![]() ![]() In one tale, a shepherd by the name of Ivalyo steals the clothes of a samodiva by the name of Marika, thus taking away her source of power. At such times, they need to guard their clothing carefully, lest it is stolen, rendering them powerless. The samodivi’s magical powers lie in their clothing, so they are particularly vulnerable when they are bathing. In some tales, however, a human gets the better of a samodiva, albeit temporarily. Samodivas dancing in ‘Le Villi’ (1906) by Bartolomeo Giuliano. The human, not being able to keep up with their pace, would die of exhaustion. If an unfortunate human stumbles on the samodivi whilst they are dancing, he would be enticed to join them. Although these creatures enjoy dancing, especially when accompanied by the music of a kaval or shepherd’s pipe, they often either seduce or kidnap a shepherd to obtain that music. Stories about the samodivi often portray them as being harmful towards human beings. The spell would result in the person’s death. They are extremely protective of their mounts and would cast a spell on anyone who killed their deer, even if it was by accident. They enjoy riding on deer and use twisted snakes as reins. The samodivi dwell in mountainous areas and their favorite haunts include the Pirin, Vitosha, Rila, and Stara Planina Mountains. Additionally, the samodivi adorn their heads with wreaths of wild flowers. ![]() Their attire consists of a long white gown made of moon beams and either a rainbow-colored or green belt. They have long, blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Regardless of their origins, the samodivi are always described as extremely beautiful women who never age. Inspired by the poem "Lamia" by John Keats. ‘The Knight and the Mermaid’ or ‘The Kiss of the Enchantress’, watercolor painting. Yet others claim that they are the spirits of wicked women stuck between heaven and hell, or of girls who died as virgins. Others believe that the samodivi are children of the lamia, an evil dragon-like creature in Bulgarian folklore. This origin myth accounts for both meanings of the ‘diva’ part of the creature’s name. One of these, for instance, suggests that they are the daughters of Bendis, the Thracian goddess of the moon and hunt, who bears strong resemblance to the Greek goddess Artemis. There are several variations regarding the origins of the samodivi. The first part of the creature’s name signifies its avoidance of human beings, whereas the second indicates her wild or divine nature. The former means ‘alone’, whilst the latter ‘wild’, or ‘divine’, hence the name literally means ‘wild alone’. The name ‘samodiva’ is formed by combining two separate words, ‘samo’ and ‘diva’. Wild and Divine Beings of Slavic Mythology Samodivi appear in many stories, in which they are harmful, or at least mischievous, creatures. But things should not be taken by first appearances sometimes. In general, these beings are forest spirits or wood nymphs who appear as beautiful young women. The samodiva (known also as samovila or vila samodivi or samodivas in plural) is a creature found in Balkan, specifically Bulgarian, folklore. ![]()
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