Slavic and Croatian folklore, history, mytholgy

[slaviccroatianfolklore]

Croatian/Slavic names for plants, animals etc.

A lot of things in slavic languages have very interesting names:

For example, in Croatia and a lot of Balkan countries, scarlet elf cup mushroom is called BABINO UVO/UHO (eng. granny’s ear) because its red and slightly wrinkled, but its also called CRVENI PEHARČEK (eng. little red goblet), named after its shape. Another interesting name is LUDARA  which is used for Devil’s bolete. Ludara roughly translates to ‘crazy’ because of many sympthoms it causes. A word for succulents is ČUVARKUĆE (eng. the house keepers) because it usually grows on roofs and ‘protects the house’

As for the animals, they can be named after a lot of things. A word for a bear is MEDVJED which translates to ‘the one who eats honey’ because in Slavic history people were terified of them and were even afraid to call them by their  real name which is now lost due to it not being used. Animals are also often named after mythical beings and characters. A word for jellyfish is MEDUZA (eng. medusa) named after a character from greek mythology of the same name. A lot of greek words and phrases made their way into Croatian language because historically a large part of coastal Croatia was a greek colony. 

Muhara (scarlet elf cup)

Ludara (devil’s bolete)

Čuvarkuća (succulent)

[slaviccroatianfolklore]

Witches in Croatian/Slavic mythology and folklore

In Croatian folklore and Slavic folklore in general, there are a lot of witches, sorceress’ and other magical feminine figures. 

The most famous Slavic with is Baba Yaga (Granny Jaga), an old hag that lives in a cottage that stands on chicken legs (sometimes described as being surrounded by a spikey fence with skulls on it). In some stories she eats people, mostly children, which led to parents telling their children stories about her and scaring them so they would behave. Baba Jaga is often called Baba Roga, but sometimes Baba Roga is considered a seperate witch.

There a lot of names and origin stories for witches. In Istria (a part of coastal Croatia next to the Mediterrenian sea) a which is called ŠTRIGA. It’s described as an old granny that practises dark magic or just naturally is very powerful. They are also described as beautiful sometimes, taking that shape in order to lure in men. They can shapeshift into animals, so it’s said that if you ever see a white dog and a black dog fighting on a crossroad to leave. That’s štriga (black dog) fighting a KRSNIK (white dog, vampire/supernatural hunter born with a white placenta).Sometimes the name štriga is another word used for STRIGOI (a vampire).

Baba Yaga’s cottage

Baba Yaga

Štriga

Strigoi