A-Z Blogging Challenge: B is for Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga

Within the realms of Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is a supernatural being, usually portrayed as an old, crone-like witch, who can control the elements and has also been known to eat people. Despite this appetite, Baba Yaga is as thin as a skeleton and, due to this, the phrase "bony legs" is often used after her name. Her nose is extremely long, and she seems to use it to smell out people. In some tales she also has teeth made of iron, which she will sharpen when preparing to consume someone.

She travels around in an over-sized mortar - either by flying or dragging herself along the ground - and carries a pestle, broom and/or mop around with her. The hut in which Baba Yaga lives, deep in the forest, seems to be 'alive', can move about using the giant chicken legs on which it's perched, and sometimes uses its windows as eyes.

Sometimes, there are three Baba Yagas who are sisters, very similar in appearance, but they are often described as being different ages or have somewhat differing personalities and temperaments. However, even when there is only one Baba Yaga, her role is extremely varied, ranging from a cannibalistic witch, to a helpful and wise "earth mother", and everything in between.

For more in-depth information about Baba Yaga (a version of her, anyway) Old Russia's Baba Yaga page is quite useful. You can also read a Baba Yaga story from Folk Tales From the Russian, by Verra Xenophontovna Kalamatiano de Blumenthal, [1903], at Internet Sacred Text Archive.

This post is part of the A-Z Blogging Challenge, 2013.

Full list of A-Z blogs after the cut below!

Movies & Animation: Pumpkin Moon

Based on the Simon Bartram children's book of the same name, 'Pumpkin Moon' is a delightful, animated Halloween tale, directed by Hilary Audus. The story centres around a black cat that gets caught in the middle of a battle between a group of "good" jack-o'-lanterns, and some "evil" witches that want to take over the world. (Naturally. I mean, what else would evil witches in a kids movie want to do?)

The unusually large, orange, Pumpkin Moon is apparently what gives life to the jack-o'-lanterns, as well as all the Halloween decorations that the witches summon. 

The animation isn't that wonderful, but it's a very sweet, spooky film, and even a little bit sad at the end. Though I won't tell you what happens of course ;) Also, for those of you that don't like musicals and cheesy songs, there's only one corny number in the whole film. Admittedly, the movie is only 30 minutes long, but still, it's not so bad.

If you have the DVD version of 'Pumpkin Moon', you will also get the extras, which consist of a mummy puppet and scary helper hands demonstrating how to make various creepy Halloween decorations. They look quite effective and are all super simple to make.

More screenshots of 'Pumpkin Moon' after the cut below:

Food and Drink: Spooky Chocolate Molds

This delightful spooky chocolate mold was bought as a present for me from the "home and creative kitchenware" shop Lakeland. I assume it was produced for Halloween and so I'm not sure if they still make it or not, but there are many other places, such as FRED, that sell themed chocolate/ice cube molds that could be used instead.

It's made of ridgid but bendable rubber, which means that although it will keep the shape of the chocolate well, it's also very easy to pop out each one when you're done. The rubber material also helps to ensure that they don't stick to the mold. There are shaped ridges and raised areas in each section, meaning that it is really simple to add cute details just by filling them in with a different colour chocolate. I used a small paintbrush to do the details in dark chocolate and then, after leaving it to set for a few minutes, poured in the white chocolate to fill up the rest of the mold.

Make sure the chocolate is completely melted and smooth before you start, as this will give a better outcome. The finished products below might look a little messy, but that was because I used a paint brush that was a little too large for the gaps, not because of the mold itself.

Quick, simple, delicious fun!

Food and Drink: Halloween Gingerbread House

A few days ago I told you about Dylan's Candy Bar's gingerbread playhouse and Dr. Oetker's Bat Cookie Kit. Well, much to my surprise yesterday, Dr. Oetker yet again provided a fun, sweet treat! The Christmas Halloween Gingerbread House Kit! Admittedly, it is supposed to be Christmas themed, but with a few adjustments it can easily have a Halloween or horror theme and it's nowhere near the price (or size) of the Dylan's Candy Bar version. 

The kit includes:

• Gingerbread shapes (for main house)
• Jelly diamonds
• Mini marshmallows
• Chocolate beans
• Designer icing (white)

You'll need a knife to cut out the door too, and I chose to customise mine with Halloween candy, toys and black icing as well.



↑The Halloween gingerbread house that I made↑



Extras (not included in kit):

• Black icing (from Bat Cookie Kit)
• Finger pupper monsters
• Ghost & witch chocolates
• Skulls & Bones candy
• Rainbow drops

Everything but the black icing was from Handy Candy.

More pictures and instructions on how to make the Halloween house after the jump below! (Just like the bat cookies, it's really simple!)

Museums and Galleries: Museum of Witchcraft, Boscastle

Last week, Luciel and I had the opportunity to travel to Boscastle in Cornwall and to visit the Museum of Witchcraft, which is home to the largest collection of witchcraft-related items in the world! The museum was originally founded on the Isle of Man in 1951 by renound occult expert Cecil Williamson and, after a few relocations, eventually moved to Boscastle in 1961.

The building itself is on two floors and is packed with all kinds of fascinating witchcraft and ritual magic paraphernalia. In addition to items that were used in real witchcraft, there's also advertising featuring witches from various decades, toys, decorations, artwork, photographs, models, a small section on Satanism (nothing to do with witchcraft, but included because of the general misconceptions linking the two) and more. Each piece on display is accompanied by a description and the staff are also very friendly and willing to answer any questions (within reason) that you may have.

As well as the items on display to the public, the museum also has a vast collection of books on the occult, which scholars and those with appropriate qualifications or reasons may be allowed access to if arranged with the museum owners in advance. However, even without being able to view these books, the museum collection is still massive.

The entry fee is only £3 for adults, and the village of Boscastle also has many interesting shops/galleries and beautiful scenery. The ruins at Tintagel, which is said to be the birthplace of King Arthur, are also only 2-3 miles away and so the museum and the surrounding area are well worth visiting!



Contact and Visitor Information

The Museum of Witchcraft is located by The Harbour in Boscastle, Cornwall. Boscastle is on the North coast of Cornwall between Tintagel and Bude (Multimap link).

Open:

•Easter Halloween (April - end October)

•Monday to Saturday 10.30am till 6pm (last admission 5.30)

•Sunday 11.30am till 6pm (last admission 5.30)

The full address is:
The Museum of Witchcraft
The Harbour
Boscastle
Cornwall
PL35 0HD


To contact the Museum:
•Telephone: 01840 250111 (within UK)
•Telephone: +44 1840 250111 (international)
•Email: museumwitchcraft@AOL.com

Website: http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/


Photographs by: Lilia Tombs

↓More images after the jump↓

Toys: Edible Gingerbread Playhouse

Dylan's Candy Bar, the world's largest candy store, have made a fairytale witch's dream come true, with this huge edible gingerbread playhouse. (Don't worry, there's no oven! You're safe!) For everyone else, if you just ignore the little Christmas trees and turn the snoman into a pumpkin man, and you've got yourself a fantastic Halloween playhouse!

"...This unique edible playhouse is handcrafted of 381 lbs. of gourmet gingerbread and 517 lbs. of royal icing by the expert confectioners at Dylan's Candy Bar®. The munchable manor, which stands 6.6 feet high by 5.25 feet wide by 4.1 feet deep, incorporates the best confections from the world's largest candy store in New York City. With literally thousands of signature gourmet sweets from which to choose, it is both artfully designed and decadently delicious. It includes giant cookies, lollipops, gummies, mints, gumdrops, and (of course) a candy-encrusted roof. There's also a lollipop tree inside, just for good measure. CEO and self-proclaimed Candy Queen Dylan Lauren was inspired as a child when she watched the classic movie Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory..."

It looks pretty amazing, but comes with an equally amazing price tag of 15,000 dollars! But if you do happen to be a particularly rich witch, you can head over to Neiman Marcus and buy yourself one. Even if you're not willing to spend that kind of money on confectionary, it's still worth heading over to Dylan's Candy Bar for their Halloween candy and contest (open to US residents only) HERE!

Neiman Marcus link via Geekologie