Samodiva (folklore)
The samodiva, samovila or vila, are woodland fairies or nymphs found in South and West Slavic folklore.
Etymology
One of the hypotheses of the etymology of the word samovila is that it comes from the Indo-European root ṷēi-, meaning 'follow', 'chase', or 'blow' for vila. The component samo has a function to highlight.The origin of diva is uncertain. The main hypothesis is that there are traces of deiṷos, 'god'.
Appearance
Samodivas are commonly depicted as ethereal maidens with long, loose hair, and in some cases, wings. They are typically dressed in free-flowing, feathered white gowns, which give them the power of flight. Samodivas are often described as having blonde or red hair, tall, slender women with pale, glowing skin and fiery eyes.Sometimes, they are described as having a veil which could hold all their power. If they get deprived of their veil, they lose all their power.
Habitat
According to Bulgarian folklore, Samodivas can live inside trees, abandoned shacks, or dark caves or near rivers, ponds, and wells. Mountains linked to the Samodivas include Vitosha, Belasitsa, Pirin, Rila, the Rhodopes, the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria and Rudina mountains. However, mountain Pirin is their traditional favorite. Samodivas enter the human world during the spring, staying until autumn. During the winter, they live in the mythical village of Zmejkovo.In Bulgarian folklore, they are associated with places related to water - wells, rivers, lakes. Thus, there are landmarks in Bulgaria that have the word "samodiva" or "samovila" in them. An example of that are the Samodivski Lakes in the Pirin Mountain. Specifically, they live under large old trees, in abandoned sheds, or in dark caves that are near water sources.
In Macedonian folklore, they are also said to inhabit trees like oaks and willows and they live in a far off village called Patelevo.
Place in folklore
Samodivas have the power to bring about drought, burn a farmer's crops, or make cattle die of high fever.Bulgarian folklore
In Bulgarian folklore, Samodivas occur as the personified form of nature. They are protectors of nature and are often juxtaposed with the ways humans live their lives.They are knowledgeable about herbs and plants, so they are associated with many plants with medicinal qualities. Some plants that are commonly associated with samodivas are Euonymus alatus, Gentiana Alba, and other herbs. There are many local beliefs about those plants and their qualities that are associated with the samodivas. For example, there is a belief that Еuonymus Alatus should be picked only on the eve of Ascension Day because the samodivas are more friendly and their healing powers are stronger.
Another important aspect of the figure of the Samodivas is their love for singing and dancing. They often engage in competitions with each other and with humans and whoever wins gets to keep the loser for themselves. An example of this is the plot of Dimo the where the samodiva loses the musical battle and Dimo takes her to his village.
In certain parts of Bulgaria, samodivas are said to be related to various inexplicable natural events like chronic illnesses and whirlwinds. An exаmple of this is the folk song . This is a remnant from pre-Christian belief systems in the Balkans, similar to the Ancient Greek mythology's explanation of Nereids dancing in the winds.
Macedonian folklore
In Macedonian folklore, Samovilas are often seen to have the ability to hurt people or to heal them. There is a way to kill a Samovila, and that is by making her prick herself on thorn bushes and evaporate. It is also known that they could enter the hearts of men and stay there for 5 years. Their goal was to join with the man's soul and after go to heaven together. They usually gave the man magical powers and knowledge of healing plants. In North Macedonia, there are tales speaking of Samovilski Weddings, and if a random person was found walking by, they would offer him wine and in return he would give a golden coin to the bride. The wedding would then last all night until dawn.It is also known that they can be seen by dogs with four eyes and mixed Samovilski children.
Their voices were hypnotic and could drive a man to go crazy. The Macedonian people feared calling them by their name Vili, so sometimes they would speak of them as Mayki, Yudi, or They.
Balkan mythology holds that Samodivas were the daughters of Lamia. This, combined with their mostly nocturnal nature, leads to them being considered negative, or at best neutral in their nature.
Much like the Vila in Slavic folklore, a Samodiva's power is believed to come mostly from her long hair. A Samodiva would sometimes give a small portion of it to her lover to strengthen her control over him via its magical effects. However, if her hair is damaged in some way, she will either disappear entirely or be stripped of her powers and beauty.
History
In Bulgaria, the current understanding of Samodivas stems from collections of folk tales and folk songs. Many of those were compiled in the 19th century as part of the Revival efforts of Bulgarian intellectuals. The secondary literature on the topic of Samodiva is very limited. The folklore that has been collected and stored reflects only a fraction of the complex understanding that the character of the Samodiva entails, since the folktales have gone through numerous sieves, both during the writing stages of the folklore collections, and later on, as a result of the regime and ideology shifts of the Balkan Peninsula.Earliest written evidence of Samodivas dates back to the 13th century, where they presumably developed from Balkan traditions and myths. Researchers have also found influences from other Slavic folklore. It is widely believed that the image of the Samodiva and their behavior is actually based on ancient Thracian legends, especially those connected to the Cult of Orpheus, which included songs and dances performed by fire-priestesses.
Prominent Samodivas in folklore
- Vila - Some folk tales describe Vila Samodiva as the Samodiva maiden who leads the others in their dances. She is described as the active participant of the contact between the protagonist of folktales and the mystical world, serving as a guide or giving the hero a task to test his valour and resolve. In one folk tale, Vila found Krali Marko as an infant and brought him up as a foster mother. As Marko grew on Samodiva milk, he acquired supernatural powers. The character of the Vila is attested in South Slavic fairy tales collected by Friedrich Salomon Krauss.
- Vida - Some stories say that she is the sister of Krali Marko; some stories describe her as a destructive force of nature. In ', he encounters her and kills her in conflict. In another , she is responsible for the water shortage in the region because she locked up the twelve springs.
- Gyurgya''' - One of Gyurgya's in Bulgarian Folklore is when she is enticed by a shepherd and ends up becoming his wife.
Appearances in other literature
- In the 19th century, Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev mentioned Samodivas in a poem praising the late Voivoda Hadzhi Dimitar. The Samodivas provide comfort to the dying man in the last moments of his life, symbolizing bravery. They also appear to symbolize the union between him and the land he sacrificed himself to protect. Still, the Samodivas and the reaction of Hadzhi Dimitar to their presence is connected to the mischievous and seductive role they often play in mythology.
- Elin Pelin - ''''