I've been reading bits and pieces of the book I've got on my breaks at work and came across these things today.
"The grotesque features of Baba Yaga, and especially the mention of her genitals and buttocks by some male tale-tellers, recalls Kligman's and Jones's view that the image of an ugly witch presents a sexually nonthreatening female."
"Perianez-Chavernoff interprets the physical description of Baba Yaga as a realistic description of peasant life."
"The practice of swaddling accounts for the isolated mention of the parts of Baba Yaga's body. Russian peasant children, rendered immobile, were late to realize the body as an entire entity."
- Baba Yaga The Ambiguous Mother and Witch of Russian Folktal by Andreas Johns
Other intersting things
-Demanding help, refusing to be eaten, calling Baba ugly reflect the [male] hero's need to seperate from his mother, going to see Baba is a right of passage and when you return you will be independent
-In one story Baba has hired smiths and seamstresses to make her an army, she is the warrior leader of them.
-Once a hero sucks on Baba's breasts she treats him like her own child and honors the bond they have.
Reading into that last one a little bit, the way the books talks about it it seems as if the hero is almost tricking Baba Yaga into letting him drink her milk because then she HAS to take care of him because he is her child. Her mothering instinct is assumed.
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looking up something totally unrelated to BY's sexuality, I found this. It's from some online Dungeons & Dragons guidbook. Incredible:
ReplyDelete"Impotence (Enchantment/Charm)
Level: 1
Range: 5 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 10 rounds/level
Casting time: 1
Area of Effect: One creature
Saving Throw: Neg.
This spell enables the spell caster to render one creature,
himself or otherwise, impotent (incapable of sexual intercourse). The
material component is a bucket of cold water. The incantation consists
of a specific personality (such as "Baba Yaga") who might be
unappealing to the creature. The saving throw is actually a check on
the disgust the personality generates in the creature. If the creature
finds the person repulsive, he fails the save.
OPTIONAL EFFECT: During the period of impotence, the creature
will attack at -2 and make morale and saving throws at -2. Wisdom,
Constitution, and Charisma scores will be lowered by 1-3 points each for the duration of the spell. Also, during this time the creature will feel downright miserable."