All the secrets of nails: from illness to happiness

Nails are claimed to be of the same composition as hair, nails grow from a single root, and lengthen every day. But over time, after the age of thirty, nails no longer grow at the same rate as growth slows down. The famous French herbalist Maurice Messegue wrote about nails, explaining everything that can be revealed about human health by their appearance.

The author emphasizes that blue nails can signal heart problems, yellow nails indicate liver problems, pale nails or white spots indicate that their owner is anemic, while brittle nails, if they have not become so from excessive use of nail polish and acetone, on the onset of rheumatism. Nail loss is especially worrying because it alerts you to several serious conditions such as depression, diabetes, syphilis, blood stasis or nervous disease.

People who bite their nails, according to the author, have psychological problems, usually mild neurosis and fear, and in order to solve this problem, it is necessary to discover the source of this condition. A diet based on green fruits and vegetables has a beneficial effect on annexed people and can help get rid of this unpleasant habit.

In the folklore tradition of BiH, there is a belief that when white spots appear on someone's nails - "they will be happy again" or they will be happy about something again, although those white spots or stains, from a medical point of view, are actually a signal that the body lacks calcium.


Nails in folk tradition


There are dozens of superstitions about nails in the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the most famous is that they must never be cut at the time when the sun sets, because then the one who does it risks becoming the target of evil spirits or even worse, someone else, who would accidentally set foot on those nails.  In northwestern Bosnia, it was believed that an individual, who had a habit of cutting his nails at dusk or at night, would become a "lampir" after death, as our ancestors once called a vampire. In Velika Kladuša it is still claimed that it is not good for the house and its well-being if a guest who has never spent the night in it cuts his nails. In order not to violate the taboo, the guest must ask the host if he can cut his nails, so if the host allows it, then this approval has a prophylactic effect. Similarly, also in Velika Kladuša, there is a belief that the one who always cuts his nails with scissors gains the power of the evil eye and can harm small children with his own eyes.

In both beliefs, the notion of cutting in half or cutting off is emphasized, suggesting a symbolic cessation of happiness or health. And this is perhaps best explained by the following custom. Namely, when one woman interrupts another in a conversation, she usually then says: "Don't blame me for interrupting you in my speech, may I interrupt all the evil in your life just like that!"

Furthermore, it is believed that one who does not look after his cut nails and throws them anywhere, when he dies, will have to look for and collect them in the afterlife, literally to the last. This belief seems to be a supplement to the taboo on traditional nail care, due to their fatalistic impact on human health and destiny.

Nail care starts from birth and accompanies a person until his death, and even after it. Namely, the first cut nails of children in Velika Kladuša are taken to the mosque on Fridays and secretly left under the carpet, so that the child, when he grows up, will be wise and successful in school. In Zvornik, children's nails would be wrapped in paper and pushed somewhere into the wall or left in a clean place, saying:

Eli eli fentu ćabeli ćuntu,
suldžija đoldu,
toprak šae crne nokte daje,
nosi elif kuda znaš,
kad poželiš da mi daš!

The above magic formula, which is composed of Turkish and Bosnian words, mentions "suvaldžije", angels who come to the grave for the soul of the deceased, and they are given these nails through the formula, so that the deceased would not have to look for and collect them there, in the underworld.

In Rogatica, it was customary to pick up the cut nails and take them to the forest and leave them in the hollow of a tree, saying:

Take them, angels,
wherever you know,
when i need them
give them to me!

And in this formula we have a clear allusion to the task of angels to secure man, by symbolic gift of nails, before going to another world with one small addition, which explains in more detail the connection between forest and nails. Namely, the Bosniak people believe that every man has his own source of water and his own tree in the forest, which represents his totems or, better said, natural counterparts, which is a remnant of the shamanistic beliefs of our people.

In addition to the above, nails are props very often sought after in the occult, whether it is to practice love or black magic. For this reason, they were traditionally kept and carefully collected after cutting, so that the witch would not reach them. The ancestor of monotheism, Zarathustra, also warned against this, ordering that man treat carefully cut nails and hair, and this dogma was taken over by Paracelsus himself. Namely, he believed that hair and nails have a life force in them for a short time, after removal from a person, and that they are therefore ideal props for occult manipulations. Probably under this influence, in the Middle Ages it was believed that after a man died, his hair and nails grew for some time, which was actually the result of the withdrawal of the flesh and not the growth of the above.


Long nails in mythology
Among the Bosniak people, as we can see from what has been said so far, nails have always been treated with caution and mothers have never allowed their daughters to nurture long nails. Even today, a pious old woman brazenly snaps at the mention of long nails: "such a girl or woman is no better than an ordinary bitch or a cat!". The reason for such an attitude is certainly not exclusively of a religious nature but also of a practical nature. Namely, long nails are, above all, an ideal place for the accumulation of various impurities and bacteria, and this is by no means desirable when cooking and preparing meals with dough. In the past, all Bosniak women, especially girls, had neatly trimmed nails on which they would apply a canoe (kna) before Eid, "Mevlud" or a wedding, the color of which would gradually wash off on its own.

In Bosnian mythological legends, long nails are the weapon of certain dark beings who attack people. There are many legends and stories about strange nocturnal creatures called "Prepasti".

One of them, which I heard and recorded about ten years ago, happened to my cousin’s grandfather while he was riding a horse in the evening. Namely, after the horse drank water on the river, as many evenings before, he headed home. Somewhere halfway to his home, he suddenly heard a child crying. Guided by the sound, he stopped he dismounted and approached the edge of the meadow, in the tall grass, he saw a small child of only a few months old, lying wrapped in an old dirty blanket, crying unstoppably. Thinking that some woman had probably left him there and left, he took pity on him and without thinking took him in his arms and headed home. Holding the child with one hand, he steered the horse with the other, wondering whose abandoned baby it might be. Looking at that child at one point, he noticed to his horror how the child's face was distorted into some kind of freak, and bigger and bigger nails were growing from his fingers, which were trying to scratch him. Frightened by the sight, he threw the child and chased the horse, and behind him a hysterical sound similar to the announcement of a hyena was heard. When he later told his neighbors about the event, he learned that he was in fact the target of "Prepast", which tried to attack and kill him.

Except in "Prepasti", long nails are in our mythology, also, a witch's tool with which, according to the legend, she pierces a child's skin and takes out his heart.

Finally, it would be interesting to recall a few more Bosnian beliefs about nails. The first of them says the following: when you see your enemies arguing, you rub your fingernails, and they will fight.

Another belief suggests that one who wants his nails to grow faster should cut them on market day (when a fair is held in that place) and if he wants his nails to grow slowly then he should cut them on Fridays. Also, for those who cut their nails on Fridays, it will bring abundance in property, on Thursdays it will bring them children, that is, offspring, and on Wednesdays happiness and success.

The last belief is prophylactic and warns us that it is desirable to look first at your nails and only then at a small child, so that you wouldn't accidentally hurt him with your gaze and cause him illness.

The origin of the name – vampire

The closest to historical truth, and thus the answer to the question of where the myth of vampires comes from, is the Middle East and the Arab demon Ghul, whose abode is a cemetery. The belief about this terrible creature that drinks people's blood was taken over by the Turks and in the expansion of their empire they brought this legend, together with many other shamanistic beliefs, to the Balkans The English name vampire comes from one of these sources; from the name "upir" or "ypir" which originates from the north of Turkey, or "vapir" which was the Bulgarian name for the same being or from the Bosnian name "lampijer", "lapir" or "lampir". According to Bosnian belief, a vampire comes out of the grave like a small butterfly, which was once called a "lepir" or a "lapir". Also, a link to a vampire (lampir) is found in the old Bosnian word "lapiti" - to snatch, reach, catch, it is very similar to the name "lapir", and describes the way this dark creature hunts people by suddenly grabbing its prey.

In Serbia, the vampire was called "ukolak", while in Romania there are two mythological creatures "moroi" and "strigoi" which have some similarities with the vampire. Drac or dracul is the Romanian name for the devil, so that Count Dracula is actually Count Demon and not a vampire. Likewise, "drac" does not mean dragon, as some translate it, because it is called "zburator" or "zmeul" in Romanian. Therefore, after this brief review, a realistic conclusion is reached that the name vampire comes from Turkey, Bulgaria or Bosnia.

In Bosnian mythology, a vampire was not exclusively a living dead man who drank people's blood. Analyzing certain legends about a vampire, he was actually often a man in love, who died prematurely, and at night he would come out of the grave, through a hole in the ground, in the shape of a butterfly, and then turn into a man who had no bones in his body, to make love to his wife. In a metaphorical sense, a vampire is the embodiment of a longing for life, an unhappy soul that has no peace of its own because it has been deprived of the ability to live and exist in the material world.

Allegedly, from the relationship between a husband-vampire and a woman, children could be born who would have a small tail on their buttocks. But to prevent nocturnal arrivals, as well as unwanted pregnancies, a hawthorn stick was placed above the front door of the house, creating an insurmountable barrier for the vampire, and he would stop his visits.

Bosnian folk belief claims that a man of bad temper and character becomes an evil vampire after death, who attacks people and drinks their blood. On the contrary, from a man of good nature, or who has been in love all his life, he becomes a good vampire, one who does not attack humans, but for a time cannot come to terms with his death, and therefore disturbs those close to him.

World of angels

The equivalent for evil and negative beings, according to religious tradition, are certainly angels or „meleci“. The theological idea of ​​good spiritual creatures indisputably existed long before Zarathustra, the originator of monotheism, but what we know today as angels is the final product of the mind of that great prophet. Amshaspandan or Amesha Spentas in the religion of Zarathustra represent the great angels, what is known in Christianity as archangels. There are seven of them, which is the sacred number of Zoroastrianism or Mazdaism, and they belong to the divine accompaniment of the Supreme God. Amesha Spentas, also called the Immortal Benefactors, are God’s helpers, in fact the connection of Ahura Mazda with the material world. Among them are 4 male and 3 female angels. Of these seven, Arashtat or Asha Vahishta stands out, which in translation means truth and justice, and is in charge of maintaining the physical and moral order on Earth and is the embodiment of the best truth and justice. The most prominent is the male Amesha Spentas and the main rival to the demon world. The second month in the Persian calendar is dedicated to him. His eternal opponents are the demons of lies, among whom the most dominant is the evil demon Indra.

When the Jews created Judaism, they incorporated into their faith many segments of the ancient Egyptian and Persian religions, including Amesha Spentas, whose monotheism deprived them of sexuality and real names, but retained the wings and human form and virtues that adorned them.

According to Zarathustra's preaching, every man has his guardian angel known as Faravashis or Arda Fravash, who follows and helps him. Zarathustra himself announced that he had received an express command from God to call on Faravashis for help whenever he needed it. That is why he told the people to follow his example.


Angels and children

Islam describes angels as human-like beings with two, four and sometimes more wings. It is claimed that each individual has with him four angels, who tirelessly record his good and bad deeds. They are called Kiramen kitabin or "hafeza meleci". From this group two angels record during the day, and the other two record during the night all man's movements and actions as well as words. Also, there are angels who dwell in paradise and their leader is called Ridvan, and there are also those who visit hell itself, whose fire cannot harm them. They are called Zebeniye as a group and there are 19 of them in total, their leader is named Malik.

Contrary to the above-mentioned Arab belief, Bosniaks, under the influence of former Arian Christianity, believe that each man has only two angels: one sits on his right shoulder and the other on his left shoulder. The one on the right shoulder writes his good deeds while the one on the left writes his evil deeds. Also, according to popular belief, angels protect man and defend him from all evil, especially injustice. The folk song tells how the father threw the innocent accused daughter down the tower three times to see if she was guilty or not:

He took Tidža by her white hand,
So he throws her down the tall tower,
Hatidža was guarded by angels,
She broke neither her legs nor her arms.

Bosnian:

Uze Tidžu za bijelu ruku,
Pa je baca niz visoku kulu,
Hatidžu su meleći čuvali,
Ne slomila ni noge, ni ruke.

In Islamic tradition, angels are believed to leave that house where there are dogs or cats. Although it is generally believed that the cause is impurity, the real reason is probably hidden in the pre-Islamic or primarily Egyptian worship of the goddess Bast, depicted with a cat's head, and Anubis, the dog-headed god. With this ban, Islam wanted to suppress pagan characteristics among the Arab peoples in every segment.

The Bosniak people claim that angels accompany people throughout their lives, literally from birth to death. Folklore says that no child wants to come out of the mother's womb, until the angels give him a "senet", or a written guarantee, that he will never die. However, as soon as the child leaves the mother, they snatch the "senet" from his hands and that is why he cries inconsolably at birth.
According to the saying, every little child is like an angel. However, he loses this lovely quality as soon as he speaks, because in addition to beautiful words, he is also able to say ugly ones. Also, while they are very small, and in their privileged position, small babies are supposed to be able to see angels so they know how to smile at them. The connection with the angels is not lost until the onset of puberty, during which time they faithfully protect and guard them, especially in the event of a fall or other accident.


Angel of death

While in the Christian tradition the most famous angels are Gabriel and Michael, in Islam the most mentioned are Jibril, which is the Arabic name for Gabriel, and the angel of death Azrail. It is also interesting to say that in the foundations of the Islamic belief, by which an individual confirms that he is a Muslim, immediately after believing in one God, comes another belief that says: I believe in the angels of God.

Traditionally, the Bosniak people are prone to fatalism, as evidenced by the following legend about how one night an angel Azrail came to a man to take his soul. The poor man was terrified of dying and death, so he cried and begged Azrail on his knees to let him escape and continue to live. The angel allowed him to do so and he rushed outside, rode his horse and hurried across the meadow towards the forest and further in the direction of the hill. The frightened man rode for almost an hour, constantly turning back, afraid that Azrail would follow him. At some point of joy and inattention, as he escaped death, at the bend of the old road his horse crashed down a sharp slope. As he was losing consciousness and dying, the angel Azrail appeared before him and said to him, "Behold, man, here God has ordained you to die, in this very place. Now you see that death cannot be escaped, it awaits you in a place that you are destined ".

Probably in some connection with this tradition, at least because of the horse, is the popular belief that the angel Azrail appears in a dream as a white horse and with his appearance hints at the death of a loved one.

Following the example of Zarathustra's seven archangels, who are in constant confrontation with demons, this eternal struggle between good and evil is also reflected in Bosnian traditions. Through it, our people in a poetic way evoked and approached their understanding of the natural phenomena with which they have been surrounded since the beginning.

Namely, folklore claims that there are two angels, the first of which is blind and the second deaf. Allah sends them every time to drive away clouds and storms where He wants to punish people for some sin. But if one who is not deaf hears the sound of the call to prayer (Azan), he will immediately direct the clouds to the opposite side of that place, and thus save him from the weather. It is also said that in this plan the devil (shaitan) wants to stop him, so a fight breaks out between the two of them. When an angel swings his sword at the devil, then, according to legend, lightning strikes the sky.

At the end of the first part of the text about angels, it would be worth mentioning another Bosnian belief that says the following: whoever sleeps on his back all night is guarded by an angel, and whoever sleeps on his stomach is surrounded by devils.

Guardian Angel

According to Romanian belief, angels have a human body with wings, and they can rarely be seen. But, regardless of that, the angel is a faithful companion of a man, who persistently follows him, except in one case, namely, when he enters the tavern, the angel will not enter after him, but stands on the threshold and waits for him. Likewise, it is argued that no one should be threatened with a knife in anger, as the angel is three steps away from the man.

Just like the Bosniak peoples, Romanians have the highest beliefs about the connection between angels and children. As soon as a child is born God immediately sends a guardian angel to see him. But an angel will not come home if he finds salt on the window, or closed windows, or people standing next to them and listening curiously.

His true mission begins immediately after the child's baptism, when he becomes a Christian, in order to enjoy all the benefits of God's protection. Then the angel approaches the child and usually does not separate from him until death. All the time the angel is on his right side or sitting on his right shoulder, while the devil is positioned on his left side or on his left shoulder. That is why Romanians believe that left-handed people, those who do everything with their left hand, are devils.

Also, it is believed that those children who die immediately after baptism, and sometimes even those who have not reached the age of seven, do not have any sins, so after death they turn into angels. They remain with God by serving Him or praying for the souls of their parents. When their parents die, and by some chance end up in hell, then these angels descend to the underworld and, waving their wings, create the wind, to cool the fire of hell and ease their parents torment.


Masters of karma

Based on everything said in the first part, and this introduction to the lecture on angels, it is quite easy to conclude that every human being is born without sin, he is pure and innocent, just like the angels themselves. But through growing up and living, his ignorance and irrational deeds make him susceptible to evil and put his soul to the test.

Nevertheless, each individual has his guardian angel, who is spiritually responsible for his own destiny, that is, he bears full responsibility for the life of his protégé. In this way it is clearly stated that no guardian angel is superior to another angel, nor does he have the right to rule over him, that is, to interfere. The responsibility is individual. It is from this rule that independence in carrying out the mission of the guardian angel derives. Since the guardian angel is our protector and guide, he will never harm us, since, according to secret teachings, he was ordained by the Masters of Karma, spiritual teachers who deal with incarnations, and they themselves are subordinate to God, or even according to some interpretations, represent him.

Namely, man lives on Earth in order to develop spiritually. He is born and dies in order to be reborn. Each new reincarnation is a test he undergoes in order to eventually complete that spiritual path. Likewise, every teaching requires a teacher and this is where we come to the need for a guardian angel, who communicates with us, when he thinks it is necessary, through what we know as the voice of intuition and sometimes through dreams. The need for a guardian is quite logical if we take into account the fact that man has in himself an immortal part, which is called the soul or Higher Self, and which survives through transformation, and that mortal, perishable part or Lower Self. The role of the guardian angel is also to maintain harmony between these two opposites with his guidance and vigilance.


Light for the guardian angel

As the ancestor of monotheism Zarathustra taught, every man has his guardian angel, whom he should turn to for help whenever he needs it. Certainly, Zarathustra did not say that for no reason, because that invisible sweet being can really help us many times; to defend us from evil people, to distract us from bad judgments and intentions, to give us peace and love, to ease the pain, to provide us with the answers... However, you must know that we too can help our guardian angel, empower him, and give him spiritual light. To have a closer relationship with him, we should always pray for our angel, because he is our guardian, counselor and a friend. You do not need any special words or prayers for that, but to pray as your soul desires. It is often enough to say, "Guardian Angel, help me both day and night!"

However, in order to strengthen him, and thus provide ourselves with strong spiritual protection, especially in the bad phases of life, we need to do this simple ritual. For this ritual we need an unused glass, a new white candle and mineral or filtered water. Light a candle somewhere safe and preferably high, such as on a cupboard. Secure it by shedding three drops of another lighted candle and placing this one for the Guardian Angel on them, so that it can be glued to the surface on which it stands. Place a glass of water next to the candle on the right.

Say Our Father three times, and then this:

"My God, I offer you this prayer and the light of this candle, as a spiritual power and as a spiritual light for my Guardian Angel. Accept now, my God, this offer and allow my Guardian Angel to be empowered and enlightened, so that he can more easily protect, defend and guide me through life here on Earth!"

The next day, make the sign of the cross with your right hand in front of the glass on the ground and then pour it into the river or sink. If you pour into the sink, you must first let the tap water flow and then pour out the glass. The effect of this ritual lasts for seven days and can be repeated if you think that you need it, or if you still need strong protection.

In addition to your protector, you can light a candle for the guardian angel of another person with whom you are not on good terms. Namely, when someone is angry with you or you are angry with your partner, or someone directs hatred, anger, resentment, or any kind of negative energy, turn to an invisible protector for help. To calm the eruption of evil thoughts and passions, light a white candle for that person's guardian angel and say this:

"To the guardian angel of NN (say name and surname) calm the hatred, anger and resentment of your protégé so that he does not harm me and does not torment me with his bitter emotions, typical of human weakness. I do not know the cause of his resentment and anger towards me. Maybe jealousy is the main reason for that? But whatever the reason may be, which is unknown to me, it is clear that he / she is trying to release his / her emotional tension against me; you, who are his guardian angel, help him to overcome this acute crisis, this negative crisis; nervous tension, mental weakness, antipathy, or unreasonable anger. Calm him down, show him that I am the person who wishes him well, who loves him, and want us to be good friends because I need him. To the Guardian Angel and my friend N.N., accept this candle that I graciously offer you as proof of my security and devotion. May he, when confronted with me, do so with kindness, respect, love, and empathy, so that in a friendly way we may jointly accomplish our goals, without hurting each other. Let it be so. "

This concludes the prayer, and do not extinguish the candle, but let it burn to the end on its own. After that, throw the rest down the river. Before each described ritual, you must take a shower beforehand, so that your body is clean.

And finally, this should be said: believe in angels because angels are around us.

Porijeklo naziva vampir

Najbliže povijesnoj istini, i samim time odgovoru na pitanje odakle potiče mit o vampirima, jeste Bliski istok i arapski demon Ghul, čije je obitavalište groblje. Vjerovanje o ovome strašnom biću koje ljudima pije krv preuzeli su Turci i u širenju svoje imperije donijeli tu legendu, zajedno sa mnoštvom drugih šamanističkih vjerovanja, na Balkan. Naime, anglizirani naziv vampir dolazi iz nekog od ovih izvora; od imena upir ili ypir koji potječe sa sjevera Turske, ili vapir koji je bio bugarski naziv za isto biće ili pak od bosanskog naziva lampijer, lapir ili lampir. Prema bosanskom vjerovanju vampir izlazi iz groba kao mali leptir, koji se nekada nazivao lepir ili lapir. Također, poveznicu sa lampirom nalazimo u staroj bosanskoj riječi lapiti - ugrabiti, dohvatiti, uhvatiti, vrlo je slična nazivu lapir, te opisuje način na koji ovo mračno biće lovi ljude, tako što iznenada ugrabi svoju žrtvu.

U Srbiji vampir se nazivao ukolak, dok u Rumuniji postoje dva mitološka bića moroi i strigoi koji imaju poneke sličnosti sa vampirom. Drac ili dracul je rumunjski naziv za đavola, tako da je Grof Dracula zapravo Grof Demon a ne vampir. Isto tako, Drac ne označava zmaja, kako to neki prevode, jer se on na rumunjskom jeziku naziva zburator ili zmeul. Stoga se, nakon ovog kratkog pregleda, stiče realan zaključak da naziv vampir potiče iz Turske, Bugarske ili Bosne.

Vampir u bosanskoj mitologiji nije isključivo bio živi mrtvac koji pije krv ljudima. Analizirajući pojedine legende o njemu vampir je zapravo često bio zaljubljeni muž, koji je prerano umro, i noću bi izlazio iz groba, kroz neku rupu u zemlji, u obliku leptira, a onda se pretvarao u čovjeka, koji nije imao u tijelu niti jednu kost, kako bi vodio ljubav sa svojom suprugom. U metaforičkom značenju vampir je oličenje žudnje za životom, nesretne duše koja nema svoj mir jer joj je oduzeta mogućnost da živi i postoji u materijalnom svijetu.

Navodno, iz odnosa muža-vampira i žene mogla su se roditi i djeca koja bi na stražnjici imala mali rep. No, da bi se spriječili noćni dolasci, kao i neželjena trudnoća, iznad ulaznih vrata kuće postavljao se štap od gloga, čime se vampiru stvarala nepremostiva barijera, i on bi prestao sa svojim posjetima.

U bosanskom narodnom vjerovanju tvrdi se da od čovjeka loše naravi i karaktera nakon smrti postaje zli vampir, koji napada ljude i pije im krv. Naprotiv, od čovjeka dobre naravi, ili koji je za života bio zaljubljen, postane dobri vampir, onaj koji ne napada ljude, nego se jedno vrijeme ne može pomiriti sa svojom smrću, i zbog toga uznemirava one koji su mu bliski.