The Serbian Dancing Lady, also known as The Dancing Shadow,[1] is an urban Serbian myth featuring a mysterious lady dancing in a weird manner in the streets of Serbia at night. The myth went viral via some videos on social media in 2019 and 2023. It wasn't possible to know the truth behind the dancing lady featured in the videos.
The myth edit
According to the myth, a Serbian lady fell in love with a man from another village, but her love wasn't approved by her family. Her spirit is believed to haunt Serbian rural areas, and people can see her dancing and singing sad songs. According to the legend, if anyone sees her, they must go through misfortune and eventually die. The myth has been featured in numerous Serbian cultural components, including music, literature, and film.[1]
Social media phenomenon edit
In February 2023, an 11 second video with an upsetting sound in the background spread fear among internet users tI showed a mysterious woman dancing in the middle of the streets of Zvezdara, Belgrade and was claimed to have been filmed from the window of a nearby house.[2] The woman is dressed in a traditional Serbian costume, waving her hands out to the sides and moving her heels from left to right repeatedly. A few people believe that though the lady in the 2021 video was in traditional Serbian costume, the lady in 2023 was in simple trousers and a shirt.[3] The dance pattern is thought to be similar to a Serbian folk dance named Kolo.[2] The mystery is supposed to have started in 1998,[1] and since then, people have claimed to have spotted the mysterious lady numerous times. She is believed to carry a knife with her and jump in front of people and cars, threatening them. According to some unverified internet blog posts by people who claim to have encountered the lady, the lady claims herself to be the "ambassador of death" and she needs lives for an ancient ritual to resurrect the king of Serbia.[1] Several videos have been spread on the internet claiming that the posters actually spotted the mysterious lady, and all of them captured her from behind. The 2023 video was claimed to have been filmed near a city hospital, and the elderly lady was allegedly mentally ill.[4][5]
The 2023 video featuring the Serbian dancing lady on TikTok received over 105.3 million[6] views and over 6.4 million likes.[3] Later, it went viral on Twitter as well.[2] The debate on whether the video is true or not is thought to be the reason it became popular.[3]
According to some unverified rumors, the lady in the 2023 video has been arrested, while others argue that she was never found despite extensive investigation by the authorities.[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e "The Puzzling Mystery of the Serbian Dancing Lady: Is She Real or Just a Myth?". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
- ^ a b c Bain, Ellissa (March 18, 2023). "CREEPY 'SERBIAN DANCING LADY' WHO SWAYS IN THE STREET TERRIFIES TIKTOK". HITC. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ a b c Vega, Ashley (2023-03-20). "All to know about the Serbian dancing lady on TikTok". The US Sun. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
- ^ "'Serbian dancing lady' on TikTok shocks internet; Here's what we know about the mysterious woman". The Economic Times. 2023-03-22. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
- ^ "Horor scene u Beogradu: Usred noći žena u narodnoj nošnji igra kolo, pa vadi nož i preti ljudima! (VIDEO)". www.sd.rs (in Serbian). 2019-09-22. Retrieved 2023-06-12.
- ^ Hobbs, Jack (2023-04-18). "Is the Serbian dancing lady real? The truth behind the video terrifying TikTokers". Retrieved 2023-06-12.