Of course, theres more work doing it this way, but security requires thoughtfulness. Depending on the culture, the appearance and abilities of the mythological creature may differ. How can you fight back? Most of the time the creepy urban stories are meant to either scare people into what is perceived by a society as moral behavior, aka scaring into obedience, or simply for entertainment purposes that happen to reflect the fears of a community. Baba. A shtriga was featured in the Lost Girl episode "Follow the Yellow Trick Road." Their characteristics depend on their nationalities. I could go on for days on what can turn you into a vrykolakas. On a final note about a lugat, I just wanted to add that basically there is no positive way to see the creature. Im on my way to the Realm of the Christians. 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. Wandering aimlessly in the mountains, the blind Zuku is met by an ora who restores his sights with some herbs and tells him to take vengeance. 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. Unlike sampiro, however, lugat leaves its victims to deal with very serious consequences. An Ora is made a victim by Paji as he clenches and crushes its arm. 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. Turns out that not only can lugats bite cause mental and spiritual distress, but it can also lead to the victim becoming the predator. [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. Copyright [2020] [www.thebalkansandbeyond.com]. Another famous vampire type is called lugat and it may also be called kukithi or liogat. Abaia: A magical eel (Melanesian Mythology) 47. Thanks Jenny. The Shtriga appears in the Legends of Tomorrow episode "Wet Hot American Bummer." Really, it should be quite a view seeing a covered figure swaying and glowing. Folklore of Northern Albania emphasizes that a shtriga is not born to be a witch. [47], The historical-linguistic determination of the Albanian Christian terminology provides evidence that Albanians have already joined the process of conversion to Christianity in the Balkans since the late antiquity (4th5th centuries AD). And if your religion is Islam, I expect that youll rely on an Islamic myth that suggests reciting Ayatul Kursi 225 sura Al-Baqara verses from the Quran while also spitting water on the witch. Albania is full of myths and legends about its beautiful landscape. Balkan travel inspiration and practical travel tips. [7], And turning, set off for the high mountain meadows, But nowhere upon them was he to find Mujo. Now all you need to do is pick the one you like the best! 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. In Spiritualism, the goddesses are not actual people but representations of creation. Category:Albanian legendary creatures Help Pages in category "Albanian legendary creatures" The following 16 pages are in this category, out of 16 total. But Albania actually has 3 boogeymen that are categorized as such. Its whole body is completely covered, save for a part of its eyes that can be seen glowing brightly. 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. The hard part is getting her to actually do it. But not just any insect! Songs of the Frontier Warriors described by Robert Elsie as one of the best-known cycles of Albanian epic verse.[14] The earliest written account of the epic was in Northern Albania in the early twentieth century, by Franciscan priests located in the mountains. So far, they seem pretty cool and they dont even need human blood for survival! 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?. Luckily, Albanian creepy urban legends do name measures to protect yourself and your family from the dangerous witch. Within Albania, people believed the Ora would protect them, while others believed the Ora were dangerous creates with evil purposes. She just has this stare you would probably want to get away from as soon as possible. It can even take weeks. They bound all his wounds and healed all of his ailments. 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]. Naturally, every country has its own version of the word, though its easy to tell that they are referring to the same creature. So you do get to keep your life, thats the good news. Note that the parent vampire is not a dhampir, but a 100% vampire. The Ora ( Albanian: or, definite form: ora, pl. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country that has suffered with war greatly. I wont deep into their history, but what you need to know for context is that many Albians viewed, and even now many see the Turks as invaders who forced their language and religion on Albanians. I love these stories! Read More. Very straightforward. [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. We did establish that vampires are horny creatures, remember? This particular one is called the Night Hag. She is a female demon who comes to you at night, in many forms, to give you nightmares and terrify you. Islams God? Lubia is sometimes referred to as a demon and not unlike shtriga, she targets children, especially girls. Hadhayosh: Gigantic land Creature (Persian Mythology) 45. This list may not reflect recent changes . I think Ill try found out more about this. [5] Outside of Central Albania Oras live in forests and mountains, residing in streams, lakes, and caves. Well, apparently vrykolakas can be pretty judgemental too. And its not afraid to show it. It is said that shtriga is the only one who can cure her victims. Some aspects of Albanian mythology have gods and deities, however it mostly has demons and fairy-like creatures. [5], In Albanian mythology, the physical phenomena, elements and objects are attributed to supernatural beings. 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. Basically, my point is that just like you can be afraid of cruel and evil people, you have a reason to be wary of dhampirs too, perhaps in some cases even more. [22] At midnight, Zuku slays Slavic warrior Baloz Sedlija, and burns his mother to her death. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Mount Tomorr is a mountain range in central Albania. Other Indo-European scholars who collected Albanian folklore material were German linguists Gustav Weigand and August Leskien. the Bolla dragon. But what about the personality and hunting methods? And you wouldnt be wrong for seeking that because of what in Albanian is called syliga. The Drekavac is translated literally as the screamerorthe screecher. Some scarier than others. 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. If you dont trust this method or dont enjoy playing with fire, there are many other ways to prevent the worst from happening. Zuku, taunted and captured is blinded by his mother. The Ora are often described as good mythological figures that offer their protection and help, but in several tales are depicted as negative and dangerous creatures. Syliga basically refers to the evil eye that can unleash a storm of bad luck. But going back specifically to the Albanian version of shtriga, there is one particular characteristic of shtriga that caught my attention. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. They handed the hero some herbs to inhale from. Perhaps thats the best way to undo her damage? Is it the Christian God? On his journey he encounters an Ora who assists him and guides him towards Tanusha. Bo's friends search for the creature after figuring out that the shtriga had bitten Bo in its moth form, leaving her comatose and dying as it feeds on her fears. [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. On his journey, Mujo meets an Ora who tells him he must slay Slavic warrior Behuri. But thats not all. Jubani's own first collection of folklorethe original Albanian texts of the folk songs published by Hcquardwas lost in the flood that devastated the city of Shkodra on 13 January 1866. [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. Now, Im not sure *which* God this is referring to. They usually live in hidden places in the forest and have supernatural powers. Clearly, vrykolakas sounds like a cowardly predator, avoiding a confrontation with its victims and only sneaking into their homes when theyre asleep. 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. The pagan cult of the Sun was almost identical to the Christian cult in the first centuries of Christianity. The following day, Manole looked out and sadly saw his wife, Ana, walking towards the site. As for the origins of vrykolakas and how you can turn into one, wellhold on tight, the list is long. However, according to Albanian urban legends, lugat has shapeshifting abilities and this may just explain why even in stories it lacks concrete shape. [2] [1] The kulshedra is believed to spit fire, cause drought, storms, flooding, earthquakes and other natural disasters against mankind. Next, the second sister died, and the youngest, Rosa, bricked up her window too. And if you tried to distract yourself from her stare somehow, you would very quickly notice her crooked nose. A shtriga ( Albanian: shtrig) is a vampiric witch in Albanian mythology and folklore that sucks the blood of infants at night while they sleep, and then turns into a flying insect (traditionally a moth, fly or bee ). Some of the best Balkan Folklore comes from Albania. Its etymology is related to Latin Diana its also simil ar to the Bardha. The creature is known for not taking the lives of its victims, it only takes enough for it to satisfy the growling stomach. [15], Extract from Songs of the Frontier Warriors (Mujos Oras), translated by Robert Elsie -, Oh oras, to whom do you render assistance?. And honestly, people are guessing, but no one really knows for sure why this vampire includes the kissing sounds in all of this. Unlike with a female shtriga, however, we dont really get an explanation of how men turn into shtrigu. The two main categories of Albanian mythology are factual stories and transformation tales. "[59] In Ottoman times education in the Albanian language was forbidden. And how does it crush them by sitting on them? I know that if I was a kid and saw a giant, Id do the opposite. There are legends behind almost every building, mountain and village in the Balkans! [4], Within Norse Mythology, the Norns were supernatural women that controlled the fates of men. Amongst the creatures that the Henwen gave birth to were a bee, a piglet, a wolf cub and an eagle. As a symbol, it is depicted by eight spiked tridents radiating outwards from a central point. She did not die and re-emerged on a different isle. [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. I can see that these traditions are just one part of the rich, ancient Balkan history. Mythical creature of Albania is a Dev What are the Albanian known for? People who develop their blood thirst after an encounter with lugat are called sanguinarians. And thats something we need to know in case we come across the creature! [51] Some Albanians living in the mountains, who were only partially affected by Romanization, probably sank back into the Classic Paganism. It keeps its eyes closed . Henwen the White by Paige Carpenter. Thanks for sticking to the end, I hope you enjoyed the Albanian creepy legends and Albanian mythology creatures so far! Albanian urban legends claim that Lubia has an insatiable appetite for children. [9] Once an Ora has been assigned to a newborn its appearance would change based on the qualities of the child; a white Ora for the brave, or a black Ora for the cowardly.[2]. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. A pronounced mythological component to the text is revealed, as the brothers engage with mystical creatures that help them throughout their journey[15] one of those creatures being the Ora. Prepasti often manifested in places where the soldier had lost a body part. Having said that, she is also known to be a bloodthirsty baddy who slithers through the night, searching for children to consume. 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. The next boogeyman on the list is called Buba and we know even less about this one. Some people find it funny, others are creeped out by it. Apparently the storytellers even saw interactions with the Turks as a risk that could turn anyone else into a vampire. Edith Durham recorded several methods traditionally considered effective for defending oneself from shtriga. He recorded thirty-five Albanian folk tales from Albania and Corfu and published them in the 1895 Albanesische Texte mit Glossar (Albanian Texts with Glossary). 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.". This is the part where I just want to point something out. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. They can live either in caves or mountain tops, and are particularly intelligent. [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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. By the way, if you happen to be interested in vampire lore around the world, you may enjoy a book called The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead, written by J. Gordon Melton. [28] As revealed in Albanian epic poetry, the Zana observe Albanian battles, offering their assistance and protection where needed. Want to read a bit more folklore and discover more mythical creatures? Linguistically in Albanian the word llugat is a synonym for a frightening and wicked character. Giving him back all his might and his power. Albanian stories, in particular, tell us that dhampirs can be recognized by their black or messy and untamed hair. Dhampirs are a widely-spread subject in Balkan folklore, which includes Albania, todays subject. See more ideas about mythology, fantasy, fantasy art. This is a very generic description, but they also add that dhampirs dont have a shadow, which is a much more noticeable sign. Found in folktales, both are mythological figures of fate and destiny, often depicted as three female deities. However one part retained Christian and pre-Christian beliefs. All in all, she is either middle-aged or an elderly woman who, judging from her dark stare alone, is definitely not a sweet and ordinary grandma. [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. Their name derives from Fate. But the good news is that theres time to try and fix the damage, though its not going to be easy. Albanian Mythology Creatures: Vampires and Dhampirs Dhampirs are a widely-spread subject in Balkan folklore, which includes Albania, today's subject. [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. Even if vrykolakas has no intention of killing people, it still has a pattern of visiting their home when theyre asleep to eat all of their food and drink all of their wine. She published sixteen Albanian folk-stories translated in English in her 1931 Kndime EnglishtShqip or AlbanianEnglish Reader. 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. As you now know, this lugat vampire is a tricky one. The whole idea, the concept of a boogeyman is to scare people, most often children, into doing or not doing something. Accordingly, the male word for shtriga can be shtrigan or shtrigu. Another important figure in Norse mythology is the god Thor, who is known for his strength and his weapon, the mighty hammer Mjolnir. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Now you know about the general Balkan stories about lugat that are also told in some parts of Albania. A Lamiais a creature said to be half woman, half serpent. 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. 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. I dont know, I just think that its wrong to suppress emotions like that. Also, he claimed that dhampirs can also be identified as such if their bodies are boneless, which also shows in their movement. Am I the only one wondering how those heads are placed on the body? Whenever vrykolakas saw people going to a church, it would loudly and openly mock the people of faith and on some occasions even throw rocks at them to emphasize his disapproval. I dont think there has been a building constructed without some sort of tale behind it! Perhaps the first thing about lugats physical appearance that stands out the most is that unlike its fellow vampires, it has regular human teeth and not vampire fangs. Tomor is the father of gods and humans in the Albanian mythology. The deity of Tomor is of Illyrian origin. If you follow my work closely, you probably noticed how often I say this: every creepy urban myth and legend has a deeper meaning. [34] Albanian folk beliefs and mythology also retained the typical Indo-European tradition of the deities located on the highest and most inaccessible mountains (Mount Tomor),[35] the sky, lightning, weather and fire deities (Zojz, Perndi, Shurdh, Verbt, En, Vatr, Nna e Vatrs),[36][37] the "Daughter of the Sun and Moon" legend (E Bija e Hns dhe e Diellit),[38] the "serpent-slaying" and "fire in water" myths (Drangue and Kulshedra), the Fates and Destiny goddesses (Zana, Ora, Fat, Mira)[39] the Divine twins (Muji and Halili),[40][41] and the guard of the gates of the Underworld (the three-headed dog who never sleeps). You need to do is pick the one you like the best keep... To inhale from burns his mother seen glowing brightly many forms, to give you nightmares terrify! Bee, a wolf cub and an eagle both are mythological figures of and... A female shtriga, she is a Dev what are the Albanian known for not taking the lives of eyes... 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