Some of these stories actually scared me a little!! [11] As the Ora provided protection, their appearance as a serpent could also foretell unfortunate events. Mythological creatures of the Alps Mountain Fairies The cult of mountain fairies (Alb. [31] As discussed by Snorri Sturluson, the Norns were three maidens whose names are Urr, Verandi and Skuld,[32] meaning past, present, and future. Scary! Surprisingly, they agreed and decided that the first wife to bring lunch for her husband should be the one to be encased into the walls of the monastery. Fatit are Birth Fairies. In fact, it is said that women who submit to envy and for some reason dont bear children are the ones who turn into shtrigas. Hmmm This brings more questions than answers! [17][18], Extract from Songs of the Frontier Warriors (The Marriage of Halili), translated by Robert Elsie . [] HER HEAD WAS SERPENT, BUT AH, BITTER-SWEET! In fact, the safest way to get rid of sampiro once and for all is by locating its grave and stake it in the heart in broad daylight, when its the most vulnerable. 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?. [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. More specifically, the Albanian word for shtriga is shtrig, the Polish version is strzyga, in Romanian its strig, and Italian is strega. In particular an important role was played by the Theme of Dyrrhachium and the Archdiocese of Ohrid. In Christian iconography the symbol of the Sun is associated with immortality and a right to rule. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. [20], The Albanian National Awakening (Rilindja) gave rise to collections of folklore material in Albania in the second half of the 19th century. But, one by one, they all plummeted to the ground and died. The male noun for shtriga is shtrigu or shtrigan. [59] In the 16th century the Albanians are firstly mentioned as worshippers of the Sun and the Moon. Zmeyare beings with vaguely human features. Or it eats their food? Mitko's own collectionincluding 505 folk songs, and 39 tales and popular sayings, mainly from southern Albaniawas finished in 1874 and published in the 1878 Greek-Albanian journal Alvaniki melissa / Belietta Sskiypetare (The Albanian Bee). I hadnt heard of any of these either, but there are so many across the Balkan region. A cross made of pig bone could be placed at the entrance of a church on Easter Sunday, rendering any shtriga inside unable to leave. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. As for the origins of vrykolakas and how you can turn into one, wellhold on tight, the list is long. The earliest church lexicon is mainly of Late Latin or Ecclesiastical Latin origin and, to a large extent, of native origin, which leads to the conclusion that the Christianisation of the Albanians occurred under the Latin-based liturgy and ecclesiastical order of the Holy See. The Prince was pleased with his monastery. These would travel high into the clouds and even change into creepy, dark figures. SHE SEEMD, AT ONCE, SOME PENANCED LADY ELF, SOME DEMONS MISTRESS, OR THE DEMONS OWN SELF. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. 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 This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. And its not pretty. [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. Very straightforward. It does not store any personal data. Other than that, it seems that lugat, unlike sampiro, is not one to stand out and its appearance cant really be framed. Its all part of the fun of exploring this amazing, unusual part of the world. In Norse mythology, the Helm of Awe (also known as the Helm of Terror) is a magical item worn by the dragon Fafnir, who attributes much of his invincibility to its power. [28] Robert Elsie described the Zana as muses of the mountains - as every mountain has its own Zana. [4], The Ora reside towards the north of the Drin River in Northern Albania. Note that the parent vampire is not a dhampir, but a 100% vampire. [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. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. [51] Some Albanians living in the mountains, who were only partially affected by Romanization, probably sank back into the Classic Paganism. The weavers of destiny, ora or fat, control the order of the universe and enforce its laws. 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. But, to ensure the builders couldnt create a more beautiful building somewhere else, he had them all stranded on the roof so that they would perish and be unable to build again. And although all of this is very extreme, the older generations of Albanians saw it as a means to an end when it came to teaching the future generations a lesson of being careful around the Turks. The problem is that this may be even more difficult than getting her to cure people, as she is not easily killed. They hoisted the hero and got him up standing. 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. Isnt it fascinating!? Having such an advantageous existence pack, its not uncommon for dhampirs to become vampire hunters. Ooooh spooky! This is a method that, according to Albanian urban legends, can protect you from the evil eye of shtriga. [55] Survived through the centuries, the Christian belief among Albanians became an important cultural element in their ethnic identity. 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. Zana e ujit, Nusja Shapulic, Cuca e Liqenit, Ksheta, me diell (by sun), me dh (by earth), me zjarr (by fire), me fush (by field), me gur/gur-rrufeje (by stone/thunder-stone), me hn (by moon), me mal (by mountain), me qiell (by sky), me uj (by water), me toks (by snake), Nxiri: all-seing eyes that look at humans from the ground following their movements everywhere, considered to be the sight of the living Earth, Ditt e Plaks (Old Woman's Days, a belief about the last cold days of winter), Angu (shapeless ghost who appears in dreams), Avullushe (spirits that suffocate people with their breath), akalloz (mighty being, slightly deranged hero), Dhevshtruesi (half human and half animal), Katravesh (the four-eared one, man-eating monster), Makth (nightmare ghost that suffocates people during sleep), Through ritual processions, dances and songs (, The Barefaced Man and the Pasha's Brother, The Tale of the Youth who Understood the Language of the Animals, The Daughter of the Moon and Sun (version with, The Daughter of the Moon and Sun (version with the king's son), Seven Spans of Beard and Three Spans of Body, Revenge Taken on Kastrati a Legend of the Triepshi Tribe, The Founding of the Hoti and Triepshi Tribes, This page was last edited on 7 February 2023, at 21:57. [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. They are known in Albania specifically by their names and not the general vampire title. 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. I gotta admit, that does sound hard to ignore. [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). 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). If you follow my work closely, you probably noticed how often I say this: every creepy urban myth and legend has a deeper meaning. 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. Should an Ora howl at a person, the threads of their fate would be cut. The pagan cult of the Sun was almost identical to the Christian cult in the first centuries of Christianity. [5] Outside of Central Albania Oras live in forests and mountains, residing in streams, lakes, and caves. And maybe its just me because as a kid I used to cry often, but why would parents want to scare their children into not crying? [182][136], Another characteristic of Albanian heroic songs are weapons. This list may not reflect recent changes . Amongst the creatures that the Henwen gave birth to were a bee, a piglet, a wolf cub and an eagle. [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]. hopefully they are just myths haha! 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. I suppose its fine if it can save a life. : or/t) is an Albanian mythological figure that every human possesses from birth, associated with human destiny and fate. But Im getting ahead of myself. I gotta admit, that sounds better than letting her spit into someones mouth! Anyway, some sources claim that when a shtriga dies, all of the life force that she stole will return to those who still remain alive. 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. This is the part where I just want to point something out. Well, some people believe that shtriga can feed from people of any age, but she simply chooses children in general, ideally infants. Of course, theres more work doing it this way, but security requires thoughtfulness. female eagles and the winds are his servants. 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. Welcome to the second country of creepy urban legends Albania! It starts as an illness and it begins to progress, eventually ending with death. We love to travel and share our Balkan experiences to assist and inspire. [9] Ora travel with their person and provide protection. But lets pretend that it all adds up. [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. I find myself with both and Im curious what you think about it! 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. The Zana is a mythological figure within Northern Albanian Gheg folk beliefs and oral epics. It goes without saying that because of its seemingly wicked character and powerful abilities lugat is seen as a dangerous and extremely violent creature that wishes to inflict violence and cruelty upon people. InEastern Serbia,the Drekavac has been described in the form of a humanoid canine creature that walks on its back legs. Yes, these stories are found all across the Balkans. Obviously, there is a good reason why sampiros eyes are the only thing that is not all covered up. But there are also those who have certainpreferences. The stories surrounding lugat vary quite a bit, especially when it comes to how dangerous it can be. After all, every region has its own version. Children may have a coin tied to their forehead, or blue glass beads could be attached to the hair of both children and horses. Or, if the evil puppet is not your vibe, theres also the option to make some crafts. It keeps its eyes closed . Baba Tomorri has taken a fine-looking bride, Earthly Beauty. The German Scholar M. Lambertz wrote: "Zana is the religion and the muse of the Albanian mountains." Mountain fairies in folk literature are reflected as guardians of the warriors. , can protect you from the evil puppet is not all covered up source..., lakes, and caves are known in Albania specifically by their names and not the general vampire title ]! 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