The Shtriga, in Albanian folklore, was a vampiric witch that would suck the blood of infants at night while they slept, and would then turn into a flying insect (traditionally a moth, fly or bee). Only the shtriga herself could cure those she had drained (often by spitting in their mouths), and those who were not cured inevitably sickened and died. Also means just a witch, a person that uses magic. The male noun for shtriga is shtrigu or shtrigan.
These names are often used to express that a person is evil. In northern Albania they say a women is not born a witch; she becomes one, often because she can’t have babies or they die and the envy makes her evil. Albanians think that only a strong belief in God can make you immune to a witch and God will protect them against this kind of people there’s a saying, Na ruan Zoti (God protects us). Usually witches are described like old or middle-aged women with grey or pale green or pale blue eyes called white eyes or washed out colour eyes (sybardha) and crocked nose. They stare you in a way that makes you uncomfortable. Do not stare them back; avoid looking them directly in the eyes because they have the evil eye. Some people take some salt in their fingers and with the fingers touch the eyes (closed eyes), the mouth, the heart and the opposite part of the heart and the pit of the stomach and then throw the salt in direct flames saying “syt i dalçin syt i plaçin” or just repeat 3-6 times under voice “syt i dalçin syt i plaçin”.
Against evil eye in some regions of Albania people uses garlic (hudhër) or when they build a new house they place there a puppet so it will catch the evil. Newborns or children or beautiful girls can catch evil eye more easily so in some albanian regions is used to say “marshalla” and touch their nose when they look them for the first time, especially newborns, so the evil eye will not catch them and to express that they are benevolent.
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.
The Shtriga is often pictured as a woman with hateful stare (sometimes wearing a cape) and a horribly disfigured face.
Oh two things that I like. Albanian and folklore/mysticism
