Zapis

A zapis (Serbian Cyrillic: запис, Serbian pronunciation: [zǎːpis], literally "inscription"; plural: zapisi (записи)) is a sacred tree in Serbian tradition, protecting the village within whose bounds it is situated.^[1] 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 Slavic paganism, the pre-Christian religion of the Serbs, in which it had been used as a temple.