Due 09/24/2014Russian 1020Maria KoutovenkoDaniel KoganBaba YagaAccording to folktales in Russia and surrounding countries since the 18th century, Baba Yaga is much more than a dangerous witch, many Russians say that Baba Yaga is a mix of deities and sorcery, and her image of Baba Yaga was created many voices and hands. One might say "a Baba Yaga" because in many tales there is more than one Baba Yaga, often 3 sisters that are Baba Yagas. Baba Yaga has many topics, she has cultural significance,A Baba Yaga is indestructible and so powerful that she doesn't care about the Devil, God or even her storytellers. She opposes every kind of belief and she is an independent woman, she decides whet ...view middle of the document...
It was difficult for people to publish their tales because of the strict censorship in the Russian Empire during the 19th century. Back than, the government, the church, and the upper classes had suspicion in anything that had to do with supernatural beliefs.However, it had been impossible for the church to stop people from telling tales. By the nineteenth century their appeal to intellectuals grew and keeps growing today. Russians, especially the peasants, continued to believe deeply in the meanings of the tales and figures such Baba Yaga, Russalka (a mermaid), Kolschei the Deathless. What may seem fiction and superstition to us today was fact and faith in the nineteenth century.Many of the Russian tales originated from tales that were circulating around Europe and through the world in those times. Nevertheless, the Russian tales have their distinct aurora and give away a different feeling. A good example of this uniqueness would be Baba Yaga. No matter what type of tale it is, she will join in the story as the decisive figure and turn the plot for or against the main character. One thing that makes her belong to the Russian culture is the fact the she loves Russian blood. A Baba Yaga is the ultimate judge, the goddess, who defends deep rooted Russian pagan values and wisdom and demands that young women and men demonstrate that they deserve her help. In many tales she also defends qualities that the protagonists need to adapt such as perseverance, kindness, obedience, integrity, and courage. If we think about it, these tales actually reflect the living conditions in that time in Russia, and the qualities that Baba Yaga preserves were...
