There are also fairy caves, the people used to say, in which no one can enter but fairies. The vila are mostly benevolent but can be quick to anger. What they all have in common is that they are distant from peoples world. On Picugi were excavated more than 500 graves from the period from the 11th to the 1st century BC, and even to this day it is uncertain to which nation these graves belonged. These creatures are massive and hairy, living on mountains and in forests but in many stories, theyre as big as a mountain themselves, so the physics of this is a bit difficult to pull off. The most popular is that fairies are the souls of deceased girls, spending time in limbo between this world and the afterlife, because of a violent or sinful death. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Standing at the centre of Croatia's vampire heritage is the case of Jure Grando, a 17th-century farmer from the inland Istrian village of Kringa. Fairies are a favourite of Croatian mythology. Habitat also determined their character, which fit the ancient mythological image of the world, in which good is in heavens, evil is underground, and the peoples world is a place of an eternal struggle between good and evil. Folklore - LegendFest Festivals Folklore Beings of Croatian folklore Legends, myths and stories are full of amazing creatures that were once a reality for the ancient people. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". In such cases, people believed that fairies left their hoof trails in rocks and trod the surrounded grass during their fairy dances. Such a method of killing a werewolf was usually done by priests at dawn or in daylight, when it is believed werewolves return to their graves to sleep. Because of that, they placed a nail or some other sharp object in the mouths of such persons, to prevent them from ever returning to life, to do evil and bite people. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Baba Yaga, also spelled Baba Jaga, in Slavic folklore, an ogress who steals, cooks, and eats her victims, usually children. In case someone turns into a werewolf after all, the most common way of destroying them was to find their grave and hammer in a hawthorn stick into their heart. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'meettheslavs_com-banner-1','ezslot_2',120,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-banner-1-0'); After the Christianization of the Slavic people in the Balkans happened, Krsniks origin story changed a little. God only said: Just as many visible, as there are invisible. Many of the mystical creatures described are peculiar to the Croatian culture, with dialogue between humans and creatures of the wilderness plus poetic verses giving each story a distinctive tone. Apart from the tale of fairies as Adams children, there are also beliefs in which fairies are created when there is sunshine and rain at the same time. They are male, and considered to be brothers to Lamyas. Krsnik, too, have the ability to turn into a fly, and seek out their enemies in that form. Then he dug another river and named it Mirna, after his beloved wife. Nowadays, the collective memory of these beliefs is preserved in the ancient texts and oral traditions. The latter was brought to Istria during miners migrations, by miners coming to work to Istria and by Istrian miners working in mines across Europe. Todays science is nothing but an attempt at classifying random events into known and legitimized models. They lured people to their wells in order to poison them, and even poisoned wells used by men. It therefore seems that original Slavic beliefs were somewhat changed in the period of great migrations and settling of new areas. Clearly, Antonio was meant for more than the mortal coil. But there are some really unique elements to their mythology as well. While the country naturally has dozens, if not hundreds, of legends and folktales, Ive put together five of their most famous tales. Some of the most . This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Another god that ancient Slavs worshiped was called Stribog. People sometime described a werewolf as a male witch, but they are most often referred to as undead, a goatskin full of blood walking in the dark, across forests, attacking men on crossroads not protected by a crucifix, at the eves of big holidays, and doing evil. A Kraken, a giant mythical creature from Scandinavian folklore, attacking a ship. From green sprites at the bottom of the river, to serpentine dragons and men who cannot die so they kill old people. As with other fantastic creatures, they belong to the borderline area between two worlds. He beats children with birch branches or kidnaps them in his sack and takes them to his lair. Also known as the Big Grey Man, this 10 . All the gold, shining in the sun, would immediately turn to a hard rock. The girl stole through the camp, and took a torch to the camps gunpowder stores. Even today, youll find them proudly declaring themselves picoki, and the rooster is their town symbol. A short guide through traditional fairy beliefs. People say that this cave was seen many centuries ago by a wise and virtuous man, who managed to get out with Gods help. Some people also say that trigas have the power of leaving their bodies during sleep. The belief in werewolves, or people coming back from the dead to do evil, is very widespread inour lands, including Istria. if(ffid == 2){ Welcome to our blog! This is supported by a frequent motif in legends of the giants, and Istria is not alone here. He could scream so loudly that people could get deaf from him. If she was to lose just one hair, she would die of sadness. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Croatian and Slavic history is filled with mythological figures. Meet the Slavs covers topics related to the Slavic culture, history, mythology and more. Croatian folklore is very much tied in with the Slavic tradition. Kids today play with fairy figures, parents tell stories about them, but they surely dont know that fairies, in their ancient Slavic history, had once been considered winter demons, witches, spirits of the woods, or guardians of the natural world, symbols of fertility, and rulers of the skies and storm clouds. Am Fear Liath Mr, or Fear Liath for short, is a Bigfoot-like animal prowling around the summit of Ben Macdui Mountain, Scotland's second-highest peak. Late 1500s." The embassy succeeds in renewing "the old love that was between" the tribe and the colonists. Those who saw a fairy, say this happened at night in woods, a clearing in a forest, a glade, or by a lake, stream, or river. container.style.width = '100%'; But, there are also a couple of stories in which they are evil and tend to kidnap people and keep them captive (for entertainment purposes, I suppose).if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'meettheslavs_com-box-4','ezslot_9',113,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-box-4-0'); Krsnik, in my opinion, is one of the most interesting creatures from Slavic mythology. The most impressive set of these hills is called Mordele, and it consists of three hills called the Grand Mordele, the SmallSt. Angel and the Grand St. Angel. We are the most comprehensive English language resource dedicated to educating the world about ancient Slavs and modern Slavic nations alike. In some, its even sewn onto their skin as babies! According to Poganik, and other supporters of this idea, the people who settled in Mordele and Picugi during the Bronze Age wereresponsible for the construction of other megaliths in Europe. He has golden blindfolds over all six of his eyes (remember, he has 3 heads). One day, the Byzantine emperor and the Pope sent a letter asking for the good Croatian kings help. Often benevolent and kind-hearted, giants can also be cruel, stealing humans they come across and keeping them captive. When Andre dismounted, he turned to thank the little donkey, but it was already gone, turned into a small dwarf with a red cap, running back towards the forest. The Croatoan (also referred to as Pamlico) were an Algonquian people who populated the islands on the outer banks of North Carolinajust south of Roanoke. If someone would by any chance notice fairys unusual legs and look astonished, the fairy would immediately punish them with one of her vicious spells. Earth fairies are almost always good, but can occasionally also become evil. In this article, I will talk to you about some of the most famous stories and legends that originated from the minds of the Croatian people. The next day she returned and told her husband to bring their child to the top of the hill so she could breastfeed it. Let me know, and Ill be more than happy to add it. Beneath her fairy dresses, she is hiding donkey, goat or ox legs, that is, hoofs. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. In some stories, Vedi are as tall as a mountain (which makes them difficult to miss). Sheep farmer Andre tells that while he was herding sheep he got sick and could not walk anymore, so he sat under a tree and started calling for help. In many myths, theyre very ashamed of their animal legs, the result of a curse for being too proud of their beauty. People believed that evil fairies could create a storm, wind or hail, and some spoke of seeing them jumping on waves after horrible ship wrecks. Apart from stealing horses, fairies were also known by their night dancing and singing. Striga can transform into a number of animals, including frogs and cats. The fact they live far away from people, in nature or in caves, makes them a symbol for events that remain out of reach of a structured speech, i.e., a part of nature. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Since the furrow was running from the river, water gushed through it and began to flood the Pazin valley. Before leaving, he cursed the people, calling them picoki (roosters), feathered heroes who fought their battles with roosters. To their great surprise, the girl was sitting in the grave combing her hair, all covered in blood. They usually look for places where no one can see, hear or hurt them. In Europe the myth of vampires is the most widespread among the Slavic people and their close neighbors (Albania, Greece, Lithuania). Ban Dragonja was ploughing a third river in the most difficult part of the terrain, near the city walls. On the surface,it seems as if the mysterious, shadowy beings from folk beliefs are forgotten, but interest in them is not subsidingeven in the era of digital technology. It flies the traveler over to the wrong side and kicks him off in some unknown land, a desert, or leaves him hanging on a branch. According to Scandinavian mythology, the Kraken is a giant mythical sea creature , said to be 1 mile (1.61 km) long, that attacks ships and is so huge that its body could be mistaken for an island. Many people testified of seeing fairies dance in the night, by creeks, ponds or at forest glades. Eventually, Antonio died of old age, but Nera has never stopped loving him. Once a man enters, he has to go further and deeper, wondering the cave until he dies in the darkness from sorrow and misery. One of these lesser known legends is the myth of Coprnice.. To simplify, Coprnice are witches and warlocks, but mostly not the good kind.They are thought to be old women, or men, followed by the tragedies they inflicted on themselves, by meddling with dark magic . Transformed into a fly, mora enters through keyholes, holes in doors and windows, and moras entrance to a room is usually marked by something breaking or falling down. He is a spirit that, kind of, forms from chicken droppings that stayed uncleaned for at least seven years (I dont know). Top 10 Greatest Mythological Creatures and Legendary Creatures of Myth and Folklore. This seems to be a case of a dual tradition they originated in, and they owe the common name to their looks. Krst was also a stone that people in Croatia used to denote village boundaries. Folklore Croatian mythology should be told on a cold winter's night. However, it was only when Slovenian researcher Marko Poganik presented his thesis on the dragons grooves energy flows which intertwine the whole Istria and whose nodes are located exactly in the Mordele and Picugi, that the hills became of a wider interest. Sometimes, the orko would be lighthearted and fun, but usually, it was a creature to be feared. They are described as ordinary women or men with a special, either hereditary or acquired sinister powers. var alS = 3002 % 1000; During such a birth, a midwife, if shes good, has to put the placenta aside, so the baby could have it throughout their life. Their name, vila, is associated with clouds and in some myths they bring storms to destroy crops. It is connected to the words air, wind and to blow, which undoubtedly indicates that fairies should be creatures of the air and skies. window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId, 'stat_source_id', 44); Zmey The Lamya's mortal enemy, the Zmey is a dragon which in Bulgarian myths is mostly considered to be a creature that helps people, rather than being a menace to them. They were happy in life and marriage, their children pretty and endearing like violets. But as soon as a human entered the cave, everything turned to plain stone. Once upon a time, they received a peasant who they taught how to heal, handing him the fairy book. When Father Giorgio eventually came face to face with the vampire, he held out a cross in front of him and yelled Behold Jesus Christ, you vampire! Apartfrom putting Istria on the world paleontological map, dinosaurs are probably responsible for the existence of legends about dragons. While the literature is sparse on many of their figures, weve found some really fascinating creatures we didnt expect. Well, in Slavic mythology, golden apples were known as the ultimate force of destruction (think of it as a nuclear bomb, and youll get the picture). It happened, according to folk stories, at the moment a black cat jumped over the body of a girl just as she was about to be buried. But one day there was a big celebration in the village, and all villagers were singing and dancing. But Nera was betrothed to the sea god, and her family insisted that she return to the waters. Theyre the offspring of witches, and can also take on the form of a black cat (poor black cats, theyve had a rough image through much of history). The rooster who crows with the break of down does not only represent the morning, a new day. King Zvonimir agreed, and gathered his population. And much more than that. At the same time this was a punishment for the ruined village, which had allowed a girl to die ungracefully and turn into a fairy. Over night it tears down buildings under construction, runs and dances around houses and doesnt let people sleep. In fact, earth fairies treat people the same way they treat them. In the Primary Chronicle, Veles is depicted as a god of cattle and peasants [3]. Also term vampirism is used to demonize individuals or groups because the vampires, according to some popular beliefs, are considered as demons and the personification of evil equal to Satan. It is a well known fact that fairies fall in love very easily. The vampire according to the folk belief, the vampire is a dead man who rises from his grave at night to suck peoples blood, and has magical and supernatural powers. However, before the wedding, the fairy asked her fianc to swear he would never call her a fairy! 1. Its inhabitants freaked out, quickly realising that they would drown if Ban Dragonja didnt return, and begging him to save them. Apart from peoples small helpers, Istrias legends and folk tales also speak about giants. Both Vedi and Giants are humongous creatures with bodies covered with hair. He ploughed a furrow from the lake to the ocean, and named it Dragonja. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. In southern Istria (Croatia), there lived a giant as big as a mountain, Ban Dragonja. A werewolf is usually a wicked man come back to life, or someone whos body was jumped over by a cat or chicken (just bad luck). Drekavac (Drekavac or Screamer) is demon from Southern Slavic folklore, created from dead, unbaptized toddlers. People quickly called for the priest and started unearthing the grave. After that moment, a krsnik becomes true fighter against trigas and evil, sworn to help people. It is said that our folk would give up on a belief in any creature, but never fairies. Along with towns and churches, the thing that differs giants from fairies the most is their responsibility towards the landscape. Such descriptive terms include: [citation needed] Tutelary deity Bannik (banya, sauna) Bolotnik (swamp) Dvorovoi (yard, land) We have all heard about magical horses (right?). Because of that, when old peasants would see a fly coming out of someones mouth while sleeping, they would place a rock over their mouth so the soul could not return to the trigas body. In some tales, these creatures represented hill, forest or field demons, or souls of non-baptized, aborted, killed children, sometimes even small devils. Today, youll find a lovely statue of Mila Gojsali standing on a mountain above the town of Omi, keeping watch over her people. Antique Croatian folk costume, hand embroidered traditional Slavic costume from Transylvania , ethnic antique peasant attire ,size L-XL 5 out of 5 stars (211) $ 413.21. from the village of Medvee near Kruevac in Serbia in 1725 in the report of the local doctor from Vienna at a time when Serbia is ruled by Austria (1717 1739). Its key role is to wake people up, mark the coming into a conscious state in which the narrative order is reconfirmed. The Croatian people is a South Slavic ethnic group with a long history, whose roots can be dated back to the 7th Century. One of the peasants then charged at her with a hawthorn stick and she started to shriek and fight. In such condition, as people say, they cannot move or breathe until the morning and some die under moras pressure. Arranged marriages extend beyond mankind, evidently. It was then claimed that the Christian youths had become too debauched hanging out with the fairies. The village has changed, the country has changed, and most of all, the relation towards fairies has changed, so stories and dreams about them became less and less frequent. And you, trigon, you cannot have peace! They then tried to pierce its heart again, but the stick could not penetrate its flesh. Fairies are not so gentle or should be messed with in many cases. Because of his demise, the power of Croatian royalty diminished exponentially to a point where Croatia was never again an independent kingdom with its own native ruler. I'm looking for a source thats either full on croatian, or has more to it . As he died, Zvonimir cursed his people, saying that never again would they have a king of their own blood. Portrait of King Zvonimir by an unknown artist. The helpless fairy agreed and after a while gave birth to a child. We can recognize the ghost of the woods in features of the world famous Irish folklore trademark, the leprechaun, while the miners guardian and helper can be seen in the fairytale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. These creatures have reportedly been sighted in Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is believed that, just like with trigas, people who lead wicked lives or dead men jumped over by a chicken or a cat would become werewolves. They also awarded heroes with the best of horses, they built towns and ships people had never sailed in before. This was the story of a peasant in Kanfanar. Whether an unfortunate traveler runs into him or steps on his trail, Orko would hurl them into the air and throw them miles away from their destination. Her eyes flash like a lightning, her voice so pleasant and sweet that those who once hear a fairy sing can never hear a human voice again, their hearts aching from sweetness. They come into your room through the keyhole as a fly, before transforming into a beautiful woman. The years of his reign were relatively peaceful (remember, he ruled in the late 11th century, so completely peaceful wasnt really an option). The fairy then asked him what she could do to get her wings back, and the young man said she had to marry him. Another story refers to a dragon which was imprisoned in a steep cliff somewhere near Rovinjsko Selo, and even to these days some say that two dragons guard the entrances to the underworld below Pian. After a short struggle, the peasant managed to run the stick through her. Antonio was a beautiful man so beautiful that every woman around him would fall in love with him, but he paid them no mind. At one moment he could serve as an excellent excuse for husbands who would stay in the town or the tavern for too long, and in the next he would become a guardian of the village line, making each night trip outside the village dangerous. Some story-tellers say that Tatars (Dog-head men) fought a great war, and . This is one of Croatias most famous legends, and one thats cause for celebration every year, the annual Picokijada. We cant imagine a better way to learn about it than through traveling so thats what were doing. The tale goes that it is most dangerous to fly on an orko just before the dawn, because once the rooster crows orko disappears and the unfortunate rider plummets down to the ground and gets killed. Different religious and mythological philosophies of newcomers merged with those of the indigenous people. Her main feature is that she comes to young people, usually handsome young men, while they sleep, sits on their chest, strangles them and sucks on their nipples. Yet, it seems that the main reason why fairies are gone is the fact that people have changed themselves. var container = document.getElementById(slotId); There are still many beliefs connected to fairies abilities and actions, such as them performing various arts. In its simplest form, Shtorka can be explained as an evil creature, with no determined form. Almost all cultures and civilizations have some sort of myth about the undead, blood sucking creatures or vampires. The same could happen if a cat or a chicken would jump over a dead man. Out of shame, they escaped to thick woods, where they are still hiding today, ashamed of showing their legs when dancing with other girls. As lovely as fairy horse sounds, an orko is a malicious creature. The horse passed across the graveyard easily until stopping by the grave of the girl whose body had been jumped over by a cat before the burial. The circumstances surrounding his passing, and later the succession of the Croatian throne, were the main inspiration for legends and myths about this ruler. So, maybe, Krsnik was some kind of a village protector. The village priest, Giorgio, who had buried Jure sixteen years previously discovered that at night somebody would knock on the doors around the village, and on whichever door he knocked, someone from that house would die within the next few days. ins.style.display = 'block'; It is believed that when mora is encountered in the form of a fly, one should muster strength to capture her in the hand and shout: You whore, you shall come to me to borrow something. ins.style.width = '100%'; So far I have stumbled upon Sixty Folk-Tales from Exclusively Slavonic Sources by A. H. Wratislaw, but of those folk tales only 3 are croatian. They revolted, and violently attacked their king. Mora also presents herself in the form of a black cat, jumping to the bed and attacking her victim. Peasants used to find such horses in the morning all sweaty, tired and with braided manes. Krsnik fights vampires, vukodlak or wurdulak (essentially a werewolf of Croatian folklore), and other evil spirits that roam the night. This book contained descriptions of medicines that could cure all the earthly diseases. But when they heard of an overseas war, the unfaithful Croats refused and grew angry, insisting that they would not leave their families and land behind them. The young man asked her what he could do to make her dance with him, and she told him to give back her wings. The people in Istria used to say that all of them would have died a long time ago if there wasnt for their krsniks. In these places a man can be recharged with good energy, food spoils more slowly, and some are deepening their inner senses so they can see and communicate with the spirits. He found them healthy and happy, but also scared as they saw God. They are considered to be mainly water creatures. Myths about giants are commonplace in many different mythologies around the world. One of the peasants quickly raised his pick to hit her, but she only laughed tauntingly. This way, name taboos, pretty widespread in the Slavic world (so much that even today a bear is called by a descriptive name med-vjed he who knows where honey is), in fact respect what cannot be said. The people say that orco is a kind of a spirit cursed by God, which appears as a fairy horse and can be transformed into other animals as well, such as a dog, kid, mouse, and sheep. Some were spread worldwide, and some remain unknown. Prints of these monumental animals were found in 1934 in Brijuni, and later on the peninsula Marlera near Medulin as well as on a small island Fenoliga and a small bay in Premantura. Most often krsnik turns into an ox, cat, or a white dog, while trigas and werewolves take forms of black animals. Kind-hearted towards people and hard-working, giants served to Nazor as a metaphor for the peasants of Istria, while the ancient time in which they lived became a paradise lost. And for 900 years, the curse stood. This Slavic deity represents all three major gods (Perun, Svarog, and Dazhbog) combined into one. His wife disappeared immediately, to never show up again. The witches would be most active at night, gathering in forests, on mountaintops, and at crossroads. Snow White is old enough to become a woman, but is reluctant to leaving her girlhood (it is this liminal situation that makes her so beautiful). Throughout history, these places have evoked worship and admiration in Istrian people, and their imagination has created many legends about these places. They usually live in mountains or deep inside forests. People therefore highly respected and loved them, but at the same time feared encountering them. Studies of these hills have been made during Austro-Hungarian Empire when they discovered the remains of a fort from the Iron Age. Another folk tale makes no mention of the horrid demons, but does say that fairies come from children. Add to Favorites Croatian lavender doll, traditional folk souvenir, purple girl woman, handmade hanging ornament hand made in Croatia straw hat sachet puppet . It flies between the legs of weary travellers at night, picking him up and whisking him off in the wrong direction, dropping him off in strange lands. Orko will get between peoples legs and transport them to some foreign land (like a desert or a swamp), and he would just leave them there. The events took place in the 16th century, when the Ottoman army was invading the Republic of Poljica. The doors to these caves are in fact small holes through which only a fairy can enter transformed into a snake. And so one day, when they asked him to help irrigate their lands by ploughing rivers into the ground, he agreed. It bites and beats people, makes children ill, and messes with childrens diapers to make them cry. I hope youve enjoyed this short excursion into the wonderful world of Croatian mythology. Monsters such as vampires and strigoi have long been staples of horror movies, video games, and romantic novels targeted at teens. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This means that some myths and mythical creatures are Slavic, while others are found only in certain Croatian communities. ins.style.minWidth = container.attributes.ezaw.value + 'px'; ins.dataset.adClient = pid; The stories about moras occur in Croatia all along the coast, from Istria to Konavle and in the Dalmatian hinterland, and it is often mentioned that people are the most certain that mora truly exists. Interested in more myth content? if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'meettheslavs_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_8',117,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-meettheslavs_com-medrectangle-3-0'); So, buckle up, and let me tell you about some of the most well-known legends from Croatian mythology. It is believed that maliks are to be thanked for good catch in fishing and that they bring treasure to those who manage to steal their red caps. In this blog, we will look at a few of the many myths and most famous legends and folk beliefs. It was also believed they could turn into everything and shift shape, but mostly into a white snake. A krsnik is born in a white placenta, or, as some people used to call it, a white cap. Today, Malik is mostly replaced with self-help literature and various life coaches with just a fragment of his powers. Orko is yet another famous snatcher lurking from night in Dalmatia. Both vedi and divovi refer to giant beings in Slavic and Croatian mythology. Like many other Slavic nations, Croatia developed its myths and legends that in some ways diverged from the overall Slavic mythology. As far as the history and the origins of these legends go, there are many unanswered questions. One day he hid in bushes near the place where the fairy used to bathe.

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