22.08.2022.
Mystical creatures called vivers hide in the caves of Dol, and the locals say that their howling can still be heard today.
The inhabitants of Dol on Brač know about the mythical creature that hides in the caves, and they call it the viver. It is a being that you can only "find" in Dol, and if you are lucky you can even hear its voice.
Dol belongs to a series of twelve old medieval settlements in the interior of the island of Brač, it is sheltered at the end of a deep fertile valley, surrounded by high hills, on the tops of which there are small medieval churches, and at the foot of which there are inexhaustible sources of water. Today, it has about one hundred inhabitants, and at the very entrance to this small place, the houses traditionally covered with stone slabs, as well as numerous caves made of grained rough stone, which were once human dwellings, and today shelters for cattle, containers for firewood, habitat pigeons, owls, but also vipers.
An inexplicable roar is often heard from the caves, the inhabitants of Dol say, but no one really knows what these mystical creatures really look like. Witnesses describe them as large dark shadows or birds that can only be seen at night. Ivana Jelinčić wrote down stories about vivers in her research on Brač's beliefs in the supernatural.
"These are birds that used to live here in these holes. Yellow body and black wings. Well, those little birds are called vivers. And then, that’s how I knew. In my childhood, when we would come to Postira, ``Evo viveri evo viveri''. It's nothing like a jackdaw."
The legend about vivers has always been present, and according to it, these creatures are permanent residents of Dol's caves, of which there are about 30 in and around the town. There are four sources of drinking water in this area, and ten in rainy weather. A long fertile valley, a rich hunting area, and a large number of caves for habitation lead to the conclusion that the viver had all the prerequisites, i.e. a natural basis for staying in this area since ancient times. With the arrival of warmer days, every year when dusk descends on this place, a "woooo" is heard from the dark caves. Then the children ask their elders in amazement and fear who it is, or what it is. And that's how the knowledge about Dol's viver is passed down from generation to generation.
Some locals are still waiting for these creatures to appear. They are waiting to be convinced of the truth of the stories of those who saw them, they are waiting for an explanation of the strange howling that, as the residents od Dol say, can still be heard today.
Such is the story of a guy who saw a viver in 2011 while returning home in the evening.
˝We were returning, as usual, to Dol from swimming. Late evenings are the most beautiful here. Everything is calm, full of shadows, mysterious. You can only hear the hoot of an owl or, perhaps, a jackdaw. The air smells. That evening was no different from the others. It was warm, quiet, gentle. Just the time when dusk turns to darkness. The bats went hunting. We were approaching the first caves (opposite the church) when we suddenly heard a noise. Like the wind in the treetops. Or the arrival of summer rain. Some shadow obscured our view (light). We wondered what it was: big wings, dark? No, it didn't flap its wings. It sailed towards the ground. We stopped and quickly got out of the car. The 'shadow' landed in front of one of the caves (at the very entrance to the village). We only saw it for a moment because, as it descended, it rose (this time with a light flutter of its wings) and disappeared into the darkness of the nearby cypress trees. We looked at each other in wonder and disbelief. Have we really seen it, and what it is? We waited a while longer. Nothing was heard, nothing happened. Just silence. And the smell of a summer night.˝
All tellers describe this being in the same way, and their existence is not in doubt, but personal belief in them and their powers varies. Maybe it's because of the time we live in, a time in which they would be laughed at if they confirmed that they believed in it, but if they had been asked about fifty years ago, the story about vivers would certainly have been different.
Author: Office for Treasures and Mysteries
