The lubia or ljubi is a water and storm

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in Media (communication), media including f ...

in Albanian mythology and folklore, usually depicted as a huge multi-headed female serpentine

dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

similar to the

kulshedra The kulshedra or kuçedra is a water, storm, fire and chthonic demon in Albanian mythology and Albanian folklore, folklore, usually described as a huge multi-headed female Serpent (symbolism), serpentine dragon. She is the archetype of darkness ...

. In Southern Albanian beliefs, she is a

storm deity A weather god or goddess, also frequently known as a storm god or goddess, is a deity in mythology associated with weather phenomena such as thunder, snow, lightning, rain, wind, storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Should they only be in charge of ...

. She is also referred to as ‘mother lubia’.She is known for her disturbingly huge appetite and eerie personality. Both of which characteristics are based on the fierce impression the sea gives you on stormy weather. The native people used hyperbole and made a vile creature out of the bad weather conditions.

Appearance

Lubia is depicted as a female demon. She is believed to live in a wonderful vegetable garden. Lubia, as a powerful demon, can cause the waters to dry up unless a virgin is sacrificed to her. Lubia is described as having multiple heads, anywhere from 7-100. Like the

Lernaean Hydra The Lernaean Hydra or Hydra of Lerna (), more often known simply as the Hydra, is a serpentine lake monster in Greek mythology and Roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, which was also the site of the myth of the Dan ...

, when one of her heads is cut off, another grows in its place. Lubia is also known to have irresistible taste for flesh, especially that of little girls.

Connection to Greek/Illyrian Mythology

Lubia and other dragon creatures from Albanian mythology have similarities to

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

and Illyrian culture, which is thought to have played an influence on the religion. Dragons and serpent-like beings are considered to be a staple of both Greek and Albanian cultures, as noted through the epics of

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

and the Albanian epic

Songs of the Frontier Warriors A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usually ...

. Also from Greek Culture, the Lernaean Hydra has a very similar appearance to Lubia. This is due to each's

polycephaly Polycephaly is the condition of having more than one head. The term is derived from the Greek stems ''poly'' (Greek: "πολύ") meaning "many" and ''kephalē'' (Greek: "κεφαλή") meaning "head". A polycephalic organism may be thought ...

. Multiple mythologies possess beings that have multiple heads, although Greek mythology is notable for its abundance.

Similarities between Ljubi and Kulshedra

The Kulshedra and Ljubi are very similar in both appearance and function in Albanian mythology. The Kulshedra is described as "a water, storm, fire and chthonic demon...usually depicted as a huge multi-headed female serpentine dragon". The Kulshedra is also only placated when humans are sacrificed to the being. This matches the description given to Ljubi, and may be another name for it, albeit one with more power and notoriety within Albanian culture.

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