Russian Folktales · Character

Bába Yagá

A fearsome witch whose name frames the tale of Zamorýshek, the weakling brother who alone can catch the sea-mare stealing the family's hayricks.

major

Also known as the Bába Yagá

First appearance: Bába Yagá and Zamorýshek

As a major figure in Russian Folktales, Bába Yagá is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The iconic witch of Russian folklore, often a fearsome antagonist.

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Bába Yagá looms over the story of the old couple who hatch forty-one sons from eggs, forty strong and one frail. While his brothers harvest and sleep, Zamorýshek stays home, forges unbreakable chains, and waits for the midnight mare that rises from the sea. Her presence signals the wild magic pressing at the edges of peasant life, and the tale's early tension lies in whether the overlooked son can master what his brothers cannot.

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See Bába Yagá in Bába Yagá and Zamorýshek

Character Web

19 connections

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Relationship types

Psychological
Other

Character groups

Magical and domestic antagonists
Protagonist
Immortal villains and warrior women

+14 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because the Wise Woman’s imitation of the parents’ call introduces the fir…

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Relationships

Vasilísa the Fair
psychological · negative
Bába Yagá tests and torments Vasilísa, acting as a fearsome but sometimes instructive… How this plays out →
Vasilísa the Fair
psychological · negative
Bába Yagá tests and torments Vasilísa, acting as a fearsome but sometimes instructive… How this plays out →
Vasilísa the Fair
psychological · negative
Bába Yagá tests and torments Vasilísa, acting as a fearsome but sometimes instructive… How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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See Bába Yagá in Bába Yagá and Zamorýshek

In the story

Bába Yagá appears across 12 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Russian Folktales
The iconic witch of Russian folklore, often a fearsome antagonist.
Bába Yagá and Zamorýshek
The antagonist who hosts the brothers, betroths them to her daughters, then orders their deaths; uses a fiery shield in pursuit.
By Command of the Prince Daniel
The evil witch who plots against the prince and his sister, and later tries to bake the sister in her oven.
Vasilísa the Fair
The fearsome witch living in the forest who sets Vasilísa impossible tasks but is unable to harm her due to her mother's blessing.
Márya Moryévna
Powerful witch who owns a mare that circles the world; Iván serves her to earn a knightly horse.
The Realms of Copper, Silver and Gold
The hut-dwelling witch who lends Iváshko her mighty eagle to fly back to Russia after he is betrayed.
Chufíl-Fílyushka
The Yagá-Búra who captures Fílyushka twice and is ultimately killed by him.
The Sea Tsar and Vasilísa the Wise
Forest witch who advises Iván on how to win Vasilísa by stealing her shirt.
The Legless Knight and the Blind Knight
The ancient hag who sucks the blood of the merchant's daughter; captured by the legless and blind knights.
General Notes
Noted for the revolving house legend, cognate with magic wheels and whirling ramparts in Celtic mythology.
Glossary
Defined as a Russian witch, also known as Yagá-Búra.
Endnotes
Referenced as an equivalent to the mythological figure in the notes.

Chapter companion notes

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