Bruxa

Bruxa (alternate spelling: Bruxsa) is the Portuguese name for a type of vampire found in Iberian (Spanish and Portuguese) folklore. In Spanish, it is referred to as the Bruja. According to legends the Bruxa were once humans that, through the power of witchcraft, transformed themselves into the undead. Once undead, the Bruxa develop a craving for blood. The Bruxa's typical victims are infants, young animals, and unwary travellers.

Etymology
The Portuguese word "Bruxa" translates to English as either "witch" or "magic user." It is likely derived from the Proto-Celtic "*brixtā," meaning "spell, magic formula, or incantation." The Proto-Celtic "*brixtā" in turn, likely is derived from the Proto-Indo-European "*bʰerHǵ-" meaning "enlighten."

Description
Though the name of the Bruxa translates to English as "witch," they are considered be a kind of vampire, while the term "feiticeira" is instead used to denote what an English speaker would consider to be a witch. The Bruxa's true form is that of a tall, slender women of fair proportions wearing scanty, white garments. As unholy creatures, they're considered to be sexual partners of the Devil himself.

According to Northern Portuguese folklore, Bruxas are thought to be extremely common and appear at night. They typically stay just outside of view with their laughing and clapping indicating their presence. When seen, they will quickly take the form of waterfowl, and the sound of flapping waterfowl wings at night is another sign of their presence. Like a waterfowl, the Bruxas can be found flying through the air, and are fond of swimming in rivers and streams. There are also many tales of fishermen claiming to have seen glimpses of Bruxas at night singing on the white crests of waves in a manner similar sirens, though encountering Bruxas at sea is considered to be somewhat less dangerous then encountering sirens.

Victims of Bruxas
The Bruxas favorite victims by far are newborn babies. They are thought to be able to sneak into households through even the smallest cracks using their shapeshifting abilities, and are thought to have the power to inflict drowziness on those inside once they've entered. Once they reach an unattended newborn, they'll use their bodyweight to smother the baby to death, and then feed by sucking their blood. Other times they are said to pinch, bite, scratch, or strike the infant, leaving visible marks on the dead child's body.

Sometimes the Bruxa will attack adults at night, causing them to feel a great suffocating weight on top of them. During the trial of Susana Dalmau in 1591, Pedro Gil gave this account of a Bruxa attack:


 * "One night, while this depositor was in bed sleeping, he felt a lump like a person on top of him, and wanting to get up, he forced himself and could not. And then he got up, and felt the weight on his legs, and this depositor threw a punch, and hit himself in the leg."

Other times, these nocturnal attacks on adults were sexual in nature, making the Bruxa similar to a succubus.

Protection from Bruxas
According to Portuguese folk belief, it is thought to be impossible to actually kill a Bruxa, but there are many ways to protect oneself from one. Like conventional vampires, Bruxas are repulsed by both the sign of the cross and by garlic. Besides the cross, the seal of Solomon is another common protective symbol that can be found on buildnings, carts, boats, and ox yolks.

Like in many other parts of Europe, the Portuguese believe that the Bruxa and other sorts of malevolent supernatural creatures are repulsed by metal- particularly iron. Because of this, it is not uncommon for metal scissors, configured into the shape of the cross, to be used as protective talismans against Bruxas. Also common to many other parts of Europe, bread is believed to have protective qualities. The mere act of touching a piece of bread can provide protection against evil figures such as the Bruxa.

Another protective charm against the Bruxa is a small bag, worn as a type of necklace, containing a chip of stone from a Christian altar and four leaves: a leaf from a rue, an olive leaf, a bayleaf, and a periwinkle leaf.

On May Day the Bruxa is considered to be particularly active. On that day in northern Portugal, metal horseshoes or muleshoes with an uneven number of shoeholes are found nailed to front doors in order to protect households; every cart, plow, ox yolk, and stable is protected by adorning them with sprigs from the common broom plant; and every person and farm animal is protected by a red wool thread placed around the neck.

The Carter and the Bruxa
Below is an example of a folk tale involving Bruxas. In this short story the carter unwisely underestimates the danger of being disrespectful to the Bruxa:


 * "A story is told of a carter who, coming from Ponte da Barca to Oporto and passing along the Barca River at midnight, distinctly heard the splashing of water in the river shallows, and heard the well-known laughter of Bruxas. He was a man of courage and who loved a jest, and instead of crossing himself, or touching iron or bread, or repeating some charm against evil spirits, he most rashly called out, "Wash yourselves clean, Bruxas!" The effect was almost as great as in Tam o' Shanter's case. The sounds immediately ceased, and the next moment the carter was laid low by a blow upon the head delivered, he declared afterwards, as by an iron club."


 * -The Fortnightly Review, Vol. XLVI (1889)