The Albanians of the Balkan Peninsula associate these creatures with female characters, whose names differ from one district of Albania to . Some of the best Balkan Folklore comes from Albania. Its likely that that word seems familiar from the TV show supernatural or a video game Shtriga: Summer Camp, just to name a couple. [6], In an Albanian tale published by Post Wheeler with the title The Girl who took a Snake for a Husband, the Shtriga appears as "the grandmother of all witches" that lives in the Underworld, a place of a red sun, a green sky and black trees.[7]. Do you know any great stories or terrifying creatures? Albanian Mythology. Newborns, children or beautiful girls have been said to catch the evil eye more easily, so in some Albanian regions when meeting such a person, especially a newborn, for the first time, people might say "masha'allah" and touch the child's nose to show their benevolence and so that the evil eye would not catch the child. And its not pretty. However, I wouldnt rule out the possibility of sexual attraction. This is really interesting! These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. [12], Albanian myths and legends are organized around the dichotomy of good and evil,[13] the most famous representation of which is the legendary battle between drangue and kulshedra,[14] a conflict that symbolises the cyclic return in the watery and chthonian world of death, accomplishing the cosmic renewal of rebirth. Anyway, whenever I talk about local boogeymen from different countries, I always add a reminder, so here goes. [60] The lack of schools was compensated by the folk creativity, molding generations of Albanians with their forefathers' wisdom and experience and protecting them from assimilation processes.[44]. Thank you so much for sharing! And you wouldnt be wrong for seeking that because of what in Albanian is called syliga. Another famous vampire type is called lugat and it may also be called kukithi or liogat. Palaj and Kurti published in 1937on the 25th anniversary of Albanian independencethe most important collection of Albanian epic verse, Kng kreshniksh dhe legenda (Songs of the Frontier Warriors and Legends), in the series called Visaret e Kombit (The Treasures of the Nation).[24][25]. Yet another similarity between lugat and sampiro is that lugat also tends to getattached to its victims and prefers to feed off the same one for as long as it can. Some of the characters of the Albanian myth: 1. This compilation was a milestone of Albanian folk literature being the first collection of Albanian material of scholarly quality. Balkan travel inspiration and practical travel tips. I havent heard of any of these, but they are so cool! The three fates of Greek Mythology, the Moirai, are represented similarly to the Ora as three goddesses who determine human destiny. I just dont understand how they actually manage to get their prey, I mean this whole show sampiro creates really attracts attention, even in the dark. [31], References of the Ora in Folklore and Epic Poetry, Similarities to other mythological figures, Southern Albanian Tosks - The Fatia, Mirai and Vitore, Last edited on 14 December 2022, at 21:14, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ora_(mythology)&oldid=1127461073, This page was last edited on 14 December 2022, at 21:14. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The shtriga is often pictured as a woman with a hateful stare (sometimes wearing a cape) and a horribly disfigured face. Eventually, as you got a bigger picture, you would also notice her face disfigurement and possibly a cape that she tends to wear. Travel Insight by Theme Palace | Privacy Policy. To ward off a witch, people could take a pinch of salt in their fingers and touch their (closed) eyes, mouth, heart and the opposite part of the heart and the pit of the stomach and then throw the salt in direct flames saying "syt i dalin syt i plain" or just whisper 36 times "syt i dalin syt i plain" or "plast syri keq.". Clotho spun the thread of life determining the destiny of each person, Lachesis measured the thread determining how long ones life would last, and Atropos cut the thread signifying the end of ones life. He is accompanied by two. Well, apparently vrykolakas can be pretty judgemental too. The story of the three sisters occurs in the oldest house in the town of Pranj and is a great piece of Balkan Folklore. And how does it crush them by sitting on them? For the Realm of the Christians hes long since departed, But come over here, young man, in my direction. The Ora ( Albanian: or, definite form: ora, pl. Henwen the White by Paige Carpenter. So at least 7 heads and even that is difficult to imagine. She further recorded the story that after draining blood from a victim, the shtriga would generally go off into the woods and regurgitate it. She did not die and re-emerged on a different isle. Or it eats their food? What else do we know about it from the creepy urban legends? Also, he claimed that dhampirs can also be identified as such if their bodies are boneless, which also shows in their movement. So you already know that a shtriga typically targets infants for some weird reason. [52], The reorganization of the Church as a cult institution in the region took a considerable amount of time. The French consul in Janina and Thessalonika, Auguste Dozon, published Albanian folk tales and songs initially in the 1879 Manuel de la langue chkipe ou albanaise (Manual of the Shkip or Albanian Language) and in the 1881 Contes albanais, recueillis et traduits (Albanian Tales, Collected and Translated). Want to read a bit more folklore and discover more mythical creatures? Extract from Songs of the Frontier Warriors (Mujo and Behuri), translated by Robert Elsie . A large abandoned ancient city remains within the cavern, with a bazar stocked with all of the finest and best fruit, flesh, fish, and fair raiment. I love hearing mythology and folklore stories, especially ones Ive never heard from new places. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, in Albania arrived also the Bektashi Sufi order[61] which spread widely among Albanians because of its traditional tolerance and regard for different religions, practices and beliefs and because it allowed itself to be a vehicle for the expression of Crypto-Christian, Christian and pre-Christian pagan beliefs and rituals. The birthing sow became to be a bad omen due to a prophecy, so the people of the isle chased her until she ran into the waters. Folk beliefs of the Southern Tosk Albanians reveal similar Albanian mythological figures of fate and destiny, the Mirai and Fatia. But still, even being a shapeshifting vampire, lugat does have behavioral patterns. [4], With the birth of each child many Oras gather in the night towards the cliffs to decide upon the qualities that child would receive. [17][18], Extract from Songs of the Frontier Warriors (The Marriage of Halili), translated by Robert Elsie . Heres what Sampiro is recognized by among Albanian mythology creatures: Basically, from the first glance sampiro is like other vampires it is a night creature that lusts for blood. But what about the personality and hunting methods? They are known in Albania specifically by their names and not the general vampire title. Should an Ora howl at a person, the threads of their fate would be cut. [58], Islam was first introduced to Albania in the 15th century after the Ottoman conquest of the area. Their importance and the love which the heroes have for them are carefully represented in the songs, while they are rarely described physically. A Lamiais a creature said to be half woman, half serpent. [22], The first Albanian folklorist to collect the oral tradition in a more systematic manner for scholarly purposes was the Franciscan priest and scholar Shtjefn Gjeovi. Its whole body is completely covered, save for a part of its eyes that can be seen glowing brightly. Dino himself published Valt e Detit (The Waves of the Sea), which, at the time of its publication in 1908, was the longest printed book in the Albanian language. So an encounter with shtriga doesnt end with her victims immediate death. Note that the parent vampire is not a dhampir, but a 100% vampire. Baba Tomorri has inflicted many wounds on the face of Shirag which can still be seen today. Yes, in popular creativity, it mostly symbolizes good fortune and the coming of a time of prosperity. After WW2, rumours circulated about chilling apparitions which were named Prepasti. Varieties of the symbols of the Sun that Christian orders brought in the region found in the Albanian highlands sympathetic supporters, enriching the body of their symbols with new material. Other than that, it seems that lugat, unlike sampiro, is not one to stand out and its appearance cant really be framed. The stories surrounding lugat vary quite a bit, especially when it comes to how dangerous it can be. The interesting part in the vampire habits and behavior is that according to Balkan creepy urban legends, male vampires are involved with mortal women much more often than female vampires are with male mortals. Mount Tomorr is a mountain range in central Albania. [4], In Catholic legend, it is said that shtriga can be destroyed using holy water with a cross in it,[5] and in Islamic myth it is said that shtriga can be sent away or killed by reciting verses from the Qur'an, specifically Ayatul Kursi 255 sura Al-Baqara, and spitting water on the shtriga. Bauk is described as hiding in dark places, holes or abandoned houses, waiting to grab, carry away, and devour its victim; it can be scared away by light and noise. The Zana is a mythological figure within Northern Albanian Gheg folk beliefs and oral epics. Nov 14, 2017 - Explore Margarett Bridge's board "Albanian Mythology" on Pinterest. Hmmm This brings more questions than answers! [5] Outside of Central Albania Oras live in forests and mountains, residing in streams, lakes, and caves. If a silver coin were to be soaked in that blood and wrapped in cloth, it would become an amulet offering permanent protection from any shtriga. Is it the Christian God? She accepted, for some reason, but she soon realised that this was not a game. She is a female demon who comes to you at night, in many forms, to give you nightmares and terrify you. The folk storytellers have played an important role in preserving Albanian folklore. Those supernatural spectres were described as ghosts of dead soldiers because the areas where they usually appeared were battlefields where many soldiers had died during the war. [10] A widespread folk symbol is the serpent, a totem of the Albanians associated with earth, water, sun, hearth and ancestor cults, as well as destiny, good fortune and fertility. Dean manages to kill the monster by shooting it in the head with concentrated iron bullets while it was feeding on Sam. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country that has suffered with war greatly. The Palace of Tre Sorelle (three sisters), with three windows facing the sea, of which two are walled up and one is still intact, can still be seen in Pranj today. Serbia - Bauk is an animal-like mythical creature in Serbian mythology. Clearly, vrykolakas sounds like a cowardly predator, avoiding a confrontation with its victims and only sneaking into their homes when theyre asleep. They bound all his wounds and healed all of his ailments. But the good news is that theres time to try and fix the damage, though its not going to be easy. See more ideas about mythology, fantasy, fantasy art. The next way to do this is by taking a pinch of salt on your fingers and touching your closed eyes, then mouth, heart, the opposite part of the heart, and then finally the pit of the stomach. Across all of Kotor and Boka the sisters were famous for their beauty. [9] Ora travel with their person and provide protection. Albert Doja reveals beliefs about the protective house snake throughout Albanian culture and superstitions. This is so interesting! To kill a sampiro, you need to stake it in the heart. Walking out as a regular bug that cant fly would be too troublesome! And yes, its a huge generalization once again, but in this particular case it also involves bad blood between Albania and the Turkish Ottoman Empire or the modern day Turkey. In Lubias case, I *think* that she is meant to protect children from predatory people. Follow Dark Scope on social media for the updates! Within Albania, people believed the Ora would protect them, while others believed the Ora were dangerous creates with evil purposes. [62][63][64] Bektashism is a Muslim dervish order (tariqat) thought to have originated in the 13th century in a frontier region of Anatolia, where Christianity, Islam and paganism coexisted, allowing the incorporation of comparable pagan and non-Muslim beliefs into popular Islam. [3] Ancient Illyrian religion is considered to be one of the sources from which Albanian legend and folklore evolved,[29][30][31] reflecting a number of parallels with Ancient Greek and Roman mythologies. [182][136], Another characteristic of Albanian heroic songs are weapons. [6] The earliest attested cult of the Albanians is the worship of the Sun and the Moon. Another super-easy way that is done by Albanians in some regions of the country, is having garlic at home and using it to keep the evil eye away from you. [50] Church administration, which was controlled by a thick network of Roman bishoprics, collapsed with the arrival of the Slavs. The Shtriga appears in the Legends of Tomorrow episode "Wet Hot American Bummer." Mount Shpirag is marked with deep streams of water running down its face and lies across the valley. This list may not reflect recent changes . [20] A substantial contribution in this direction has been made by the Albanologist Robert Elsie. Abaia: A magical eel (Melanesian Mythology) 47. Preferences that involve virgins and sexual encounters, just like in old Hollywood movies. Which, by the way, also serves as a very serious warning to avoid this person, as this is someone undoubtedly evil and dangerous. But yeah This one really gave me the creeps, even without a detailed description. The elements of Albanian mythology are of ancient Paleo-Balkanic origin and almost all of them are pagan. Shpiragm put up a good flight and hit Tomorr with his club leaving lasting damage. So, if you feel bitter towards the witch and want revenge for all that shes done, that may be the way. Another mentioned way to cure people of shtrigas touch is by getting her to die. There was no one to wall it up after she died. [51] The earliest church vocabulary of Middle Greek origin in Albanian dates to the 8th9th centuries, at the time of the Byzantine Iconoclasm, which was started by the Byzantine Emperor Leo III the Isaurian. Albanian Mythology Creatures: Vampires and Dhampirs Dhampirs are a widely-spread subject in Balkan folklore, which includes Albania, today's subject. It does not store any personal data. If you watch South Park, you may feel a deja vu as you read the part with the nickname, as Cartman from South Park has assigned this exact nickname to people with red hair who can walk in the sunlight without being scared of its effects on them. Basically, you have 3 options there: impale its head on a spike, chop its head off, or seek help from a professional vampire hunter. [1] The term shtriga is used also with the common meaning of "witch", referring to a bad and ugly old woman who casts evil spells upon people. The folklorist Giuseppe Pitr published in 1875 a selection of Albanian folk tales from Sicily in Fiabe, novelle e racconti popolari siciliani (Sicilian Fables, Short Stories and Folk Tales). In fact, according to the local lore, Shtriga can cure her victims by spitting in their mouths. We love to travel and share our Balkan experiences to assist and inspire. ORA is a mythical figure of rare beauty, minded and always ready to act, to bring good and punishment to her environment and to the beings to which it relates. One then strolled near him and spoke to him, saying: The oras we are of the great earthly hero. Evil Oras and devils would appear at night and then vanish at the first cock-crow two hours after midnight, as they were now powerless. Jerko, from Herceg Novi, could not choose between the sisters and, instead, he set off on a long sea voyage which he hoped would make the decision easier. SHE HAD A WOMANS MOUTH WITH ALL ITS PEARLS COMPLETE: AND FOR HER EYES: WHAT COULD SUCH EYES DO THERE BUT WEEP, AND WEEP, THAT THEY WERE BORN SO FAIR?. Save Balkan Folklore Discover the Fascinating Tales and Mythical Creatures for later by pinning the image below. All the children it attacked return to normal. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Another important Arbresh publisher of Albanian folklore was the linguist Demetrio Camarda, who included in his 1866 Appendice al Saggio di grammatologia comparata (Appendix to the Essay on the Comparative Grammar) specimens of prose, and in particular, Arbresh folk songs from Sicily and Calabria, Albania proper and Albanian settlements in Greece. It starts as an illness and it begins to progress, eventually ending with death. While sampiro does look amusing to some, it is still a vampire and fighting back right there and then sounds easier than it actually is. [45], Prehistoric Illyrian symbols used on funeral monuments of the pre-Roman period have been used also in Roman times and continued into late antiquity in the broad Illyrian territory. [25] Edith Durham reports that the dried head of a snake, cut off with a large silver medjidieh (coin) is a very good charm against the Evil Eye. Zuku Bajraktar captures his mothers secret lover, Slavic warrior Baloz Sedlija, as his prisoner. Perhaps thats the best way to undo her damage? Zanas are depicted as mountain fairies, and similarly to the Ora, live near springs within the highlands of Northern Albania. According to Maximilian Lambertz (1882-1963), he is the relic of an ancient Illyrian god. They travelled through the northern Albanian mountains and recorded folkloric materials which were published in French translation in the 1858 Hcquard's pioneering Histoire et description de la Haute Albanie ou Gugarie (History and Description of High Albania or Gegaria). Anger and rage of the shkja took possession.There in the moonlight at the edge of a fountain Did he encounter the three snow-white oras. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. All of these versions stem from the Latin word strga, which translates into evil spirit and witch. [56] In a text compiled around the beginning of the 11th century in the Old Bulgarian language, the Albanians are mentioned for the first time with their old ethnonym Arbanasi as half-believers, a term which for Eastern Orthodox Christian Bulgarians meant Catholic Christian. Kee-wakw: Cannibalistic Giant half-human and half-animal (Abenaki Mythology) 46. Unlike sampiro, however, lugat leaves its victims to deal with very serious consequences. So if youre a fan of all things vampire, you wont be surprised to read that the general Balkan stories, and hence Albanian stories, imply that the regular vampires are not just thirsty for blood, but women too. [15], Extract from Songs of the Frontier Warriors (Mujos Oras), translated by Robert Elsie -, Oh oras, to whom do you render assistance?. Balkan Folklore - North Macedonian Mythical Creatures It's time to meet some of North Macedonia's mythical creatures! All of the methods are very standard and unsurprising, but the problem is not having a definite agreement (even in stories) whether all of them are effective or not. [2] In Albanian folk beliefs, earth is the object of a special cult,[7] and an important role is played by fire, which is considered a living, sacred or divine element used for rituals, sacrificial offerings and purification. Such motifs are particularly related to the ancient cults of the Sun and Moon, survived until recently among northern Albanians. Among the main bodies of Albanian folk poetry are the Kng Kreshniksh ("Songs of Heroes"), the traditional non-historical cycle of Albanian epic songs, based on the cult of the legendary hero. 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