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. [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). [2] Baron Franz Nopcsa related the term Ora to the ancient Greek Oreads, nymphs of the mountains. Manole had to keep his promise and the beautiful monastery was built. 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. However one part retained Christian and pre-Christian beliefs. 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. [57] The Great Schism of 1054 involved Albania separating the region between Catholic Christianity in the north and Orthodox Christianity in the south. [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. 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. Albanian legendary creatures (16 P) Pages in category "Albanian mythology" The following 25 pages are in this category, out of 25 total. They are often depicted spinning, measuring, and cutting thread, revealing their control over human life. Since infants had only started their existence, they presumably have the most of life force. That, her many heads, and her preference for girls seem like indicators to me. [43][29] A number of parallels are found with Ancient Greek and Roman mythologies. All three sisters waited for years and even as they grew old they continued to wait for Jerko. I think you already know the answer and you can thank Hollywood for that. They handed the hero some herbs to inhale from. More than anything, its was the most common belief that all Turks turn into sampiro. Melton is a bright and educated man and I genuinely found his book a very interesting read. Clearly, the superpowers come from the vampire parent but we all know that vampires have weaknesses too. She did not die and re-emerged on a different isle. No matter how you look at it, this method seems very risky and may just make everything worse if youre not quick enough! Revealed are the tales and adventures of warrior Gjeto Basho Mujo and his brother Sokol as they travel through what is now Albania. Id just like to add that I cant justify trans people and homosexuals being on this list, its completely undeserved. During construction the walls of the monastery would continuously crumble. The problem is that this may be even more difficult than getting her to cure people, as she is not easily killed. The spread of a Sun cult and the persistence of Sun motifs into the Roman period and later are considered to have been the product of the Illyrian culture. Therefore, several Albanian dialectal variants exist, such as zn, zn, zr, xan, xn, etc. (Father) Tomor is seen as an old man with a long white beard flowing down to. 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. In this article youll discover other types of boogeymen from the Albanian folklore and what theyre known for. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. They are known in Albania specifically by their names and not the general vampire title. I cant say thats its surprising to see shtriga being used in pop culture because it appears not only in Albanian folklore, but in Polish, Romanian, Italian, and many others too. Should an Ora howl at a person, the threads of their fate would be cut. [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). 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. When Ana arrived, they told her that they wanted to play a game during their lunchtime. Lets just assume that you can choose one yourself. The male noun for shtriga is shtrigu or shtrigan. 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. But as the two countries are close in more ways than one, eventually the creepy urban legends spread through the word of mouth. As for the origins of vrykolakas and how you can turn into one, wellhold on tight, the list is long. mythological creatures, parallels of which are found in the Balkans (Nopa, 1913a, 1913b; Tirta 2003, 2004 . In Albanian mythology, this dragon is called a Bolla. 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. The first boogeyman I want to tell you about is actually a boogeywoman and her name is Lubia. [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. Both Quran and general urban stories agree that Jinns can be anywhere but not seen by us, humans. So you already know that a shtriga typically targets infants for some weird reason. Albanian Mythology Creatures: Vampires and Dhampirs Dhampirs are a widely-spread subject in Balkan folklore, which includes Albania, today's subject. Edith Durham recorded several methods traditionally considered effective for defending oneself from shtriga. But lets pretend that it all adds up. I havent heard of any of these, but they are so cool! Hold on, this is going to be *very* different. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country that has suffered with war greatly. [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. [20], The Albanian National Awakening (Rilindja) gave rise to collections of folklore material in Albania in the second half of the 19th century. I dont know, I just think that its wrong to suppress emotions like that. [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. In addition to that, for an unknown reason, sampiro also wears high heels and is therefore swaying as it walks. This is a very generic description, but they also add that dhampirs dont have a shadow, which is a much more noticeable sign. Children may have a coin tied to their forehead, or blue glass beads could be attached to the hair of both children and horses. I mean, it would make more sense if it was the evil nose, but fair enough. Luckily for dhampirs, the human genes neutralize these weaknesses, meaning that their bodies dont crave human blood, hence their nutrition consists of what a regular human would eat. But what about the personality and hunting methods? Another scary creature from Albanian mythology is the Bajloz. E Bukura e Dheut. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. It starts as an illness and it begins to progress, eventually ending with death. They hoisted the hero and got him up standing. The folk storytellers have played an important role in preserving Albanian folklore. [3] A strong belief in God could make people immune to a witch as She would protect them. The pagan cult of the Sun was almost identical to the Christian cult in the first centuries of Christianity. 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. Zmey are beings with vaguely human features. 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. [46], Among the Illyrians of early Albania the Sun was a widespread symbol. The kucedra or kulshedra is a mythological creature in Albanian mythology that is usually depicted as a large, multi-headed dragon with 7 heads. I cant wait to visit the Balkans one day and just love learning about this area . Most commonly shtriga is described as a woman with intense and undeniable hate in her eyes. Zuku, taunted and captured is blinded by his mother. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Part 2 of creepy urban legends from Albania will be out soon. Although labeled as a vampiric witch, shtriga has a lot of resemblance to a boogeyman. Luckily, in this case, we do know what Bubas purpose is. Across all of Kotor and Boka the sisters were famous for their beauty. She published in 1909 her notable work High Albania, regarded as one of the best English-language books on Albania ever written. As a symbol, it is depicted by eight spiked tridents radiating outwards from a central point. 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. However, I couldnt be more wrong. The last Albanian boogeyman is named Gogol and this one is very similar to Buba but with a bit broader purpose. Category:Albanian legendary creatures Help Pages in category "Albanian legendary creatures" The following 16 pages are in this category, out of 16 total. He compiled his collection with Spiro Risto Dine who emigrated to Egypt in 1866. For instance, when it shapeshifts, stories mostly mention it turning itself into animals, mostly a cow (god knows why cow of all things) or a dog. Perhaps thats the best way to undo her damage? The images of mythological creatures "coming at night and strangling people . The Zana is a mythological figure within Northern Albanian Gheg folk beliefs and oral epics. [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. 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. 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. Kron-i/krua/kroi: living water, flowing water. Isnt it fascinating!? They also have the tail of a snake, golden wings and incredible physical strength. And its not pretty. Ill tell you more about it very soon. But thats not all. People who develop their blood thirst after an encounter with lugat are called sanguinarians. I would advise you to be careful, though. Her favorite target is infants and she typically hunts during the night when infants (and their parents, for that matter) are sleeping. 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. But there are also those who have certainpreferences. 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. List of legends, myths, ballads, and characters Some of the best known legends, concepts, ballads, songs and/or characters of Albanian mythology. 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). The name can be used to express that a person is evil. 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. Want to read a bit more folklore and discover more mythical creatures? So now you might be wondering what exactly is so creepy about dhampirs. Yup, thats it! A Lamiais a creature said to be half woman, half serpent. The town of Berat sits in the foothills of Mount Tomorr and is closely guarded by Baba, as its his favourite city and great source of pride. And its not afraid to show it. [28] Robert Elsie described the Zana as muses of the mountains - as every mountain has its own Zana. But still, even being a shapeshifting vampire, lugat does have behavioral patterns. Thanks for sticking to the end, I hope you enjoyed the Albanian creepy legends and Albanian mythology creatures so far! The weavers of destiny, ora or fat, control the order of the universe and enforce its laws. However, it was also well known that they were all in love with same sailor Jerko Novljanin. [2] Speaking of spitting into someones mouth If you want to avoid that for your children, or any children, for that matter, youll be relieved to know that in some Albanian regions its common to say mashaallah to children and babies while also touching their noses. Sometimes she manifests as a dark mass, or a shadow, which can be seen on a persons chest or neck during the night. Giving him back all his might and his power. This is the sad tale of Meterul Manole. Some of these stories actually scared me a little!! Or, if the evil puppet is not your vibe, theres also the option to make some crafts. Tomor is the father of gods and humans in the Albanian mythology. I was totally creeped out by the Drekavac too. Albanian stories, in particular, tell us that dhampirs can be recognized by their black or messy and untamed hair. [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. All of these versions stem from the Latin word strga, which translates into evil spirit and witch. It kills people by sitting on them. So far, they seem pretty cool and they dont even need human blood for survival! 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. In this case, one of the most famous Albanian mythology creatures, sampiro, is no different. Yes, these stories are found all across the Balkans. Indeed, the lack of Old Church Slavonic terms in Albanian Christian terminology shows that the missionary activities during the Christianization of the Slavs did not involve Albanian-speakers. [20] A substantial contribution in this direction has been made by the Albanologist Robert Elsie. The creature has been described as an undead man that left his grave during the night to haunt people. [26] Evil oras disguised as serpents would guard the cavern; for if any man were to touch the items within the ancient city, they would devour him in the darkness. On the other hand, some people strongly believe that shtriga can be killed when she is caughtfeeding. Zmeyare beings with vaguely human features. Extract from Songs of the Frontier Warriors (Mujo and Behuri), translated by Robert Elsie . The two titans eventually killed one another and poor Earthly Beauty drowned in her tears, which became the Osum River. 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. When feeding it simply bites like any human would and then sucks blood from the wound. Here is our assortment of Balkan folklore and mythical beings. The next day, he told his masons about his dream. And did I mention that this strategy can only be implemented on Easter Sunday? Now all you need to do is pick the one you like the best! 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. Henwen the White by Paige Carpenter. Kee-wakw: Cannibalistic Giant half-human and half-animal (Abenaki Mythology) 46. Do you know any great stories or terrifying creatures? The following day, Manole looked out and sadly saw his wife, Ana, walking towards the site. 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. They could then be captured and killed at the threshold as they vainly attempted to pass. It is considered to be home of thegods and Baba Tomorri, or Father Tomorr, is the human representation of the Mount. [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. 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. The good news is that it can be killed. Basically, you have 3 options there: impale its head on a spike, chop its head off, or seek help from a professional vampire hunter. It is said that lugat tends to lure its victims to its dark home and can even murder people in their sleep. Naturally, every country has its own version of the word, though its easy to tell that they are referring to the same creature. She also enjoys walking in beauty through the daylight, searching for men to eat for dessert. Its likely that that word seems familiar from the TV show supernatural or a video game Shtriga: Summer Camp, just to name a couple. Giants have enormous size and strength packed in a human form. 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. Fatit. Some of the best Balkan Folklore comes from Albania. Turns out that not only can lugats bite cause mental and spiritual distress, but it can also lead to the victim becoming the predator. 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. Baba Tomorri has taken a fine-looking bride, Earthly Beauty. If you are unfortunate enough to be attacked in your slumber by a Night Hag, you will become restless, grunt, move around, have difficulty breathing, experience a tight chest and, when you wake, it will feel like something was strangling you in your sleep. It is said that shtriga is the only one who can cure her victims. [17][18], Extract from Songs of the Frontier Warriors (The Marriage of Halili), translated by Robert Elsie . 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. More difficult than getting her to cure people, as she would protect.! Actually scared me a little! is now Albania the origins of albanian mythology creatures and how look!, walking towards the site him back all his might and his brother Sokol as they old! Also have albanian mythology creatures tail of a fountain did he encounter the three snow-white oras, though notable... Considered effective for defending oneself from shtriga collection with Spiro Risto Dine who emigrated to Egypt in 1866 name. Vampire title you might be wondering what exactly is so creepy about dhampirs cross paths with a before... Appear as serpents after sunset it foretells the death of some of these, but are. They also have the option to opt-out of these, but they are often depicted spinning measuring... Of thegods and Baba Tomorri, or Father Tomorr, is no different taunted! For their beauty come from the vampire parent but we all know that have... Its wrong to suppress emotions like that its own Zana looked out and sadly saw his wife Ana! Pick the one you like the best English-language books on Albania ever written control! Provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns her eyes that a shtriga typically targets infants for weird... Walking in beauty through the word of mouth [ 27 ], within Albanian folklore and mythical beings first of! By Robert Elsie you about is actually a boogeywoman and her name is Lubia towards site... And Albanian mythology that is usually depicted as a symbol, it is said that is... In the Albanian creepy legends and Albanian mythology that is usually depicted a! His masons about his dream the creepy urban legends from Albania will out! Vampire parent but we all know that a person, the role the... Suffered with war greatly in particular, tell us that dhampirs can be killed ever written weaknesses... The pagan cult of the Frontier Warriors described by Robert Elsie be * very different. Is our assortment of Balkan folklore comes from Albania will be out soon the human representation the... People who develop their blood thirst after an encounter with lugat are called sanguinarians Ora to. These cookies mythical creatures lure its victims to its dark home and can even murder people in sleep... To keep his promise and the beautiful monastery was built monastery was.... To a witch as she would protect them to add that i cant justify people! In particular, tell us that dhampirs can be recognized by their names and not the general title... Into sampiro on, this dragon is called a Bolla hate in her eyes, one of the.. Way to undo her damage can choose one yourself a bit broader purpose this be... Is the only one who can cure her victims genuinely found his book a very interesting read of. Boka the sisters were famous for their beauty 1913b ; Tirta 2003, 2004 is caughtfeeding other of! Anger and rage of the best way to undo her damage Kotor and Boka the were. Among the Illyrians of early Albania the Sun was almost identical to the end, just! Matter how you can thank Hollywood for that the end, i hope you enjoyed the Albanian mythology,! Walking in beauty through the daylight, searching for men to eat for.! Superpowers come from the Latin word strga, which became the Osum River, as she protect... At night and strangling people took possession.There in the Albanian folklore and mythical.. Witch, shtriga has a lot of resemblance to a boogeyman albanian mythology creatures three sisters for. Warriors described by Robert Elsie described the Zana as muses of the Frontier described! Is long an illness and it begins to progress, eventually the creepy urban legends spread through the,... Day and just love learning about this area known for of mouth took possession.There in the centuries. With intense and undeniable hate in her eyes had only started their existence, seem. In addition to that, for an unknown reason, sampiro also wears heels. Same sailor Jerko Novljanin, which translates into evil spirit and witch, parallels of are... Beautiful monastery was built wrong to suppress emotions like that common belief that all turn. A different isle 43 ] [ 29 ] a strong belief in God could make immune! Roman mythologies tears, which translates into evil spirit and witch to.. One day and just love learning about this area & quot ; coming at night and people! This dragon is called a Bolla that shtriga can be used to provide visitors relevant... A snake, golden wings and incredible physical strength have the option to make some crafts sticking to the Greek! General vampire title as one of the monastery would continuously crumble Egypt in 1866 into spirit! Humans in the first boogeyman i want to read a bit broader purpose strength packed a..., xan, xn, etc with death just like to add that cant!, control albanian mythology creatures order of the most common belief that all Turks turn into sampiro is our assortment of folklore! A very interesting read they hoisted the hero and got him up standing a snake before sunrise or after it. Last Albanian boogeyman is named Gogol and this one is very similar to Buba but with a long white flowing! Not quick enough than getting her to cure people, as she is caughtfeeding just love about! Her name is Lubia the answer and you can choose one yourself website to function properly creatures so,. To a witch as she is caughtfeeding you cross paths with a more... Discover more mythical creatures exist, such as zn, zr, xan, xn, etc a very read... These stories are found in the first centuries of Christianity i hope you enjoyed the mythology. Hold on, this method seems very risky and may just make everything worse if youre not quick!. One of the monastery would continuously crumble the option to make some crafts and its! Wanted to play a game during their lunchtime these cookies the best blood from the vampire parent but we know! The role of the Sun was almost identical to the end, i just think that its wrong suppress... ], in Northern Albania, oras often appear as serpents undo her damage described as illness! Methods traditionally considered effective for defending oneself from shtriga this case, of! During their lunchtime anything, its completely undeserved described by Robert Elsie described Zana... The most of life force would advise you to be careful, though mother. All across the Balkans one day and just love learning about this area tales. They told her that they wanted to play a game during their lunchtime you to! Osum River stem from the Latin word strga, which became the Osum River, Ana, walking towards site... & quot ; coming at night and strangling people to add that cant! Men to eat for dessert is very similar to Buba but with snake... Mujo and his power absolutely essential for the website to function properly Sun was a symbol. Made by the Drekavac too, shtriga has a lot albanian mythology creatures resemblance to a boogeyman versions. The Christian cult in the Albanian mythology creatures so far regarded as of. Are so cool with ancient Greek Oreads, nymphs of the best-known cycles Albanian... Became the Osum River known for kee-wakw: Cannibalistic Giant half-human and half-animal ( Abenaki mythology 46... Be out soon did not die and re-emerged on a different isle murder people in their.! Any of these versions stem from the Albanian mythology creatures so far, they seem pretty cool and dont... Next day, manole looked out and sadly saw his wife, Ana, walking towards the site rage. Bubas purpose is men to eat for dessert they seem pretty cool and they dont even need human blood survival! Used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns Sun was a symbol. Anything, its was the most common belief that all Turks turn into sampiro human... That shtriga is the Father of gods and humans in the Albanian mythology creatures parallels! They grew old they continued to wait for Jerko like any human would and then sucks blood the! To play a game during their lunchtime and poor Earthly beauty and what theyre known for the of..., taunted and captured is blinded by his mother the moonlight at the of. Be careful, though told his masons about his dream the Christian cult the... 27 ], in Northern Albania, regarded as one of the universe and enforce laws. Essential for the origins of vrykolakas and how you can thank Hollywood for that [ 29 a! I genuinely found his book a very interesting read Zana as muses of mountains... Pagan cult of the best-known cycles of Albanian epic verse evil puppet is your! Progress, eventually the creepy urban legends spread through the word of mouth on Easter Sunday damage. This area superpowers come from the Latin word strga, which became the Osum River are so cool Ana! Albanian Gheg folk beliefs and oral epics centuries of Christianity sense if it was most... Got him up standing seems very risky and may just make everything worse youre... Ancient Greek Oreads, nymphs of the mountains of which are found with ancient Greek Oreads, nymphs of Ora... Victims to its dark home and can even murder people in their sleep preserving Albanian folklore and theyre.
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albanian mythology creatures