Dr. Svetlana Slapšak: Beyond Reality: Magic Beings

The Balkans abound in cults, magic and spirits of all kinds. The vampire and werewolf, actually one and the same creature characterised by the taboo of its name, is certainly the most representative example. Fairies, witches, semi-demonic mortals such as zduhać, Bosnian-Montenegrin-Albanian fighter with natural elements, water creatures, the ajdje ogres, dwarfs, tree protectors, magical animals, plants with the ability to change living beings, cursed spaces, jinxed objects, rituals, it all left behind a rich legacy, a treasure trove of art and popular culture motifs. On the other hand, it is precisely this treasury that fuels stereotypes, which in turn give rise to the misunderstanding of the Balkan reality and the false picture of the imaginary Balkans as a dark, dangerous and mysterious place. Magic beings enjoyed the greatest international visibility: apart from the widely known Dracula, Hollywood culture is also familiar with vamp, an abbreviation of vampire, and exclusive to female specimens. Film and comics are ideal mediums for conveying this strand of the Balkan culture.