i am writing a new story that involves a lot of mythology and folklore such as vampires, werewolves, witches and such.
in my story there will be different types of vampires and while doing research i came across shtriga which are vampire witches. however this is an ablanian mythology that involves a lot of albanian culture and history.
i would like to incorporate this into my story idea but i want to be as respectable as possible and avoid potential cultural appropriation. can someone let me know if it’s okay please? (also i would like to know if it would be offensive/disrespectful if i altered and add in some things to fit my story)
Well I am not Albanian myself however, when it comes to Cultural appropriation (if that is specifically what up you are asking about)
it is more to do with how you present the character themselves bearing in mind where they are from and their race.
-for example make sure that when choosing outfits; don’t use those traditional wear that are for specific religions and cultures. (Not that you can’t wear anything from another country -BUT: Wearing a Sari isn’t a costume for fun, it is a vital part of Indian traditions as well, wearing a hijab isn’t a costume for fun, wearing a bindi isn’t for fun unless it’s part of the MC’s culture/tradition if you get what I mean?
Similar to hairstyles, keeping in mind the race and heritage of your character, choose appropriate hairstyles as in, it is highly unlikely a white person with have Type 4C Afro-like hair, maybe the highest curly hair, but definitely not Afro.
But in terms of representing the Albanian culture properly, why don’t you look for Albanians in the community and ask about their traditions etc. And stereotypes they hate seeing?
-I’m really sorry if this isn’t much help but I hope you find someone!
-BUT: Wearing a Sari isn’t a costume for fun, it is a vital part of Indian traditions as well, wearing a hijab isn’t a costume for fun, wearing a bindi isn’t for fun unless it’s part of the MC’s culture/tradition if you get what I mean?