.
Every time it moves she's gotta go collect more skulls from the surrounding villages and homesteads.
Markus flakes There are a lot of inconsistencies with the character between stories. I'm not sure if any story addresses the particular problem of the fence, though. Another issue is the way that most artistic interpretations actually have doors and windows, while the hut is usually described as not having any. I think these inconsistencies stem from the Baba Yaga's fractured origin.
It's got a really nice wrap around porch... made of skulls. Or the house and you get teleported to the gates of the dead.
Bulgaria's version of Baba Yaga is usually portrayed with a less outlandish appearance, still often having a long nose, but lacking the metal body parts and stuff. She's also most often said to be flying on a broom, like the more traditional witches(also, "baba" literally means "granny", atleast in Bulgarian). Aside from that, most stuff you said for the Russian Baba Yaga apply to the Bulgarian one as well, like her hut being on chicken legs and her usual role in the story.
Loved the video by the way, though I'm slightly irked by the way you pronounce her name.
@Marcel Huchwajda I men me drazni kak proiznasqt ''Yaga'' at least toi kaza often pronounced as.. i go kaza pravilno , no na tam produlji po greshniq nachin xD
How is it supposed to be pronounced
The animation and stuff was really cool, and added a lot to the video!
What animation?
Most pictures that are used in the video are drawn by a Russian artist Ivan Biblin. He made numerous illustrations for old folklore stories that were included in book tales many Russians have read as kids.
I'm rather saddened by the lack of additional episodes in the series.
I am also, rather saddened.
Liked this one a lot. However, I think that Baba Yaga has clear Pagan origins. Like with most Slavic Gods she was transformed into a miserable shadow of herself after the arrival of Orthodox Christianity to Russia. She moved from a goddes of the forest to demon of the forest to witch of the forest. Another thing that is often overlooked is that if there is a bigger antagonist (Koshey the Immortal for example.) in the stories featuring her, she almost always acts not as a donor, but as a supportive figure.
Slavic "demons" or atleast few are not evil, lets take "Boruta" polish "demon" of forest, last mention is from time of polish partritions 1793-1918 where 2 desserters from tsars army were helped by him.
It's nice to see Russian Frederick fans out there)
Koshey is metal af, its a fuckin lich dude
From the department of nit-picks, Witches have been known to use things other then brooms for flying. Animals like pigs or cows and other household objects like bench have been depicted as things a witch could ride on. So the fact that Baba Yaga uses a pastel and mortar isn't a trait that makes her less witchy.
I wouldn't turn down a revival of this little series, with or without the animation. I love listening to folklore, and I find your voice clear and easy to understand. You've got a great voice for documentary, obviously.
This is amazing. I am going to school for folklore and anthropology. What most people don't realize and talk about very often is how incredible Slavic folklore is. Most people don't understand how dark and desolate those regions are, especially were. For a region like that, where daily life is filled with fear, what must scare people like that?
Not much scared me, but Baba Yaga certainly did as a child. Terrifying.
Congratulations on being the only youtuber in this genre to not have a over-flattering bishounen avatar, and just having one that looks like you
What an odd thing to say
Don't forget Russia other greatest fairy tale: the pickle man.
Соленья...
Solyena...
PICKLE RIIIIIIICK
Dont they call John wick baba yaga?
How did I know someone would say pickle Rick..
Ey, nice to see another episode after so long! Can't wait for more!
Agreed.
I'm South Slavic. For some reason I remember reading in a mythology book that the baba Yaga (Jaga) was a form of Morana, a winter goddess - more precisely one of the faces she carries. Could be my memory's faulty or it could be the book just inserted that without checking sources.... so yeah.
Please, MAKE, THIS, A, SERIES!!!
+Lasher Brunswick Good news: it is.
@@FredrikKnudsen this aged like milk
@@swordsaintbrie :(
The production quality of all your videos is so high. I always feel like I'm watching a documentary something similar when I watch one of your videos. Please continue making high quality content.
That opening was rad man. Love your videos keep up the work!
Very good quality! You've got me hooked man. All of your content is interesting and well made, keep up the good work.
I enjoyed this episode, can't wait for the next one!
HOLY SHIT, THAT ANIMATION AND POLISH THOUGH!
I'm so happy youre putting this much polish and effort on your videos! It feels like a tv show and I love watching the heck out of this already
How about making a few videos of slavic culture. Because there's not much of it written mostly spoken tales. My grandmother used to scare me with these creatures like Utopce, Południce etc
god125 polednice and vodnik (basicaly equivalent to utopec) are used as a character in Erben's Kytice, a czech lyrical compulation in which folklore monsters play significant and symbolic roles. Would highly suggest you pick this up, but i'm uncertain if some translated version even exists.
I think thats the reason slavic folklore is so beautiful, its not written down and that makes for some really diverse characters and creatures.
Do tell. Im interested
*folklore
So basically ur grandma scared you with NPCs from Witcher?
So well done!!
You've really went above and made some immensely high quality content, I'm as impressed as ever. Wanted to say that the animation and artwork really lends itself to your style of exposition. Thanks for the content, looking forward to more Fredrik!
I, for one, wish you had kept-on with this series. You narrate well, obviously, and the animation is excellent. Good stuff!
Anyway, I hope you don't delete the two "Grimms Archives" episodes, they're keepers.
Your stuff keeps getting better and better. Keep it up.
Great analysis as always Fredrick. Probably the best channel to go to, to learn something new and intrigued. Love it. Keep it up.
I wish these had gotten more attention so that Fredrik would continue the series. But, I'm happy with whatever.
Best video yet Frederick! Keep this up and you'll get huge.
The new style is really slick! Kudos to Ben on the Mike Mignola animations that really flesh out your storytelling!
First time I ever heard of Baba Yaga was in Sandman, she appeared in a story where a young man named Vassily ran away from his home, pursuing adventure
This is awesome Fredrik! ! It looks great. Keep it up man I'm sure the popularity of this style of video will increase as word spreads about it. I found this after the rabbit hole series I'm sure many more will in time. Love it!
An absolutely enjoyable analysis of a classic character of folklore. I am very impressed with both your research and presentation. I shall be happily expecting more to come. I hope that you will cover something from Ireland in the future.
i love where your channle is going keep it up, your on your way to a gold mine
I could listen to you speaking for hours. Your narration and scripts are amazing. Also really liked the visuals on this video
You're really filling that "in depth look at weird shit"-shaped hole in my viewing habits.
Really cool video!!! I'm stoked for this series aahhhh♡♡♡
In almost every culture, there is an archetype of an elderly woman who is both wise and cruel, depending on who you ask. She represents the crone, the woman who is no longer of child-bearing age, and is the bearer of secret knowledge - she is healer, prophet, historian - a matriarch figure who links past and present to the future. In pagan cultures, the role of the priest is often given to women or a person of no-gender (or a third gender, with both female/male characteristics) because the woman has the biological means of reproduction and was seen as having magical powers while a third gender person is regarded as being of neither earthbound or skybound and as such could act as an intermediary between earth and heaven. With the arrival of Judaeochristian beliefs, however, many pagan belief systems were demonised and pagan priestesses were painted as witches with evil powers and intentions. Many of them retreated into solitary forest dwellings to escape persecution - and thus became crones of the forest, of untold magical powers, preying on the innocence of little children, devourers of men. You must read Clarissa Pinkola Estes's "Women Who Run With The Wolves" to understand how many of these folktales that have come down to us conceal a history of the persecution of feminine cults by patriarchal cults.
Lol what?
I LOVE THIS SERIES, And this episode hit home sincd im slavic. Love this channel, such high quality content!
From what I believe, Baba Yaga is linked with Morana/Marzanna, Baltic Goddess of winter, death, time (also low magic, witchery...anything "evil"). She's very similar to the Hindu goddess Kali, and Morgana, Celtic triune goddess of death, or even female lunar association like Hecate.
In essence, she's the "dark" form of the Mother Goddess. But her pagan roots are mixed with Slavic traditions in spell casting, and season ritual. The little information detailing her origins is the result of the Eastern/Slav oral tradition, and very limited writing and recording.
She never depicted as goddess of some sort, just creepy supernatural woman, who lives deep in the forest. It's never implied, that there is only one Yaga out there. For me she is like corrupted insane witch, who hides in the forest. I want to put emphasis on "corrupted", since it's normal to have a regular "witch" in a village in Russia (they never called "witches", thou, an i can't recall how they called properly, maybe just "babka" (old woman) + personal name), i even visited one myself when i was around of age of six, or so, because my grandparents was from small village. As far as i know it is believed, that their supernatural abilities to heal, to curse, to see things and to transform to animals is unwanted and some kind of a toll, and they must never use them to benefit themselves (they decline any payment for their help). And when witch is about to die she must pass her abilities to another woman, or else she cannot die for weeks in great suffering. This may sound as old folklore, but in a not so deep corners of Russia this traditions is alive and actually practiced.
I read a varity of ressources claiming the possibilty. Teleporting, using overworldy powers etc. Why do people water being likes her down to a modern version of witch. She has far more to offer not to mention her similarities to those goddesses. The chicken legs may jusst be an translation error for fog which is often used to describe a place being the border of life and death. Whatever you read about witches though, don't see at as canon because it is not. It is just a regional believe.
Awesome work! I hope you keep up these videos!
wonderful video! You always do such a good job with your content. I cant wait to see more.
Thanks for the video! This was really fun!
Fun fact: The Crones of Crookback Bog from The Witcher 3 are based off of the Baba Yaga. Being older than the bog itself and eating orphan or wayward children that fall into their domain. They are also ambivalent to the people dwelling in their swamp, sometimes giving aid in return for children or ears but caring little about their lives beyond what they can gain in return.
Well done! Looking forward to more of these.
This needs more views and likes. Master level video. Keep it up, proud of you
The production quality here is off the charts!
Do one on the Yeti,Bigfoot,etc or maybe a lesser known mystical creature like the Giant Iron Wolf of Lithuania
I really like these Eastern European Monsters, really unique and nothing like it in the west
We rarely speak about slavic "demons", but they are some of most interesing ones
Love your channel. You put a lot of work in them. Much more than a lot others 👍
This channels gonna take off for sure, good luck my dude
Wow,amazing work!
Can't wait for more
Wow, I dont remember Howl's moving castle being this dark
It plays in a world with a great war, so .....
Damn, I just realised how little I know about my nation's folklore. Great video, it seems that it's going to be a series. Can't wait to see more!
So much effort put in these videos yet so few views. You deserve more.
Really liked this and look forward to seeing more of this series!
The animation is really well done, would love to see more!
Hell yes! You covering this sort of stuff is awsome
Oh this was wonderfully spooky and well put together! Cant wait for moreeeee!
I'm very excited to watch further episodes of this. I find them just as fascinating as yer usual rabbit holes.
Great animation! This looks like an awesome start to a series!
I like the animation and art. Your videos are as good as usual. Keep up the good content
Baba Yaga isn't relaly Russian, more generally Slavic, she's a staple of Polish legends as well.
And the hut is more often depicted with one leg here.
Russia was created by Ukrainian lords on refugee when Poland take over Ukraine, and most of russian genom is North Asian not Slavic. Baba Jaga was created in praslavic lands of, notrh western Ukraine, eastern Poland, and souther Belarus and spread with migration of our tribrs that's why she is known in all of Slavic countrys, and countrys influenced by Slavs like Hungary, Romania, Moldavia, Grece, Germany and others. Also What legend of baba Jaga is in your region, in southern Podlasie in Poland we have Baba Jaga whom live in a House on one chicken leg, and she sits in a was sitting in his chimney and firing her broomstick with thunderbolts at grownups and she tempted the children with sweet bread rolls on the path to her home.
@@AverageJoe8686I do not mean ancient Greeks only medieval and modern. Slavic "antiquity" happened in the early Middle Ages (~IV-IX century). I'm not turbo-Lechit ;)
@@10hawell Russian genome is North Asian? I'd suggest you do a google search on Russian haplogroup.
Thankyou for your many videos. There just fantastic each different from the last and the next 👍
I absolutely love this! Great job.
The Quest for glory series version of Baba Yaga is my favorite interpenetration of her.
Woah the art's pretty good. Great work to both of you!
Awesome animation !!!!! Great intro. Very excited!
this was SICK - can't wait for more
A series based on slightly obscure folklore legends? Oh Fredrik, you do spoil us. Love the art as well, reminds me a lot of MIke Mignola. Super hyped for a potential episode on Spring-heeled Jack.
This series has some serious promise. Great work!
8:11 - these doorless and windowless huts on props are not only storages, that's also how they bury shamans deep in the woods. Seems to me the latter is more logical prototype for Yaga's hut.
good video. love the artwork.
DAMN this is some good stuff. great job on the video fredrick!
Very cool, any more of these to come, they are so entertaining.
I first heard of Baba Yaga when playing the original "Hero's Quest / Quest for Glory" by Sierra. VIVID memories of the chicken-leg hut and the dangerous witch inside. Tremendous video here, Fredrik!
I love the Hellboy style art and your narration. Keep up the great work!
I remember those cozy winters in which my grandma would read slavic folklore tales to me. I loved it!
Interesting to realize Yubaba from Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away is a reference to Baba Yaga.
Similar name, similar appearance. Her sister lives in a swampy forest.
Meanwhile, Howl inherited her hut, chicken legs included.
While I realize this may not fetch the most views, and animation takes a lot of time. I really hope we get to see more. As far as some myths in north america, the info on them can be limited. Maybe an episode that covers a couple legends given an area?
This content is great, you are an excellent storyteller and entertainer!
This video is wonderful, I would love some more like this
This is pretty cool, I would love to see most of this
Yes! More of these, this is amazing!
I had the biggest smile on my face when I saw this pop up. I've been working on a project in which Baba Yaga has a pivotal role in, this will be amazing reference material.
AtticWarrior1994 if you want some more material, I once read a book inspired by Russian and Slavic folklore with Baba Yaga as one the main supporting characters
It was called Egg and Spoon, and I found the writer to excellently portray how Baba may speak, look, act, move etc alongside detail to Russian stories.
Great video Fredrik
Please do more on slavic folklore, it's an immensely un-talked-about field of mythology and your method of presentation is extremely informative.
this is such a cool nd nice concept, great video!
Great movement of the pictures at an exhibition orchestral piece
I once saw him kill three men in a bar... with a pencil, with a fucking pencil!
Ugh, the animation is amazing, I come back to this vid sometimes just to see it jfc.
The animations make this even better.
I love these! Plz do more
Heard about this at the podcast Tanis; so excited for the new series.
This is an interesting new series Frederick, great work as always! I would like to make a suggestion on La Llorona, an Mexican urban legend I have grew up with.
Lovely animation. The style is very cool.
Awesome video, more videos like this please!