Bolla
The bolla is a serpent demon of Albanian folklore that keeps its eyes closed all year except on Saint George's Day, devours any human it sees, and if left unseen for many years grows into the dragon kulshedra.
| Also known as | Bollë, Bullar, Bolle |
|---|---|
| Type | serpent |
| Tradition | Albanian |
| Category | Folklore |
| Associated with | Northern and southern Albania |
| Earliest source | Albanian folk belief as recorded by 19th- and 20th-century ethnographers (summarized in Robert Elsie's Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology and Folk Culture), 19th–20th century recordings |
| Wings | Not specified |
| Breathes fire | No |
| Guards treasure | No |
| Nature | Hostile |
What Is a Bolla?
In Albanian folk belief, the bolla (definite form bolla, indefinite bollë) is a large serpent demon, the middle stage in the life of a dragon. An ordinary snake that grows old becomes a bolla, and a bolla that survives long enough becomes a kulshedra, the many-headed female dragon who controls the waters and brings drought. The bolla is therefore less famous than its final form, but it is an important part of how Albanians imagined dragons coming into being.
Blind Except on Saint George's Day
The best-known belief about the bolla is that it sleeps, or keeps its eyes shut, for the whole year. It opens them only on one day: Saint George's Day, celebrated in Albania in spring. On that day it looks around, and any human it sees, it swallows. Folk explanation says that Saint George himself cursed the serpent to be blind for the rest of the year. This links the bolla to the most famous dragon-slaying saint of the Christian world while keeping it firmly in local tradition.
Because the bolla becomes dangerous only if it goes undisturbed, the belief also carried a practical warning. A serpent that lives many years without being seen by people can grow into a kulshedra, so large old snakes were treated with fear. Some accounts say a bolla changes into a kulshedra after a fixed number of years, but the number differs between regions and sources.
Appearance
The sources describe the bolla simply as a great serpent. It is not usually given wings, legs, or fire. Those monstrous features belong to the kulshedra it becomes. Regional terms differ: it is also called bullar, and in some areas the words for the various stages blur together.
The Name
Linguists consider bollë an old native Albanian word for a large snake, inherited from Proto-Albanian rather than borrowed from Latin or Greek. That contrasts with the word kulshedra, which comes from Latin.
Legacy
The bolla reached English-speaking readers through Robert Elsie's reference works on Albanian folk culture, and later through modern fiction, including Pajtim Statovci's novel Bolla (2019), which borrows the serpent as a symbol. For the bolla's adult form, see the Kulshedra section of Dragon Species, and for the saint's connection, Saint George and the Dragon.
Related
- Kulshedra: The kulshedra is a monstrous, many-headed female dragon of Albanian folklore who spits fire, hoards water to cause drought, and is fought in storms by the winged hero called the drangue.
- Zmaj: The zmaj is the dragon of South Slavic folklore, a fiery, winged, often protective being that guards fields from hail-bringing demons, takes human lovers, and fathers heroes such as Zmaj Ognjeni Vuk.
- Dragon of Silene: The Dragon of Silene is the lake-dwelling, plague-breathing dragon killed by Saint George in medieval legend after he rescued a princess offered to it, the best-known version appearing in the Golden Legend around 1260.
- Dragon Species
- Saint George and the Dragon
Sources and Further Reading
- Robert Elsie, A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology and Folk Culture (Hurst & Company, 2001)
- Robert Elsie, Albanian Folktales and Legends (Naim Frashëri, 1994)
Cite this entry: “Bolla,” Draconika Encyclopedia of Dragons, https://www.draconika.com/dragons/bolla.