[42], Albanian folklore traces back to Paleo-Balkan mythology including a substrate of Illyrian religion. Her mother grew angry and cursed them both. Some people find it funny, others are creeped out by it. 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). 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. In various tales there is a certain degree of Pellazgian influence, some mythological figures derive from pellazgian mythology. People who develop their blood thirst after an encounter with lugat are called sanguinarians. Anyway, lets end this part in the most fitting way for the occasion: how does one kill a vrykolakas? Edith Durham reports on the frequent supernatural happenings in the city of Gjakova, Kosovo. 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. [7] The pagan cult of the Sun was almost identical to the Christian cult in the first centuries of Christianity. In addition to that, for an unknown reason, sampiro also wears high heels and is therefore swaying as it walks. Albanian stories, in particular, tell us that dhampirs can be recognized by their black or messy and untamed hair. . Surrounding him are four long-beaked, female eagles. We have chosen some of the best ones from each country to create a collection of traditional tales and bloodcurdling creatures. One day, Baba Tomorri is lounging in bed with Earthly Beauty when Shpirag attempts to take over Berat. He envisioned that for the monastery to be built successfully he had to incorporate someone into its walls. [32][44] In the context of religious perceptions, historical sources confirm the relations between the Greco-Roman religious ethics and the Albanian customary laws. However, others have viewed her differently. The problem is that this may be even more difficult than getting her to cure people, as she is not easily killed. Her skills include shape-shifting, predicting the future, andwitchcraft. The weavers of destiny, ora or fat, control the order of the universe and enforce its laws. [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. Well, some people believe that shtriga can feed from people of any age, but she simply chooses children in general, ideally infants. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. According to legend, only the shtrig herself could cure those she had drained (often by spitting in their mouths), and those who were not cured inevitably sickened and died. Lubia is sometimes referred to as a demon and not unlike shtriga, she targets children, especially girls. more appealing. Ill tell you more about it very soon. So thats all we know about the physical appearance. "[59] In Ottoman times education in the Albanian language was forbidden. Danish Indo-Europeanist and professor at the University of Copenhagen, Holger Pedersen, visited Albania in 1893 to learn the language and to gather linguistic material. What else do we know about it from the creepy urban legends? Across all of Kotor and Boka the sisters were famous for their beauty. In Albanian mythology, this dragon is called a Bolla. Category:Albanian legendary creatures Help Pages in category "Albanian legendary creatures" The following 16 pages are in this category, out of 16 total. In particular an important role was played by the Theme of Dyrrhachium and the Archdiocese of Ohrid. This reminds me of Annabelle. Some scarier than others. [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]. Can you see that Ora, standing at my bedside? [3] A strong belief in God could make people immune to a witch as She would protect them. See more Zana e malit. The next vampire creature did not originate in Albania, but in Greece. In Ottoman times, often to escape higher taxes levied on Christian subjects, the majority of Albanians became Muslims. [5], In Albanian mythology, the physical phenomena, elements and objects are attributed to supernatural beings. Extract from Songs of the Frontier Warriors (Halili Avenges Mujo), translated by Robert Elsie . I would advise you to be careful, though. Vrykolakas would find someone who is asleep and then crush and suffocate them by sitting on them. Serbia - Bauk is an animal-like mythical creature in Serbian mythology. In these circumstances, she somehow becomes vulnerable and can be killed when shes shot with iron bullets. As a matter of fact, there is only one way and it is by using a wolf, as it is the only creature that can do harm to lugat. 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. But her care and love for him was stronger than the storm, and she kept walking. It is said that Lubia has many heads and regenerative abilities that can grow her heads back in case theyfall off in some way. 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. During construction the walls of the monastery would continuously crumble. [26][20], In the first half of the 20th century, British anthropologist Edith Durham visited northern Albania and collected folklore material on the Albanian tribal society. [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. : or/t) is an Albanian mythological figure that every human possesses from birth, associated with human destiny and fate. Is it that heavy? No matter how you look at it, this method seems very risky and may just make everything worse if youre not quick enough! WOW! Each Balkan country has a version of dhampirs, some descriptions are shared and some slightly different or more detailed. Hmmm This brings more questions than answers! InEastern Serbia,the Drekavac has been described in the form of a humanoid canine creature that walks on its back legs. [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. As for lugats target, generally it could be anyone, although mostly its children. [28] As revealed in Albanian epic poetry, the Zana observe Albanian battles, offering their assistance and protection where needed. [3] Albanian folklore evolved over the centuries in a relatively isolated tribal culture and society. (and their definite forms: zna, zna, zra, xana, xna, etc.). Durham reports that supernatural happenings within Albania would act as a caution, with many refusing to travel anywhere near areas believed to be cursed and/or protected by the Ora.[26]. It is said that shtriga is the only one who can cure her victims. In some regions of Albania, people have used garlic (Albanian: hudhr); to send away the evil eye or they have placed a puppet in a house being built to catch the evil. Albanian creepy urban legends will have 2 parts with a focus on Albanian mythology creatures. Yeah, the Balkans are full of these tales! But Im getting ahead of myself. Lets start by dissecting the name shtriga and the meaning behind it! And if you tried to distract yourself from her stare somehow, you would very quickly notice her crooked nose. 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. He is visualised as a wise but strong old man with a full, white beard. [20] A substantial contribution in this direction has been made by the Albanologist Robert Elsie. [2] The mythological cycle of the deeds of Muyi reveal the Oras ability to provide the hero with supernatural powers and healing while in the form of a serpent. Follow Dark Scope on social media for the updates! The Zana is a mythological figure within Northern Albanian Gheg folk beliefs and oral epics. But still, even being a shapeshifting vampire, lugat does have behavioral patterns. The three fates of Greek Mythology, the Moirai, are represented similarly to the Ora as three goddesses who determine human destiny. As a matter of fact, even today many Albanians point their fingers at shtriga whenever theres untimely infant death. [2] Baron Franz Nopcsa related the term Ora to the ancient Greek Oreads, nymphs of the mountains. [52], The reorganization of the Church as a cult institution in the region took a considerable amount of time. Ooooh spooky! [16], Albanian myths and legends are already attested in works written in Albanian as early as the 15th century,[17] however, the systematic collection of Albanian folklore material began only in the 19th century. The Shtriga appears in the Legends of Tomorrow episode "Wet Hot American Bummer." [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. And the creature is always heavily covered in flowing fabric or its own grave shroud. It keeps its eyes closed . [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. This list may not reflect recent changes . 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. The two titans eventually killed one another and poor Earthly Beauty drowned in her tears, which became the Osum River. Do you know any great stories or terrifying creatures? To kill a sampiro, you need to stake it in the heart. If your parents had an intimate gathering and it resulted in giving life to you on a Holy Day you are vrykolakas. All the children it attacked return to normal. Having said that, she is also known to be a bloodthirsty baddy who slithers through the night, searching for children to consume. Her favorite target is infants and she typically hunts during the night when infants (and their parents, for that matter) are sleeping. Extract from Songs of the Frontier Warriors (Zuku Bajraktar), translated by Robert Elsie , And make your eyes as you once had them., Syri i Keq is one of the curses of Albania; the Evil Eye. The two have a very long history of conflict, which is a common pattern among European countries. [9] Besa is a common practice in Albanian culture, consisting of an oath taken by Sun, by Moon, by sky, by earth, by fire, by stone, by mountain, by water and by snake, which are all considered sacred objects. 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. [67][3][68] Ancient paganism persisted among Albanians, and within the inaccessible and deep interior it has continued to persist, or at most it was partially transformed by the Christian, Muslim and Marxist beliefs that were either to be introduced by choice or imposed by force. 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. And yes, vampire hunters were a thing in Greece and likely in Albania too. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. And how does it crush them by sitting on them? As soon as the creature chooses a food source in the foggy streets, it will immediately proceed to follow this person. With the Oras guidance Mujo slays his rival,[20] revealing the Oras ability to provide aid and guidance to its allocated person when they are in need. I know very little about the Balkan countries and have never visited them before, so this was really informative, with some spooky insights! [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. Creepy Urban Stories: Albanian Mythology Creatures (Part 1), I Investigate Disturbing Cases: Here Are My Stories The Tall Woman. If you cross paths with a snake before sunrise or after sunset it foretells the death of some of your relations.[27], Within Albanian folklore, the role of the Ora tends to differ. Anyway, whenever I talk about local boogeymen from different countries, I always add a reminder, so here goes. Who is the national poet of Albania? Ive never heard much about Balkan folklore, but I am always so interested in the history behind these stories and myths! But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Would advise you to be careful, though encounter with lugat are called sanguinarians took! Strong belief in God could make people immune to a witch as would. Is also known to be careful, though shtriga is the only who! Ive never heard much about Balkan folklore, albanian mythology creatures I am always so interested the. 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