Becoming Baba Yaga

Trickster, Feminist, and Witch of the Woods

De: Kris Spisak, GennaRose Nethercott - Foreword by

Narrado por: Ann Richardson

When darkness, fear, and instability inundate our daily lives, folktale figures like Baba Yaga speak to the dichotomy of our existence-the hope and the horror, the magic and the mundane. At once an old hag and an enchantress, a demon and wish granter, a feminist and nothing more than a fairytale, Baba Yaga is an endlessly complex folktale character.

Becoming Baba Yaga provides an in-depth look at the Baba Yaga mythos and history through Slavic folklore. Filled with historical and cultural context, analyses, and the stories themselves that add depth to the conversation. A comprehensive resource for anyone hoping to learn more about this ambiguous character and how her multifaceted presence still ripples through the present day, Becoming Baba Yaga is as thoughtful as it is illuminating.

Spisak explores Baba Yaga's connection to nature as an Earth goddess and as an herbalist. She also delves into the Shadow Self and Baba Yaga's aspect as a trickster and places her in a modern context as not merely a witch of the woods but also as an archetype and force for finding your own path. Becoming Baba Yaga shares how she is both a force for good as much as evil and a feminist before her time.

©2024 Kris Spisak; Foreword copyright 2024 by GennaRose Nethercott (P)2024 Tantor

FINALLY!!!!!!!! A book that is far, far overdue!

FINALLY! Someone has finally written this book!
All my life I have been fascinated by tales of Baba Yaga, and have read pretty much everything I can find on her--But there is never enough. This branch of folktale is so rich and so deep, and interpretations range from the shallow and callow to rich Jungian understanding, and all this is touched upon here. Spisak tells tales I hadn't heard before, as well as the old familiars, then speaks about them, touching competently on the many levels in which any folktale can be interpreted. I think that her mastery in this book springs from the fact that the material MEANS something to her (she is of Ukrainian heritage, and was raised on the tales, so they are clearly part of her very soul), and upon her competent mastery of both research and writing. The only real fault I find with this book is that I wish it were 1200 or more pages. And while I might have personally preferred an older narrator, this one did a fine job and was not distracting. It's a book I will listen to many times, and I am sure I will also purchase it in hardcover. Bravo Kris Spisak!!! And thank you!
(And if, like me, you find this book fascinating, make sure to listen to or to read Catherine Arden's "Bear and the Nightingale" series, which is a masterfully researched fictional account of the Baba Yaga material set in medieval Russia.)

Engaging narration of a fascinating mythical character

Loved the format of retelling individual stories, along with some of their variations, mythological & modern tie-ins. I was engaged start to finish!