Ethnology

Vučari – the Balkan wolf-men

Katarzyna Satława

In the article below I would like to describe a ritual called Vučarenje that was once popular in Dinara
mountain villages, where Serbian population used to dwell. The wolf has always played an important
role in Serbs’ folk culture and customs. This widely spread predator was dangerous for both livestock and
human. Wolf is present in folk songs as well as in popular sayings which proves that it played an impor-
tant role in the countryside.

Wolf in Serbian folk culture name was supposed to make the child possess
Peasants believed that wolf was a demonic the same features as the animal - resistance to-
creature which possessed supernatural power. It wards diseases and evil of any kind.1
was not common to speak the word vuk (wolf) While studying ethnographic literature one
aloud since it could make the wolf come. Instead might find various superstitions connected with
of saying vuk, peasants used words like pogan wolves. At the beginning of winter, especially in
(pagan), napomenik, spomenik (the one which regions where Štokavian dialect2 was spoken,
we mention) or onaj iz gore (the one from the several home activities were forbidden, since it
mountain) more willingly. It was believed that was believed that they can “open wolf ’s mouth”.
even a dead wolf may hurt a man. There existed It was not allowed to work with sharp or tooth-
a threat that wolf ’s soul could take revenge on -shaped tools and utensils. Sometimes it was not
a hunter. There were different rituals depending allowed to comb the wool or weave. Wool could
on a region, the aim of which was to appease the encourage a wolf to come. In Bosnia and Herce-
wolf. Two rituals became fairly popular: the hun- govina the period in which it was prohibited to
ter put a weapon on a wolf in order to cheat the do any woolwork was called nesnovanice.3
dead animal that it was not the man, but the wea-
pon that caused its death. Another ritual was to
bring wolf ’s fur to the village and ask inhabitants
to offer gifts which were supposed to “bribe” the
wolf. 1
BANDIĆ, D. Narodna religija Srba, p. 28, http://pl.scribd.
Villagers considered wolf to have supernatural com/doc/50867531/Narodna-religija-kod-Srba
power that could even prevail death. For exam- 2
Dialect of Serbo-croatian language, spoken in Serbia,
ple, in families where small children happened to Montenegro, Bosnia and Hercegovina and the major part of
Croatia.
die or were sickly, the name Vuk was often given 3
PLAS, P. Nekoliko aspekata simbolike vučjih usta u srpskim
to a newborn boy to protect him from death. The običajima i verovanjima, www.rastko.rs/antropologija/pplas-
-vucja_usta.htm
18
time to prepare products for the wolf, because
Ethnology
the moment of Vučari’s arrival is announced
by shouts “Eto vučara! Eto vučara!” (“There are
the Vučari!”). Once the wolf receives some gifts,
household members cut a bit of wolf ’s fur and
take it for themselves. Wolf ’s fur is supposed to
protect people from witchcraft, ghouls and bad
spell. Then the group sings a thanksgiving song,
praise the householder and leave.
After visiting all the houses, Vučari divide the
gifts. No one ought to taste the given meat befo-
re it is cut into pieces and distributed among the
Vučarenje - the ritual. members of the group. One of the Vučari takes
off his cap and covers eyes with it in order not
According to Nakićenović, Vučari are those to see anything. Another companion, pointing
who killed the wolf, flayed its fur, filled the skin at a gift asks the one with covered eyes “whose
with straw and impaled it on a wooden stick. is this?” and the man anwers: “it belongs to …”
They walked through a village with the wolf, Such distribution of the goods is called žmirak
from house to house, and asked a householder (blinking).6
to bring gifts. While doing it, they were singing Vučari group could not be observed on a spe-
wolf songs (vučarske pesme). Householder and cific day. They were usually crossing the village
his wife were giving Vučari lots of products, “the around Christmas – New Year period. This time
best what they had”: salt, meat, wine, rakija4, of the year was considered to be a moment of
cheese, eggs, wool, flour or money.5 transition; uncertain and dangerous one. It was
Vladimir Ardalić provides more detailed de- also the time when the most of wolf attacks
scription of Vučarenje ritual: a wolf gets wood- happened.7
en legs, artificial teeth made out of fork, tongue Vučari were a common phenomenon on the
made out of red material and an apple that is put territory of Kninska Krajina in the 60’s and
into its mouth. After these actions, wolf is im- 70’s. After the war in the 90’s, when a lot of Serbs
paled on a wooden stick. Once the wolf is ready, left Krajina, Vučari groups are no longer ob-
Vučari can start visiting households. Vučari served in the vicinity of Knin.8
group consists of several men (usually no more
than ten), who are nicely dressed for that occasi- Vučari songs
on. It is possible that in the meantime (during Vladimir Bovan classified wolf songs (vučarske
the march) one man joins the group. He is then pesme) as winter ritual songs. They were to assure
called pridošlica (the one who came and joined). that the wolf would not come from the moun-
Men take bags and sacks and one of them takes tains and approach the village.9 There are two
the wolf on his shoulder. They stop in front of Vučari songs which most often appear in ethno-
each house and sing. One man sings with a high graphic sources: Knin10 version and Lika version.
voice whereas another with a low one. Women Their content and the aim for what they are sung
bring gifts, such as towels or woolen artifacts, is similar. The text differs, depending on the te-
and often thread them on a wolf ’s back. What rritory.
is crucial, the wolf needs “to see” that it is given 6
ARDALIĆ,V. Bukovica – Narodni život i običaji, Benko-
presents. vački magazin, No.2, December 1994 http://www.rastko.rs/
Every householder offers something because if antropologija/ardalic_bukovica/ardalic_bukovica_1.html
the wolf obtains enough gifts, it would not trou- 7
PLAS, P. Nekoliko aspekata simbolike vučjih usta u srpskim
ble people and livestock anymore. Everyone has običajima i verovanjima. www.rastko.rs/antropologija/pplas-
-vucja_usta.html
4
Rakija – strong alcoholic beverage, popular throughout the
8
Informer: Vjera Mesic, Etnografski Muzej, Beograd
Balkans. 9
BOVAN,V. Yugoslav Oral Lyric, p.152 http://journal.oraltra-
5
NAKIĆENOVIĆ, P. S. Kninska Krajina, p.29 http://pl.scri- dition.org/files/articles/6ii-iii/5_bovan.pdf
bd.com/doc/54740031/Kninska-Krajina-Prota-Savo-Nakice- 10
http://pl.scribd.com/doc/54740031/Kninska-Krajina-Pro-
novic ta-Savo-Nakicenovic
 19
Licka (Lika version)1

Ethnology
Domaćine, dobar dan, Householder, good morning
evo vuje pred tvoj stan. There’s vujo in front of your flat

Domaćine, rode moj, Householder, my kindred

evo vuka pred tvoj dvor. There’s a wolf in front of your courtyard
Domaćine, od kuće, Householder, from home
evo vuka kod kuće. There’s a wolf at your home

Ćeraj vuka od kuće, Keep the wolf away from home,

nije dobar kod kuće. It is not good at home
Dok je vujo mladi bio, When vujo was young
nije vujo tad prosio, No one invited him then
već na silu odnosio. He was driven out instead

Vujo nam je salazio, Vujo came to us

dobre gazde nalazio. he found a good host
Vujo nam je ostario, Vujo got old
u polje je sa ‚odio, He went to the field
ne bi li se zaodio. But did not reach it

On se nije zaodio, He did not reach it

već je ranu zadobio. But he got wounded
Pa nemere da je nosi, He does not measure what he takes
vujo mora sad da prosi. vujo must beg now

Podaj vuku slanine, Give bacon to the wolf

da ne slazi s planine. So he won’t come from the mountains
Podaj vuku sočice, Give socks to the wolf
da ne kolje ovčice. So he won’t kill the sheep

Podajte mu koje jajce, Give it eggs

da ne kolje janjce. So he won’t kill the lambs
Podaj vuku varke, Cheat the wolf
da ne kolje jarice. So he won’t kill the goat kids

Podaj vuku vunice, Give wool to the wolf

da ne kolje junice. So he won’t kill the cows
Domaćine, pladanj sira, Householder, (bring) a cheese platter
domaćine, kvartu pira. Householder, (bring) a small feast

Kiti, snašo, mrka vuka, Kitty, goody, brown wolf,

biće ćerka ljepšeg struka. (your) daughter’s waist will be more beautiful
Još nek snaša darak meće, Put another gift
biće ćerka bolje sreće. So the daughter would be more lucky

Podaj gazda i novaca, Give money, householder

biće veći broj ovaca. You would have more fruit then
20
Where to search for Vučari nowadays?
Mgr. Katarzyna Satława (1983)
Ethnology
I wondered whether it is possible to meet a Vučari group cro-
Vystudovala anglistiku na Slezské uni- ssing mountain villages in contemporary times. In order to check
verzitě v Katowicích a kulturu regionů na it, I asked people from villages of Bosanska Krajina, located on
Jagellonské univerzitě v Krakově. Zájmy: the territory of Republika Srpska, where Serbs from Croatia mi-
etnologie, dějepis a cizí jazyky. ght have settled. Inhabitants of Svodna, Donji Agići, Podrasnica
and Gornji Podgradci were interviewed but unfortunately none of
them has heard about Vučari.
Nevertheless, it is possible to see their equivalent at a stage. Seve-
ral folk ensembles present Vučarenje and vučarske pesme among
other of their performances. Ansambl Kolo11, KUD12 Krajina13 and
KUD Bačko Dobro Polje14 have vučarenje in their repertoir. The
main song, that is sung by all three groups, is based on the variant
stemming from Lika but each group presents different accompany-
ing songs or formulas used by Vučari. Although the interpretation
of the ritual and the way of presenting it at the stage might differ,
the core, which is based on bringing the wolf - singing Vučari song
– the act of bestowal – kolo dance - praising a householder, stays
unchanged.
For those who do not have an occassion to watch the ritual pre-
sented by a folk ensemble, there are two film sources available on
the internet which focus on vučarenje.15

11
Ansambl Kolo, Vucari iz Bosne, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSEsqnOY-
p8o
12
KUD = shortening of Kulturno Umjetničko Društvo (Cultural-artistic assembly)
13
Kud Krajina, http://www.kudkrajina.org.rs/
14
Kud Bačko Dobro Polje, http://www.kudbdpolje.net/
15
A short documentary Srpski narodni običaji iz Srpske Krajine, http://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=aDvsunKoF-c and Yugoslav drama movie Vučari iz Donje
i Gornje Polace, 1978. Pisac scenarija: Jovan Radulović, Režija: Zdravko Šotra

SUMMARY & KEYWORDS

In the article I would like to describe a ritual called Vučarenje that was once popular in Dinara mountain villages, where Serbian
population used to dwell. The wolf has always played an important role in Serbs’ folk culture and customs. This widely spread predator
was dangerous for both livestock and human. Wolf is present in folk songs as well as in popular sayings which proves that it played
an important role in the countryside.
wolf, folk culture, folk songs, Serbs, ritual
vlk, lidová kultura, lidové písně, Srbové, rituál