I recently figured out: What *I* think Baba Yaga represents

This, after I've read two versions of the Wonder Tale Vasilisa the Beautiful; the first one was a modern retelling by someone who doesn't give a name, and whose email is: Webmaster@oldrussia.net... Which doesn't shed much light on the author's persona. The second retelling is an English translation from 1912, so is in the Public Domain. Here's the version of the 1912 story: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/babayaga/index.html

And seen a short film adaptation by a student film maker of another story in which she appears.

But none-the-less, I have an idea which pleases me. And it is this:

Baba Yaga is the Personification of Time, the Devourer, or the Entropy aspect of time.

And, behind a spoiler cut is a list of reasons why I think so:

( Spoilers for *Vasilisa the Beautiful )

I have more musings about this story... But I'm falling asleep something fierce, so they'll have to wait.

Two things that I find ,,, what's the word? ... Heartening?

This is a Yin-Yang post. The first is cheering in a lump-in-the-throat, "where's my hankie?" sort of way: Straight forward and innocent. The second is complex, dark and verges on despair. But, just as the Yin Yang symbol represents one thing transforming into another, I think they really do come together into something that is ultimately hopeful:

1) One Small Voice (can teach the world a song) -- YouTube video by the late, Great, Jeff Moss, song-writer and Muppet designer for Sesame Street, and sung here by a church choir for a concert on December 11, last year.

( 'One Small Voice' lyrics and music by Jeff Moss )

"Every song the world sings -- each was once unknown ..." That's a much bigger thought than you usually find on a show for little kids. BTW, according to the Muppet Wiki site, this song first aired in 1989 (Sesame Street's 20th Anniversary year), but I can't find that version -- it got remixed very quickly for recordings and later on-air versions.

2) Shakespeare's Sonnet #66 -- not sure why I find this so cheering, since it's basically a list of eleven reasons to wish for death, versus one reason to keep on living... Except maybe I'm finding solace that an essential stranger from 400+ years ago once raged against the same injustices in the world that I do-- assurance that, no, it's not just me-- and that he expressed his rage with wit and wordplay, instead of (or perhaps, taking a break from) a raw, animalistic, howl.

( Tired with all these, for restful death I cry )

Mother was tickled by line 12: "And captive good attending captain ill" when she first read it. And I find myself nodding with "OMG THIS, so much!" at line 11: "And simple truth miscall'd simplicity"

I find it interesting, by the way, that when I searched for readings of this sonnet on YouTube, most of the hits that came back had the sonnet translated into either Russian or German, and put to melodies as protest songs, and it was much less popular (apparently) among American / British people.

Maybe where these two pieces agree is in the notion that we find our comfort and our courage in our relationships with other people ... ???