Baba

Baba is a mythical figure from Slavic myth. The name Baba generally translates to “old woman” or “grandmother.” She was sometimes revered as a goddess of death and regeneration, with Baba sometimes relating to the concept of the mother goddess. Over time she was viewed more as a witch, and her status as a deity was removed likely due to Christianization. As her witch-like features were emphasized, she became a more monstrous figure. She gradually went from a general Fae-like being to those synonymous with hags. Sometimes she would be used as a bogeyman figure. She was depicted either as a beautiful maiden or an ugly hag. The hag aspect represented death, while the maiden represented her aspects of regeneration. Sometimes she is shown to hunt and eat children. but other times she pushed and guided heroes to achieve their goals giving them magical gifts.

Citations:

Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2013.

Zlatic, Vladimir. Slavic Mythology: Demons in Serbian Folklore. N.p., Amazon Digital Services LLC – KDP Print US, 2021.