Samodiva is the siren of Bulgarian folklore. Also known as samovila, vila, or samodivi, her name, formed by combining the words ‘samo’ and ‘diva’ ultimately translates to ‘wild alone,’ which describes her general nature. The word ‘diva’ can also be translated to divine, which lends itself to the belief that samodivas are the daughters of the Thracian goddess Bendis. (Bendis is associated with hunting and is often accompanied by dancing satyrs and maenads.)
Another belief is that the samodiva are the children of the lamia, an evil dragon-like creature in Bulgarian folklore. Then there are others who believe that they are the spirits of wicked women, stuck between heaven and hell.
The samodiva are beautiful women, with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. They wear long white gowns made of moonbeams, and a rainbow or green colored belt. This garment is their source of all magic and power. Upon their heads, they wear a wreath of flowers. The samodiva never age.
The Samodiva have a special connection to nature and can heal using herbs. They ride wild deer, using twisted snakes as reins. They are extremely protective of the forest and all that dwell inside, and will not hesitate to cast a lethal spell on anyone who harmed it, even if it were an accident.
The ‘samo’ of their name translates to ‘alone,’ however this alone is purely by choice, and is not always the case. They love to dance, especially when accompanied by the music of a kaval or shepherd’s pipe – whom they would have to seduce or kidnap to obtain the music. For any person who happens upon them while they are dancing, they would be invited, encouraged, or even made to dance with them. This seems harmless enough, until you consider that their magic allows them to dance at such a pace that no human could ever keep up, thereby causing them to die of exhaustion.
The samodiva are careful when bathing, as they must set their magical gown aside. If someone were to happen upon them and steal the gown, she would be forced to live without her magic and power until she is able to find her gown and reclaim it. These samodiva are often taken to bear children. Some samodiva choose to marry a man and have his children. Children born of a man and samodiva grow up to be legendary heroes.
There is a story of a shepherd named Ivalyo who stole the gown of a samodiva named Marika. He takes her to be his bride, and they have a child together just three years later. The couple throws a party to celebrate the birth of their son, and when the child’s godfather requests to dance with Marika, he comments that she does not dance as a samodiva should. He convinces Ivalyo to give Marika her gown back. Once she puts her gown back on, her powers are restored and she disappears forever, leaving Ivalyo and her son behind.
The samodiva are not harmless, and without hesitation will take the heart and eyes of a person who trespasses on their territory. Bulgarians in remote villages pay respect to them, afraid they will seduce their men with their beautiful songs. This belief is so strong, that some of the smaller villages have been deserted over time.
The fear that the samodiva will seduce men with their song and kill him is great. There is a story of a man who was found naked in the woods. He had been killed by the samodiva. Flashes of white can be spotted among the trees, and they know the samodiva are close by.
One story tells of the mysterious disappearance of five men. Two were found, but had no memory of what had happened to them or others they were with.
Whether the samodiva are real or not, they should be both feared and respected. Men especially should be wary of any mysterious song heard from the forest.
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