Образът на вещицата Гелуда в балканските апокрифи
The Image of the Witch Geluda in the Balkan Apocrypha

Author(s): Simona Trayanova
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature
Published by: Факултет по славянски филологии, Софийски университет »Св. Кл. Охридски«
Summary/Abstract: In the early Christian era, amulet texts in the form of prayers, spells, short stories, and seals were increasingly used for protection against diseases and evil spirits, as well as for safeguarding pregnant women and their unborn children. Although the church declared these types of texts apocryphal, this did not hinder their widespread distribution and use in the Balkans. During the Middle Ages, the story of Saint Sisinnius and his struggle with the witch Gellouda, who steals the children of his sister, became particularly popular. The legend serves as the core of many written amulets in the Balkans, with the female demon and her transformations being a central image in all versions.

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