Fairy tales, known since childhood, are taken for granted, and in them we often encounter cultural codes, meaning of which is no longer clear to us, although it can, of course, be perceived intuitively.
These are, perhaps, one of the most interesting heroes of Slavic mythology, which, having passed into category of fairy-tale characters, has changed a lot.
Baba-Yaga is wife of Veles and a strong sorceress, about whom many legends were composed in ancient Slavic mythology. Over time, this character gradually turned into an evil, scary, shaggy old cannibal on a bone leg, living in forest in a strange house on bird legs and luring people to her.
Researchers associate the origins of this image with times of matriarchy; many features of female spirit-patron of tribe are inherent in it. This character in its initial meaning is guardian of border between our world and realm of the dead, "that world". The ancient ideas about death differed from ours and were always associated with renewal of nature, with eternal cycle of life.
The second role of fairy tale Baba-Yaga, kidnapper of children, may indicate participation of this image in ancient initiation rites, which were often associated with symbolic death. Especially those that marked transition of a person from one of his roles in society to another.
(Fine Art Photography. Created in July 2023).
