According to Aleksander Brückner, the word is derived from Strix, Latin for owl and a bird-like creature which fed on human flesh and blood in Roman and Greek mythology.[1] It is unclear how the word strzyga was adapted by the Polish people, though it might have been through the Balkan peoples. The term strzyga could also sometimes mean a vampire or upiór.[3][4][5] After the 18th century, there was a distinction between strzyga and upiór; the first one was more connected to witchcraft, while the latter was more of a flying, vampiric creature.[6][2]
A strzyga is a usually female demon similar to vampire in Slavic (and especially Polish) folklore. People who were born with two hearts and two souls, and two sets of teeth (the second one barely visible) were believed to be strzygi.[6][2]Somnambulics or people without armpit hair could also be seen as ones.[8] Furthermore, a newborn child with already developed teeth was also believed to be one.[5] When a person was identified as a strzyga, they were chased away from human dwelling places. During epidemics, people were getting buried alive, and those who managed to get out of their graves, often weak, ill and with mutilated hands, were said to be strzygi by others.[9] It is said that strzygi usually died at a young age, but, according to belief, only one of their two souls would pass to the afterlife; the other soul was believed to cause the deceased strzyga to come back to life and prey upon other living beings.[10] These undead creatures were believed to fly at night in a form of an owl and attack night-time travelers and people who had wandered off into the woods at night, sucking out their blood and eating their insides.[11] Strzyga were also believed to be satisfied with animal blood, for a short period of time.[2] According to the other sources, strzygi were believed not to harm people but to herald someone's imminent death.[10] In this, they resemble Banshees.
Methods of protection
When a person believed to be a strzyga died, decapitating the corpse and burying the head separate from the rest of the body was believed to prevent the strzyga from rising from the dead;[12] burying the body face down with a sickle around its head was believed to work as well.[6] Other methods of protection from the strzyga (some similar to those from vampires) included:
Burning the body
Hammering nails, stakes etc. into various parts of the strzyga's body
Putting a flint into its mouth after exhumation[6]
Pealing the church bells (the strzyga then turns into tar)[2]
Slapping it across the face with one's left hand[2]
Burying it again, outside of the village, and pinning it down with a big rock[10]
Scattering poppy seeds in the shape of the cross in every corner of the house[2]
Exhumation in the presence of a priest and burying the body again, after additional rituals (such as putting a piece of paper with the word "Jesus" written on it under the strzyga's tongue)[13]
Putting small objects in the strzyga's grave to make it count them.[8]
^ abGrochowski, Piotr. "Od strzygoni do wampirów energetycznych. Folklor jako system praktyk interpretacyjnych". Przegląd Kulturoznawczy.
^Buczyński, Jerzy (2005). Skarbnik, zmory, utopce i upiory : opowiadania ludowe z ziemi rybnickiej i wodzisławskiej. Racibórz: Wydawn. i Agencja Informacyjna "WAW" Grzegorz Wawoczny. ISBN8389802066. OCLC 153770629.
^ abcDekowski, Jan Piotr (1987). Strzygi i topieluchy: opowiadania sieradzkie.
^J. Bohdanowicz (1994). "Demonologia ludowa. Relikty wierzeń w strzygonie i zmory". Literatura ludowa.
^Kolberg, Oskar (1874). The People. Their Customs, Way of Life, Language... Vol. 7 (published 1962).
strzyga, polish, pronunciation, ˈstʂɨɡa, plural, strzygi, masculine, strzygoń, usually, female, demon, slavic, mythology, which, stems, from, mythological, strix, ancient, rome, ancient, greece, demon, similar, vampire, predominantly, found, polish, silesian, . Strzyga Polish pronunciation ˈstʂɨɡa plural strzygi masculine strzygon is usually a female demon in Slavic mythology which stems from the mythological Strix of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece 1 The demon is similar to a vampire 2 and is predominantly found in Polish and Silesian folklore Strzyga an artistic vision by Filip Gutowski Excerpt from The Sarmatian Bestiarium by Janek Sielicki Contents 1 Origin 2 Beliefs 2 1 Methods of protection 3 See also 4 ReferencesOrigin EditAccording to Aleksander Bruckner the word is derived from Strix Latin for owl and a bird like creature which fed on human flesh and blood in Roman and Greek mythology 1 It is unclear how the word strzyga was adapted by the Polish people though it might have been through the Balkan peoples The term strzyga could also sometimes mean a vampire or upior 3 4 5 After the 18th century there was a distinction between strzyga and upior the first one was more connected to witchcraft while the latter was more of a flying vampiric creature 6 2 Beliefs Edit Scrambles amongst the Alps an illustration by Edward Whymper of the Notre Dame Cathedral gargoyle called Le Stryge 7 A strzyga is a usually female demon similar to vampire in Slavic and especially Polish folklore People who were born with two hearts and two souls and two sets of teeth the second one barely visible were believed to be strzygi 6 2 Somnambulics or people without armpit hair could also be seen as ones 8 Furthermore a newborn child with already developed teeth was also believed to be one 5 When a person was identified as a strzyga they were chased away from human dwelling places During epidemics people were getting buried alive and those who managed to get out of their graves often weak ill and with mutilated hands were said to be strzygi by others 9 It is said that strzygi usually died at a young age but according to belief only one of their two souls would pass to the afterlife the other soul was believed to cause the deceased strzyga to come back to life and prey upon other living beings 10 These undead creatures were believed to fly at night in a form of an owl and attack night time travelers and people who had wandered off into the woods at night sucking out their blood and eating their insides 11 Strzyga were also believed to be satisfied with animal blood for a short period of time 2 According to the other sources strzygi were believed not to harm people but to herald someone s imminent death 10 In this they resemble Banshees Methods of protection Edit When a person believed to be a strzyga died decapitating the corpse and burying the head separate from the rest of the body was believed to prevent the strzyga from rising from the dead 12 burying the body face down with a sickle around its head was believed to work as well 6 Other methods of protection from the strzyga some similar to those from vampires included Burning the body Hammering nails stakes etc into various parts of the strzyga s body Putting a flint into its mouth after exhumation 6 Pealing the church bells the strzyga then turns into tar 2 Slapping it across the face with one s left hand 2 Burying it again outside of the village and pinning it down with a big rock 10 Scattering poppy seeds in the shape of the cross in every corner of the house 2 Exhumation in the presence of a priest and burying the body again after additional rituals such as putting a piece of paper with the word Jesus written on it under the strzyga s tongue 13 Putting small objects in the strzyga s grave to make it count them 8 See also EditDziwozona Mare Shtriga Strigoi Strix mythology Vampire UpiorReferences Edit a b Kolberg Oskar 1882 The People Their Customs Way of Life Language Vol 15 Krakow Uniwersytet Jagiellonski p 24 a b c d e f g Strzygon strzyga Polska bajka ludowa Slownik red Violetta Wroblewska bajka umk pl Retrieved 2019 01 12 Jerzy Strzelczyk 2007 Mity podania i wierzania dawnych Slowian Wyd 2 popr i uzup ed Poznan Rebis ISBN 9788373019737 OCLC 228025091 Kolczynski Jaroslaw 2003 Jeszcze raz o upiorze wampirze i strzygoni strzydze Etnografia Polska a b Kozlowski Kornel 1863 Piesni podania basnie zwyczaje i przesady ludu z Mazowsza czerskiego a b c d Folklor Gornego Slaska Simonides Dorota Wyd 1 ed Katowice Wydawn Slask 1989 ISBN 8321606040 OCLC 20935625 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint others link DigitalGeorgetown 1981 Notre Dame Cathedral Grotesque Le Stryge repository library georgetown edu Retrieved 2020 01 22 a b Grochowski Piotr Od strzygoni do wampirow energetycznych Folklor jako system praktyk interpretacyjnych Przeglad Kulturoznawczy Buczynski Jerzy 2005 Skarbnik zmory utopce i upiory opowiadania ludowe z ziemi rybnickiej i wodzislawskiej Raciborz Wydawn i Agencja Informacyjna WAW Grzegorz Wawoczny ISBN 8389802066 OCLC 153770629 a b c Dekowski Jan Piotr 1987 Strzygi i topieluchy opowiadania sieradzkie J Bohdanowicz 1994 Demonologia ludowa Relikty wierzen w strzygonie i zmory Literatura ludowa Kolberg Oskar 1874 The People Their Customs Way of Life Language Vol 7 published 1962 Ulanowska Stefania 1887 Wsrod ludu krakowskiego Wisla miesiecznik geograficzno etnograficzny Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Strzyga amp oldid 1129174355, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
