Shtriga
Sign in to saveA shtriga () is a vampiric witch in Albanian mythology and folklore that sucks the blood of infants at night while they sleep, and then transform themselves into a flying insect (traditionally a moth, fly or bee). Only the shtriga herself could cure those she had drained. The shtriga is often pictured as a woman with a hateful stare (sometimes wearing a cape) and a horribly disfigured face. They usually live in hidden places in the forest and have supernatural powers. The term shtriga is used also with the common meaning of "witch", referring to a bad and ugly old woman who casts evil spells u
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- In popular culture
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A shtriga () is a vampiric witch in Albanian mythology and folklore that sucks the blood of infants at night while they sleep, and then transform themselves into a flying insect (traditionally a moth, fly or bee). Only the shtriga herself could cure those she had drained. The shtriga is often pictured as a woman with a hateful stare (sometimes wearing a cape) and a horribly disfigured face. They usually live in hidden places in the forest and have supernatural powers. The term shtriga is used also with the common meaning of "witch", referring to a bad and ugly old woman who casts evil spells upon people. The male noun for shtriga is shtrigu or shtrigan.
==Etymology== The Albanian word shtrigë (definite form being shtriga) derives from the Latin strīga, "evil spirit, witch", related to , and .