X is for X-Factor

I’m doing folklore and book review posts to reach and please a larger audience. Previous years have shown select interest in both and to minimise blogging throughout the year, I’m focusing my efforts on April.

If you’d rather check out my book review for today, go here.

As I’m also promoting my Faery Tales series this month, I had to choose folklore creatures that feature in the books for the A-Z, which is why the creature and letter are a bit twisted to fit together. LOL.

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Folklore

[sources]

Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology by Theresa Bane

Strega (STRAY- gah)

In ancient Rome there was a type of VAMPIRIC WITCH called a strega (“female witch”), or stregone (“male witch”) if the witch was a man (see LIVING VAMPIRE). At night, the strega would shape- shift into a bird or ride upon her flying goat, looking for children to drain dry of their blood. Like many vampires who can be warded off with a common object, the strega is no different, as placing a broom in the child’s room is enough to keep this type of vampire out.

Striga (STREE- gah)

Variations: Strigen

In ancient Rome there was a type of VAMPIRIC WITCH called a striga (“witch”), but it is now uncertain as to whether it was a LIVING WITCH or the returned spirit of a deceased witch. In either case, the witch was consistently described as looking like an old woman. When it took flight in its shape- shifted form of an owl, it would meet with its coven, a collection of either seven or nine strigele (the plural form of the word). As they flew about, the coven was described as looking like little dots of lights up in the night sky. These lights were referred to as “witch lights.” Strigele would gather together to celebrate who and what they were, dancing at first, and then later flying out en masse to find children to feed upon. The strigele would drain the children they came across of their blood and curse others, causing them to slowly waste away and die.

*More can be read in the book.

The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft by Judika Illes

“Strega,” “strix,” “estrie”: these terms are synonyms for “witch,” although literally what they mean is “owl.” Owls were witches’ familiars from ancient Egypt, Rome, and Asia to modern Africa and Native America, with many stops in between. They represent divine yin: night, darkness, magic, and sacred lunar and feminine mysteries.

Strega: Italian magical traditions were remarkably persistent, surviving underground despite discouragement and persecution. “Strega” names the Italian witch; “stregheria” her entire art of practical magic. The word has lingered from old Roman times. It derives from strix (see below), although the vampire bird associations have been lost. Although strega may be used negatively, it is also a title for a lovingly respected witch, similar to “Baba” in Russian or “Mother” in English (as in Mother Shipton). The heroine of Tomie DePaola’s series of children’s books is an Italian witch named Strega Nona, “witch grandma.” The male equivalent is “stregoni.” In some Italian regional dialects, strega also refers to the entire system of stregheria, thus one practices strega. See also Stregheria, Strix.

Stregheria: The craft of the Strega; Italian witchcraft and magical traditions.

Strix, Strigae: Strix literally means “screech owl” but is also translated as “witch.” It derives from the Greek “to screech.” The word may be related to goes, which indicates “howler.” It may originally have indicated practitioners of Women’s Mysteries: owls are associated with birth, death, and important female deities like Athena and Lilith.

However, the Romans adopted the word to indicate a specific type of shape-shifting magical practitioner. Classical Roman culture was tremendously suspicious of magical practice as well as of female power; these fears manifest in the strix.

The strix is always female. Human by day, they transform into birds at night, flying through the air ravenously hungry for human flesh and blood, especially that of babies. Like a succubus, strigae also lust after sex and human vitality or life essence.

The concept of the night-flying, shape-shifting, sexually voracious, baby-killing witch returned with a vengeance during the European witch-hunts.

*More can be read in the book.

Further Reading:

[links]

Folklore in a Nutshell by Ronel

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Strega in Modern Culture

[sources]

Strega in My Writing

Origin of the Fae: Strega

[origin of fae]

[translation]

[book extract image with link]

Malignant Moon (Faery Tales #)

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