Serbia: A Nation of Wolves
Countries all over the world represent themselves through different native symbols, such as a national flower, bird, or animal. Of course, this includes Serbia, which champions the grey wolf. In the United States, for example, the national bird is the bald eagle; however, the choice of a national bird or animal is more than simply selecting a cool mascot. When the national bird was in the process of being selected by the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson advocated the turkey, since it was a study-looking animal that had many practical uses, but what would the turkey reflect about Americans? The animal chosen contains characteristics that the people of that country should embody, and George Washington and John Adams though the bald eagle represented freedom, majesty, and high ideals. Circling back to Serbia, what does the grey wolf say about the Serbs? What does the animal represent for them, and where did the idea originate?
Diving back into the mythological past of Serbia, the Slavic people of that area would often feature the grey wolf in their stories and epic poetry as a symbol of ferocity and fearlessness, as well as erect totems in honor of the grey wolf. Naming a child Vuk, the word for wolf, is a long-standing tradition for the Serbian people within and outside of literature, but the meaning and the reason for doing so were often intertwined, as explained by nineteenth-century Serbian philogist and ethnographer Karadzic. The name would also be given to the names of children whose mothers had already lost previous babies. This name functioned as a spiritual transfer of the wolf’s might into the young child to instill fear into the hearts of the bloodthirsty witches who would steal and devour infants. Thus, the name Vuk became an indication of a fearless, formidable person.
Now, “Bald Eagle” is not a common name in the United States, but in Serbia the translation between their national animal and their people is so strong that it literally crosses over into the identification of individuals. The grey wolf of Serbia stands for a fierce, creative people who can strike fear into the hearts of any metaphorical witches cowering in the dark. Here in SMiLes, celebrating Serbian culture can lead to some surprising discoveries. Even something as simple as a national animal has significance tied to scary folklore, the origin of a name, and Serbian poetry.
Image source:https://www.flickr.com/photos/countrybob69
