Shtriga

Shtriga is different from Strigoi, they can shape shift into an insect and feed on the blood of the infants while they were asleep.  Sometimes the infant would acquire sickness that only a shtriga would be able to cure.  In most of the Shtriga Lore, they are often depicted as a woman with an eerie gaze that is always wearing a hood to cover her flawed face.

Based on the Shtriga Lore, the Shtriga would infect those infant with a disease.  She must spit those infant in their mouth to cure them.  Those who are not cured by the shtriga would eventually die.  As the Shtriga Lore said, someone is not cursed of being a shtriga.  Being a shtriga is not a destiny but a choice.  It is believed that she was not really evil.  She was not really an evil creature; she just turned into an evil creature after she found out that she was unable to bear a child.  Due to this she learned how to use evil craft and promise that he will destroy every child in the world due to his jealousy.  Other one is that the Shtriga is an undead. 

Shtriga is often described as a woman with a pale complexion.  They also have those bizarre stare that made people uncomfortable.  People should refrain from staring at the eye of the Shtriga cause they believe she possess the evil eye.  In order to ward of the evil spirit, a ritual must be performed.  They must take salt into their hand and rub their closed eyes, heart mouth and their belly.  They must throw the grain of salt in the flames while uttering some incantations.

In Albania version of Shtriga Lore, people use a garlic to drive away the Shtriga.  They also make a puppet and placed it in a house that is being built in order to catch a shtriga.  There are also other ways on how you can keep yourself safe from a shtriga.  One is by making a cross out of a pig bone and placing it on the place of worship during Easter Sunday. Any Shtriga inside the place of worship would be unable to leave the place.  Another belief is that the Shtriga would often go to the deep forest after a feast to regurgitate the blood of her victims.  It is believed that if you dip a silver coin on that blood, the coin becomes a powerful amulet to repel the shtriga.