Mora

The Mora is a supernatural creature from Slavic myth in Serbia. They’re believed to be the form taken by witches as children, and they sometimes only become full witches after marriage. Some see them as witches who have sworn not to kill. The birth of a Mora is indicated by the presence of a bloody placenta present at birth. It’s thought that burning this placenta can remove the witch’s power but may also kill the child. It’s also believed that announcing that the child was born a witch would cause them to lose their power. Often when Mora are born, they would have some sign on their body. They’re incapable of actually killing someone and can only torment others, often targeting young bachelors. They torture men in their sleep by causing nightmares, or trouble breathing by suffocating them. They are invisible when tormenting others and can slip inside through any opening. The Spirit of the Mora often travels in the form of a fly. Stealing the hat of the Mora would force them to do whatever they were ordered to do to get the hat back. Mora can not pass brooms placed upside down or blades stabbed into doors and are repelled by immortelle flowers and wormwood. Garlic can repel Mora, and smearing oneself in garlic was thought to serve as protection. They could be kept away from children by smearing the children in onions. Various amulets were thought to be capable of repelling Mora. 

Citations:

Zlatic, Vladimir. Slavic Mythology: Demons in Serbian Folklore. N.p., Amazon Digital Services LLC – KDP Print US, 2021.