Some stories are more than just tales, they are cultural artifacts, passed down through generations, blurring the line between local legend and lingering belief. One such account comes from the small town of Pleternica, Croatia, a place where, in the late 19th century, the supernatural felt closer to everyday life.
This particular story was shared by a local farmer named Toma Milinković in the autumn of 1888. He told it to the mother of Friedrich S. Krauss, an Austrian ethnographer who would later document it in his work on South Slavic traditions. It is a narrative that hints at deeper fears and beliefs hiding just beneath the surface of rural life.
The Mystery of the Vanishing Sheep
Not far from Pleternica, in an area known as Trapari, a wealthy man kept a large flock of sheep. They were well guarded, with two shepherds and six dogs, and yet something was wrong. Every day, a wolf would appear as if from nowhere, kill and devour several sheep, and then vanish without leaving a trace. No tracks, no remains, only missing livestock.
This went on until nearly three-quarters of the flock were gone. Desperate and frustrated, the farmer sought advice. Someone suggested this might be no ordinary wolf.
An Old Remedy for an Unusual Problem
The advice he received was specific, and strange: before sunrise, he was to put on all his clothes inside out, from his shoes to his hat, then drive the sheep to a nearby stream, climb a tree, and wait.
He did exactly that.
The Transformation
Around noon, an old woman from the neighborhood approached the stream carrying a wooden bucket. She lay down on the grass, rolled three times, and in a moment of pure folkloric horror, transformed into a wolf.
The wolf then seized the fattest ram from the flock and devoured it completely. Not a scrap remained, no wool, no bones. Nothing.
The farmer, recognizing the woman, chose not to shoot her. Instead, he went directly to her home.
Confrontation and Aftermath
When he confronted her, she had already returned to her human form. He reproached her severely. Later, when her own sons learned what she had been doing, they too chastised her.
From that day forward, she never again turned into a wolf, and no more sheep were lost.
Context and Meaning
This story was formally published in 1908 in the book Slavische Volksforschungen by Friedrich S. Krauss, a significant collection of South Slavic beliefs, customs, and oral traditions. It exists within a broader framework of Balkan and Slavic folklore, where shapeshifting, particularly into wolves (vukodlaks), was not uncommon in local tales.
What is compelling is how the story blends the mundane with the magical. The “cure” for the supernatural threat, turning clothes inside out, is a recurring motif in European folk magic, often used to break spells or ward off evil. The detail that the woman was known and confronted, not killed, suggests a community navigating belief, shame, and social order, not just fantasy.
Is it true? That might be the wrong question. More importantly, it was believed, and recorded as part of a living oral tradition. Such stories served as ways to explain the unexplained: livestock deaths, strange behaviors, unresolved tensions within small villages.
Slavic folklore is full of such tales: of vampires, witches, spirits, and werewolves. They reflect a worldview where the border between the natural and supernatural was thin, and where morality, fear, and wonder often intertwined.
The werewolf of Pleternica remains one of those eerie, evocative stories that reminds us that sometimes, the most haunting tales are not about monsters from the shadows, but from the house next door.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the Pleternica werewolf story true?
A: The story was documented in 1888 by Toma Milinković and later published by Friedrich S. Krauss in 1908. While the supernatural elements are folklore, it represents real cultural beliefs and oral traditions of 19th-century Croatia.
Q: What is a vukodlak in Slavic folklore?
A: A vukodlak is a werewolf or shapeshifter in Slavic mythology, particularly common in Balkan folklore. The term combines ‘vuk’ (wolf) and ‘dlak’ (hair/fur), describing humans who can transform into wolves.
Q: Why did the farmer turn his clothes inside out?
A: Turning clothes inside out is a recurring motif in European folk magic, believed to break spells and ward off evil. This practice was thought to reveal supernatural beings in their true form.
Q: Where is Pleternica located?
A: Pleternica is a small town in Croatia, located in the Požega-Slavonia County. The story takes place in the nearby area of Trapari, where the mysterious sheep disappearances occurred.
Q: What happened to the werewolf woman?
A: After being confronted, the woman was severely reprimanded by the farmer and her own sons. She never transformed into a wolf again, and no more sheep were lost from that day forward.
