Zrikavac - demon of the night

Zrikavac is a nocturnal demon which is described in Bosnian mythology as a vratilo (long stick) but it has the ability to transform and it often transforms into a bird or cat. Zrikavac is especially active at dawn and after sunset. With its call it causes fear in humans.
According to folk tradition on one occasion an old man went to the river Bosna and there he heard a commotion, it was audible in the entire village. When he approached the place where the horrible sounds came from he saw a black cat. The animal started screaming even louder, and the old man went deaf from it. In the vicinity of Visoko, in places Hasin Potok and Kužni Dol, it was believed that a demon-like creature was living there. If someone heard the sound of zrikavac at night he shouldn't try to imitate the sound or to mock it, such behaviour angers the demon and he mounts the human and forces the human to carry him the entire night, until the first roosters crow.
Zrikavac is a demonic creature which has similarities with other demons of Bosnian mythology such as Karanđoloz, Meknjače, Naletnjak; so we can presuppose that all evil spirits have similar characteristics.