Cult of the snake
In order to write credibly and in detail about the cult of fertility of the Bosnian people, it is necessary to start from the beginning which goes back to the ancient times and speaks about our famous forefathers the Illyrians, and one of their most important deities - snake. Namely, Illyrian cult of the snake as a primary symbol of fertility in folk religion of the Bosnian people, is not only noticeable in the belief about the home snake - protector of the family, i.e. totem of the head of the family, usually a male, i.e. father, but also her sacred meaning. The snake cult, on which the genesis of the grandfather of our forefathers is based on, has an even wider meaning and significance. In archetypal beliefs the snake is probably the personification of life force and without a doubt a personification of the spirit of the nature which encourages fertility and creates life. Remnants of the once extremely widespread cult of the snake among the Bosnian people are demonstrated in numerous beliefs. Some of them have been preserved and documented and are a type of reminder of our ancient past.
To represent all the beliefs of our people about the snake itself more credibly, and to bring them in connection with the Illyrian cult of fertility, it is necessary to cite what has been written down by Augustin Krstić in his work "Urežnjaci from folk healing of Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Snake skin as a cure
Though not many, in Bosnia, I stumbled across some female (rarely male) hands which had "punctuated" snake tattoos. When asked: why are the snakes punctuated? - I didn't receive equal or similar answers. Usually I have been told, that it should be like that (They often say: "It's a custom since the old days"). These three answers are perhaps the meaning of those snakes: "Brings good luck - Defends from spells - Won't be bitten by a snake". People spoke timidly about the tattooed snakes and snake skin, only in some villages I heard accusation about some women because "they carry snake skins".
Snake skin as medicine is usually taken in powdered form by folk, mixed with almost anything, while I barely came across a few cases of it being worn around the waist as a means of some help.
Snake skins are gathered in paramljeće (spring), when snakes change their skin! They are found in thorns, fences, etc. since snakes then move through something tight, in order to get rid of the old skin.
"Crush the skin" and drink in milk - and a nursing lady will get her milk. It is a cure for those women, which nurse children but which don't have milk of their own.
Crush the skin and rub your hands and feet with it, cure for those with sweaty palms and feet!
Women which can't get pregnant need to drink marigold herb, teucrium herb and a bit of the crushed skin, and she will get pregnant! She will achieve the same effect if she carries the skin around her waist.
A woman carrying snake skin around her waist will marry the person that she wants! With a lot of discretion I received some data on carrying "snake waist", such women are called in the village snake woman or girl woman.
To kill a snake which bit you and crush her head, place it over the wound will draw out the poison!
Through the mentioned data it is evident that the ancient beliefs about the snake have been preserved, a symbol of fertility, the snake also had the role of deity which enabled a girl to get married, start a family i.e. give birth and feed her children. The act of tattooing the snake among women has the same purpose since it is familiar through the history of religion that various people usually tattooed symbols of gods, their protectors, with the goal of achieving a more intimate relationship with them with the purpose of getting benefits which is evident by the statements of the snake defending from spells and snake bites. We should certainly take into consideration that the text originated in the first half of the twentieth century, which by itself creates a large continuity and testifies about traditional conservation of Illyrian traditions and beliefs among our people.
In order to write credibly and in detail about the cult of fertility of the Bosnian people, it is necessary to start from the beginning which goes back to the ancient times and speaks about our famous forefathers the Illyrians, and one of their most important deities - snake. Namely, Illyrian cult of the snake as a primary symbol of fertility in folk religion of the Bosnian people, is not only noticeable in the belief about the home snake - protector of the family, i.e. totem of the head of the family, usually a male, i.e. father, but also her sacred meaning. The snake cult, on which the genesis of the grandfather of our forefathers is based on, has an even wider meaning and significance. In archetypal beliefs the snake is probably the personification of life force and without a doubt a personification of the spirit of the nature which encourages fertility and creates life. Remnants of the once extremely widespread cult of the snake among the Bosnian people are demonstrated in numerous beliefs. Some of them have been preserved and documented and are a type of reminder of our ancient past.
To represent all the beliefs of our people about the snake itself more credibly, and to bring them in connection with the Illyrian cult of fertility, it is necessary to cite what has been written down by Augustin Krstić in his work "Urežnjaci from folk healing of Bosnia and Herzegovina":
Snake skin as a cure
Though not many, in Bosnia, I stumbled across some female (rarely male) hands which had "punctuated" snake tattoos. When asked: why are the snakes punctuated? - I didn't receive equal or similar answers. Usually I have been told, that it should be like that (They often say: "It's a custom since the old days"). These three answers are perhaps the meaning of those snakes: "Brings good luck - Defends from spells - Won't be bitten by a snake". People spoke timidly about the tattooed snakes and snake skin, only in some villages I heard accusation about some women because "they carry snake skins".
Snake skin as medicine is usually taken in powdered form by folk, mixed with almost anything, while I barely came across a few cases of it being worn around the waist as a means of some help.
Snake skins are gathered in paramljeće (spring), when snakes change their skin! They are found in thorns, fences, etc. since snakes then move through something tight, in order to get rid of the old skin.
"Crush the skin" and drink in milk - and a nursing lady will get her milk. It is a cure for those women, which nurse children but which don't have milk of their own.
Crush the skin and rub your hands and feet with it, cure for those with sweaty palms and feet!
Women which can't get pregnant need to drink marigold herb, teucrium herb and a bit of the crushed skin, and she will get pregnant! She will achieve the same effect if she carries the skin around her waist.
A woman carrying snake skin around her waist will marry the person that she wants! With a lot of discretion I received some data on carrying "snake waist", such women are called in the village snake woman or girl woman.
To kill a snake which bit you and crush her head, place it over the wound will draw out the poison!
Through the mentioned data it is evident that the ancient beliefs about the snake have been preserved, a symbol of fertility, the snake also had the role of deity which enabled a girl to get married, start a family i.e. give birth and feed her children. The act of tattooing the snake among women has the same purpose since it is familiar through the history of religion that various people usually tattooed symbols of gods, their protectors, with the goal of achieving a more intimate relationship with them with the purpose of getting benefits which is evident by the statements of the snake defending from spells and snake bites. We should certainly take into consideration that the text originated in the first half of the twentieth century, which by itself creates a large continuity and testifies about traditional conservation of Illyrian traditions and beliefs among our people.
