Tradition / Region: Albanian Mythology
Alternate Names: –
Category: Spirit
The Myth
The Sun Sisters are supernatural maidens encountered beneath the earth who possess knowledge and provide guidance. They are associated with fire, ovens, and acts of labor, and reward kindness with assistance.
A young woman searching for her lost husband was told to descend into the earth. There she encountered the younger sister of the sun, who was baking bread and cleaning the oven with her bare hands and breasts. The young woman took pity on her and found tools to ease her work. In return, the sister directed her to the elder sister.
She then found the elder sister of the sun, who was also cleaning an oven in the same manner. Again, the young woman helped her by bringing proper tools. In return, the elder sister gave her a walnut, a hazelnut, and an almond, and told her to continue on her path, informing her where her husband could be found.
Sources
Albanian Literature contributors. (n.d.). Folktale 23. In Albanian Literature, from http://www.albanianliterature.net/folktales/tale_23.html
von Hahn, J. G. (1864). Das Schlangenkind. In Griechische und albanesische Märchen (pp. 116–124). Leipzig: Engelmann. Translated by Elsie, R.