Tradition: Serbian Mythology, Croatian Mythology
Alternative Names: Zagorkinia
Category: Fairy
The Myth
Zagorkinia was a female supernatural being belonging to the tradition of the Wiły, inhabiting remote and inaccessible mountain places. She appeared in human female form and kept her dwelling far from settlements, deep in the mountains where people rarely ventured.
Zagorkinia generally avoided humans and was usually hostile toward them. Despite this, she could show compassion toward people who became lost or suffered an accident in the mountains. Those in danger could receive her assistance, making Zagorkinia a strange and unpredictable mountain spirit: a dangerous being toward ordinary travelers, yet capable of helping those who were genuinely helpless or lost in her domain.
Sources
“Zagorkinia.” Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia (Polish Wikipedia). Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 5, 2026. https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zagorkinia