demonic creature of Serbian folklore

Bukavac

The bukavac is a demonic creature of Slavic folklore, recorded mainly in the Syrmia region of present-day Serbia. Its name is linked to the word buka, meaning 'noise', and it was feared as a water-dwelling being that attacked people and animals.

The myth

According to popular belief, the bukavac lived in lakes and pools. At night it rose from the water and made a loud din, which is how it got its name. It was sometimes imagined as a six-legged monster with gnarled horns and bright blue eyes.

Tradition holds that it would leap onto people and animals and strangle them.