E Bukura e Dheut

E Bukura e Dheut (English: Beauty of the Earth ) is a character in Albanian folklore, a crafty fairy. Her sisters are E Bukura e Detit (English: Beauty of the Sea) and E Bukura e Qiellit (English: Beauty of Heaven).[1]

Appearance

E Bukura e Dheut is beauty itself, golden-haired, but may also appear in the form of an arap with black skin. She may be a good spirit or (more often) evil, with magical powers the derive from her dress, and lives in the underworld, where her palace is guarded by a three-headed dog, a kuçedra and all sorts of other weird and wonderful creatures. She is sometimes described as always ready to help, and so powerful that she can undertake tasks that would normally be the province of God or of an angel.[2] Many stories describe heroes who attempt to gain a strand of her golden hair. If he succeeds, she may be crafty and attempt to steal his possessions, but in the end, if he succeeds at all the labors she requires, she will become his faithful wife.[2]

References

  1. Robert Elsie, A dictionary of Albanian religion, mythology and folk culture, C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2001, pages 79–81. ISBN 978-1-85065-570-1.
  2. 1 2 Lurker, Manfred (1984). The Routledge Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons, Taylor & Francis e-Library. p.38
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