Every nation has its own beliefs and myths that have been passed down from generation to generation for centuries. It is no different with the people from our region, who, in addition to the myths of death, life and love, seem to have believed a lot in supernatural, evil creatures that are stilltalked about with a dose of fear. Myths are stories that people tell to explain events in nature or history. The mythology of the Slavic peoples, including the Serbs, is very vivid and colorful. There is no man who has not heard of fairies, howlers, vampires, different types of ghosts, but also the famous Bogeyman… The Screamer (Drekavac) is a creature from the mythology of the South Slavs. The belief is spread throughout Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro. According to the legend, the screamer is a material manifestation of a dead, unbaptized man (according to some stories, a young boy) who cannot find peace, so he persecutes those who have sinned in his life. According to legend, the Screamer is a small, hairy creature, with long and sharp claws on its toes and a large head on a thin neck.
It has been mentioned that there are frightening cries (similar to a child's cry, a wolf's howl, a goat's moan, a cat's meow or a bird's cry) with which it can deafen a person. According to the myth, the Screamers attack people who find themselves late at night near a cemetery, river, lake or forest by jumping on their backs and forcing them to walk all night. If the victim does not obey the demands of the Screamer, she will be scratched and torn by the huge claws of this mythical creature. It was believed that it could not be destroyed until it found peace. Bogeyman is also a creature from the mythology of the South Slavs. Little children were afraid of her. Bogeyman is often confused with a witch, although they are different mythological creatures. In folklore, she is described exclusively as a terrifying female being in the form of a hunched, ugly, toothless old woman with a horrible face and a horn on her head (after whom she got her name). It hides in dark places and only goes out at night. According to folklore, Bogeyman scares and kidnaps naughty children and takes them to her lair… Author: Nebojsa Djumic Publisher: Poste Srpske ad Banjaluka
