Customer Reviews

Baba Yaga (International Folkloristics, V. 3)

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As Andreas Johns concludes in his masterfully researched book, BABA YAGA: THE AMBITIOUS MOTHER AND WITCH OF RUSSIAN FOLKLORE: "Baba Yaga defies any single or simple definition or interpretation, and no final definitive word can ever be said about her." Yet, what Johns manages to accomplish, in this fascinating and highly readable book, is to compile everything ever said or written about this fabulous Slavic folktale character. As one who has adored and feared Baba Yaga since childhood, I have been on a quest throughout my life to know more about her -- well, here is the treasure for which I've been searching! Scholars, as well as lovers, of folklore, oral traditions, and the psychology of ancient story will relish the careful research, the vast exploration, and the deep respect Johns brings to his wonderful study of Baba Yaga.

Andreas Johns' book on Baba Yaga is thorough and very useful if you're looking for information about the folk-tale figure Baba Yaga. It is not, as the other reviewer says, "highly readable." It's pretty dry and academic. But if you want to know about Baba Yaga, I haven't found anything else with nearly as much depth as this (in English at least -- if you speak Russian, you will likely be able to find other works of similar usefulness). Baba Yaga is a really interesting figure, and this book does a good job laying out all the different ways she appears in different folk tales.