Drekavac /drekavats/ (literally "the yeller"), also called drek and drekalo is a mythical creature in south Slavic mythology. Belief in drekavac was widespread in Bosnia and Serbia. ^[1] Also belief in Drekavac and similar creatures (Bukavac) was well spread in northern parts of Serbia and in Slavonia. A legendary creature is a mythical or fantastic creature (often known as fabulous creatures in historical literature). ... Slavic mythology and Slavic paganism evolved over more than 3,000 years. ... This article is about a geographic region of Bosnia. ... Anthem Serbia() on the European continent() Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Official languages Serbian 1 Recognised regional languages Hungarian, Croatian, Slovak, Romanian, Rusyn 2 Albanian 3 Government Semi-presidential republic  -  President Boris Tadić  -  Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment  -  Formation 812   -  Kingdom established 1217   -  Empire established 1346   -  Independence lost to... Anthem Serbia() on the European continent() Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Official languages Serbian 1 Recognised regional languages Hungarian, Croatian, Slovak, Romanian, Rusyn 2 Albanian 3 Government Semi-presidential republic  -  President Boris Tadić  -  Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment  -  Formation 812   -  Kingdom established 1217   -  Empire established 1346   -  Independence lost to... Coat of arms Slavonia (Croatian: Slavonija) is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia. ...

Original beliefs

Drekavac comes from the soul of a dead unbaptised child^[2]. For other uses, see Soul (disambiguation). ... Baptism in early Christian art. ...

The creature is not consistently described. One description is that its body is dappled, elongated and thin as a spindle, with disproportionately large head^[2]; yet another is that it is some kind of bird^[3]; a modern find of supposed drekavac body looked like a dog or a fox, but with hind legs similar to those of kangaroo^[4]. It may also appear in the form of a child^[2] and call for people passing near the cemetery to baptise it. The one feature everyone agrees about is its horrifying yell. The word spindle might (or might not) have several meanings: A spindle (shrub), a poisonous shrub or small tree of the genus Euonymus. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... This article is about the animal. ... This article is about the animal. ...

Some describe Drekavac as being similar to strepsirrhine Aye-aye, only more than twice as large, stronger stature and more sinister in appearance. Families Cheirogaleidae Lemuridae Megaladapidae Indridae Daubentoniidae (Aye-aye) Loridae Galagonidae The Strepsirrhini clade is one of the two suborders of primates. ... Binomial name Daubentonia madagascariensis Gmelin, 1788 The Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a primate native to Madagascar that combines rodent-like teeth with a long, thin middle finger to fill the ecological niche of a woodpecker. ...

Drekavac could be seen at night, especially during the twelve days of Christmas (called unbaptised days in Serbian) and in early spring, in time where other demons appear most often^[2]. In the form of the child it predicts someone's death, but in the form of the animal, it predicts cattle disease^[2]. Drekavac rarely bothers its parents, as it is afraid of dogs^[2]. The Twelve Days of Christmas and the associated evenings of those twelve days (Twelve-tide), are the festive days beginning the evening of Christmas Day (December 25) through the morning of Epiphany on (January 6). ... Serbian (; ) is one of the standard versions of the Shtokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and by Serbs in the Serbian diaspora. ... For other uses, see Spring. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Drekavac is often used as a child scare, in a similar way a bogeyman is in the West. It is probably more useful than bogeymen in rural areas, as children will surely sometimes hear a sound of some animal and attribute it to drekavac, thus becoming convinced that it really exists; which would then probably prevent them from wandering far from home. In the cities, however, belief in it has faded, and Baba Roga, which more closely resembles western bogeyman, is much more used. For other uses, see Child (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Bogeyman (disambiguation). ... The term Western world, the West or the Occident (Latin occidens -sunset, -west, as distinct from the Orient) [1] can have multiple meanings dependent on its context (e. ... Sign in a rural area in Dalarna, Sweden Qichun, a rural town in Hubei province, China An artists rendering of an aerial view of the Maryland countryside: Jane Frank (Jane Schenthal Frank, 1918-1986), Aerial Series: Ploughed Fields, Maryland, 1974, acrylic and mixed materials on apertured double canvas, 52... Baba Yaga by Ivan Bilibin Baba Yaga is, in Slavic mythology, the wild old woman; the dark lady; and mistress of magic. ...

Other believed attributes

• Some believe that there are variant types of Drekavac (different regions having different breeds). Consistently though, its size is said to be one meter or more (on four legs), but never less. According to some stories Drekavac can live in packs, in caves and tunnels.

• Generally it is believed that Drekavac can not be killed or pass on until its soul finds its peace (or through baptism).

• In some parts of Serbia and Balkans it is believed that one must first have a dream about Drekavac to actually encounter one. Also Drekavac can strangle people while they are sleeping, if they did something bad to it in life.

• It is believed that when a Drekavac screams all night long someone from the house that heard it will die.

• Also, it is believed that if the shadow of Drekavac falls upon some person that that person will turn sick and die.

• In some places it is believed that Drekavac's cry is due to his long fur, on which it steps often, and then yells in pain.

• It is also believed that the Drekavac are afraid of light to some extent

• Drekavac likes to move in ares that are covered in fog, according to some sources.

• While the word "Drekavac" can mean "the yeller", a more correct meaning is "One that cries while yelling" taken from noun "Drečati" (commonly means baby cry). This is due to belief that Drekavac is a soul of unbaptised child.

For other uses, see Soul (disambiguation). ...

Similar creatures

• Bukavac, recorded in Srem, a six-legged monster with gnarled horns which lives in water, coming out of it during the night making big noise, strangling people and animals^[5].
• Jaud, similar to drekavac, from a vampirised premature baby^[6].
• Nava
• Nekrštenac
• Plakavac, recorded in Herzegovina, is a small vampire, a newborn strangled by its mother, which will rise from its grave at night, return to its house and scream around it, but otherwise can't do any harm^[7].
• Svirac
• Karlo Drpic

Bukavac is a demonic mythical creature in Serbian mythology; belief about it existed in Srem[1]. Bukavac was sometimes imagined as a six-legged monster with gnarled horns[1]. He lives in lakes and big pools, coming out of the water during the night making big noise (hence the name... Srem in Serbian or Srijem in Croatian (from Latin: Sirmium) is a fertile region of the Pannonian plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. ... Highland cow, a very old long-horned breed from Scotland. ... Premature birth (also known as preterm birth, or preemie) is defined medically as childbirth occurring earlier than 37 completed weeks of gestation. ... This article is about the geographic area of Herzegovina. ...

Modern sightings

A mutilated sheep in Tometino polje

Though the creature is used as a child scare, adults do believe in its existence. According to the guide of a reporter of Duga magazine, numerous villagers on the mountain of Zlatibor report seeing it, and almost everyone reports hearing it^[8]. In 1992, it was reported that in the Krvavicka river the villagers have found remains of an animal which doesn't look like any known, and claimed that it is drekavac; it looked like a dog or fox, but with hind legs similar to those of kangaroo^[4]. A more recent encounter is from 2003; in the village of Tometino Polje near Divcibare, a series of attacks on sheep took place, not unlike those which are in other parts of the world attributed to chupacabras, and some villagers have concluded that they must have been perpetrated by a drekavac; other have concluded that it could not have been a drekavac because they have only heard the yells during the night, and sheep were mutilated during the day^[3]. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Winter in Zlatibor Zlatibor (Cyrillic: Златибoр) is a mountain region situated in Serbia and Montenegro, in the western part of Serbia, a part of the Dinaric Alps. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... This article is about the animal. ... This article is about the animal. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Divcibare, a well-known mountain resort is situated on Mt. ... Species See text. ... The Chupacabra is a creature that resembles a living gargoyle said to exist in parts of Latin America, mostly Puerto Rico. ...

In Fiction

Magic: The Gathering card

Belief in Drekavac is sometimes described in modern fiction. An example is a short story by Branko Ćopić Brave Mita and drekavac from the pond in which superstitious fishermen hear yells in the pond they fish in and, believing that they hear a drekavac, stop fishing which leads to hunger in the village; protagonist, a curageous boy from the village called Mita decides to investigate and captures the drekavac, which turns out to be a Great Bittern, a bird very rare for the area^[9]. Drekavac is also mentioned in Ćopić's book Eagles Fly Early^[10]. A more recent and much more popular example comes from the movie Pretty Village, Pretty Flame where (lack of) belief in drekavac is present in one of the central points of the movie: Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Magic: The Gathering (colloq. ... For other uses, see Fiction (disambiguation). ... Branko Ćopić (Бранко Ћопић; January 1, 1915 – March 26, 1984) was a Bosnian Serb writer. ... For other uses, see Superstition (disambiguation). ... Categories: Stub ... A protagonist is the main figure of a piece of literature or drama and has the main part or role. ... Binomial name Botaurus stellaris (Linnaeus, 1758) The Great Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Halil (Bosnian Muslim): "Who torched my house?"

Milan (Bosnian Serb): "And who slaughtered my mother?"

Halil: "I haven't slaughtered your mother."

Milan: "And I haven't torched your house."

Halil: "Then who did, Milan? Maybe it was drekavac from the tunnel?"

Drekavac is rarely depicted in modern fantasy. An exception is the Magic: The Gathering dissension set card which has this to say about drekavac: Like a vulture's scalp, the face of a drekavac is oily and hairless. The filth and disease of its carrion diet slip off its blood-slick skin.^[11] Serbian trading card game Izvori Magije also has a drekavac card, named Drekavac iz vira (meaning "Drekavac from the whirlpool"): Big headed and with long thin necks, drekavacs often jump out of whirpools to attack people who are returning home from watermills.^[12] Recently Drekavac got an entire edition of cards named "Dreka iz Tame" (Yells from the Darkness). Here is a table with full names of the cards. For other uses, see Fantasy (disambiguation). ... Magic: The Gathering (colloq. ... Collectible card games (CCGs), also called customizable card games or trading card games, are played using specially designed sets of cards. ...

Slavic mythology and Slavic paganism evolved over more than 3,000 years. ... Dazbog, Dazhbog or Dazhdbog (South-Slavic Dabog or Dajbog, Czech Dažbog, Polish Dażbóg) was one of major gods of Slavic mythology, most likely a solar deity and possibly a culture hero. ... This article contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... This article contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... In Slavic mythology, Perun (with many spelling and pronunciation variants among modern Slavic languages) is the highest god of the pantheon and the god of thunder and lightning. ... In Slavic mythology, Å iwa or Å iva (pronounced /ʃiva/) (alternatively Živa (pronounced /Ê’iva/) or Sieba, was the fertility and love goddess. ... The Zbruch idol, on display in the National Museum in Kraków, Poland Modern Svetovid statue in GÅ‚ogów, Poland Modern Svetovid statue in Otrebusy, Poland Sventevith, Svetovid, Suvid, Svantevit, Svantovit, Svantovít, Swantovít, Sventovit, Zvantevith, ÅšwiÄ™towit, Sutvid, Vid. ... In Slavic mythology, Svarog (Polish: Swaróg, Cyrillic: Сварог, Sorbian: Schwayxtix) is the Slavic Sun God and spirit of fire; his name means bright and clear. ... Triglav (three headed) is a god or complex of gods in Slavic mythology, similar in nature to the Trinity in Christianity or Trimurti in Hinduism. ... Veles, Volos, Weles, or Voloh is a Slavic god, thought to be the deity of: cattle, commerce, music, divination and the underworld. ... In Slavic neo-paganism, Zaria or Zoria is the goddess of beauty. ... In Slavic mythology, the Zorya (alternately: Zarya, Zvezda, Zwezda) are the three (sometimes two) guardian goddesses, known as the Auroras. ... In Slavic mythology, Belabog (alternately Bialbog, Byelobog, Bielobog, Belun, Bylun) (bel-oh-bog | byal-bog | bel-oon, from Slavic bel, byal (white or light) and bog (god), literally meaning White God) is a solar deity in the Slavic pantheon. ... Berstuk or Berstuc is the evil god of the forest in wendish mythology. ... Chernobog (also spelled Crnobog, Czernobog, ÄŒernobog or Zernebog, each name meaning Black God) is a mysterious Slavic deity of whom much has been speculated but little can be said. ... In Slavic and Polish mythology, Dziewona (or Zewana) is the equivalent of Diana, whose name is said to appear very late in Slavic history. ... Hurs or Hors is the Slavic god of the winter sun. ... Flins is the god of death in Wendish mythology. ... In wendish mythology Karewit is the protector of the town of Korzenica (nowadays Garz) on Rugia. ... Lada or Lado is a fictional Slavic pagan diety of harmony, merriment, youth, love and beauty which almost certainly never existed in the ancient Slavic pantheon. ... Mat Zemlya, also Matka Ziemia (literally Mother Earth, various other names are in use as well) is the collective term applied to a number of Slavic deities devoted to plants, growth, birth, creation and patrons of field works. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Matka Ziema. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Dodola (also spelled Dudulya and Didilya, pronounced: doh-doh-la, doo-doo-lya, or dee-dee-lya) is a being in old Slavic mythology. ... Porenut was one of the Slavic deities worshipped by the Polabian Slavs in the town of Korzenica (nowadays Garz) on Rugia. ... Porewit was one of the Slavic deities worshipped by the Polabian Slavs in the town of Korzenica (nowadays Garz) on Rugia. ... In Polish mythology, Porvata is the god of the woods; he has no idol or image; and is manifest throughout the primeval forest. ... // Radegast, also called Radigost, Radhost, Redigast, is a hypothetical West Slavic god of hospitality, fertility, and crops, associated with war and Sun. ... Rod, sometimes referred to simply as god (Div, Diy; in the Veda Slovena Diy or Dia), is probably the most ancient deity in the Slavic pantheon. ... Rugiewit or Rugiwit is a Slavic deity. ... Stribog (Strzybog, Стрибог), in the Slavic pantheon, is the god and spirit of the winds, sky and air; he is said to be the ancestor (grandfather) of the winds of the eight directions. ... In wendish mythology Zirnitra or simply Zir is a black Slavic dragon and the god of sorcery. ... In Polish mythology, ZÅ‚ota Baba is a goddess called Golden Woman. She received many sacrifices and gave oracles, depicted in gold. ... Bogatyrs (1898) by Viktor Vasnetsov Alyosha Popovich (Russian: ), alongside Dobrynya Nikitich and Ilya Muromets, is a bogatyr (i. ... Bash Chelik (Man of Steel) is a famous Serbian folklore tale. ... Burislav, Burisleif, BurysÅ‚aw is the name of mythical Wendish king from Scandinavian sagas who is said to rule over Wendland. ... Bogatyrs (1898) by Viktor Vasnetsov Alongside Alyosha Popovich and Ilya Muromets, is a bogatyr (i. ... For the Russian bomber Ilya Muromets, see Ilya Muromets. ... Viktor Vasnetsov. ... Lech by Walery Eljasz-Radzikowski (1841-1905) Duke Czech Lech, Czech and Rus oaks in Rogalin, Poland According to an old legend, Lech, Czech and Rus were eponymous brothers who founded the three Slavic nations: Poland (poetically also known as Lechia), Bohemia (ÄŒechy – now the major part of the Czech... PÅ™emysl and LibuÅ¡e, sculpture by Josef Václav Myslbek (1881), today in VyÅ¡ehrad LibuÅ¡e (Czech; in German Libussa or Libuscha) is a mythical ancestor of the PÅ™emyslid dynasty and the Czech people as whole. ... The tower where, according to legend, Popiel perished Prince Popiel (or Duke Popiel), legendary 9th century ruler of the Polanie or Goplanie tribe. ... Contemporary fresco of Marko, Markos monastery, Skopje, Macedonia, 14th century This article is about the epic Serbian prince. ... Sadko, Palekh painting Sadko (Russian: ) was a legendary hero of a Russian bylina (epic tale) with the same name, a merchant and gusli musician from Novgorod. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Ivan Bilibins Alkonost In Russian legends Alkonost is the bird of paradise, a miraculous bird with a womans face. ... Cikavac is a mythical creature in Serbian mythology, imagined as a winged animal (a bird) with long beak and a sack[1]. A cikavac could be acquired by taking an egg from a black hen, which would then be carried by a woman under her armpit for 40 days, during... In Russian folklore, the Firebird (жар-птица, zhar-ptitsa, literally ember bird from жар ember, flameless fire) is a magical glowing bird from a faraway land, which is both blessing and doom of its captor. ... The fern flower is a magic flower in Slavic mythology (Polish: , Russian: ) and Baltic mythology (e. ... Gamayun is a prophetic bird of Russian folklore which lives on an island in the east. ... Raskovnik is a fictional plant in Serbian mythology. ... Semargl, Simargl, Semargl-Pereplut is a mythical creature in Slavic mythology. ... Sirin bird on a grape tree. ... Dobrynya Nikitich slaying Zmey Gorynych, by Ivan Bilibin Dobrynya Nikitch rescues Princess Zabava from Zmey Gorynych, by Ivan Bilibin In Slavic mythology, European dragons have their peculiarities. ... To farmers, ala was a demon that led hail and thunderstorms over their fields, ruining the crops. ... Yaga can refer to: Yajna (Hindu mythology) Baba Yaga (Russian mythology) Yaga (clothing company) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Bagiennik was the name of water demons in the Slavic mythology. ... Bannik is the Bathhouse Spirit in Slavic mythology. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The Boginki (Polish for Little Goddess) are spirits in Polish mythology. ... Bukavac is a demonic mythical creature in Serbian mythology; belief about it existed in Srem[1]. Bukavac was sometimes imagined as a six-legged monster with gnarled horns[1]. He lives in lakes and big pools, coming out of the water during the night making big noise (hence the name... For other uses, see Domovoi (disambiguation). ... Skarbnik in Wieliczka salt mine. ... 1934 Illustration by Ivan Bilibin Kikimora is a female house spirit in Slavic mythology, sometimes said to be married to the Domovoi. ... Ivan Bilibin: Koshchey the Deathless In Russian mythology, Koschei (Russian: , Koshchey, also Kashchei or Kashchey or KoÅ›ciej (Polish)) is an evil person of ugly senile appearance, menacing principally young women. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Lechies. ... One-eyed Likho by Anton Kvasovarov, 2003 Likho, liho (Russian: Лихо), licho (in Polish) is an embodiment of evil fate and misfortune in Slavic mythology, a creature with one eye, usually depicted as an old, skinny woman in black (Лихо одноглазое, One-eyed Likho). ... A Polevik is a Slavic mythological creature that hid in corn fields. ... Rusalka may refer to: Rusalkas, Slavic water nymphs. ... The skrzak or skrzat is a little flying imp in wendish mythology. ... Stuhać is a demonic mythical creature in Serbian mythology, recorded in Herzegovina[1]. Though its name is similar with zduhać, there is no actual similarity. ... The Sudice are the Fates of Polish mythology. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Topielec (plural Topielce) is a name applied to Slavic spirits of water. ... Further reading Christopher Frayling - Vampyres: Lord Byron to Count Dracula 1992. ... Wodjanoj or Vodyanoy (literally watery) in Slavic mythology is the male water spirit, a master shape-shifter who is said to live in a whirlpool, or in an underwater palace made from the treasures of sunken ships. ... Zduhać (plural: zduhaći; pronounce: zdoo-hach /s. ...

References

1. ^ [2001] "Дрекавац", in Svetlana M. Tolstoy.: Словенска митологија: енциклопедијски речник (in Serbian). Belgrade: Zepter Book World. ISBN 86-7494-025-0. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Š. Kulišić; P. Ž. Petrović, N. Pantelić [1970]. "Дрекавац", Српски митолошки речник (in Serbian). Belgrade: Nolit, 110. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Z. Šaponjić. "I drekavac sumnjiv", Glas Javnosti, 2003-10-20. (Serbian) 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Gimnastika na poledici". 
5. ^ Š. Kulišić; P. Ž. Petrović, N. Pantelić [1970]. "Букавац", Српски митолошки речник (in Serbian). Belgrade: Nolit, 48. 
6. ^ Š. Kulišić; P. Ž. Petrović, N. Pantelić [1970]. "Јауд", Српски митолошки речник (in Serbian). Belgrade: Nolit, 157. 
7. ^ Š. Kulišić; P. Ž. Petrović, N. Pantelić [1970]. "Плакавац", Српски митолошки речник (in Serbian). Belgrade: Nolit, 236. 
8. ^ "Ljudi i vreme". 
9. ^ Ćopić, Branko. "Hrabri Mita i drekavac iz rita", U svijetu medvjeda i leptirova. 
10. ^ Ćopić, Branko. "I", Orlovi rano lete. 
11. ^ Dissension Sortable Spoiler. Wizards of the Coast. Retrieved on 2007-05-01.
12. ^ Drekavac iz vira. Izvorimagije.com. Retrieved on 2007-05-01.