One of the most terrible and unclear characters for children of all age is Babayka. Usually frighten by him disobedient children who do not want to be put to bed in time. It is interesting to kids and, perhaps, some adults how Babayka and who this such looks.
In spite of the fact that it is difficult to surprise modern parents and children with their high level of literacy and education with something, threats Babayem or Babaykoy still are one of effective methods of education.
The woman - a Slavic mythological being, terrible night spirit. Ancient Russia believed in its existence, it was often mentioned in national legends, popular beliefs, signs. Babayem was meant as the terrible lame and toothless old man. Babayka is a female being. It looked almost also, as well as the grandfather Babay. This is the awful old woman, something similar to the fantastic Baba-yaga, fetid, crooked, with the sticking-out chin and eyeballs, the drooped skin and a toothless mouth.
It is thought that the image of Babaya appeared in any small small village where the lonely angry old man lived the rest of years. Such most often lodged on the outskirts of the village at the wood, frightening by the type and behavior of the local kids which are accustomed to tease the strange grandfather. Than not Babay for uneducated kids?
Now parents seldom distinguish these characters, thinking that Babayka - derivative, diminutive-hypocoristic on behalf of Babay. And therefore in idea of children of how modern Babayka looks, male images are drawn.
Babayki's image strong took root in many families, children to put to bed happens hardly, and the fear before novel has very strong impact on children's mentality. As mom or dad will describe to the child appearance of Babayki, such appearance which is finished drawing in darkness of night the kid will represent.
Except terrible appearance of Babayke attribute various awful acts. He, according to stories by adults, entices into the forest and kills disobedient children there, steals not persons interested to sleep kids from their beds, watching in dark corners of the room, under the bed or on a windowsill.
Children from fairy tales know about different angry characters much: Baba-yaga, Fright Bolotnoy, Koschei the Immortal, House. They see them in animated films and on pages of books. It is difficult to find the image Babayki in the fairy tale or a cartoon, and therefore its image can differ in each family.
How Babayka looks, draws inner world of the certain child according to stories by parents and, proceeding from their own imagination and therefore precisely describe his appearance can be rather problematic.