What are the best English-language books to learn about the mythology of the Balkans?

Posted by wilderfast@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 6 comments

I'm trying to learn about the mythology of the Balkans, and Slavic mythology in general, but I'm hitting a bit of a wall finding good sources, especially those in a language I speak (English and German).

Like, I have a few myth collections that have been pretty interesting, but those do more to convey the "vibe" of the mythology in general, while giving limited information for further research.

Specifically, I'm searching for a bestiary of sorts, one that has collected the various supernatural creatures in one place, giving me a good overview on whose basis i can look into the specific creatures that grab my attention.

For example, there's a book called Bestiariusz słowiański that looks absolutely perfect, but unforunately, it's in Polish and there are no translations available. (and yes, i know Poland isn't in the Balkans)

So, does anyone know of any book(s) that fit the bill?

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Long_Hovercraft_3975@reddit

While Mircea Eliade did not write extensively on the myths of a specific Balkan region, his general works on religion, myth, and the sacred are highly relevant for understanding the topic. Key works include The Myth of the Eternal Return, The Sacred and the Profane, and Myth and Reality, which offer theoretical frameworks for interpreting myth and religious experience across cultures. For specific Balkan myths, you would need to look for specialized studies that use Eliade's ideas or consult collections of folklore from the region.

Ok_Stretch_405@reddit

I would be interested in Romanian myths. It would be interesting to read about the real Dracula.

TungstenLungPolyp@reddit

Forest of the vampire fits the description of what you are looking for, I read it a long time ago so I can't remember too much but I recall certain parts of it felt like a bestiary but there is also a lot of theorizing as to how these superstitious beliefs formed in Slavic culture in the first place.

https://www.amazon.com/Forests-Vampires-Slavic-Myth-Mankind/dp/0705436136

rydolf_shabe@reddit

a book that was written by an american author named "Rose Wilder Lane" titlet "Peaks of Shala" is wonderful to learn for albanian mountain tribes and some mythology too that survived up to the 20th century (20th or 19th im cant remember the exact date when it was written)

flying_dutchman246@reddit

This book is from Mitrush Kuteli, a prominent Albanian writer; it's free and talks about mythology and folk tales of the Albanian people. It's called "Tregime te Moçme Shqiptare" (Old Albanian Tales). It's also intertwined with real history, in some parts talks about Skenderbeg and also much older tales about the battles that Albanians had with early Slavic kings (Krajls) and Turks. It's free, translated into English, its a good read:
https://www.scribd.com/document/773389350/1-Shqip-Anglisht-Tregime-te-mocme-shqiptare

Bilbolbu@reddit

The drekavac doesn't ride people, the karakondžula does that.

That's all I know.