When a couple get exclusively female children, then the woman goes to babine on a Friday, in order to try and influence her faith i.e. if the last time she gave birth to a girl, now she will give birth to a boy. In Sandžak there was a custom that young mothers ensure a cradle for their first grandchild and everything that the new-born needs: diapers, swathe, shirt, shoes, etc. Also, they bring gifts for the adult members of the family, so that all can be happy and content. Among the presents for the new-born, especially if it's a girl, there must be some jewellery, such as earrings, bracelet or necklace. Gold for its value but also a symbolism of eternity, represented respect for the family which was visited. If for some reason the mother didn't have milk in her breasts to feed her child in the first few days, another woman will do it for her, this woman is latter called by the child a second mother or foster mother, this was considered a special gesture and that's why children of these women could not marry one another.
The child was named at noon, while the Imam is calling for prayer, and in the past it was usually chosen based on a distinguished ancestor. In Velika Kladuša, however it is believed that it isn't good to give a child a name based on a dead member of the family, only one that is alive. It was once told that a child brings his own name with him i.e. it was given to him according to the Arabic name of the months such as; if the child was born during the month of Ramadan then the son would be named Ramo and daughter Ramiza, if the child is born during month Muharam the names could be Muharem, Muho, Muharema, etc. And if the daughter is born on the eve of the holly night Laylat al-Qadr her name would be Lejla, but if the child is born on Eid - Bajram or Bajrame, Birame, etc.
If the household inhabitants cannot agree on the name of the child it was a tradition to call an Imam into the house. He would take scissors and a piece of paper, and he would cut it into 40 equal pieces. On each piece of paper he would then write one name and in the end he would place them inside a fez. The Imam would mix the papers and then he would offer the mother to draw a piece from the fez. The name which is drawn becomes the name of the child, and none of the household inhabitants could object to that.
Sometimes it happened that a name doesn't suit a child, it is unlucky to him, which is manifested in that it is sick for no reason or pale, grows and develops slowly. In order to stop this evil, the mother would early on Sunday, at dawn, take two apples and give each of them a name which she fancies. She waits at an intersection with the apples for someone to pass by. She asks a random passer-by to choose one of the two apples and the one which stays in her hand represents the child's new name which will bring luck and health to him.
The child was named at noon, while the Imam is calling for prayer, and in the past it was usually chosen based on a distinguished ancestor. In Velika Kladuša, however it is believed that it isn't good to give a child a name based on a dead member of the family, only one that is alive. It was once told that a child brings his own name with him i.e. it was given to him according to the Arabic name of the months such as; if the child was born during the month of Ramadan then the son would be named Ramo and daughter Ramiza, if the child is born during month Muharam the names could be Muharem, Muho, Muharema, etc. And if the daughter is born on the eve of the holly night Laylat al-Qadr her name would be Lejla, but if the child is born on Eid - Bajram or Bajrame, Birame, etc.
If the household inhabitants cannot agree on the name of the child it was a tradition to call an Imam into the house. He would take scissors and a piece of paper, and he would cut it into 40 equal pieces. On each piece of paper he would then write one name and in the end he would place them inside a fez. The Imam would mix the papers and then he would offer the mother to draw a piece from the fez. The name which is drawn becomes the name of the child, and none of the household inhabitants could object to that.
Sometimes it happened that a name doesn't suit a child, it is unlucky to him, which is manifested in that it is sick for no reason or pale, grows and develops slowly. In order to stop this evil, the mother would early on Sunday, at dawn, take two apples and give each of them a name which she fancies. She waits at an intersection with the apples for someone to pass by. She asks a random passer-by to choose one of the two apples and the one which stays in her hand represents the child's new name which will bring luck and health to him.
In fear of faeries and spells
One of the old prophylactic traditions which got lost over time was that the child, especially male child, an Imam or some other "learned" person, such as Hafiz, learned Muslim woman or stravarka, would utter azaan into the ear for all preventive purposes such as diseases whose causes are often supernatural, according to folk, and the children are subject to shock, paralysis, great fear. Beneficial activity of azaan is that it neutralises the effect of spellbound eyes. The ritual is pretty simple; the Imam stands above the child, which is sitting in front of him alone or in the hands of his mother, they're all turned towards the Kaaba. While uttering prayer Basmala the Imam is placing his right hand, thumb and forefinger on the forehead and begins to utter azaan. When he utters half of the prayer he blows in the direction of the right ear of the child and then lightly turns his head with his right hand to the right and when he finishes the second part of azaan he blows into his left ear. Then the child gets up and the Imam wishes him god's blessing and good fortune. People believe firmly in the protective powers of azaan, which is also uttered when there is a great storm outside and before the prayer is started one would throw a rolling pin outside of the house.
A special category is taken up by children which have no mothers, whether she had died during birth or after it. They are called orphans no matter if their father is alive or not. Namely, among the folk it is still claimed today that a father can be anyone, but there can only be one mother. Result of strict patriarchal upbringing which forced a rule on men that they mustn't show pronounced feelings or care towards the child, especially in public places, gave birth to a folk saying "the father is as stiff as a board!" i.e. he has no feelings nor understanding for his child.
Orphans are especially pledged among Bosnian people, partially for the fact that god's messenger himself, Muhammad, was an orphan. It was always said, if there is no other way to help an orphan, that one should at least stroke him on his head, since among other things he has been bereft of warmth and attention. Similarly, there is no greater sin from abuse of an orphan since "the tear of an orphan is as heavy as the greatest sea!". In Velika Kladuša it is believed that the sun wouldn't shine if there were no orphans in the world, since it needs to warm them. It is still today claimed that good children (orphans) can call upon rain during draughts, if the Imam takes them on top of the tallest hill in that area (remnant of the Bogomils's beliefs about the holiness of the hill), where the Imam will utter a rain prayer and the children will bless the prayer by saying amen. A child whose mother had died during childbirth, was believed to have power to stop a fight (bad weather) if it eats a few grains of hail. The same was believed about the youngest child.
In the past people were afraid of the activity of the Jinn and devils, especially birth demons called Al Karisi, which alongside the female Jinn Sibjan, represented the greatest danger for both the new-born and his mother. In order to chase them away there was a tradition for a family member to shoot a weapon outside when the child is born, because of the belief that lead but also the sound of the weapon can scare and chase away the evil spirits. The mother would be scared to leave the child in the crib alone, if she had to leave the house for some reason, fearing that faeries don't steal or replace her child. In order to protect him, she would place a metal item underneath its pillow, a stem of nacre, garlic clove or something else which could chase away the faeries. Namely, according to a Turkish legend which became popular in our region, the humans stole the first faery child and from that time the faeries are avenging it by stealing or exchanging human children. Besides the mentioned beings, the child was in danger of witches, nightmares, spells and spellbound eyes.
Antun Hangi writes: "As soon as a child is born, until it grows up, one needs to protect him from spells, ograma, strava, nightmares and witches. Spells as we have said, come from the eyes. Everything that is on earth is subject to evil eyes and there is nothing in the world which cannot be harmed by a spell, both children and adults die from spells, and it is not a sin to say that half of the world has died due to spells. The smaller it is the easier it is to cast a spell on it, the easiest being a child. That's why you should say when you see a small child: "Masha'Allah!" or "May you not be cursed!", so that you do not curse him. When the child doesn't want to sleep when it needs to , and doesn't want to eat its mother's milk, and what is worse keeps crying so much so that it seems as if it is dying, then we know that it is cursed. Cursed child cries and screams, doesn't eat nor sleep and if it sleeps for a while, it tosses and turns in its sleep, until at one time the screaming stops. If the child is cursed, it needs to be bajati (utter a spell), since the spell resurrects in the child after three days, and it could tear the child apart. The child is easy to put a spell on when numerous women come into the house and look at the child and when the mother is walking around the neighbourhood a lot. It is especially perilous, that a young mother goes out of the house with a child at night, since witches fly outside at that time, air faeries, ghosts and spectres, and they could harm a child."
https://www.scribd.com/doc/307234850/Cult-of-Fertility-Among-the-Bosnian-People
One of the old prophylactic traditions which got lost over time was that the child, especially male child, an Imam or some other "learned" person, such as Hafiz, learned Muslim woman or stravarka, would utter azaan into the ear for all preventive purposes such as diseases whose causes are often supernatural, according to folk, and the children are subject to shock, paralysis, great fear. Beneficial activity of azaan is that it neutralises the effect of spellbound eyes. The ritual is pretty simple; the Imam stands above the child, which is sitting in front of him alone or in the hands of his mother, they're all turned towards the Kaaba. While uttering prayer Basmala the Imam is placing his right hand, thumb and forefinger on the forehead and begins to utter azaan. When he utters half of the prayer he blows in the direction of the right ear of the child and then lightly turns his head with his right hand to the right and when he finishes the second part of azaan he blows into his left ear. Then the child gets up and the Imam wishes him god's blessing and good fortune. People believe firmly in the protective powers of azaan, which is also uttered when there is a great storm outside and before the prayer is started one would throw a rolling pin outside of the house.
A special category is taken up by children which have no mothers, whether she had died during birth or after it. They are called orphans no matter if their father is alive or not. Namely, among the folk it is still claimed today that a father can be anyone, but there can only be one mother. Result of strict patriarchal upbringing which forced a rule on men that they mustn't show pronounced feelings or care towards the child, especially in public places, gave birth to a folk saying "the father is as stiff as a board!" i.e. he has no feelings nor understanding for his child.
Orphans are especially pledged among Bosnian people, partially for the fact that god's messenger himself, Muhammad, was an orphan. It was always said, if there is no other way to help an orphan, that one should at least stroke him on his head, since among other things he has been bereft of warmth and attention. Similarly, there is no greater sin from abuse of an orphan since "the tear of an orphan is as heavy as the greatest sea!". In Velika Kladuša it is believed that the sun wouldn't shine if there were no orphans in the world, since it needs to warm them. It is still today claimed that good children (orphans) can call upon rain during draughts, if the Imam takes them on top of the tallest hill in that area (remnant of the Bogomils's beliefs about the holiness of the hill), where the Imam will utter a rain prayer and the children will bless the prayer by saying amen. A child whose mother had died during childbirth, was believed to have power to stop a fight (bad weather) if it eats a few grains of hail. The same was believed about the youngest child.
In the past people were afraid of the activity of the Jinn and devils, especially birth demons called Al Karisi, which alongside the female Jinn Sibjan, represented the greatest danger for both the new-born and his mother. In order to chase them away there was a tradition for a family member to shoot a weapon outside when the child is born, because of the belief that lead but also the sound of the weapon can scare and chase away the evil spirits. The mother would be scared to leave the child in the crib alone, if she had to leave the house for some reason, fearing that faeries don't steal or replace her child. In order to protect him, she would place a metal item underneath its pillow, a stem of nacre, garlic clove or something else which could chase away the faeries. Namely, according to a Turkish legend which became popular in our region, the humans stole the first faery child and from that time the faeries are avenging it by stealing or exchanging human children. Besides the mentioned beings, the child was in danger of witches, nightmares, spells and spellbound eyes.
Antun Hangi writes: "As soon as a child is born, until it grows up, one needs to protect him from spells, ograma, strava, nightmares and witches. Spells as we have said, come from the eyes. Everything that is on earth is subject to evil eyes and there is nothing in the world which cannot be harmed by a spell, both children and adults die from spells, and it is not a sin to say that half of the world has died due to spells. The smaller it is the easier it is to cast a spell on it, the easiest being a child. That's why you should say when you see a small child: "Masha'Allah!" or "May you not be cursed!", so that you do not curse him. When the child doesn't want to sleep when it needs to , and doesn't want to eat its mother's milk, and what is worse keeps crying so much so that it seems as if it is dying, then we know that it is cursed. Cursed child cries and screams, doesn't eat nor sleep and if it sleeps for a while, it tosses and turns in its sleep, until at one time the screaming stops. If the child is cursed, it needs to be bajati (utter a spell), since the spell resurrects in the child after three days, and it could tear the child apart. The child is easy to put a spell on when numerous women come into the house and look at the child and when the mother is walking around the neighbourhood a lot. It is especially perilous, that a young mother goes out of the house with a child at night, since witches fly outside at that time, air faeries, ghosts and spectres, and they could harm a child."
https://www.scribd.com/doc/307234850/Cult-of-Fertility-Among-the-Bosnian-People
