Vučari
- the Balkan wolf-men
Wolf
in Serbian folk culture
In
the article below I would like to describe a ritual called Vučari
that was once popular in Dinara mountain villages where Serbian
population used to dwell. The wolf has always been playing 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.
Peasants
believed that wolf was a demonic creature which possessed
supernatural power. It was not common to speak the word vuk
(wolf) aloud, since it could make the wolf come. Instead of saying
vuk, peasants
used words like pagan (pogan),
monument (napomenik,
spomenik)
or the one from the
mountain (onaj iz
gore)
more willingly. It
was believed that even a dead wolf may hurt a man. There existed a
threat that wolf’s soul could take revenge on a hunter. There were
different rituals, depending on a region, the aim of which was to
appease the wolf. Two rituals became fairly popular: the hunter put a
weapon on a wolf in order to cheat the dead animal that it was not
the man but the weapon 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.
Villagers
considered wolf to have supernatural power that could even prevail
death. As an example, in families where small children happened to
die or were sickly, the name Vuk was often given to a newborn boy to
protect him from death. The name was supposed to make the child
possess the same features as the animal - resistance towards diseases
and evil of any kind.1
While
studying ethnographic literature one might find various superstitions
connected with wolves. At the beginning of winter, especially in
regions where stočarski dialect was spoken, several home activities
were forbidden since it was believed that they can “open wolf’s
mouth”. It was not allowed to work with sharp or tooth-shaped tools
and utensils. Sometimes it was not allowed to comb the wool or weave.
Wool could encourage a wolf to come. In Bosnia and Hercegovina the
period in which it was prohibited to do any wool-work was called
nesnovanice.2
Vučari
- the ritual.
According
to Nakićenović, Vučari are those who killed the wolf, flayed its
fur, filled the skin with straw and impaled on a wooden stick. They
walked through village with the wolf, from house to house, and asked
a householder to bring gifts. Doing so, they were singing wolf songs
(vučarske pesme).
Householder and his wife were giving Vučari lots of products, “the
best what they have”: salt, meat, wine, rakija, cheese, eggs, wool,
flour or money. 3
Vladimir
Ardalić provides more detailed description of Vučari ritual: a wolf
gets wooden legs, artificial teeth made out of fork, tongue made out
of red material and an apple that is put into its mouth. After these
actions, wolf is impaled on a wooden stick. Once the wolf is ready,
Vučari can start visiting households. Vučari group consists of
several men (usually no more than ten) who are nicely dressed for
that occasion. It is possible that in the meantime (during the march)
one man joins the group. He is then called pridošlica
(the one who came and joined). Men take bags and sacks and one of
them takes the wolf on his shoulder. They stop in front of each house
and sing. One man sings with a high voice whereas another with a low
one. Women bring gifts, such as towels or woolen artifacts, and often
thread them on a wolf’s back. What is crucial, the wolf needs “to
see” that it is given presents.
Every
householder offers something because if the wolf obtains enough
gifts, it would not trouble people and livestock any more. Everyone
has time to prepare products for the wolf because 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 before it is cut into pieces and distributed
among the members of the group. One of the Vučari takes off his cap
and covers eyes with it in order not to see anything. Another
companion, pointing at a gift, asks the one with covered eyes “whose
is this?” and the man anwers: “it belongs to …” Such
distribution of the goods is called žmirak
(blinking).4
Vučari
group could not be observed on a specific day. They were usually
crossing the village around Christmas - New Year period. This time of
the year was considered to be a moment of transition; uncertain and
dangerous one. It was also the time when most wolf attacks happen.5
Vučari
were a common phenomenon on a territory of Kninska Krajina in the
60’s and 70’s. After the war in the 90’s, when a lot of Serbs
left Krajina, Vučari groups are no longer observed in the vicinity
of Knin.6
Vučari
songs
Vladimir
Bovan classified wolf songs (vučarske
pesme) as winter
ritual songs. They were to assure that the wolf would not come from
the mountains and approach the village.7
There are two Vučari songs which most often appear in ethnographic
sources: Knin version and Lika version. Their content and the aim for
what are they sung is similar. The text differs, depending on the
territory.
Kninska
(Knin vesion)8
Evo
kuće i odžaka,
Evo
žene i čoeka,
Ođe
će nas darovati,
A
ne će nas opsovati.
Domaćine,
dome moj,
Evo
vuka pred tvoj dvor.
Darujte
nas, ne drž'te nas,
Nije
vujo za držanje,
Jer
je vujo ostarijo
I
planine ostavijo.
Daruj
vuku sočice,
Da
ne kolje ovčice;
Daruj
vuku vunice,
Da
ne kolje junice.
Daruj
vuku svake struke,
Da
ne kolje tvoje muke,
Ni
na vodi govečeta,
Ni
u polju paripčeta;
Daruj
vuku slanine,
Da
ne sađe s planine;
Daruj
vuku soli,
Nek
su zdravi voli;
Daruj,
majko, mrka vuka,
Da
je deva ljepšeg struka.
Pođe
neva u drva,
Ćapa
vujo iz grma;
Pođe
cura na vodu,
Ćapa
vujo za nogu.
Darujte
nas, ne drž'te nas:
Starješina
šinik pira,
Starješica
pijat sira.
Ako
vuk omrče,
Uješće
ti goveče.
Bolji
ti je dobar glas
Neg
u kući crljen pas.
|
There's
the house and chimney
There’s
a woman and a man
They
will bestow us
And
not curse us
Householder,
my home
There’s
a wolf in front of your courtyard
Bestow
us, do not keep us
Vujo9
is not to be kept
Because
vujo got old
And
left the mountains
Give
socks to the wolf
So
he won’t kill the sheep
Give
wool to the wolf
So
he won’t kill the cows
Give
the wolf all of everything
So
that it neither annoy you
Nor
the calves by the water
Or
fouls at the field
Give
bacon to the wolf
So
he won’t come from the mountains
Give
salt to the wolf
So
that animals will be healthy
Bestow,
mother, brown wolf
So
that (your) girl will be better
come
bride out of wood
vujo
lurks from the bushes
Come,
girl, to the water
Catch
vujo’s leg
Bestow
us, do not keep us
Principal
(bring) a piece of ham
Wife,
(bring) a piece of cheese
If
the wolf gets dark
It
will eat your ox
A
good glass would be better
Than
a black dog at home
|
Licka
(Lika version)10
Domaćine,
dobar dan,
evo
vuje pred tvoj stan.
Domaćine,
rode moj,
evo
vuka pred tvoj dvor.
Domaćine,
od kuće,
evo
vuka kod kuće.
Ćeraj
vuka od kuće,
nije
dobar kod kuće.
Dok
je vujo mladi bio,
nije
vujo tad prosio,
već
na silu odnosio.
Vujo
nam je salazio,
dobre
gazde nalazio.
Vujo
nam je ostario,
u
polje je sa 'odio,
ne
bi li se zaodio.
On
se nije zaodio,
već
je ranu zadobio.
Pa
nemere da je nosi,
vujo
mora sad da prosi.
Podaj
vuku slanine,
da
ne slazi s planine.
Podaj
vuku sočice,
da
ne kolje ovčice.
Podajte
mu koje jajce,
da
ne kolje janjce.
Podaj
vuku varke,
da
ne kolje jarice.
Podaj
vuku vunice,
da
ne kolje junice.
Domaćine,
pladanj sira,
domaćine,
kvartu pira.
Kiti,
snašo, mrka vuka,
biće
ćerka ljepšeg struka.
Još
nek snaša darak meće,
biće
ćerka bolje sreće.
Podaj
gazda i novaca,
biće
veći broj ovaca.
Podaj
vuku svega dosta,
da
ne kolje oko mosta.
Podajte
mu kitu vlasa,
da
ne kolje vaši' pasa.
O…oj!
|
Householder,
good morning
There’s
vujo in front of your flat
Householder,
my kindred
There’s
a wolf in front of your courtyard
Householder,
from home
There’s
a wolf at your home
Keep
the wolf away from home,
It
is not good at home
When
vujo was young
No
one invited him then
He
was driven out instead
Vujo
came to us
he
found a good host
Vujo
got old
He
went to the field
But
did not reach it
He
did not reach it
But
he got wounded
He
does not measure what he takes
vujo
must beg now
Give
bacon to the wolf
So
he won’t come from the mountains
Give
socks to the wolf
So
he won’t kill the sheep
Give
it eggs
So
he won’t kill the lambs
Cheat
the wolf
So
he won’t kill the goat kids
Give
wool to the wolf
So
he won’t kill the cows
Householder,
(bring) a cheese platter
Householder,
(bring) a small feast
Kitty,
goody, brown wolf,
(your)
daughter’s waist will be more beautiful
Put
another gift
So
the daughter would be more lucky
Give
money, householder
You
would have more fruit then
Give
the wolf a lot of everything
So
he won’t approach the bridge
Give
the wolf a piece of fur
So
he won’t kill your dog
O…oj!
|
Film
sources
On
Youtube service one may encounter a short documentary regarding
Vučari. The title of the film is Srpski
narodni običaji
iz Srpske Krajine.11
A witness, an elderly woman, describes the Vučari ritual which she
remembers from her childhood. She lists what villagers brought as
gifts. The document mentions also the fact that Vučari danced kolo
round the wolf after bestowal.
There
is a Yugoslav drama movie focusing on Vučari ritual;Vučari
Donje i Gornje Polače, produced
in 1978.12
The action takes place in Dalmatinsko Zagorje in year 1947. The
ritual is presented in details from the very beginning (shooting the
wolf) through preparation of the wolf, crossing the village up to the
end of the march. The plot is based on a conflict between two groups
of men. Inhabitants of both Donje and Gornje Polače village killed a
wolf at more less the same time. As an effect, two wolves have been
killed. The problem is which group is entitled to go round the two
neighbouring villages and gather the goods.
Where
to search for Vučari nowadays?
I
wondered whether it is possible to meet a Vučari group crossing
mountain villages in contemporary times. In order to check it, I
asked people from villages of Bosanska Krajina, located on the
territory of Republika Srpska, where Serbs from Croatia might 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. Several folk
ensembles present Vučari ritual and vučarske pesme during their
performances. Ansambl Kolo13,
KUD14
Krajina15
and KUD Bačko Dobro Polje16
have vučarenje17
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 accompanying 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.
1
Bandić, D. Narodna
religija Srba,
p. 28, http://pl.scribd.com/doc/50867531/Narodna-religija-kod-Srba
2
Plas, P. Nekoliko
aspekata simbolike vučjih usta u srpskim običajima i verovanjima,
www.rastko.rs/antropologija/pplas-vucja_usta.html
3
Nakićenović,P.S. Kninska
Krajina,
p.29
http://pl.scribd.com/doc/54740031/Kninska-Krajina-Prota-Savo-Nakicenovic
4
Ardalić,V.Bukovica - Narodni život i običaji, Benkovački
magazin, No.2,
December 1994
http://www.rastko.rs/antropologija/ardalic_bukovica/ardalic_bukovica_1.html
5
Plas, P. Nekoliko
aspekata simbolike vučjih usta u srpskim običajima i verovanjima.
www.rastko.rs/antropologija/pplas-vucja_usta.html
6
Informer: Vjera Mesic, Etnografski Muzej, Beograd
7
Bovan,V.Yugoslav
Oral Lyric, p.152
http://journal.oraltradition.org/files/articles/6ii-iii/5_bovan.pdf
8
http://pl.scribd.com/doc/54740031/Kninska-Krajina-Prota-Savo-Nakicenovic
10
http://www.kudkrajina.org.rs/forum/index.php?topic=148.0
12
Vučari
iz Donje i Gornje Polace, 1978.
Pisac
scenarija: Jovan Radulović, Režija: Zdravko Šotra
15
Kud Krajina, http://www.kudkrajina.org.rs/
16
Kud Bačko Dobro Polje, http://www.kudbdpolje.net/
Source: Katarzyna Satława (in Porta Balkanica)
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