Cikavac
Encyclopedia
Cikavac is a mythical creature in Serbian mythology
, imagined as a wing
ed animal (a bird
) with long beak
and a sack
.
A cikavac could be acquired by taking an egg
from a black hen
, which would then be carried by a woman
under her armpit for 40 days, during which time one would not confess, cut nails
, wash face or pray
. The cikavac would then suck honey
from others' beehive
s and milk
of others' cattle
, and bring it to the owner; it would fulfill any owner's wish, and also enable its owner to understand the animal language
.
Serbian mythology
Serbian mythology comprises beliefs and myths of Serbia and Serbs.The Apostles of the Slavs, Cyril and Methodius, have been venerated by Serbian Orthodox Christians since their christianization in 867, they have been considered Serbs by historians....
, imagined as a wing
Wing
A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...
ed animal (a bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
) with long beak
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
and a sack
Sack
A sack is a bag, especially a large one for carrying or storing goods.Sack may also refer to:* Quarterback sack, a tackle of the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage in American and Canadian football* Sack , an Irish band...
.
A cikavac could be acquired by taking an egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
from a black hen
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
, which would then be carried by a woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
under her armpit for 40 days, during which time one would not confess, cut nails
Nail (anatomy)
A nail is a horn-like envelope covering the dorsal aspect of the terminal phalanges of fingers and toes in humans, most non-human primates, and a few other mammals. Nails are similar to claws, which are found on numerous other animals....
, wash face or pray
Pray
Pray may refer to:* Prayer, an active effort to communicate with a deity or spiritIt may also refer to:-Places:Italy* Pray, Piedmont, a comune in the Province of BiellaUnited States* Pray, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community-People:...
. The cikavac would then suck honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
from others' beehive
Beehive
A beehive is a structure in which bees live and raise their young.Beehive may also refer to:Buildings and locations:* Bee Hive, Alabama, a neighborhood in Alabama* Beehive , a wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings...
s and milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
of others' cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, and bring it to the owner; it would fulfill any owner's wish, and also enable its owner to understand the animal language
Animal language
Animal language is the modeling of human language in non human animal systems. While the term is widely used, researchers agree that animal languages are not as complex or expressive as human language....
.