Shtriga
Description
Witch that sucks blood of infants at night then…
The Legend
Shtriga (Albanian: shtrigë) is depicted in Albanian mythology and folklore as a vampire witch that sucks the blood of infants. She feeds on the blood of sleeping infants at night and then transforms into a flying insect (traditionally a moth, fly, or bee). Only the shtriga herself can heal the person from whom she has drained blood, and those who do not receive treatment are doomed to fall ill and die. According to legend, the shtriga is usually described as a woman with a hateful gaze (sometimes wearing a cloak) and a horrifically deformed face. They are typically believed to live in hidden places in the forest and are considered to possess supernatural powers.
According to northern Albanian folklore, a woman is not born a witch but often becomes one due to having no children or becoming evil out of jealousy. A strong belief in God was thought to protect people from witches. The shtriga is usually depicted as an elderly or middle-aged woman with gray, light green, or light blue eyes (referred to as white eyes or light eyes) and a crooked nose. Their gaze is said to make people uncomfortable, and it is believed that one should avoid looking directly into their eyes. To repel a witch, people would hold salt in their fingers and touch it to their closed eyes, mouth, heart, the opposite side of the heart, and belly button, then throw the salt into the fire while saying "syt i dalçin syt i plaçin" or simply whispering "syt i dalçin syt i plaçin" or "plast syri keq" 3 to 6 times.
In Popular Culture
In popular culture, the shtriga appears in various media. In the Albanian tale "The Girl who took a Snake for a Husband" published by Post Wheeler, the shtriga is referred to as the 'grandmother of all witches' and is said to live in an underworld with a red sun, green sky, and black trees. Additionally, in the TV series 'Supernatural', the episode "Something Wicked" depicts the shtriga attacking children, putting them into a coma, and disguising herself as a doctor to continue sucking their blood. Dean defeats the shtriga, who is feeding on Sam, with a holy iron bullet, causing all the children to return to normal. The episode "Follow the Yellow Trick Road" of 'Lost Girl' also features a shtriga, where Bo falls into a coma after being bitten by a moth-like shtriga. In the episode "Wet Hot American Bummer" of 'Legends of Tomorrow', a shtriga attacks children at a summer camp while disguised as a camp counselor. In 'Resident Evil 8', Lady Dimitrescu's daughters are described as vampires that can transform into insects, similar to the shtriga.
This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Shtriga" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia
Abilities
- 흡혈