Šumske dekle ("forest girls") also known as forest maids and Woodland Lasses are wild women of Croatia (ved, vedi female) that were observed prior to World War I. They are covered with reddish or black hair, except for the face, square elf-like head and long strong arms.
They are described to be a little shorter then humans even though they are much stronger with longer arms and legs.
They never speak with humans but they can be heard shrieking and screaming in the woods (probably the way of vocal/gestural communication)
Their sightings stopped after WWI.
If Šumske Dekle really existed, the whole species could be accidentally wiped out by the war.
"Šumske dekle-Ved, Vedi-Unconfirmed Hominid-Croatia"-Jay Dee`s Unknown shades
Behaviour[]
"Shrieks and screams. Sometimes visits houses or stables in search of warmth and food. Said to harvest grain, bake bread and catch fish. Able to breed with humans..."-Mysterious creatures: Guide to Cryptozoology
Habitat: Woodlands
Distribution (location): between Novigrad, Podravski and Ferdinandovac-Croatia
"Forest maid is a hairy woman who is always looking for warmth so she crawls among cattle, among the shepherds when they sleep in the hayloft, she is not malicious."-Legend of Croatian Fairies
When humans leave food out for them they will return the favour by cleaning their houses.
Significant Sightings[]
#1- One winter around 1870 two brothers named Paurović were sleeping in their stable at Severovac, Croatia.
One of the two brothers woke up to find a hairy forest girl standing between them. He touched her, and she ran out the door. They chased her, but it was snowing so they couldn't catch her. "And how did the girl survive the heavy snow storm at the first place," the brothers wondered.
#2- Far, far away in the Plava Šuma, a man had a pig wheel. He killed pigs and went into woods to collect honey every fall. This time he sat under the hive and saw human footprints in the mud and said to him self:
"I need this honey for winter, I really hope no one steals it before me!"
He turned around and then he saw it!
Hairy all over her body, seeing only her eyes and mouth. Her long hairy arms dragged through the mud. Man was afraid, of that creature, but snatched the pole and started beating it. Stinging it hardest an old man like him could. A creature screams and cover its eyes with its long hands. Its hands were very long. The man noticed that it was not the voice of a man.
"God, it is the forest maid (Šumska Dekla)!"
It was really a forest girl. I stopped beating her, but she pushed the pole, pushed below the hive, and she took the honey. She left, she went away.
Man stops chasing her and returns to his shed.
#3- A few more sightings took place (mostly in Plava Šuma), but they stopped after WWI.