Babay (Slavic folklore)

Babay or Babai (Russian: Баба́й) is a night spirit (Bogeyman) in Slavic folklore. According to beliefs, he abducts children who do not sleep at night or behave badly.^[1] He is also called Babayka (Russian: Баба́йка), although the term may also be applied to his female equivalent.^[2]

Role and characteristics[]

Babay is rarely described as in this case children can imagine him in the form most terrible for them. However, sometimes Babay is described as a pitch-black and crooked old man. He has some physical defects, such as muteness, armlessness, or/and lameness. Babay has a bag and a cane.^[3] It is believed that he lives in the forest, in a swamp or in a garden.^[2] At night, he wanders through the streets and puts into his bag those who meet him on the way. Walking near the houses, Babay stands close to the windows and watches at the children. If they are awake, he starts to make scary noises, such as rustling, gritting and knocking on the window. Also, Babay can sometimes hide under the child's bed, and he may take them if they get up.^[2]

Babay is often mentioned in lullabies, usually with instructions not to come for the child:

Etymology[]

The term babay, alongside its synonym, baba, is most likely of Turkic origin. It is translated as "grandfather", "old man" from the Tatar language.^[1]

References[]

Bibliography[]

• Kushnir, Dmitry (2014), Creatures of Slavic Myth, Dmitry Kouchnir, ISBN 978-1505628029