Zapis

A zapis (Serbian Cyrillic: запис, Serbian pronunciation: [zǎːpis], literally "inscription"; plural: zapisi) is a tree in Serbia that is sacred for the village within whose bounds it is situated. A cross is inscribed into the bark of each zapis. Most of these trees are large oaks. Prayers are offered to God under the crown of the zapis, where church services may also be held, especially during village festivals observed to supplicate God for protection against destructive weather conditions. In settlements without a church, ceremonies such as weddings and baptisms were once conducted under the tree. Folk tradition maintains that great misfortune will befall anyone that dares fell a zapis. According to Serbian scholar Veselin Čajkanović, the zapis is inherited from the pre-Christian religion of the Serbs, in which it had been used as a temple.

The selected tree becomes a zapis through the rite of consecration performed by a Serbian Orthodox priest, in which a cross is inscribed into its bark. The zapis is chosen from large trees, primarily oaks, but also elms, ashes, beeches, pear trees, and hazels. A large cross, often made of stone, may be erected beside the zapis, and the surrounding area may be fenced. The zapis is inviolable: it is believed that great misfortune will befall anyone that dares fell it. Climbing it, sleeping under it, and picking its fruits and twigs, are also forbidden. Even the branches and fruits that fall from the tree should not be collected. A village may have more than one zapis: the main one in the settlement or near it, and several others in the village's fields, usually chosen so that they surround the settlement.

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