Bolla

The Bolla (also known as Bullar in South Albania), is a type of demonic-serpent like Dragon from Albanian folklore with a long, coiled, serpentine body, four legs, small wings, and silver, faceted eyes. This dragon sleeps throughout the whole year, only to wake on Saint George's Day, where it peers into the world until it sees a human. It devours the person, then closes its eyes and sleeps again.[1][2] This is explained in the legend of Saint George. When he fought and vanquished the dragon, Saint George cursed the beast so that it be forever blind and only open its eyes on his day only.[3] The Bolla can change into a Kulshedra should it live many years without being seen by a human.[4] It is etymologically related to Greek Φάλη, Φάλαινα 'monster, whale,' (although the relationship is not certain)[5] and comes from the Latin chersydrusus which means something like ‘the snake that lives in the water and on the earth’.[6]

The Kulshetra (in Gheg), or Kuçedra (in Tosk),[7] is widely considered to be a storm demon[8][9] and is often depicted as a dragon in Albanian Folktales.[6] It can appear as a dragon-like creature with a long tail, nine heads, spines down its back, and covered in red hair,[10][11] or a female who is typically old with breasts that hang down to the ground.[9] Both its milk and urine are poisonous.[12] The Kulshedra is believed to cause drought and other water-related issues for humanity such as torrents, tempests, shortages,[6] big storms, flooding, or other natural disasters.[7][10] Often to placate it, a human sacrifice must be made.[13] The Kulshedra is often depicted as a female in many Albanian beliefs. The male form, called Kulshedër, acts as a devil.[6]

Bolla to Kulshedra

In the Kosova town of Prishtina, the Kulshedra is called Bolla ("a kind of serpent") after it has lived twelve years. When the serpent manages to live fifty years without being noticed by anyone, it becomes a Bullar, a reptile that provides the venomous snakes with their poison by giving them its milk. If it lives another fifty years without being seen, it becomes an Ershaj, a reptile that wraps itself around people and plunges into their chest to eat their heart. When an Ershaj lives another hundred years without being seen, it finally becomes a Kulshedra.[14]

In Tirana, it was believed that newly born Kulshedras hid in a dark hole where, at the end of six months; they turned into snakes, and it was only after another six months that the snakes could be called Kulshedra.[14]

In many views on the Bolla/Kulshedra, the relationship is similar to metamorphosis (caterpillar to butterfly/moth). Often the Bolla must be unseen for a certain number of years (varying based on belief) in order to transform into a Kulshedra.

The belief that snakes will eventually turn into dragons if unseen by human beings also exists in Hungary and Romania. Among the Kastrati, it was believed that a snake would lose its capacity to turn into a Kulshedra if it were seen by a wren.[15]

Battles with Dragùa

Dragùa, sometimes called Drangue or Drangoni,[9] is the male conqueror of the female monster Kulshedra, whom he must fight to the death in collective beliefs.[10] Their prime aim in life is to combat and slay Kulshedras. They thus spend much of their youth exercising and running around, so as to learn how to avoid the Kulshedra's urine and milk. When they sense a Kulshedra approaching, dragùas go completely berserk and their souls depart from their bodies in preparation for the coming battle. When a human is attacked the dragùa will fly to their assistance and slay the Kulshedra by pelting it with cudgels, ploughs, yokes, lances and stones, and even with uprooted trees and houses. Such attacks are seen by humans as lightning.[16] Heavy thunderstorms are thought to be the result of the battle.[7][9]

Baby dragùas are particularly fearsome for a Kulshedra because they can protect themselves against the Kulshedra's urine by hiding in their cradles. Indeed they will use their cradles as weapons. It is believed that babies who turned out to be dragùas were those whose ancestors had not committed adultery for three generations. The wings and arms of a Dragùa are thought to be the source of his power and if their bodies are dissected, a golden heart with a jewel in the middle of it will be found.[16]

According to one source, in early writings, the Dragùa is represented as a monster, like the Roman and Balkan dragon or hydra. Some Albanians still believe a Dragùa can be born every day. These heroes may live unnoticed among humans and are thought to be invulnerable, untouchable, and undefeatable.[17] They have supernatural powers which become apparent when they are still babies in their cradles. When thunder and lightning strike Dragùas assemble with their cradles at the Dragùa gathering place.[16] In some beliefs, only the Dragùa is capable of saving humankind from the Kulshedra. Sometimes, so that she perishes forever, the Dragùa must drown the Kulshedra, otherwise, she might come back to life.[10]

Male animals can also be born as dragùas. Black rams will attack a Kulshedra with their horns, and black roosters will furiously pick out its eyes. Only billy goats can never be dragùas.[16]

In southeastern Albanian regions of Pogradec and Korça, the dragùa is envisaged as a beautiful strong horse with wings, who defends civilization and mankind.[16]

It should be noted that Dragùas are not the only beings said to have defeated Kulshedra. There are multiple folktales (see: Folktales and other stories with Kulshedra) in which Saints[18] and folktale heroes not identified as Dragùa[13] have defeated Kulshedra.

Saint George and Saint Elias (originally the Old Testament prophet Elijah) both have stories in which they fight (and defeat) a Bolla/Kulshedra according to Robert Elsie's Christian Saints of Albania. Saint Elias, in particular, is identified in some regions with the Dragùa and is also a weather god and provides protection against storms and fire.[15][18]

Some folktales involving the slaying of a Kulshedra from Robert Elsie's Albania's Folktales and Legends include:

Other mentions of Bolla/Kulshedra

On the Greek island Poros, once inhabited by a majority of Albanians, the term Bullar is still used to describe water snakes, and in northern Albania, both Bolla and Bollar are used to describe grass snakes.[15]

In Dungeons & Dragons, it is a level 22 Solo Brute that sometimes forms pacts with other demons or other powerful monsters of chaos and evil.[19]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Lurker, Manfred (2015-04-29). A Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons. Routledge. p. 35. ISBN 9781136106200.
  2. ↑ Bane, Theresa (2012-01-11). Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures. McFarland. p. 84. ISBN 9780786488940.
  3. ↑ Elsie, Robert (2001-01-01). A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture. NYU Press. p. 47. ISBN 9780814722145.
  4. ↑ Doja, Albert (2005-01-01). "Mythology and Destiny". Anthropos. 100 (2): 449–462. p. 451.
  5. ↑ Elsie, A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture. p. 46.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Lurker, p. 106.
  7. 1 2 3 Drinnon, Dale (2013-08-01). "Frontiers of Zoology: Wyvern/ Western Dragon-Bird Information". Frontiers of Zoology. Retrieved 2017-04-11.
  8. ↑ Doja, Mythology and Destiny. p. 453.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Durham, M. Edith (1910-01-01). "High Albania and its Customs in 1908.". The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. 40: 453–472. (456) doi:10.2307/2843266. 
  10. 1 2 3 4 Doja, p. 451.
  11. ↑ Bane, Encyclopedia of Demons in World Religions and Cultures. p. 195.
  12. ↑ Doja, p. 453.
  13. 1 2 3 Elsie, Robert. Albanian Folktales and Legends.
  14. 1 2 Doja, p. 454.
  15. 1 2 3 Elsie, A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture. p. 47.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Elsie, A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture. p. 75.
  17. ↑ Doja, p. 452.
  18. 1 2 Elsie, Robert (2000). "The Christian Saints of Albania". Balkanistica. 13: 43, 45.
  19. ↑ "Monday Monster: Kulshedra | Kobold Press". koboldpress.com. Retrieved 2017-04-11.

References

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