Baba Yaga

One of the most iconic figures in Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is a supernatural being who appears as an old witch-like woman living deep in the forest in a hut that stands on giant chicken legs. She flies through the air in a mortar, steering with a pestle and sweeping away her tracks with a broom. Baba Yaga is a complex figure — neither purely good nor evil — who can be a helper or a devourer depending on how she is approached. Those who come to her with respect and proper manners may receive magical gifts or wisdom, while those who are rude or foolish may be eaten. She guards the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead, and her hut turns away from visitors until the correct ritual words are spoken. Baba Yaga appears in hundreds of Russian fairy tales, often testing heroes and heroines before aiding or hindering their quests.