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_{» Supernatural Creatures: Shtrigas}

        _{Shtrigas derive from Albanian folklore. They are typically female, and are vampiric witches that suck the blood of infants in the dead of night, and once finished, turn into some form of insect (i.e. a bee, moth, or fly) to leave. They are usually depicted as old hags with disfigured faces, spiteful stares, pale grey, blue, or green eyes, and ragged clothing. It’s very rare for a male shtriga to be known (usually referred to as shtriga, shtrigu, or shrtigan).}

        _{It is also believed that shtriga are not born, but made. Often when a woman becomes a witch in Albanian folklore it is believed she can no longer of have children, thus she feeds on them. Once bitten by a shtriga, the infant becomes deathly ill. The only way to cure them is for the shtriga them self to spit in the infant’s mouth.}

        _{The only known ways to ward off a shtriga is with garlic, to ward off the evil eye. Since infants most often catch the gaze of the evil eye,  when meeting an infant people will touch the child’s nose, saying masha’allah. Another common use to ward of witches in the Albanian culture is salt.}

_{Source: X}