As soon as girls get married they tell fortunes whether they will achieve motherhood and how many children they will have. One of the ways which is familiar to us from the north-western part of Bosnia is that a woman needs to look for a rosehip bush in the autumn. She will locate a wool ball next to the fruits. In it, allegedly, must be a white worm. Whether alive or dead he is necessary for divination. The woman must secretly pass it through her right sleeve and place it in a glass of water. She will give the water to her husband to drink without telling him what she had done. As soon as he drinks the water she will look to see if the husband swallowed the worm or if he stayed at the bottom of the glass. If she sees the worm at the bottom she will only have one child with the man if he swallowed it she will have multiple children.
Desire for a child was traditionally pronounced from the marriage ceremony and until recently the primary goal of a young couple was thought to be quick realization of parenthood, no matter the material status- In the last decade, and especially since the military aggression by Serbia and Montenegro on BiH with the beginning of 1992, such a trend disappeared due to a difficult economic situation which dominates the country and larger migration of the young to the countries of the EU or USA.
But, it would be wrong to conclude that all pregnancies in the past were wanted, especially if in the family there was already a lot of children or the pregnancy was a result of an extra-marital relationship. It often happened that due to a couple of previous births, but also difficult manual labour, complications and miscarriage happened. It was considered as a great sin to provoke a miscarriage (abortion) on purpose, since it was considered to be sacrilege. Older women traditionally scared younger women with stories of abortion being a huge sin and that every woman which dares to perform this act, will have to eat that offspring in the second world. However, that propaganda didn't have a profound effect on the thinking pattern of many Bosnian women since most of them resorted to various methods to interrupt their pregnancy. One of the most widespread ways is insertion of the root Christmas rose (Helleborus), otherwise a poisonous plant, into the womb, or even root of marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis L) and in the lack of the above, especially during winter times, a spindle was used.
From the more familiar ways was the practice of drinking a bitter potion out of boiled (unroasted) coffee beans. In certain parts of BiH, such as Rogatica and Žepe, women placed a spicy clove in the coffee. With the intent of causing complications a pregnant woman would fumigate herself with hot lye, breathing in steam for longer time which would force her to vomit. While vomiting her stomach muscles would contract forcefully and would cause uterine contractions, which could lead to miscarriage. Among the more familiar ways of causing miscarriages was lifting heavy things, sitting in cold places or bathing with cold water.
Folk name for pregnancy is "other state" which clearly stresses that the woman during that period is in a totally different physical and mental state, and so is subject to other norms of behaviour and living. Similarly, this name implicates that the pregnant woman is in a special state when certain elements of the cult of fertility come to the fore. At that period the woman takes on some of the religious-magical features of the Grand Mother, which is demonstrated by certain widespread beliefs such as a person eating a food next to a pregnant woman must offer her food if she desires it. The punishment is reflected in an eye sore.
Such an aspect supports numerous beliefs and taboos but also purposeful mystification of the entire process which lasts from the disclosure of pregnancy until the 40 days after birth have passed. Namely, codex of patriarchal moral resulted in pregnancy being hidden from inhabitants of a household, as long as possible, especially male members "because of shame". That's why usually the news was first told to the mother in law, which would then discretely transfer the news to the husband and then other members of the family. Another reason for discretion was contained in the fear of the pregnant woman of spellbound eyes or enemies spells. Envy of a barren woman was always suspect, and all things which she could undertake to hurt the pregnant woman. Older women, usually mother in law or grandma, suggested to the pregnant woman to protect the stomach, i.e. cover it with an apron or some other clothing item, in order to ensure herself from eventual evil but also to warm the child.
Under the pressure of various rules and taboos the pregnant women was subject to a special regime which determined all of her activities for the entire duration of pregnancy, and even a shorter period after birth. Analysing them it is easy to notice a pronounced care and even fear of the unknown called new life, which is in its certain segments still today a mystery for modern medicine.
