Vampirism in Serbian folklore

 Vampirism in Serbian folklore

   Vampire is a mythological creature from Slavic mythology, especially from Balkan. The term vampire was not common, until the influx of vampire superstitions into western Europe, from areas where legends about vampires were frequent, such as the Balkans and Ukraine.

    The vampire is the only word from the Serbian language that is accepted in all languages ​​of the world.It is believed that the first mention of the term of a ''Vampire'' in western Europe was in an Austrian newspaper ''Vossiche Zeitung'', No.98, which was published 1725., at a time when the Austrian empire ruled Serbia to Stalać, western Serbia (1717 - 1739).

   The text in this magazine speaks about the unusual happenings in the village Kisiljeva, where is peasant Petar Blagojevic died, and after him ten more people died within 24h. At dying, people were told that Petar was persecuted and smother them.

Petar Blagojevic

   Petar Blagojevic was a Serbian peasant who, according to the legend, became a vampire after his death. He lived at the end of the 17th century and at the beginning of the 18th century. 

He died in 1725 in the village of Kisiljevo, north-east Serbia, which at that time was part of the Austrian empire (1717 - 1739).

Frombald's report

   Ten more people died after his death, within 24h. At dying, people were told that Petar was persecuted and smother them. His wife fled right after these strange events, declaring that her late husband appeared in her dream, and that he was looking for ''Opanke'' (traditional peasant shoes from Serbia).  Peasants were in panic, so they asked the Austrian captain Frombald permission to open the chest. In a Frombald report,  which is kept in Vienna archives, writes that what they saw that night scared all present. The body did not show signs of decomposition, and around the mouth were traces of fresh blood.

   The body is cracked by a stake, and then burned in front of everyone.

      Shortly after that, the Vienna newspaper
“Wienerisches Diarium” was published the article ''Vampir von Kisiljevo'', and since then, the word ''vampire'' has been used all around  the world.

Legend about Sava Savanovic

    Sava Savanovic (most famous Serbian vampire),  is a character from the story Milovan Glisic (1847 - 1908), ''After ten years'', in which he is presented as a vampire according to the legend that is being talked about in this region.

    According to that legend,Sava Savanovic, is after his death he lived in an old watermill, in the village Zarozije, 30km from Bajina Basta, west Serbia. The legend says, that is Sava, when he became a vampire he killed and drank blood of peasants who came to the watermill to grind the grain.

Old watermill from legend, Zarozje, Bajina Basta

  

   Even today,  many people are afraid to pass by old watermill, In which it is most famous Serbian vampire killed the peasants. Creeps and fear are still live in this small mountainous place. Only the bravest passes without garlic and hawthorn stake, and when night falls, even they do not dare...