Birth of a child

Biggest influence on the process of birth in the past was living conditions which dictated its trajectory from region to region in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also outside of the country, especially in Sandžak. Until the first half of the twentieth century women, especially in rural areas, gave birth spontaneously, i.e. at the place in which they found themselves in: on a meadow, field, forest, house or some other area. Still today people often tell the story of a woman going to work in the field being in late pregnancy and coming back home carrying a child in one hand and a sheaf of grains in the other.

In those more natural conditions, usually the entire family was preparing itself for the birth and arrival of the new member. The mother in law would be more engaged around everything and would take care of the smallest details. It is important to mention that still today there is fear prior to birth, which is after all a generational i.e. traditional fear from complicated births which in the past used to have a tragic epilogue, which was initially caused by lack of medical staff and knowledge. Although the arrival of a new family member in this world always signified good luck, all that preceded it was always permeated with feelings of worry and fear which was a reason for constant prayers which asked God for a happy resolution. The mother in law would usually go to some local stravarka for her to utter the 36th chapter (Surah Jasin) of the Qur'an onto three sugar cubes, she would then place one by one into a glass of water and would offer it to the daughter in law to drink during the birth. For the birth the sugar which was used during the celebration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad was also kept, the so called Mawlid sugar, this sugar would be poured in a cup of water which was then drunk by the woman in labour.

When a pregnant woman notices that her labour time is soon approaching, she wouldn't leave the house, and no one enters the house either. If it happens, that someone enters the house accidentally while the woman is giving birth, then she has a more difficult birth and the more people know about it, the birth is more difficult, allegedly, she needs to suffer all sins from all people that are familiar with her situation. While she is giving birth, but also after it, one would always strive to keep tongs close to her so that they can guard and protect her from attacks by hostile beings. When she is moving, entering or exiting the house, or even crosses from one room to the other, she should use the tongs as a cane on which she leans, because of the belief that when the tongs are clinking, nothing can harm the child. According to Bosnian mythology the Jinn, devils and witches are scared of tongs and its sound and they start running hysterically as far as they can. Out of this reason people had a habit of forging miniature tongs, which were sown onto the child's hat, "so that hale (evil beings) won't harm him".

Women would give birth standing up, with legs extremely spread apart, holding onto a wall or some other object. They often gave birth on the floor in the house, lying on her back or on the side with knees bent, if the woman was physically weaker. If the child was bigger or with a bigger head, then the woman would give birth squatting or kneeling. If the woman had a lot of difficulties in giving birth it was believed that the mother could curse him easily, "it is sufficient for her to have a deeper sigh because of him", alluding to all the pain, and even risking her life to bring him to this world. Before that,  she would drink a spoon of oil and would pace around the room to better prepare her body for the exertion which awaits it. Usually the mother in law or some other older woman is with her, a woman which had experience in giving birth, which massages her and places a warm tile on her back. The pregnant woman would unfold her hair before birth if she had a braid, she would take a rolling pin into her hands which she would use as an auxiliary prop for support, if she gives birth squatting down. Though it is considered that the husbands were never present during births, Antun Hangi, citing folk belief gives us a different conclusion. He writes that it is good if the woman is reporting her feelings to the husband as she is giving birth since it will lessen her pain, sine she is sharing it with him. Similarly, if the husband is not present, it is not a sin for her to talk about her pain with her grandma or someone else who is present during birth.

In case the birth takes longer than expected, various magical procedures were undertaken with the goal to ease the procedure for the woman mentally, and also to offer her certain support but also stimulation. She would be given water which was previously poured down the cover of the Qur'an into the glass, all doors were open on the house and even in the mosque. The pregnant woman was also offered water in which the hand of Hazrat Fatima (Hypericum perforatum) was submerged, this was often brought back from Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). On the chest of the pregnant woman a vessel with water would be placed and then the plant, i.e. its root would be submerged, which swells up after some time, since the root takes up water, and in such a way "opens up" i.e. spreads. As soon as this would happen the pregnant woman would be sprinkled with the rest of the water over her entire body, they would then let down her hair, down her back. If the birth ended successfully the plant was given as gift so that its roots are wrapped in silk, golden or silver threads. In the absence of such a root the ritual of taking apart tespih (prayer beads) was practiced above the vessel with water which was then drunk by the pregnant woman. When the birth has finished, the thread which held the prayer beads together would be used to tie the child's belly button.

According to the belief of the Bosnian folk, for the child to even get the opportunity to exit the mother's stomach, all bones inside the woman's body need to separate themselves, besides the one's in the chin, which after birth, during the period of 40 days, again join together. Birth was always considered as beneficial for the woman and her health "since it cleanses her from everything" due to which her entire body is regenerated and this is why it is considered that women have a longer life span than men. We need to mention that the woman is compared to planet earth, among the folk, this is especially evident in the belief that the earth cleans itself through natural disasters or wars every 40 years.

Our folklore is extremely rich with various magical beliefs connected to birth, which best presents how much attention has been given to that important event. It is believed among the folk that if the mother gathered strength to tell her child while it was exiting her: "Come on child, be happy and blessed!" that the child would have good luck and health throughout its entire life, but due to great pain and hardship almost none of the women giving birth remember to utter this sentence. As soon as the child exits the midwife cuts it's umbilical cord and ties it, bathes the new born baby and wraps it into a warm blanket. In the past there was a custom of cutting the umbilical cord on a pencil or axe for boys so that he might be good in school or in a craft, for women it was done on a rolling pin so that she may be a skilled and good housewife. Since the belly button is tied to the new born baby, the part which falls off and dries is sown onto his clothes: then it is believed that a perda or curtain is opened to the child, division to the human world. This is of course an interesting belief of our people which has its origin in the Islamic mythology. Namely, when Allah banished first people from heaven, according to legends, he had to place an invisible curtain (perda) between the human and Jinn world, since their heart could not bear to see the horrible forms of the demons and people would literally die out of fear.

Precisely in the belief of sowing the dried umbilical cord skin to the child's clothes is hidden the answer of why the new born and the mother are subject to various spiritual dangers during the first 40 days. Namely, as I have written previously, pregnancy is called among the folk "another state", during which the woman takes on some supernatural abilities, since the act of creating a new life is in and of itself magical and divine. Pregnant woman is, also according to folklore, "with one foot in the grave", or better yet, a pregnant woman is considered to be a person which connects heaven and earth, light and darkness. She is not a common person but someone which represents a certain medium for supernatural forces. Among the folk, for example, it is believed that rain will fall if the pregnant woman throws the stretcher into the river, etc. We shouldn't foget to mention another example from the spiritual science which states that the Jinn are trying to be born in human form through women i.e. trying to materialise themselves, which is why, allegedly, mentally challenged children are being born, which is proof that a symbiosis of man and demons is not possible in some normal frameworks.

Similarly, while the child is in its mother's womb, it is invisible to our material world, and obviously more connected to the spiritual one. Proof of this can be sought in the belief of the Bosnian people that Allah determines the child's entire destiny in its first 40 days from its conception in the stomach. Leaving the security of his mother's womb the child arrives in the human world, material one which causes anger and wrath among the supernatural beings which then try in various ways to attack both him and his mother. And all this in the first 40 days, until the mother's, and obviously the child's, transformation isn't completed which then breaks all ties with the previous state.    

That's why the practice of using amulets which were written by an Imam was widespread, these amulets were placed under the child's pillow or were hung on the crib. But what is more interesting is the collective need of the community to fend off evil and disease from a new life. Namely, women weren't the only ones that participated in the defence of a new life by undertaking some defensive rituals, men were also active. Traditional custom of our people is that during the first visit to the child, especially if we are talking about men, is to give money as gift, it is said "place money on his forehead", i.e. "on the star", and which would consider himself extremely lucky and this money would be used to pay an amulet which was commissioned by an Imam. Along with an amulet caring mothers usually placed some additions such as rue leaves (Ruta graveolens), root of Elecampane (Inula), horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), yew (Taxus), etc. Also, all metal items such as scissors, nails, knife had a prophylactic function because of the belief that Jinn and devils run away from metal and they were part of an apotropaic arsenal.