Re: God NOT out of the equation in evolution
Posted by Amaranth Rose on Mar 12, 2004 at 02:19
(65.172.150.222)Re: God NOT out of the equation in evolution (Pasti)
I took no offense, trust me. I was laughing. "Baba" indeed is a term of endearment, like "Nana" or "Grandma", the quintessential "tough little old lady" who always knows what to say and has a remedy for every ailment, the old wise woman, the herb healer. But Baba Yaga specifically is an old, nasty, misanthropic, capricious, cantankerous, sorcery-practicing old witch in the darkest Slavonic traditions. She'll come to your door dressed in filthy rags begging for a bowl of milk, and if you don't give it to her fast enough or courteously enough to suit her she'll cast a spell to curdle your milk, ruin your butter, rot your cheese or make you cow go dry. No insult or slight is too small for her to become enraged over and exact overwhelming revenge for, and on occasion small kindnesses she rewards with riches and jewels and magical rewards of every kind. For the most part she keeps her ill-tempered, malicious self to herself, living in her little hut, which stands on its chicken legs deep in the forest, hence is never in the same place twice (like certain other magical destinations), and travels instantaneoulsy around the world in a magical mortar and pestle (perhaps the earliest known observation of quantum travel ever recorded!). On occasion desperate people seek her out, and from time to time she helps them, though begrudgingly and at sometimes at an unfairly high price.
With her habit of abusively punishing bad behavior, and capriciously rewarding good on occasion, she's both very realistic, and the ultimates scare tactic to coerce little children into better behavior.
Baba Yaga is an interesting paradigm in the area of child-rearing. She can be found described in detail in most any thorough collection of Russian and related ethnic group fairy-tales.
"rahter tall, slender, sitting with the knees together and with a very straight back,and very stiff when standing,thin and rather tight lips,voluntary jaw,hair in a severe bun at the back,dressed in a white blouse and black skirt"
A very apt description of the archetypal New England Puritan Matriarch; an extremly dangerous creature when crossed. Her husband may rule the roost, but that is only because she very firmly and totally rules the rooster. His word is law-if and when she approves it. That soft velvet glove on the finely made hand conceals a fist that would smash depleted Uranium with a light caress. When she says "jump" the family does, as hard and high as they can, and prays it might be enough on the way up. Stay on her good side if you can find one. :-) LOL!!
Consider if you will a whole platoon of them...the mind chills! :-)