Shtriga

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The Shtriga (Romanian strigă (strigoi) and the Roman strix), in Albanian folklore, was a witch that would suck the spiritus vitae, the living force of a person, out of people at night while they slept, and would move on to another child either of the family or from a different family the next night. She preferred to drink from young children or even infants. The telltale was that when the Shtriga was draining the spiritus vitae she was vulnerable to gunshots.^{[citation needed]} Belief in the Shtriga continued at least until the early 20th century.

Edith Durham recorded several methods traditionally considered effective for defending oneself from shtriga. 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. They could then be captured and killed at the threshold as they vainly attempted to pass. She further recorded the story that after draining blood from a victim, the shtriga would generally go off into the woods and regurgitate it. 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. ^[1]

Any Shtriga will refuse to eat something spiced or containing garlic.^{[citation needed]} At night the Shtriga can change into a moth, fly or bee.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Pop culture references

• In the Polish fantasy The Witcher, one could get rid of a shtriga by spending a night in one building/room with it and surviving.
• The TV series Supernatural features a shtriga as the monster in the episode "Something Wicked" from season 1.
• It's Probably what the Death Eaters are based on in the Harry Potter Movies/Books

[edit] External links

• http://www.supernatural.tv/reviews/legends/somethingwicked.htm
• http://winchester-journals.net/episodes/1x18_somethingwicked.php
• http://supernatural.warnerbros.com/

[edit] References

1. ^ Durham, Edith: High Albania (London, Phoenix Press, 2000), pp. 87–88.