Yoma the Forest Witch
Komi · deity · primordial · deity
Komi-Zyrian (and Permyak) folktale witch, an individuated mythic figure (the named Yoma, not a class of witches), rendered here as deity per schema. English 'Yoma the Forest Witch' leads; native Ёма (Joma) in term. SOLITARY: a solitary hag with no individuated kin, spouse or parentage in the tale corpus (Rédei 1978; Komi mythology surveys).
Domains
- witchcraft and sorcery
- wild beasts of the forest
- swamp and deep forest
- devouring and cannibalism
Powers
- command wolves and bears as her herds
- devour those she captures
- compel a marriage-bargain by threat
Epithets
- Ёма
Sources
- Károly Rédei, Zyrian Folklore Texts (Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 1978)
- V. Ya. Petrukhin, on the yoma of Komi and Samoyed folklore
- Komi mythology, Wikipedia
- Komi mythology / 'Girl tall as a spindle', Wikipedia