lost

a blog about cottage-core, folklore Balkan/Slavic aesthetic, culture and media portrayal

[oldpaintings]

Sweet Dreams by Pál Jávor (Hungarian, 1880–1923)

[bratislavaguide]

Bratislava castle from the Michael’s Gate Tower Photo: Michaela Tlapova

[margocooper]

Сирень Anna Shiach (Анна Шиач). Май 24. Lilac Anna Shiach. May 24.

[descendinight]

‘‘ I am unclean ’’ from Nosferatu 草图

[buxina]

Bravo also to Robert Eggers for probably the least bad depiction of Transylvania in Western vampire cinematic history:

1. Having actual Romanian actors doing the dialogue in Romanian. You'd think this is a low bar to clear but nope.

2. High quality costume design that looks pretty accurate to 19th century Romanian and Roma peasantry, even down to specific braided hairstyles from the Transylvanian region.

3. Depiction of Roma people but refrains from having them as some typical Hollywood exoticizing role like a magical fortune teller etc. They're in like half a scene, just chilling and playing music in front of an inn.

4. Use of the word "strigoi" which are actual spirits in Romanian folklore, unlike the term "vampire" which didn't exist in Romania.

5. Sorry to the Nosferatu moustache haters, but a Romanian nobleman would have had that exact facial hair.

6. Depiction of religion (nuns, churches) that actually looks like Eastern Orthodoxy and not some vaguely spooky goth Christianity.

[our-sinister-night]

Come to me

[aicosu]

You are my affliction.

[elizadraws]

Ghibli men and women in Bulgarian headgear 🇧🇬 This is the second part—continuation to this post. Shortly I will upload the remaining ones in a third post.

My Instagram

[shisasan]

Endre Penovác (Serbian,b.1956), Black Cat with Piercing Gaze

[holespoles]

losing it over this proposed redesign of serbian currency

[sunswan]

@communeist :o

[littlealienproducts]

Baba Yaga's Hut and Chicks 8x10 inch art print by theGorgonist

[aberleigh]

tbh this is one of my fav things i've ever made. and its on t-shirts

[yugoslavicgirlie]

[orisnitsa]

"Girls, braided in "плителчета" style"/ Hairstyles of Banat Bulgarian girls from Bardarski Geran

Source

[tonechkag]

Among Balkan witches, rope was rarely used, but in contrast, yarn was obligatory. As a rule, they would use any kind of yarn; the only thing that mattered was it's color. White, red, black, and sometimes gold colors were used.

White yarn was exclusively used in healing rituals. After a bundle of necessary items for the sick person was prepared, witches wrapped it three times with white yarn, then it was tied with three knots while they chanted an appropriate incantation. Repeating the incantation while tying each knot. The bundle consisted of a piece of white canvas, a personal effect of the sick person, or a few hairs, or an herb was used to treat the sickness at hand. Sometimes just a lock of hair was bound with white yarn, and while the knots were tied, the incantation was repeated.

Red yarn was used for everyday situations. It was most used in love magic first for "binding" a couple, then for material benefits, but also for protection from any evil. The method of performing the ritual is identical to the previous one , meaning that while the knots were being tied, the appropriate incantation was repeated for each knot.

Black yarn was used exclusively for black magic, with the methodology as in the previous examples. It is well known that black yarn is used in Vlach "binding", and according to that, we can conclude that this type of love magic is black magic.

- Balkan Traditional Witchcraft by Radomir Ristic

[jadeseadragon]

Helena Janecic (Zagreb, Croatia): In the Garden, Plum Jam for Winter, In the Kitchen, and Dinner

"The series ... explores the queer identity in the rural areas of the Balkan. The paintings realistically depict imaginary scenes from the life of young women that might have happened but were not historically recorded and were not part of the collective memory."

[yugocar]

i really want a piece of media about vampires that follows early balkan conceptions of vampires. let them be boneless bloated sacks of blood. let them sleep in watermills. have their relatives poke their dead bodies before burying them so they dont become vampires. build on top of that!

[balkanpegan]

yes!