The Bauk
The Bauk is a creature from Serbian mythology. It is said to hide in dark places, holes, or abandoned houses, waiting to grab, and devour its victim. Legend says that the Bauk is easily scared by lights and noises.
The appearance of the Bauk is not well known, due to the face that it hides in the darkest and most secluded of places. However, stories say it can be identified though the sounds of fingernails against wood.
So what inspired this menacing creature?
The name “Bauk” comes from the anomatopeaia BAU! The word “Bau” is the Serbian work used to scare someone, similar to the English “boo.”
Stories say that Bauk is a stealthy stalker with glowing eyes. It is easily scared by noise and lights. The story is often used to scare disobedient and restless kids.
Considering the Bauk’s habits and known attributes, most historians believe the creature was most likely inspired by the cultural memory of bears. Brown Bears once existed in Serbia but went extinct for a significant amount of time and were mostly only known by legends.
The story of the Bauk is an exaggeration for the animals that disappeared from the region as told by people who had never seen the animal before.
Aside from the large body and sharp claws, the Bauk is also said to have glowing eyes. Like most animals with night vision, bears have an tapetum lucidum. This is the structure in the eyes that allows for better vision in the dark. It is also the structure that “glows” when you shine light on them.
Bears eyes take on a bright yellow glow when exposed to light in the dark. This could explain the “glowing eyes” that were sometimes reported.
The Bauk is a strange creature. Some people say that it has been used to describe any boogeyman-like creature in Serbian mythology. Most theories however, point to the creature being a bear. Wherever it came from, this is an interesting story.
Sources:
Bauk. Cryptid Wiki. (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Bauk
Bauk. The Demonic Paradise Wiki. (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://the-demonic-paradise.fandom.com/wiki/Bauk#:~:text=The%20bauk%20is%20an%20animal,away%20by%20light%20and%20noise.
JamesHey, J. (2021, December 30). Identifying animal eyes at night: With eye shine chart. Survival Freedom. Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://survivalfreedom.com/identifying-animal-eyes-at-night-with-eye-shine-chart/#:~:text=Some%20animals%20have%20glowing%20yellow,What%20is%20this%3F&text=Bears%2D%20A%20bear%20has%20dark,on%20them%20in%20the%20dark.
Matanic, D. (2020, July 23). Slavic myths. Danijel Matanic. Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://danijelmatanic.com/slavic-myths/
McLellan, B.N.; Proctor, M.F.; Huber, D.; Michel, S. (2017). “Ursus arctos“. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017
Mentzer, A. P. (2019, November 22). What animals have a tapetum lucidum? Sciencing. Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://sciencing.com/animals-tapetum-lucidum-8541210.html
