The heels, the swaying, and the flying fabric are creepy enough, but then it also begins to make kissing sounds. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Zmeyare beings with vaguely human features. A common feature appearing in these songs is the desire for fame and glory, which is related to the courage of a person. In this article youll discover other types of boogeymen from the Albanian folklore and what theyre known for. The stories surrounding lugat vary quite a bit, especially when it comes to how dangerous it can be. These maidens would shape the life of every child that is born, appointing varying destinies to each similarly to the Ora. After that, all youll need to do is throw the salt into direct flames while also saying syt i dalin syt i plain. "[59] In Ottoman times education in the Albanian language was forbidden. Short on time? Afraid of Zukus strength, his mother offers to blind her son. This method would trap shtriga inside, giving you the opportunity to kill her, though Im not entirely sure how anyone would do this since sources claim that she cant be killed using regular weapons and methods. But, one by one, they all plummeted to the ground and died. [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. In Albanian mythology, she is usually attacked and defeated by a drangue, a divine being who is regarded as the protector of mankind. Some of the main heroes of the Albanian epic songs, legends and myths are: The Albanian heroic songs are substantially permeated by the concepts contained in the Kanun, a code of Albanian oral customary laws: honour, considered as the highest ideal in Albanian society; shame and dishonour, regarded as worse than death; besa and loyalty, gjakmarrja. The elements of Albanian mythology are of ancient Paleo-Balkanic origin and almost all of them are pagan. Unlike with a female shtriga, however, we dont really get an explanation of how men turn into shtrigu. Vita turned down every other suitor in the hope of marrying Lyulin. According to Northern Albanian folklore, a woman is not born a witch; she becomes one, often because she is childless or made evil by envy. Its time to meet some of North Macedonias mythical creatures! [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. Also, he claimed that dhampirs can also be identified as such if their bodies are boneless, which also shows in their movement. SHE SEEMD, AT ONCE, SOME PENANCED LADY ELF, SOME DEMONS MISTRESS, OR THE DEMONS OWN SELF. So what exactly does this concealment mean when referring to Jinns? I would advise you to be careful, though. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Dhampirs are a widely-spread subject in Balkan folklore, which includes Albania, todays subject. Albanian creepy urban legends will have 2 parts with a focus on Albanian mythology creatures. Ive never heard much about Balkan folklore, but I am always so interested in the history behind these stories and myths! So worst-case scenario, you were chosen by sampiro. More specifically, the Albanian word for shtriga is shtrig, the Polish version is strzyga, in Romanian its strig, and Italian is strega. [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. 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 . But her care and love for him was stronger than the storm, and she kept walking. 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 first part is a deep dive into vampires and vampire-like creatures in Albanian folklore, whereas the second part will introduce you to many other terrifying creatures with a large focus on metamorphosis and the battle between good and evil. Hadhayosh: Gigantic land Creature (Persian Mythology) 45. Albania is full of myths and legends about its beautiful landscape. And thats something we need to know in case we come across the creature! [183], List of folk tales, legends, songs and ballads, Academy of Albanological Studies of Tirana, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, The Youth and the Maiden with Stars on their Foreheads and Crescents on their Breasts, "1534. 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. Zmey are specifically attracted to female beauty and have been rumoured to capture young maidens and take them to their remote lairs. Thank you for sharing. Anyway, the list doesnt actually end there. 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. A shtriga was featured in the Lost Girl episode "Follow the Yellow Trick Road." All of these versions stem from the Latin word strga, which translates into evil spirit and witch. In the northern cultures, the kucedra is believed to have the . And if you tried to distract yourself from her stare somehow, you would very quickly notice her crooked nose. 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. One must never disturb a snake, even if its found within a babys cradle as it is the ora that belongs to the house and the baby. Albanian folklore evolved over the centuries in a relative isolated tribal culture and society,[4] and although several changes occurred in the Albanian belief system, an ancient substratum of pre-Christian beliefs has survived until today. One then strolled near him and spoke to him, saying: The oras we are of the great earthly hero. 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. Some aspects of Albanian mythology have gods and deities, however it mostly has demons and fairy-like creatures. [27] From 1923 onward, Scottish scholar and anthropologist Margaret Hasluck collected Albanian folklore material when she lived in Albania. They could then be captured and killed at the threshold as they vainly attempted to pass. So at least 7 heads and even that is difficult to imagine. Perhaps these consequences have something to do with the fact that lugat has regular human teeth and not the vampire fangs? The Vitore is often depicted as a golden horned serpent that would provide protection and bring good luck to the family of the house it resides in.[4]. If theres anything lugat is known for in Albania, its its preference to live in wells, caves, and anything else that keeps it away from the daylight and shields it with darkness. It is said that lugat tends to lure its victims to its dark home and can even murder people in their sleep. Lets just hope you never meet it and dont become its sustainable source of blood. 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. Some of the best Balkan Folklore comes from Albania. While Jin is a general reference to concealment, al-janin refers specifically to a fetus that is concealed in its mother's womb. In various tales there is a certain degree of Pellazgian influence, some mythological figures derive from pellazgian mythology. But not just any insect! In fact, the creature enjoys the thrill of taking peoples lives in the weirdest way Ive ever heard of. [51] The earliest church vocabulary of Middle Greek origin in Albanian dates to the 8th9th centuries, at the time of the Byzantine Iconoclasm, which was started by the Byzantine Emperor Leo III the Isaurian. The kucedra or kulshedra is a mythological creature in Albanian mythology that is usually depicted as a large, multi-headed dragon with 7 heads. The folklorist Giuseppe Pitr published in 1875 a selection of Albanian folk tales from Sicily in Fiabe, novelle e racconti popolari siciliani (Sicilian Fables, Short Stories and Folk Tales). Now that you know about dhampirs and a few general characteristics of vampires, I do want to shed some light on a few specific types of vampires. Only the shtriga herself could cure those she had drained. Try our ghost stories from Scotland article or visit this great site for all things ALBANIAN FOLKLORE. . 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. 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?. So some people believe that if they believe in God, shtriga will be helpless and youll have immunity against her. [24] Throughout Albania people would wear many types of charms to ward off the evil oras and devils. 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 whole idea, the concept of a boogeyman is to scare people, most often children, into doing or not doing something. Obviously, there is a good reason why sampiros eyes are the only thing that is not all covered up. An Ora is made a victim by Paji as he clenches and crushes its arm. : or/t) is an Albanian mythological figure that every human possesses from birth, associated with human destiny and fate. [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. Serbia - Bauk is an animal-like mythical creature in Serbian mythology. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, in Albania arrived also the Bektashi Sufi order[61] which spread widely among Albanians because of its traditional tolerance and regard for different religions, practices and beliefs and because it allowed itself to be a vehicle for the expression of Crypto-Christian, Christian and pre-Christian pagan beliefs and rituals. When feeding it simply bites like any human would and then sucks blood from the wound. Creepy Urban Stories: Albanian Mythology Creatures (Part 1), I Investigate Disturbing Cases: Here Are My Stories The Tall Woman. Naturally, every country has its own version of the word, though its easy to tell that they are referring to the same creature. 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. Category:Albanian legendary creatures Help Pages in category "Albanian legendary creatures" The following 16 pages are in this category, out of 16 total. [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. New!! On his journey he encounters an Ora who assists him and guides him towards Tanusha. Edith Durham recorded several methods traditionally considered effective for defending oneself from shtriga. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. [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. Basically scaring them to listen to rules, or else the terrible boogeyman will show up. This version attacks the children at a summer camp and poses as a camp counselor. List of legends, myths, ballads, and characters Some of the best known legends, concepts, ballads, songs and/or characters of Albanian mythology are: Besa Bolla Bajloz or Katallan ( giant) Constantin and Doruntine Dhampir Djall ( devil) Drangue Gjergj Elez Alia Kacamisri (similar to Tom Thumb) Karkanxhol ( werewolf) Keshete ( naiad) Kukudhi According to legends, dhampirs are the result of intimacy between a human and a vampire. They are often depicted spinning, measuring, and cutting thread, revealing their control over human life. Obviously, no one wants to have dealings with shtriga in the first place. [51] Some Albanians living in the mountains, who were only partially affected by Romanization, probably sank back into the Classic Paganism. They catch men to eat and women to fan the flies away. However, this particular vampire is also known for making its hunting process quite theatrical. He hired Master Manole and nine of his men for the job. the Bolla dragon. [20], The Albanian National Awakening (Rilindja) gave rise to collections of folklore material in Albania in the second half of the 19th century. This is the sad tale of Meterul Manole. This next creature can, in some way, count as a vampire, although its best-known as a witch. 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. 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