Samodiva – Now, that's a staple in Bulgarian mythology. They are described as beautiful young women who live in the mountains and use their magical abilities to help the common folk.
However, Samodivas have a fatal weakness - since their magic is contained in the veils they wear, they could potentially lose their magical abilities. Some legends revolve around Samodivas who lose their veils and sometimes find them back.
As mentioned, Samodivas are a core part of Bulgarian folklore. Because of that, truth be told, they have become victims to their popularity and, unfortunately, many stories that feature them also tend to fetishize them in some very questionable ways (applies to both ancient tales and modern interpretations).
I did my best to avoid getting influenced by the raunchier interpretations of these nymph-like women when drawing my own take on them.
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The samodiva, samovila or vila, are woodland fairies or nymphs found in South and West Slavic folklore.
Thought they are predominantly associated with Balkan, specifically Bulgarian, folklore. Yet as there still Slavic, they can't be even semi friendly to people. It's the Slavic way. Samodivas are humanlike creatures, usually wearing a white cloak or dress and armed with a bow and arrow used to catch their human prey. The name ‘samodiva’ is formed by combining two separate words, ‘samo’ and ‘diva’. The former means ‘alone’, whilst the latter ‘wild’, or ‘divine’, hence the name literally means ‘wild alone’. The first part of the creature’s name signifies its avoidance of human beings, whereas the second indicates their wild or divine nature.
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. If they get deprived of their veil, they lose all their power.
The samodivi dwell in mountainous areas, and their favorite haunts include the Pirin, Vitosha, Rila, and Stara Planina Mountains. They enjoy riding on deer and use twisted snakes as reins. They are extremely protective of their mounts and would cast a spell on anyone who killed their deer, even if it was by accident. The spell would result in the person’s death. Most thair stories involving them are like that, though they enjoy dancing they often entice mortals to dance with them until said mortal die of exhaustion.
But, they are not always the bad, and sometimes they appear like normal working women and help with the harvest. They would especially help women with children and if a man did something good for a samodiva, she becomes his patron or a sworn sister. Sometimes, a samodiva can fall in love with a human and bear him children, who grow up to be great heroes. As they are forest creatures they know a lot about herbs and forest plant yet as they are not so keen on sharing their knowledge, you have to eavesdrop on their gatherings.
This sketch has been around since 2017 and I guess it will never be more finished than this.
A couple of samodivas, some things more true to traditional beliefs than others - I gave them different complexions to reflect Bulgarian women, whereas traditionally they are blonde-haired and black-eyed. Their powers are stored in their chemise, which is unornamented (embroidery is to protect mortals). The different sleeves are based on different 19th-century and medieval chemises from Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. In some beliefs they wear colourful (but mostly green) belts, and green zubuns (outer garments). They are also typically imagined to be archers, riding six-winged deers.
I just like the simple style of the show, and feel since there are like mummy and other kinds of monster-ish sinners it won't be far-fetched to say that a sinner could look like a monster from their culture. So, here is my samodiva design for the Hazbin Hotel vers! It would also work with the fact that every person there has a feature that they hate, so if someone was very afraid of water/lakes/drowning/mermaids/water spirits, it would be a great direction to go in
She isn't really perfected, but I'm working on my Genshin ocs and don't feel like working with them anymore, so for now, that's how she will look
(She/they pronounce if you refer to the character)
She knew the moment her feet touched the forest floor.
The devil, cloaked in shadows—
but she, oh, she, with fire in her veins,
hair a wild blaze beneath the moon,
saw the spark beneath his darkness.
A Samodiva, fierce and untamed,
she danced with the wind, with the night,
with the reckless heartbeat of the earth beneath her.
She saw everything—and still,
she chose to seek the light.
Why should she change?
Her spirit, deep as the forest’s roots,
could never be broken, never bent.
She blazed,
and even the devil, lost in her flame,
felt his edges melt.
Oh, darling,
when she dances,
he is helpless—
caught in the sway of her hips,
the fierce grace of her limbs,
her eyes daring him to follow.
Every step, every twist is a spell,
and he bends.
He shatters.
He follows.
She, with hair like flames alive,
eyes deep green mystic the forest self...
whirls through the trees like firelight,
bare feet kissing the earth,
pulling him deeper into her wild.
Each move, a spell unspoken—
a promise that even the devil can grow.
It’s so simple.
Her laughter cracks like burning wood.
Her touch, soft as moss,
sharp enough to carve him open.
She is flame, untamable,
and with each twirl, he falls to his knees.
The forest watches, shadows holding their breath.
And her final move—
a pirouette, fierce and perfect,
a flame flickering into the night.
She leans in close—
the kiss of a Samodiva,
soft, yet heavy as fate.
Then she vanishes,
melting back into the shadows
of her ancient forest,
the dark and the deep, her eternal home.
The wind sighs as she leaves,
the trees bend in reverence,
and the devil?
He stands alone,
haunted by her touch,
by the fire she left burning in his bones.
But she—oh, she,
with her untamed blaze—
will dance again.
She always does.
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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 blonde, tall, slender women with pale, glowing skin and fiery eyes.
According to folklore, Samodivas can live inside trees or 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 Zmajkovo.
In Macedonian folklore they were also said to inhabit trees like oak, willows and that they live in a far off village called Patelevo.
Pic by Bartolomeo Giuliano
Samodivas are believed to be very beautiful women with an affinity for fire. They have the power to bring about drought, burn a farmer's crops, or make cattle die of high fever. It is said that, when angered, a Samodiva can change her appearance and turn into a monstrous bird, capable of throwing fire at her enemies. This, with the power of their seductive voices, makes them somewhat similar to Harpies and Sirens in Greek mythology. Their vindictive nature also complements this notion.
They are usually hostile and dangerous to people. Men who gaze upon a Samodiva fall instantly in love (or at least in lust), and women take their own lives at the sight of such beauty. Sometimes a Samodiva would seduce a man, commonly a shepherd or a trespasser in her forest, and take him for her lover. However, in doing so, she would take all of his life energy. The man would then become obsessed with the Samodiva and chase her relentlessly, unable to think of anything else. The Samodiva, fueled by the energy stolen from her admirer, would then proceed to torture the man until he died of exhaustion.
Another important aspect of the myths surrounding Samodivas is their dance. Beginning at midnight and finishing at dawn, their dance symbolized the raw energy of both nature and the supernatural world. Accompanied and following only the rhythm of the wind and their own singing, their dance was said to have been often witnessed by lost or late travelers, some of them choosing to join it, seduced by the beauty of their song and visage, only to die of exhaustion at dawn, when the Samodivas finally disappeared.
Much like the Vila in Slavic folklore, a Samodiva's power is believed to come mostly from her long (usually blond) 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.
In Bulgarian folklore, a Samodiva's close connection to the forest makes her knowledgeable about magical herbs and cures for all illnesses. It is said that if a person managed to eavesdrop on a gathering of Samodivas he could also gain knowledge of these remedies. In many stories, this is exactly what the hero is forced to do to save a loved one, as a Samodiva would never share her secrets willingly.
In Macedonian folklore, Samovila's are often seen that they 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 evaporates. 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 of calling them by their name Vili, so sometimes they would speak of them as Mayki, Yudi, 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.
