Baba Coaja

A vampiric forest spirit and nursery bogey from Romania, Baba Coaja (“The old woman of the tree bark”) is a bloodthirsty monster described as being half bear and half woman. She is a singular entity who snatches up children who have wandered into the woods alone or away from the watchful eyes of their parents. Particularly evil, she will consume their physical bodies but locks their souls up in elderberry trees where they will rot away.

PRONUNCIATION:

BABA-C O-ya

VARIATIONS:

Samca

SOURCES:

• Cremene, Mythology of the Vampires of Romania;
• Indian Psychoanalytical Society, Samnk·I, 73;
• Róheim, Fire in the Dragon, 65, 76;
• Sylva, Legends from River and Mountain, 104 ­8

SOURCE:

Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology Written by :Theresa Bane ©2010 Theresa Bane. All rights reserved