Folklore Woensdag: Baba Jaga

Baba Jaga deur I. Bibilin (1900)

Een van die eerste verhale wat ek kan onthou wat my regtig bang gemaak het, was dié van Baba Jaga wat deel van ‘n versameling van verhale van regoor die wêreld was. Dié spesifieke verhaal eindig met Baba Yaga se oë wat met teer toegesmeer word. Die illustrasie wat by die storie was is eintlik die ding wat my bang gemaak het. Sy was geteken as ’n heks met ’n gesplete tong soos ’n slang en hoenderpote as ’n halssnoer om haar nek. Maar ek het eers later – toe ek regtig begin belangstel het in folklore en mitologie – meer oor die Baba Jaga-figuur geleer.


Hierdie heks van die Oos-Europese folklore woon in ’n huis wat op hoenderpote staan en wat se vensters soos oë toemaak. “Surrounding the hut is a fence made of human bones and decorated with skulls.” (2008:234) The Mythical Creatures Bible voeg ook by “…[l]ike other Hags, she is a wizened old woman with a long hooked nose”  (2008:234). In dieselfde boek word beskryf hoe sy deur die lug reis in ’n vysel wat sy roei met ’n stamper en dat sy haar spore toevee met ’n berkehout besem. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology (2007:183), egter, beskryf dat sy in ’n yster ketel deur die lug vlieg.

Een aspek waaroor al die bronne egter saamstem is dat sy ’n kannibaal heks “who lures human victims, especially children, to her hut and devours them.” (2008:234). The Mythical Creatures Bible voeg by “scholars believe that Baba Yaga was originally a potent female nature spirit, a provider of healing, protection, and guidance” (2008:234).
Daar is baie illustrasies van Baba Jaga (waarvan nie almal so bangmakerig is soos die een van die kinderboek waarin ek haar eerste teegekom het nie!), en hieronder is ’n paar te sien. Gaan kyk ook gerus op hierdie plakbord op Pinterest. 

Baba Jaga deur Rima Staines (2010). Volg die skakel om haar ander pragtige kunswerke te sien. 

Vir meer inligting en stories oor Baba Jaga, besoek hierdie webblaaie:

Sacred Texts

Old Russia 

The Wikipedia article  

Bronne:

Rosen, Brenda. 2008. The Mythical Creatures Bible. Sterling Publishing, New York.  

Cotterell, A. & R. Storm. 2007. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology. Hermes House, London. 

Folklore Wednesday: Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga by I. Bibilin (1900)

One of the first tales – that I can remember – which really scared me was a tale of Baba Yaga in a children’s story compendium which contained stories from around the world. This specific tale ended with Baba Yaga’s eyes smeared with tar. The illustration with the story was really the thing that scared me – she was drawn as having a forked tongue and had chicken feet as a necklace around her neck. It was only later, when I really got into folklore and mythology, that I learned more about the figure of Baba Yaga.

A witch from Eastern European lore, she lives in a house that stands on chicken legs and have windows which shut like eyes. “Surrounding the hut is a fence made of human bones and decorated with skulls.” (2008:234) The Mythical Creatures Bible describes her as a Hag and adds “…[l]ike other Hags, she is a wizened old woman with a long hooked nose”  (2008:234). In the same volume she is described as travelling through the air in a mortar which she rows with its pestle and clears her tracks with a birch broom. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology (2007:183), however, describes her means of travel as an iron kettle with which she flies through the air.

One thing on which all sources seem to agree is that she is “a cannibalistic witch who lures human victims, especially children, to her hut and devours them.” (2008:234). The Mythical Creatures Bible also notes “scholars believe that Baba Yaga was originally a potent female nature spirit, a provider of healing, protection, and guidance” (2008:234).

There are many illustrations of Baba Yaga (not all of which are quite as scary as the one from the children’s book in which I first read about her!), but here I am only going to show a few. Or go and look on this board on Pinterest.

Baba Yaga by Rima Staines (2010) - Follow the linkfor her other wonderful artwork. 

For more information and stories about Baba Yaga, visit these pages:

Sacred Texts

Old Russia  

The Wikipedia article  

Sources:

Rosen, Brenda. 2008. The Mythical Creatures Bible. Sterling Publishing, New York.  

Cotterell, A. & R. Storm. 2007. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology. Hermes House, London. 

Almost a month to go!

In a little over a month the first film of The Hobbit is being released! And thanks to YouTube you can now see various theater and TV previews on your computer or cell. Here’s a few of the previews and a very nerdy, but very entertaining safety video by Air New Zealand. Have a look here as well for the latest posters and photos of the film.

Inspirasionele Vrydag – Stories en Fantasie-musiek

Eers gaan ek so bietjie my eie beuel blaas - “The Call from Below”
Ek het Woensdagaand gehoor dat my storie “The Call from Below” die Oktober flits fiksie kompetisie op Readers’ Realm gewen het! 
Ja, ek het bietjie in die sitkamer gesokkie toe ek die nuus kry! Ek was vir 'n ruk seker daarvan dat alles wat ek skryf absoluut aaklig is, so hierdie het regtig gehelp om my gedagtes weer op die regte baan te kry. Dat ek nou ‘n boek kan bekostig waarna ek al vir maande lank staar help ook!

'n Bietjie skryfnuus 
Ek is besig met die laaste weergawe van nog ‘n flits fiksie storie – wat nie dieselfde titel vir meer as een weergawe het nie, so ek sal dit nie eens noem nie – wat ek die naweek wil klaarmaak en hopelik gepubliseer kry. Op die oomblik is my gedagtes lyk my meer by “grillerig en verdraai” as by “epies en fantasie", so ek het die novelle The Dragon Seeker vir eers bietjie eenkant gesit tot Desember; wanneer ek ook meer tyd sal hê vir epiese storielyne. Hierdie maand wil ek die –flits-fiksie-sonder-'n-naam en 'n ander kortverhaal, wat op die oomblik die titel “The Road Chosen” het. Dié hoop ek om in die nuwe jaar in Cross and Cosmos-tydskrif geplaas te kry. Die Cross and Cosmos kan ook (gratis en pasella!) hier gelees word. Lees sommer my storie “A Dragon’s Freedom” in Uitgawe 5 terwyl jy daar rondsnuffel – dit is 'n kortverhaal wat in my wêreld van Airthai afspeel.

En 'n bietjie inspirasie so voor die naweek afskop! 
Hier is 'n paar van my gunsteling fantasie musiekvideo’s om die naweek aan die gang te kry. Van volgende week Vrydag af gaan ek 'n weeklikse bloginskrywing oor The Hobbit hê in die aanloop tot die film se vrystelling in Desember.

Geniet die naweek!

Inspiration Friday – Stories and Fantastical Music

First, a bit of brag – “The Call from Below”
I got some great news on Wednesday evening – my story “The Call from Below” won the Readers’ Realm October flash fiction competition!
Yes, I did do a happy dance as soon as I found out! I went through a while of “everything I write sucks!!!” and this helped me a lot to get my mind back on the right track. The fact that I can now afford a book I’ve had my sights on for months also helps!

Some writing news
I’m in the final stages of another flash piece – which doesn’t have the same title for more than one draft, so I won’t even bother with it – which I hope to finish this weekend and then send out for publication. I hope! My mind seems to be more in the realm of “creepy and twisted” than “epic and fantasy” at the moment, so I’ve put the novella The Dragon Seeker on the back burner until December – when I’ll also have more time for epic storylines. This month I want to finish the flash-piece-with-many-different-titles and another short story, for the moment titled “The Road Chosen” which I hope to get into Cross and Cosmos in the New Year. The Cross and Cosmos can also be read (for free!) over here – check out “A Dragon’s Freedom” in Issue 5 if you haven’t read it – it’s a short story set in my world of Airthai.

At last – some inspiration before the weekend!
Here are some of my favourite fantastical music videos to get your weekend started. From next week Friday I’ll have a weekly post on The Hobbit in the run-up to the film’s release in December.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Creativity Causes Laughter

Okay, not always, but definitely in this advert. The first time I saw it I nearly sprayed my desk with coffee!
It's the advert for a local fast food chain and in this series they name reasons why they love South Africa. They definitely always get it right with their ads!

Maandag Fiksie – The Call from Below

Foto deur Julia Starr

“The Call from Below” is flitsfiksie wat ek geskryf het vir die Readers’ Realm Oktober-kompetisie. Die tema/inspirasie wat gegee is, is dat dit ’n bangmaakstorie sonder bloed en derms moet wees. So, toe gebruik ek ’n bietjie plaaslike mitologie en skryf stedelike fantasie (“Urban Fantasy”).

Lees “The Call from Below” hier by Readers’ Realm en, terwyl jy daar is, koekeloer sommer ook na van die ander stories.