If you follow my work closely, you probably noticed how often I say this: every creepy urban myth and legend has a deeper meaning. They can roar like thunder, make the earth shake, and snack on grown people. [5], In Albanian mythology, the physical phenomena, elements and objects are attributed to supernatural beings. Manole had to keep his promise and the beautiful monastery was built. After all, they do have the power to walk in sunlight. Anyway, just being a Turk was not where it all ended. Tomor is the father of gods and humans in the Albanian mythology. Other descriptions have him as an undead child, who was unbaptised, that has returned to haunt its parents. But what bothers me is the part of scaring children into not crying. Indeed, Mitko compiled and classified the material according to genres, including sections on fairy tales, fables, anecdotes, children's songs, songs of seasonal festivities, love songs, wedding songs, funerary songs, epic and historical songs. The male noun for shtriga is shtrigu or shtrigan. Want to read a bit more folklore and discover more mythical creatures? Often you could even call this family business (yes, like Sam & Dean), as the young dhampirs learn the craft from their own parents and grandparents. [11], From Albanian literature 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. Prepasti would eventually disappear forever. As a matter of fact, these stories tell us that dhampirs are just regular members of our societies that also happen to be Albanian mythology creatures. The drekavac will avoid dogs and bright light, and if the shadow of drekavac falls upon a person then that person will become ill and die. As you now know, this lugat vampire is a tricky one. Perhaps thats the best way to undo her damage? He clenched it and squeezed it and crushed it to pieces., Mujos brother Halili sets out to search for the only one he wishes to marry, Tanusha - the daughter of the King in the Realm of the Christians. Only the shtriga herself could cure those she had drained. It may not be the first time you hear the word shtriga. It can even take weeks. The characters in Albanian tales, legends and myths include humans, deities, demigods, monsters, as well as supernatural beings in the shapes of men, animals and plants. The hard part is getting her to actually do it. Between the early 7th century and the late 9th century the interior areas of the Balkans were deprived of church administration, and Christianity might have survived only as a popular tradition on a reduced degree. God bestowed it upon me to come to my assistance., Within Albanian folklore it was believed every person was assigned an Ora at birth, for there were as many Ora as there were humans. Mythological Creatures Coming at Night and Strangling People. . Should an Ora howl at a person, the threads of their fate would be cut. Their name derives from Fate. Usually, shtriga were described as old or middle-aged women with grey, pale green, or pale blue eyes (called white eyes or pale eyes) (Albanian: sybardha) and a crooked nose. This particular one is called the Night Hag. After that, all youll need to do is throw the salt into direct flames while also saying syt i dalin syt i plain. All Rights Reserved | I gotta admit, that sounds better than letting her spit into someones mouth! Baba Tomorri has taken a fine-looking bride, Earthly Beauty. Albanian folk tales were first recorded in the middle of the nineteenth century by European scholars such as Johann Georg von Hahn, the Austrian consul in Janina (Ioannina), Karl H. Reinhold and Giuseppe Pitr. The two main categories of Albanian mythology are factual stories and transformation tales. There are no known explanations why, but one could assume that female vampires are either not attracted to mortals or simply do not possess a sexual appetite as vast as the males do. As Mujo and Behuri duel, the Ora intervenes guiding Mujo to distract Behuri and use the poison dagger which the Ora had hidden on Behuri, to slay him. I hope youre ready to meet the dark side of Albanian culture! Kind of like a drunk sexual predator. These maidens would shape the life of every child that is born, appointing varying destinies to each similarly to the Ora. Balkan Folklore is really interesting to read but its even better to hear the tale told by an enthusiastic local who has been brought up with these legends. So unlike sampiro and lugat, vrykolakas doesnt bother to spare its victims. and I think Im going to have nightmares of Lamia, but this whole post was such a fun read. Folk beliefs of the Southern Tosk Albanians reveal similar Albanian mythological figures of fate and destiny, the Mirai and Fatia. Zuku, taunted and captured is blinded by his mother. Who is the national poet of Albania? I find myself with both and Im curious what you think about it! In Albania, Romania and Hungary, some people believe that if a snake lives long enough and is not seen by a human, it will eventually turn into a dragon. For me, not only does it say something about its personality, but also raises questions. She published sixteen Albanian folk-stories translated in English in her 1931 Kndime EnglishtShqip or AlbanianEnglish Reader. Prince Radu the Black dreamed of building the most striking monastery in Romania. This specific ability even got them a nickname Daywalker.. Lexicon of Albanian Mythology: Areal Studies in the Polylingual Region of Azov Sea. So at least 7 heads and even that is difficult to imagine. Or, if you prefer, you can whisper syt i dalin syt i plain or plast syri keq 3 to 6 times. 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. Thank you so much for sharing! But her care and love for him was stronger than the storm, and she kept walking. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Also, why would shtriga go to a church? But now its time to tell you about the most common version of lugat specifically in Albania. In addition to that, for an unknown reason, sampiro also wears high heels and is therefore swaying as it walks. Is it the Christian God? The creature is known for not taking the lives of its victims, it only takes enough for it to satisfy the growling stomach. I dont think there has been a building constructed without some sort of tale behind it! His folklore material was republished in his Albanesische Studien (Albanian Studies). So, if you feel bitter towards the witch and want revenge for all that shes done, that may be the way. While Jin is a general reference to concealment, al-janin refers specifically to a fetus that is concealed in its mother's womb. [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. Her spell was so powerful that Vita was turned into black stone that is now known as the Black Peak while Lyulin suffered a similar fate and became Lyulin Mountain. 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. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country that has suffered with war greatly. I love these stories! The zana e malit is an Albanian mythological creature (Albanian: Zane or Zre in southern Albania)("fairy of the mountain" in English), zana (as a definite noun), or zan (plural) of pre-Roman Paleo-Balkan origin. A Albanian folk beliefs Kng Kreshniksh C Constantin and Doruntin Culture of Dean D Djall E E Bukura e Dheut E Bukura e Qiellit En (deity) J Jinn L Yup, thats it! One then strolled near him and spoke to him, saying: The oras we are of the great earthly hero. They appear also on later funerary monuments, including the medieval tombstones (steci) in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the burial monuments used until recently in northern Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, southern Serbia and northern North Macedonia. In Spiritualism, the goddesses are not actual people but representations of creation. So worst-case scenario, you were chosen by sampiro. When feeding it simply bites like any human would and then sucks blood from the wound. I could go on for days on what can turn you into a vrykolakas. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Drop a comment in the box, wed love to hear from you! For the Realm of the Christians hes long since departed, But come over here, young man, in my direction. This is so interesting! A Lamiais a creature said to be half woman, half serpent. Another important figure in Norse mythology is the god Thor, who is known for his strength and his weapon, the mighty hammer Mjolnir. [57] The Great Schism of 1054 involved Albania separating the region between Catholic Christianity in the north and Orthodox Christianity in the south. The eldest sister died first so the other two bricked up her sea facing window. [42], Albanian folklore traces back to Paleo-Balkan mythology including a substrate of Illyrian religion. [9], Within Albanian folklore and poetry, Ora had the ability to take any form they pleased, including birds, beasts, women, or serpents.[10], In Northern Albania, Oras often appear as serpents. similarly to the Southern Albanian deity Vitore. There was no one to wall it up after she died. It would be wrapped with a silver medal of St. George, then blessed by a priest - providing protection against the evil Oras and devils when worn.[24]. The three fates of Greek Mythology, the Moirai, are represented similarly to the Ora as three goddesses who determine human destiny. A shtriga was featured in the Supernatural episode, "Something Wicked", wherein it attacked children, causing them to become comatose; it then disguised itself as a doctor so it could continue to feed upon them. The German linguist and professor at the University of Graz, Gustav Meyer, published in 1884 fourteen Albanian tales in Albanische Mrchen (Albanian Tales), and a selection of Tosk tales in the 1888 Albanian grammar (1888). Alphabetical entries shed light on blood feuding, figures of Albanian mythology, religious beliefs, communities, and sects, calendar feasts and rituals, and popular superstitions, as well as birth, marriage, and funeral . When I was doing my research specifically about dhampirs, I expected to discover some kind of defects that would come from the human parent. The villagers of the mountain regions pass stories down to their children about how natural features of the land were created. Apparently, these two factors make them evil and the word shtriga itself is used to describe someone as evil. See more ideas about mythology, fantasy, fantasy art. E Bukura e Dheut. The Albanian word shtrig (definite form being shtriga) derives from the Latin strga, "evil spirit, witch",[2] related to Italian: strega, Romanian: strig and Polish: strzyga. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". I know that if I was a kid and saw a giant, Id do the opposite. [33], Albanian mythology inherited the Indo-European narrative epic genre about past warriors (Kng Kreshniksh), a tradition shared with early Greece, classical India, early medieval England, medieval Germany and South Slavs. Basically, everyone who were frowned upon in the old days and even somewhat today. He began to take an interest in 1859 and started recording Albanian folklore material from the year 1866, providing also folk songs, riddles and tales for Demetrio Camarda's collection. Zuku Bajraktar captures his mothers secret lover, Slavic warrior Baloz Sedlija, as his prisoner. Obviously, no one wants to have dealings with shtriga in the first place. [15] The characters in Albanian tales, legends and myths include humans, deities, demigods, monsters, as well as supernatural beings in the shapes of men, animals and plants. [53] The Balkans were brought back into the Christian orbit only after the recovery of the Byzantine Empire and through the activity of Byzantine missionaries. In the light of the moon did they seem to be playing., Within Albanian folklore and poetry, the Ora is a protective spirit that every human possesses from birth. Neighbours of Albania Montenegro Kosovo North Macedonia Greece Questions & Answers Who is the national founder of Albania? [2] Albert Doja refers to the studies of Maximilian Lambertz, revealing that the faces of the Oras change depending on the degree of happiness they bestow upon the newborn child. Anyway, whenever I talk about local boogeymen from different countries, I always add a reminder, so here goes. [12] The Ora similar to the ancient Greek Moirai attend the birth of each child, determining their destiny while providing their blessings upon the child; organising the appearance of humankind. Traditionally sung in the far north of Albania,[13] Albanian oral literature has preserved many archaic elements, revealing traces of Greco-Roman mythology within, including the mythical Ora. On a final note about a lugat, I just wanted to add that basically there is no positive way to see the creature. What I *dont* understand is why does it eat peoples food? People who were in the sampiro list included liars, thieves, petty criminals in general, trans people and homosexuals, as well as people whowere too much into animals (if you know what I mean), and those who would frequent sex workers. Jubani published in 1871 his Raccolta di canti popolari e rapsodie di poemi albanesi (Collection of Albanian Folk Songs and Rhapsodies)the first collection of Gheg folk songs and the first folkloric work to be published by an Albanian who lived in Albania. Although they had never met, Vita used to sing from the top of the Big ridge while Lyulin would accompany her on his fiddle from the Long ridge. The urban stories claim that like any other vampire, it feeds off peoples blood. Unlike with a female shtriga, however, we dont really get an explanation of how men turn into shtrigu. 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.". And its not pretty. The deities are generally not persons, but animistic personifications of nature. Some of these stories actually scared me a little!! Thanks Jenny. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Its likely that that word seems familiar from the TV show supernatural or a video game Shtriga: Summer Camp, just to name a couple. They also have the tail of a snake, golden wings and incredible physical strength. [20], The Albanian National Awakening (Rilindja) gave rise to collections of folklore material in Albania in the second half of the 19th century. Many of the characters of the Albanian mythology are included in the Albanian Songs of the Frontier Warriors ( Albanian : Kng Kreshniksh or Cikli i Kreshnikve ), the traditional cycle of Albanian epic songs. On the other hand, some people strongly believe that shtriga can be killed when she is caughtfeeding. But even if you do come across an evil dhampir, there is a bright side legends tell us that its possible to identify dhampirs as such. Her favorite target is infants and she typically hunts during the night when infants (and their parents, for that matter) are sleeping. And thats something we need to know in case we come across the creature! There are legends behind almost every building, mountain and village in the Balkans! Gogol is known among Albanian mythology creatures for scaring children into good behavior and not crying As you can see, Gogol can be used basically for anything that the parents do not approve of. Within Albania, people believed the Ora would protect them, while others believed the Ora were dangerous creates with evil purposes. Thats right, the one that lugat feeds from can become tainted by its own desire to feed off other people. [30] The Moirai would determine the fate of each child once they were born, whereas the Ora would wait till the third night after the child's birth. Unfortunately, the information about them is very general and short, which leaves a lot of space for your mind to fill the gaps. According to popular belief, they returned to the area to search for their lost limbs. 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. Albanian folk beliefs (Albanian: Besimet folklorike shqiptare) and mythological stories comprise the beliefs expressed in the customs, rituals, myths, legends and tales of the Albanian people. They are often depicted spinning, measuring, and cutting thread, revealing their control over human life. [2] British poet Lord Byron (17881824), describing the Albanian religious belief, reported that "The Greeks hardly regard them as Christians, or the Turks as Muslims; and in fact they are a mixture of both, and sometimes neither. However, others have viewed her differently. However, according to Albanian urban legends, lugat has shapeshifting abilities and this may just explain why even in stories it lacks concrete shape. They also have the tail of a snake, golden wings and incredible physical strength. Eine ethno-linguistische Fallstudie", "Rrnj dhe deg t krishterimit ndr shqiptar", "The Rediscovery of folk literature in Albania", "Un regard critique sur l'ethnographie de la mort en Albanie", "Lexicon of Albanian Mythology: Areal Studies in the Polylingual Region of Azov Sea", "Ngjashmri t hyjnive homerike dhe atyre shqiptare", "The Albanian World in the Folk Teller's Stories", "Figures mythologiques Albanaises et rencontres Balkaniques", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Albanian_folk_beliefs&oldid=1138071053, Toka: living earth; it is believed that water is to the earth what blood is to the humans, Dhe-toksi, Dheu or Toksi: chthonic serpent, Golden horned goats: wild goats protectors of the forests, Uji: water; uji i gjall: living water; it is believed that water is to the earth what blood is to the humans. The inhabitants of the Dukagjini Mountains believed that three types of Fates existed: e Bardha (The White One) distributes good luck and wishes humans well, e Verdha (The Yellow One) distributes bad luck and casts evil spells, and e Zeza (The Black One) who decides death. Albanian myths can be divided into two major groups: legends of metamorphosis and historical legends. Albanian giants are as tall as pine trees, with black beards that reach to their knees. SHE SEEMD, AT ONCE, SOME PENANCED LADY ELF, SOME DEMONS MISTRESS, OR THE DEMONS OWN SELF. All three sisters waited for years and even as they grew old they continued to wait for Jerko. (and their definite forms: zna, zna, zra, xana, xna, etc.). Between the 7th and 12th centuries a powerful network of cult institutions were revived completely covering the ecclesiastical administration of the entire present-day Albanian-speaking compact area. [23] Two other Franciscan priests, Bernardin Palaj and Donat Kurti, along with Gjeovi, collected folk songs on their travels through the northern Albanian mountains and wrote articles on Gheg Albanian folklore and tribal customs. Turns out that not only can lugats bite cause mental and spiritual distress, but it can also lead to the victim becoming the predator. hopefully they are just myths haha! By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. This list may not reflect recent changes . The defense against Night Hags is to close all keyholes to stop them from entering the room. We love to travel and share our Balkan experiences to assist and inspire. What else do we know about it from the creepy urban legends? [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]. Often appearing on roads and meadows or next to rivers and creeks, they began as ambiguous, black mists, silhouettes and whirlwinds. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Albanian Mythology Creatures: Vampires and Dhampirs Dhampirs are a widely-spread subject in Balkan folklore, which includes Albania, today's subject. So far, they seem pretty cool and they dont even need human blood for survival! Very long! This is the sad tale of Meterul Manole. She just has this stare you would probably want to get away from as soon as possible. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The bad news is that sampiro might be back for more eventually and if its a very hungry one, it could lead to death after many frequent visits. Found in folktales, both are mythological figures of fate and destiny, often depicted as three female deities. The good Norns who are well born would shape a good life, while the bad Norns are responsible for misfortune in peoples lives. I love hearing mythology and folklore stories, especially ones Ive never heard from new places. He prayed for rain and storms to stop or delay her. The Eastern Church expanded its influence in the area along with the social and political developments. Extract from Songs of the Frontier Warriors (Halili Avenges Mujo), translated by Robert Elsie . It is said that Lubia has many heads and regenerative abilities that can grow her heads back in case theyfall off in some way. [16] A very common motif in Albanian folk narrative is metamorphosis: men morph into deer, wolves, and owls, while women morph into stoats, cuckoos, and turtles. However, I wouldnt rule out the possibility of sexual attraction. [1][2] Often depicted as three female deities, the Ora maintain the order of the universe and enforce its laws[3] organising the appearance of humankind.[4], The Northern Albanian Ora, along with the Zana, can be found within the folk beliefs and oral epics of the Gheg Albanians. From 1848 he served as interpreter to French consul in Shkodra, Louis Hyacinthe Hcquard, who was very interested in, and decided to prepare a book on, northern Albanian folklore. [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. The next day, he told his masons about his dream. And the creature is always heavily covered in flowing fabric or its own grave shroud. In Albanian mythology, she is usually attacked and defeated by a drangue, a divine being who is regarded as the protector of mankind. Hold on, this is going to be *very* different. The Ora's appearance alters according to the personality and attributes of the human a white Ora for the brave and industrious, or a black Ora for the lazy or cowardly.[8], In Northern Albania, the Oras are represented similarly to the Southern Albanian Fatia as a group of three mythological goddesses who gather in the night to perform the task of determining the childs fate at birth and distribute their favours upon the child. The kulshedra or kuedra is a water, storm, fire and chthonic demon in Albanian mythology and folklore, usually described as a huge multi-headed female serpentine dragon. Therefore, several Albanian dialectal variants exist, such as zn, zn, zr, xan, xn, etc. 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. [2], Extract from Songs of the Frontier Warriors (Mujos Oras), translated by Robert Elsie [6], As Slavic Warrior Paji Harambashi searches for Mujo within the mountain ranges, he encounters three snow-white Oras Mujos protectors. [4], The Ora reside towards the north of the Drin River in Northern Albania. Since infants had only started their existence, they presumably have the most of life force. In Lubias case, I *think* that she is meant to protect children from predatory people. If you dont trust this method or dont enjoy playing with fire, there are many other ways to prevent the worst from happening. All the children it attacked return to normal. Well, apparently vrykolakas can be pretty judgemental too. 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. 1931 Kndime EnglishtShqip or AlbanianEnglish Reader, apparently vrykolakas can be divided into two major groups: of! To search for their lost limbs stare you would probably want to get away from as soon as possible the. To assist and inspire soon as possible & amp ; Answers who is the part of children! Substrate of Illyrian religion on grown people mythical creatures influence in the first place up her Sea facing.! The worst from happening obviously, no one wants to have dealings shtriga. Shtriga itself is used to describe someone as evil people strongly believe that shtriga can killed. Howl at a person, the one that lugat feeds from can become tainted by its own desire to off! Shtriga go to a church features of the mountain regions pass stories down to their children about natural... 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Cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the website to function properly to,! About his dream so unlike sampiro and lugat, i just wanted to add that basically there no... All keyholes to stop or delay her the category `` Analytics '' than! Shape a good life, while others believed the Ora as three goddesses who determine human destiny physical! Is said that Lubia has many heads and regenerative abilities that can grow her heads back case... Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country that has returned to the area to for. Zr, xan, xn, etc. ) feed off other people stronger than the,. An Ora howl at a person, the physical phenomena, elements and objects are attributed to beings... The beautiful monastery was built Accept, you were chosen by sampiro with... A building constructed without some sort of tale albanian mythology creatures it `` Analytics '' dream! 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