There is a reason why people all over the Balkans don’t like dark corners and shady groves. You never know what is lurking from the dark. Continue reading and see what you can expect if you find yourself alone with a feeling of an unknown presence behind you. Boo! Just kidding.
If you forgot why as a kid you didn’t love the darkness of the attics and basements, maybe a glance at the creatures below will refresh your memory.
Vampires
There is not a corner of the Earth where you cannot find a vampire lurking his latest victim. But, just like Yeti is linked to the Himalayan region of Nepal, vampire roots come from the Balkans. It is also well-known that vampire (vampir) is a Serbian word, but that doesn’t mean we should glorify them as a part of our national heritage. No evil and vicious creature should be.
Balkan vampires are just about the same as all others, with just some differences. For example, they love women. People often found these bloodsucking creatures in a bed with their wives. Baby can be born as a vampire only if it is a boy, while the girls just carry vampire genes.
Vampires love to attack people, but since they need a lot of blood to survive, every one of them will gladly hunt cattle or even poultry. Hunger doesn’t wait for picky creatures!
Werewolves
Just like vampires, werewolves are spread over the entire planet. They are ordinary people that got infected with a specific type of virus that made changes in their behavior and body. Werewolves are hairy, with big teeth (canines are very distinctive), and sharp claws. Due to virus, diseased person changes, so we get an aggressive and bloodthirsty animal. Werewolf is capable of tearing apart a human being or even a child.
Infected people usually know they can turn into a werewolf, and they lock themselves somewhere. Transformation usually occurs on the full moon, so if they put on curtain or take strong sedatives, lives can be saved.
Todorci
Todorci are one of the most terrifying and most dangerous creatures that inhabit the Balkans area. Vodenjaci and rusalke are scary, ale also, but none of them cannot be measured with the horrors that todorci can make. Luckily, these demonic creatures show up rarely, but when they do, you better run!
Todorci appear on the st. Todor’s week, so they probably got the name from that. You can see them on white horses with white cloaks. They ride continuously so some of them coalesced with their horses. That doesn’t mean todorci have similarity with centaurs, they are nothing alike. These creatures have their leader, Big Todor and they stomp everything that comes in their way. There are even some stories that these cruel creatures envelope trees with intestines of their victims. There is not any defense against todorci, so if you see them, may God have mercy on your soul.
Psoglavi
Psoglavi are creatures known in some other regions besides the Balkans. Ghoul or psoglavi hides in caves, empty graves, and pits during the day, and in the night this creature goes to cemeteries and other places where it can find corpses to feed on them. This creature has a human body with horse legs and dog’s head. It uses arms to run and its body is covered in gray hair.
If they cannot reach corpses, psoglavi will attack humans, but it does that if it is very hungry. They are the most dangerous when they are in the pack. Intelligent, cunning and cruel, psoglavi are not the creatures you want to be in touch with, so try not to visit cemeteries at night.
Čuma
It is a plague that comes into our world in a shape of an old woman. It has big scary eyes and bushy hair. This creature can crawl into your house through a chimney or attic and it can kill with just one look. Čuma carries pestilence and death, so it is for the best to stay away from this creature.
So, next time you hear scratching on the back door or some stamping that comes from the attic, maybe it is better for you to run. And don’t look back! In the meanwhile, some other creatures (less scary, but equally important) are waiting for you in the next part. Stay tuned and mysterious!
