petak, 1. travnja 2016.
Nine padlocks
All these means should spur fertility of females and enable motherhood. Besides this, a woman wanted to be sure that her hard work was not in vain and there were some good indicators which pointed to fertilization, namely, when a woman reaches her "time" (menstruation) more frequently, it was considered that she will soon "get pregnant". But, if the result is missing, despite everything she has undertaken, people often suspected black magic to be afoot.
According to folk belief, the largest percentage of black magic is done in special cases, usually during a higher concentration of people and pronounced emotions, whether we're talking about sorrow or euphoria, i.e. during funerals and marriages. Adversarial sihir (magic) mostly scared those mothers whose child died. It was believed that if during the decent of a dead child into the grave a malicious person yanks the child by its feet, the mother will become sterile. If a woman believed that she couldn't get pregnant because of such a magical procedure, she would do the following: she would dig up the grave, take a rock which was placed under the dead body for it to lay straight, she would scrape some dirt from the bottom of the grave. She would take the dirt home and place it into the water with which she would bathe herself.
Special caution was practiced on the day of the wedding when a malicious person, usually a heartbroken boy or girl, could place an unlocked padlock and key on two opposing sides where the bride and groom shall pass. As soon as the couple would pass between these items, the key would be placed in the padlock, after locking it, following this principle it alluded to a locking of the womb. In the end, the locked padlock would be thrown into the river or buried in a grave, a place which associates with transience and nothingness.
If the newlyweds were victims of such a magic then it would be manifested in such a way that the woman would always lose her child when she gets pregnant, in the second or third month of her pregnancy - "the child is ripped out of the womb and turned into blood". Various counter measures were undertaken against such evil and they were recorded in the area of Velika Kladuša; a woman would take salt, amount which she would use for a stew, she would wrap the salt into paper and would place it under the bed. After that she would make love to her husband. The salt would be taken under the bead and the salt should be used for a stew which both of them should eat.
In the folk song "nine padlocks" it is described that a girl by the name of Fata was in love with Adembeg which was getting married to another girl. Out of spite and pain she cast a spell on the newlyweds making both Adembeg and his wife infertile. When after nine years of marriage the couple didn't get any children the mother talked her son into trying to bribe Fata with jewellery so she can annul magic:
Undue the spell, which you did!
Fata whispered to him:
I will never undo them!
I made nine padlocks,
Passed you through all of them
and threw them into the cold water!
Realising that he has no other choice Adembeg took Fata by her hand and lead her home with the intent of her becoming his wife. In another folk song Dizdar's daughter made a spell on Halil-aga's wife and she couldn't get pregnant, which is why Halil-aga beat her every night.
Džeferbegovica, her sister-in-law, gave her an advice to make a cake and bring a sown shirt and to beg Dizdar's daughter to undo what she had done. When mentioning a woven shirt, she replied:
Undo what I cast!
I made nine spells,
I threw all nine into the fire.
And when they mentioned the cake, she replied that she threw all nine spells into the water. Only when they promised that they will marry her for the brother of Džaferbegovica, she opened colourful coffers and a golden box above the head of Halil-aginca and said:
Go now, Halil-agince
have a son by next year!
In the above mentioned songs from the Bosnian folk we can notice the number nine i.e. symbol of the Grand Mother which is traditionally present in numerous other examples of folklore magic and beliefs.
It was considered that magic didn't always have to have a negative use, but that it can help in stimulating fertility so that a woman can have her desire to achieve motherhood fulfilled. Women sought help from staravarke with this goal in mind, even gypsy's and even Imam's, which would usually create seven inscriptions with which one wanted to influence the fertility of a married couple. Sometimes even the girl herself tried using magical rituals to summon fertility, especially if she is married to a man she doesn't love. When a woman wants marriage without children, on the day of the wedding she would place her hands on her backside in front of the register and utter quietly: "I want to get married, but I don't want children!" and it is believed that she won't have any.
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.
Cheating evil destiny
Frano Murgić in his ethnological work "Visoko in Bosnia - Folk life and customs" mentions high birth rate which was frequent in the previous centuries among the Bosnian folk, mostly in rural areas. But, reason for this was hidden mostly in the average life span which was at that time between 50-60 years and extremely long and cold winters, when temperatures dropped to -27 degrees centigrade, which caused frequent deaths among the people, especially children, from hypothermia and fever. Besides, the author notes that every month or two there was a registered case of a child dying.
"People which have one wife, used to have up to twenty children, those that had two wives, were known to have up to 25 children. There are women, which gave birth up to three children at once, and in short time they give birth to two at a time. There are around 10 women which never gave birth. There are those which when their husbands died, gave birth to her second husband's children. Halil Vranac thought that there was nothing else but infertility which caused women not giving birth".
This quote is important because of some data, from the fact that polygamy wasn't present just in some areas of BiH, as some authors are trying to show, but that its radius encircled a much larger area, and that it was alongside high birth rate a classic phenomenon for less inhabited areas while its intensity was lost in urban areas. Also, it is again confirmed through the statement of the quoted Halil Vranac that the Bosnian people had the least understanding for infertility.
In accordance with what is written it is pretty clear that sterility and fear of children dying were very pronounced in the past and as such they caused the emergence of various prophylactic rituals and measures with one very clear goal - trap misfortune, which could be hiding a family curse, as it was believed by folk, spellbound eyes, black magic or even unlucky predestination of a woman to give birth to dead children. Antun Hangi also touches this topic mentioning that there is a certain category of pregnant women on which the supernatural influence is stronger and they are more prone to giving birth to dead babies.
-"There are women which give birth to dead children. This happens, when a woman has sweet blood, and ghosts, witches and other apparitions torture her and so suffocate the child inside of her. For her child to survive while it is still in the womb she must take off a horse shoe from a dead horse. She needs to get a black smith to forge a hoop in the middle of the night and she should girdle the hoop and wear it until her child is born, when it is born, she needs to bend the hoop and place it under the child's head. Similarly it is good for such a woman to go at night in front of a mosque and from a stretcher which carry dead people, to take out a nail. Out of the nail she needs to have someone forge at night a few hoops and she should carry them with her until she gives birth, when she gives birth, she should sow them to the child's hat, so that spirits and witches don't suffocate the child.
If children die and the mother cannot nurse them, she should take nine rags from nine widows, she should sow a shirt to the child, and it will not die. Similarly it is good for such a mother or someone else to find some wool from a sheep that a wolf slaughtered. She should wash that wool, comb it and then on gargaše (a contraption for tidying up wool) to tidy it up so that it looks like silk. Once she has tidied up the wool in such a manner, she should knit a string like the waist of the child and she should girdle the child with it. Who comes late there is no luck for him that's why it should be started as soon as the child is born, since if she misses only one dekiku, minute, it will be of no use".
In Vinac next to Jajce there is a custom that to the couple whose children keep on dying after birth, call another woman to breastfeed their new born in order to fool the misfortune. This woman will also cut the child's umbilical cord and fix it and that's why she is called eba, short version of ebejka, grandma. If male children were dying other forms of magical activity was undertaken with the intention of stopping the misfortune. To a new born son one would give his father's name or even the holly name Mohammed, and it used to happen that parents would go to the extreme of actually hiding from all the neighbours that they had a baby boy. They would clothe the boy as a girl and they would teach him to act as one, and these habits used to stay with children their entire lives.
Magical and physical causes of sterility
Infertility could have been caused by the actions of the individual himself. Namely, in folk medicine in BiH it is still today considered that one of the causes of sterility could come from the so called "dislocated stomach". We're talking about a disease which equally affects both men and women and it would usually come about as the result of difficult manual labour while among the population today, according to stravarke, the stomach "shifts" usually due to stress and worry. Among men the disease was mostly manifested by poor sperm motility, which was often accompanied by strong belly pain which spread towards the stomach, the belly is always bloated, the person has dark circles around the eyes, has a feeling of suffocation, etc. In women a "dislocated stomach" can affect the womb and ovaries, causes frequent inflammations and thus prevents conception.
There are a few methods of curing; the diseased person is massaged, drinks various teas and women which cannot get pregnant along with these procedures also "bind" themselves around the waist, i.e. underneath the stomach. Method of tying a cloth underneath the stomach, around the hips or placing a coffee cup upside down on the belly button, and a cloth over it, which was previously around the hips, would return the stomach to its place and cure this issue. According to folk belief, proper diet had a crucial effect on fertility because of the belief that unlike a skinny and undeveloped woman, a woman which has pronounced curves, especially hips and back side, represents an ideal type for procreation - "such a woman is full of children!"
There are a few methods of curing; the diseased person is massaged, drinks various teas and women which cannot get pregnant along with these procedures also "bind" themselves around the waist, i.e. underneath the stomach. Method of tying a cloth underneath the stomach, around the hips or placing a coffee cup upside down on the belly button, and a cloth over it, which was previously around the hips, would return the stomach to its place and cure this issue. According to folk belief, proper diet had a crucial effect on fertility because of the belief that unlike a skinny and undeveloped woman, a woman which has pronounced curves, especially hips and back side, represents an ideal type for procreation - "such a woman is full of children!"
Abortion and pregnancy
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.
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.
Divination about the future child
Antun Hangi wrote that among the Bosnian people it is considered that the child while in the stomach gains most of the physical but also character features of the person which the pregnant woman fancies the most. If the pregnant woman thinks of someone during the time of the lunation or full moon then it is very likely that the child will have a lot of similarities with that person. When the mother gazes at someone while the child "comes alive" in the womb, the child will resemble that person the most.
If the pregnant woman loves to eat bitter oranges (Citrus aurantium), oranges and quinces, it is believed that she will give birth to a beautiful child. Also, the child will be pretty if the pregnant woman looks at her reflection in the mirror while the child is moving for the first time.
-"When the child comes alive, and moves a lot inside the mother, he will be restless or a jolly fellow and he can't wait to come into the world to perform marifete, kunstove, umjetnosti (art). If the child is calm inside the mother and barely moves, it will be calm and introvert, he will be a weakling."
Further in the text Antun Hangi states an interesting belief of the Bosnian folk about snakes, which coincides with the Illyrian belief about the snake - symbol of fertility and also protector of life. Namely, the author writes: "When the woman gets pregnant, and a fox or snake crosses her path, the child will be happy and have a long life. If a rabbit crosses her path, the child will be unlucky, selfish and a bum and there won't be any use for him. If a rabbit crosses her path the woman shouldn't proceed so that she doesn't cross his path, she should return home immediately so that she may have luck. A pregnant woman needs to watch not to eat or drink from a chipped dishes, since the woman which drinks or eats from chipped dishes will give birth to a child which will have a rabbit lip. Also she should take care not to make fun of someone, since her child will be šišijasto, crooked eyed. When a pregnant woman is eating, she needs to take care that her hands are completely clean, since the woman which eats with hands covered with flour, her child will have dandruff."
Among the Bosnian people there are a lot of superstitions tied to what a pregnant woman should follow if she wants to give birth to a normal and healthy child. All these rules begin with the words "it is wrong" or "it's not good" and the most interesting ones have been published in Gračanica (Gračanica herald: magazine for cultural history of Gračanica and its surrounding, Volume 14, 2002) in the text written by Fikret Ahmetbošić "Some national customs and beliefs in Sokol, Doborovci and Džakule.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to kill a snake, her child will have bad breath.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to stare into an open flame - the child will have a red face.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to eat fish - the child will be restless.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to sit on a washboard - the baby will be misshapen.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to cross over a vine or a rope - the child will suffocate during birth.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to go back - she will have a difficult labour.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to de-feather an animal - the child will have a skin disease.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman eat a fruit which was bitten into - the child will have crusts on the body.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to carry eggs in her lap - the child will be slobbery.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to pour water onto water - the child will get a hernia.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to pull over a knife - the child will have a rabbits lip (cut lip).
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to eat chicken stomachs, the child will have big lips.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to sit on a doorstep - the labour will be difficult.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to eat walnuts - the child will have lichen.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to look at a dead man - the child will be yellow.
-It's not good if a cat passes through the pregnant woman's legs - the child will be hairy.
If the pregnant woman loves to eat bitter oranges (Citrus aurantium), oranges and quinces, it is believed that she will give birth to a beautiful child. Also, the child will be pretty if the pregnant woman looks at her reflection in the mirror while the child is moving for the first time.
-"When the child comes alive, and moves a lot inside the mother, he will be restless or a jolly fellow and he can't wait to come into the world to perform marifete, kunstove, umjetnosti (art). If the child is calm inside the mother and barely moves, it will be calm and introvert, he will be a weakling."
Further in the text Antun Hangi states an interesting belief of the Bosnian folk about snakes, which coincides with the Illyrian belief about the snake - symbol of fertility and also protector of life. Namely, the author writes: "When the woman gets pregnant, and a fox or snake crosses her path, the child will be happy and have a long life. If a rabbit crosses her path, the child will be unlucky, selfish and a bum and there won't be any use for him. If a rabbit crosses her path the woman shouldn't proceed so that she doesn't cross his path, she should return home immediately so that she may have luck. A pregnant woman needs to watch not to eat or drink from a chipped dishes, since the woman which drinks or eats from chipped dishes will give birth to a child which will have a rabbit lip. Also she should take care not to make fun of someone, since her child will be šišijasto, crooked eyed. When a pregnant woman is eating, she needs to take care that her hands are completely clean, since the woman which eats with hands covered with flour, her child will have dandruff."
Among the Bosnian people there are a lot of superstitions tied to what a pregnant woman should follow if she wants to give birth to a normal and healthy child. All these rules begin with the words "it is wrong" or "it's not good" and the most interesting ones have been published in Gračanica (Gračanica herald: magazine for cultural history of Gračanica and its surrounding, Volume 14, 2002) in the text written by Fikret Ahmetbošić "Some national customs and beliefs in Sokol, Doborovci and Džakule.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to kill a snake, her child will have bad breath.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to stare into an open flame - the child will have a red face.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to eat fish - the child will be restless.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to sit on a washboard - the baby will be misshapen.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to cross over a vine or a rope - the child will suffocate during birth.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to go back - she will have a difficult labour.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to de-feather an animal - the child will have a skin disease.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman eat a fruit which was bitten into - the child will have crusts on the body.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to carry eggs in her lap - the child will be slobbery.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to pour water onto water - the child will get a hernia.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to pull over a knife - the child will have a rabbits lip (cut lip).
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to eat chicken stomachs, the child will have big lips.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to sit on a doorstep - the labour will be difficult.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to eat walnuts - the child will have lichen.
-It's wrong for a pregnant woman to look at a dead man - the child will be yellow.
-It's not good if a cat passes through the pregnant woman's legs - the child will be hairy.
Time after birth
Before birth the pregnant woman receeds from the community in order to bring a new member of the family into the world in this short period. Separation is not coincidental, instead it has socio-magical characteristics. As is commonly known men were never present during birth, in fact, it was hidden from them if possible, and if he happens to be in the vicinity he would be removed without question. Birth was similarly hidden from the mother of the woman who was giving birth, because of the belief that the birth will be lighter and that latter the child will receive all of his teeth without much pain.
Right after the child from the pregnant woman a placenta (posljedak or pošljedak) should exit, in order to finalise the procreation process. It was usually tossed in a river or stream. If the pregnant woman doesn't want to get pregnant in a couple of years, she will cut the placenta in four pieces, tie them into socks and bury in the ground. The pregnant woman is named lohusa in the next 40 days, because of a type of quarantine, since according to folk belief she is "as weak as a bird on a branch", and her hair needs to be completely covered with a white scarf, otherwise Jinn and devils will hang on her every hair and cause her harm.
Woman which assisted during birth is called ebejka, or shortened eba or bika, she covers the young mother immediately out of fear that she will freeze, because of the traditional belief that wind and cold bring numerous diseases. Besides the bed, but also the entire room need to be clean, so that lohusa can make a full recovery, which was often not long enough, usually the young mother would get up after three days and would be included in lighter housework. She did this mostly because of other people, i.e. so that she can keep her reputation of a worthy and hard-working woman, or earn such a reputation.
Before there was a rule that lohusa should rest seven days after birth while women from richer families stayed in bed between 14 and 40 days. But, that wasn't the only social difference. Antun Hangi describing the procedure of beautifying the child actually reveals a classic and inborn desire of the Bosnian people to look good, which was primarily an occupation of the more affluent part of the society, such as merchants, craftsmen and noblemen, while among most of the poor people such a custom wasn't particularly nurtured. The author writes:
As soon as ebejka washed the child and clad it, she strokes its head so that is more beautiful and formed well. As the ebejka is doing, so shall too the young mother, which needs to watch out that her child's forehead doesn't get too big. Bosnian people don't like large foreheads. A child which has a large forehead, is made fun of and is said that his forehead is big as a hangar. In order for a child's head to develop properly, it needs to be wrapped with not one, but two bandages. One goes from the forehead and is tied at the back, it is called connector, the other one goes underneath the beard and is tied at the top of the head, and it is called chin guard. These bandages are tied numerous times so much so that one feels sorry for the poor child, and once the bandages are removed we notice red markings on the head since the blood couldn't move freely in and out of the head. But they're not only striving to beautify the child and make his head of a proper shape, but all parts of the head, namely the forehead, nose, lips, eyes, ears, eyebrows and chin. Though I have to condemn this practice out of health reasons, I will mention how and why they do them. The forehead is usually covered with oil, thick milk or slime so that the child doesn't get wrinkles around the eyes. Folk, especially more common people, hold that people which have wrinkles around the eyes are troublemakers, ready to do all sorts of evil. A girl which would see large wrinkles in a boy wouldn't marry him. People love like that the nose of the child is nice looking and harmonious that's why they squeeze and thin the noses of the children since no one likes a wide nose. The eyes are usually stroked by mothers while nursing the child so that the eyes won't be murky and to turn out to be healthy clear and large since the larger the eyes, the dearer they are to the people. They tighten the ears and place them closer to the head so that they don't become large and loopy. Similarly they gather the lips of the child between the fingers so that they don't become large. They push the chin towards the throat so that it's not protruding like a saddle. The neck of the child is also stroked so that it is not too thick and that the child doesn't get goitre. They place ham-pamuk (cotton wool) on the child's chest so that the chest will get nourished and grow stronger. Similar things are done with the hand and feet of the child. They tighten them with bands like criminals so that the child looks like a little mummy. The lazy stomach is not exempt. It too needs to be tightened and furbished, so that the child is not tubby and a binge eater.
The mother is taking care to first nurse the child with the right bosom, since if she does so with the left initially the child will be left handed its entire life. Lactation among Bosnian women in the past lasted quite long, often a few years, there are testimonies that some mothers nursed their sons until they were fifteen. It was believed that it was desirable to nurse the male child for longer, because of the physical strength and growth, while the female child, it was not because it could turn out to be temperamental and promiscuous. There is a prevailing opinion among the Bosnian people that people in general have lost empathy, became less humane and sensible, since the younger generation of mothers stopped nursing their children. That natural and intimate contact of the mother and child during lactation, obviously has the same value for the human being as the need for food itself. Mother's bosom for the child are a source of gentleness and closeness, during contact with them the child develops both physically but also mentally, and thus builds consciousness about the relationship with others which needs to be intimate. It is noticeable that a large percentage of people which were nursed by their mother in their earliest age have a developed habit of hugging other people, they exchange small signs of tenderness while greeting, they're more open and with that more sociable. All of this also makes them more resilient to stress and everyday issues. It is evident that some environmental preferences and social habits we acquire during the period of lactation and if they're not offered to humans in their earliest age they then have smaller or greater consequences for our healthy development.
Nursing is an intimate moment and the mother will always take care that she doesn't nurse the child in front of someone else who is not her husband out of shame. Also, the woman hesitated to nurse her child in front of people who are not family members out of fear for spellbound eyes, since the evil effect of this spell can cause her to, allegedly, lose her milk. Similar scenario will happen to her if a drop of milk falls to the ground and she or someone else steps on it. If she becomes a victim of spellbound eyes or her own recklessness, and loses her milk, by the advice of the mother in law, she will look among her neighbours for some trahana (small dough used for soup) three years old, which she will cook at her home three times and eat, the milk will then return.
News of the new member in the family spread fast, especially if a son was born, and then the spread of the news would become a small competition because of the monetary reward which was given to the messenger. It is still today called muštuluk (good news).
There was also a custom to rip the shirt of the father on the chest when the good news is given to him, obviously that ritual had its origin in the pagan beliefs and rituals of fertility. Namely, a ritual recorded in Vlasenica describes that a woman in late pregnancy during the period of full moon would knead bread, and when the full moon showed up she would go around the house three times. She would break of one piece of bread and store it, the rest she would eat. When she gave birth she would then again wait for a full moon in order to rip the first shirt she made for her child at the chest and she would pass through the hole in the shirt the piece of bread that she made. She would then put the shirt on the child uttering: "As the moon is full in the sky, so may you be full as well." After a few months, when the child starts eating food other than his mother's milk, during the night of a full moon the mother would submerge that piece of bread into cow's milk and would give it to the child repeating the same formula.
The mother and the child usually never left the house until the period of 40 days has passed, and during the first few days of the child's birth one would avoid giving or loaning to others in the household, it was even forbidden to take out the trash when night fell. People took care not to bring in children's clothes which were washed and dried after sunset, until the sun has come out the next day and has warmed up the clothes. Otherwise the child could suffer from a disease called mračnica.
Right after the child from the pregnant woman a placenta (posljedak or pošljedak) should exit, in order to finalise the procreation process. It was usually tossed in a river or stream. If the pregnant woman doesn't want to get pregnant in a couple of years, she will cut the placenta in four pieces, tie them into socks and bury in the ground. The pregnant woman is named lohusa in the next 40 days, because of a type of quarantine, since according to folk belief she is "as weak as a bird on a branch", and her hair needs to be completely covered with a white scarf, otherwise Jinn and devils will hang on her every hair and cause her harm.
Woman which assisted during birth is called ebejka, or shortened eba or bika, she covers the young mother immediately out of fear that she will freeze, because of the traditional belief that wind and cold bring numerous diseases. Besides the bed, but also the entire room need to be clean, so that lohusa can make a full recovery, which was often not long enough, usually the young mother would get up after three days and would be included in lighter housework. She did this mostly because of other people, i.e. so that she can keep her reputation of a worthy and hard-working woman, or earn such a reputation.
Before there was a rule that lohusa should rest seven days after birth while women from richer families stayed in bed between 14 and 40 days. But, that wasn't the only social difference. Antun Hangi describing the procedure of beautifying the child actually reveals a classic and inborn desire of the Bosnian people to look good, which was primarily an occupation of the more affluent part of the society, such as merchants, craftsmen and noblemen, while among most of the poor people such a custom wasn't particularly nurtured. The author writes:
As soon as ebejka washed the child and clad it, she strokes its head so that is more beautiful and formed well. As the ebejka is doing, so shall too the young mother, which needs to watch out that her child's forehead doesn't get too big. Bosnian people don't like large foreheads. A child which has a large forehead, is made fun of and is said that his forehead is big as a hangar. In order for a child's head to develop properly, it needs to be wrapped with not one, but two bandages. One goes from the forehead and is tied at the back, it is called connector, the other one goes underneath the beard and is tied at the top of the head, and it is called chin guard. These bandages are tied numerous times so much so that one feels sorry for the poor child, and once the bandages are removed we notice red markings on the head since the blood couldn't move freely in and out of the head. But they're not only striving to beautify the child and make his head of a proper shape, but all parts of the head, namely the forehead, nose, lips, eyes, ears, eyebrows and chin. Though I have to condemn this practice out of health reasons, I will mention how and why they do them. The forehead is usually covered with oil, thick milk or slime so that the child doesn't get wrinkles around the eyes. Folk, especially more common people, hold that people which have wrinkles around the eyes are troublemakers, ready to do all sorts of evil. A girl which would see large wrinkles in a boy wouldn't marry him. People love like that the nose of the child is nice looking and harmonious that's why they squeeze and thin the noses of the children since no one likes a wide nose. The eyes are usually stroked by mothers while nursing the child so that the eyes won't be murky and to turn out to be healthy clear and large since the larger the eyes, the dearer they are to the people. They tighten the ears and place them closer to the head so that they don't become large and loopy. Similarly they gather the lips of the child between the fingers so that they don't become large. They push the chin towards the throat so that it's not protruding like a saddle. The neck of the child is also stroked so that it is not too thick and that the child doesn't get goitre. They place ham-pamuk (cotton wool) on the child's chest so that the chest will get nourished and grow stronger. Similar things are done with the hand and feet of the child. They tighten them with bands like criminals so that the child looks like a little mummy. The lazy stomach is not exempt. It too needs to be tightened and furbished, so that the child is not tubby and a binge eater.
The mother is taking care to first nurse the child with the right bosom, since if she does so with the left initially the child will be left handed its entire life. Lactation among Bosnian women in the past lasted quite long, often a few years, there are testimonies that some mothers nursed their sons until they were fifteen. It was believed that it was desirable to nurse the male child for longer, because of the physical strength and growth, while the female child, it was not because it could turn out to be temperamental and promiscuous. There is a prevailing opinion among the Bosnian people that people in general have lost empathy, became less humane and sensible, since the younger generation of mothers stopped nursing their children. That natural and intimate contact of the mother and child during lactation, obviously has the same value for the human being as the need for food itself. Mother's bosom for the child are a source of gentleness and closeness, during contact with them the child develops both physically but also mentally, and thus builds consciousness about the relationship with others which needs to be intimate. It is noticeable that a large percentage of people which were nursed by their mother in their earliest age have a developed habit of hugging other people, they exchange small signs of tenderness while greeting, they're more open and with that more sociable. All of this also makes them more resilient to stress and everyday issues. It is evident that some environmental preferences and social habits we acquire during the period of lactation and if they're not offered to humans in their earliest age they then have smaller or greater consequences for our healthy development.
Nursing is an intimate moment and the mother will always take care that she doesn't nurse the child in front of someone else who is not her husband out of shame. Also, the woman hesitated to nurse her child in front of people who are not family members out of fear for spellbound eyes, since the evil effect of this spell can cause her to, allegedly, lose her milk. Similar scenario will happen to her if a drop of milk falls to the ground and she or someone else steps on it. If she becomes a victim of spellbound eyes or her own recklessness, and loses her milk, by the advice of the mother in law, she will look among her neighbours for some trahana (small dough used for soup) three years old, which she will cook at her home three times and eat, the milk will then return.
News of the new member in the family spread fast, especially if a son was born, and then the spread of the news would become a small competition because of the monetary reward which was given to the messenger. It is still today called muštuluk (good news).
There was also a custom to rip the shirt of the father on the chest when the good news is given to him, obviously that ritual had its origin in the pagan beliefs and rituals of fertility. Namely, a ritual recorded in Vlasenica describes that a woman in late pregnancy during the period of full moon would knead bread, and when the full moon showed up she would go around the house three times. She would break of one piece of bread and store it, the rest she would eat. When she gave birth she would then again wait for a full moon in order to rip the first shirt she made for her child at the chest and she would pass through the hole in the shirt the piece of bread that she made. She would then put the shirt on the child uttering: "As the moon is full in the sky, so may you be full as well." After a few months, when the child starts eating food other than his mother's milk, during the night of a full moon the mother would submerge that piece of bread into cow's milk and would give it to the child repeating the same formula.
The mother and the child usually never left the house until the period of 40 days has passed, and during the first few days of the child's birth one would avoid giving or loaning to others in the household, it was even forbidden to take out the trash when night fell. People took care not to bring in children's clothes which were washed and dried after sunset, until the sun has come out the next day and has warmed up the clothes. Otherwise the child could suffer from a disease called mračnica.
One foot in the grave
Though the entire cult of fertility among the Bosnian people in the past was based on magical-religious beliefs and rigid social attitudes, still, in some of its segments, we come across empirical knowledge with which medicine today also agrees. Namely, in order to reduce the possibility of damaging the vagina, rectum and bladder, the pregnant women knew that all positions, except the one when the woman is lying down, reduces the possibility for episiotomy i.e. cutting the perineum, which in the past could have had serious consequences for the health of the woman. Steiner writes that the majority of Bosnian women will not call a doctor/male during birth, not even during a complicated birth, instead she will, during a difficult birth, cut the perineum herself is the bladder is pressed or when the baby is in an uncomfortable position, this is in fact an impossible task for the pregnant woman, therefore she would let the woman assisting her with birth perform the procedure and even sow the wound.
Though it is obvious that such an unreasonable and completely irresponsible attitude towards her own body and life is a by-product of the conservative society, in which the husband is the only man which can see a woman's intimate parts, he also jeopardized his woman by exposing her to deadly danger due to the lack of professional medical assistance. Data that most of the women that assisted during birth had no professional knowledge is ironical, they based their skills on the folk belief that a woman's womb consists out of three parts; in the first part are premature births, in the second normal birth and in the third post mature. Similarly, it was believed that in the womb itself there is a part that creates male children (right part) and left part which creates female children.
Chronic lack of education but also a dominant influence of religion, which unquestionably creates a conservative society which is hostile towards any type of progress and enlightenment, stopped the Bosnian people from advancing for centuries and inflicted more harm than it did good. Particularly alarming state was among the youngest population, namely as we can see, morbidity and mortality of children in the past in BiH was extremely high, various causes contributed to this fact from hypothermia and fever, to various infectious diseases such as diphtheria, scarlet fever, smallpox (variola), measles, etc. Besides this, women weren't in a better position to whom every birth was literally "one foot in the grave" i.e. it exposed them to direct danger of death, primarily because of the lack of medical care but also bad living conditions.
Analysing the look of Bosnian girls, Karl Steiner (Bosnian folk medicine), noticed well that frequent pregnancies and scarce living conditions resulted in physical deterioration and abrupt aging of the face after a pretty short period of youth (15-25 years). Author writes: "Childbearing women get up on the third day after birth, and starts doing house chores. This crooked custom is the culprit of rapid aging and deterioration of Bosnian women. Poor nurturing of young women after birth, when they need nurture and care the most, is avenged by women losing their beauty and vigour quickly. In this we should look for interpretation in what we notice every day that besides numerous beautiful and well fed women, we see few healthy and beautiful young women."
When we take into consideration the above mentioned we come to a conclusion that the claim by Frano Murgic that women in Visoko gave birth to twenty children is simply impossible because of some very logical reasons based on the living circumstances; every pregnancy, and especially birth, physically drains a woman. Especially if the woman nurses the child for long, which was often the case with Bosnian women, coupled with poor nutrition but also hard physical labour in essence didn't leave a lot of room for frequent pregnancies. It is medically proven that 98% of cases women cannot get pregnant during the first six months after birth while they are nursing their child - lactation amenorrhea. Analysing mathematically for a woman to give birth to twenty children she would have to give birth for 30 years, which is in stark opposition to the fact that women often got married in their 18th year. According to the writing of Karl Steiner women were physically drained in their thirties, their reproductive abilities weakened, probably due to poor health, which in the end could be an overture to premature menopause.
Egg - symbol of fertility and luck
During the time of četeresnica (40 days from an event), which we could also call postpartum quarantine, while the body of the young mother gradually returns in the form and the new born is getting adjusted to the outside life; increased fluctuation of people was avoided and they tried to limit visits to the closest family members only. Reason for such a behaviour was manifold, but the most important one is for the mother and child to rest and gather strength, since in such a state they are more prone to negative effects or disease.
Time after birth, usually during the following 40 days, though not limited by time, babine take place, ritual of gifting the new-born, but also his mother and even the whole family. Babine are primarily a reflection of female solidarity and it needs to be characterised as a socio-humane gesture, with which one is showing concern of the community for their new member. Besides, according to folk belief, this is the period when every day, during the 40 days, out of the womb of the young mother one by one a postekija is being removed. It is believed that after a woman has given birth in her womb 40 postekija are being laid, from which each day one of them is being raised and removed. As postekija is a prayer mat we're probably talking about angels praying for the young mother and protecting her from attacks from all those evil creatures which are trying to harm her in this most delicate moment.
Women went to babine on Monday and Thursday, usually before noon, while the sun is rising in the sky, wanting to bring positive influences besides the gift so that the child will develop in a healthy manner. Monday and Thursday are usually considered in Bosnian tradition as blessed days, since they are located in front of two holly days - Tuesday and Friday. While Tuesday was the holly day of the Bogomils, Friday is a holly day in Islam.
In Sandžak there is a custom that people perform babine right after birth out of practical reasons, to offer help, if there is a need to do so, and check what the mother and the child need and they bring it as gifts. As pregnancy, birth and time after it, were reserved exclusively for women and their activities since the old days, men were completely distanced from all activities, which is a rule forced by patriarchy. However, there were certain situations when they did get involved, at least during this last stage of fascinating ritual of new life, which could be characterised as "male babine", though there is another name for it - jedvoček. As the name itself reveals we're talking about a situation where a married couple is awaiting birth of a son or child generally for a long time. Men gift the child in money but also chicken egg and the child is sprinkled with some flour on the head and eyebrows "so that he may live long to an old age".
Chicken egg in the Bosnian cult of fertility is primarily a symbol of luck, life and fertility and it was mandatorily gifted according to the rule, one egg for a female and two for a male child, especially when the mother visits someone's house with the child. Among the Bosnian people a custom called Pološke was recorded, when a mother visits someone for the first time after birth, usually someone from the family, members of that family gift the child with eggs. Entering the house, the mother would ritually utter: "I'm here, the other in Pološke!" indicating that it is time to gift the child with eggs. It is interesting that the name Pološke itself comes from položak i.e. egg which is not taken from the place where chickens usually lay eggs and there is a possibility of some of them to peck.
Though it is obvious that such an unreasonable and completely irresponsible attitude towards her own body and life is a by-product of the conservative society, in which the husband is the only man which can see a woman's intimate parts, he also jeopardized his woman by exposing her to deadly danger due to the lack of professional medical assistance. Data that most of the women that assisted during birth had no professional knowledge is ironical, they based their skills on the folk belief that a woman's womb consists out of three parts; in the first part are premature births, in the second normal birth and in the third post mature. Similarly, it was believed that in the womb itself there is a part that creates male children (right part) and left part which creates female children.
Chronic lack of education but also a dominant influence of religion, which unquestionably creates a conservative society which is hostile towards any type of progress and enlightenment, stopped the Bosnian people from advancing for centuries and inflicted more harm than it did good. Particularly alarming state was among the youngest population, namely as we can see, morbidity and mortality of children in the past in BiH was extremely high, various causes contributed to this fact from hypothermia and fever, to various infectious diseases such as diphtheria, scarlet fever, smallpox (variola), measles, etc. Besides this, women weren't in a better position to whom every birth was literally "one foot in the grave" i.e. it exposed them to direct danger of death, primarily because of the lack of medical care but also bad living conditions.
Analysing the look of Bosnian girls, Karl Steiner (Bosnian folk medicine), noticed well that frequent pregnancies and scarce living conditions resulted in physical deterioration and abrupt aging of the face after a pretty short period of youth (15-25 years). Author writes: "Childbearing women get up on the third day after birth, and starts doing house chores. This crooked custom is the culprit of rapid aging and deterioration of Bosnian women. Poor nurturing of young women after birth, when they need nurture and care the most, is avenged by women losing their beauty and vigour quickly. In this we should look for interpretation in what we notice every day that besides numerous beautiful and well fed women, we see few healthy and beautiful young women."
When we take into consideration the above mentioned we come to a conclusion that the claim by Frano Murgic that women in Visoko gave birth to twenty children is simply impossible because of some very logical reasons based on the living circumstances; every pregnancy, and especially birth, physically drains a woman. Especially if the woman nurses the child for long, which was often the case with Bosnian women, coupled with poor nutrition but also hard physical labour in essence didn't leave a lot of room for frequent pregnancies. It is medically proven that 98% of cases women cannot get pregnant during the first six months after birth while they are nursing their child - lactation amenorrhea. Analysing mathematically for a woman to give birth to twenty children she would have to give birth for 30 years, which is in stark opposition to the fact that women often got married in their 18th year. According to the writing of Karl Steiner women were physically drained in their thirties, their reproductive abilities weakened, probably due to poor health, which in the end could be an overture to premature menopause.
Egg - symbol of fertility and luck
During the time of četeresnica (40 days from an event), which we could also call postpartum quarantine, while the body of the young mother gradually returns in the form and the new born is getting adjusted to the outside life; increased fluctuation of people was avoided and they tried to limit visits to the closest family members only. Reason for such a behaviour was manifold, but the most important one is for the mother and child to rest and gather strength, since in such a state they are more prone to negative effects or disease.
Time after birth, usually during the following 40 days, though not limited by time, babine take place, ritual of gifting the new-born, but also his mother and even the whole family. Babine are primarily a reflection of female solidarity and it needs to be characterised as a socio-humane gesture, with which one is showing concern of the community for their new member. Besides, according to folk belief, this is the period when every day, during the 40 days, out of the womb of the young mother one by one a postekija is being removed. It is believed that after a woman has given birth in her womb 40 postekija are being laid, from which each day one of them is being raised and removed. As postekija is a prayer mat we're probably talking about angels praying for the young mother and protecting her from attacks from all those evil creatures which are trying to harm her in this most delicate moment.
Women went to babine on Monday and Thursday, usually before noon, while the sun is rising in the sky, wanting to bring positive influences besides the gift so that the child will develop in a healthy manner. Monday and Thursday are usually considered in Bosnian tradition as blessed days, since they are located in front of two holly days - Tuesday and Friday. While Tuesday was the holly day of the Bogomils, Friday is a holly day in Islam.
In Sandžak there is a custom that people perform babine right after birth out of practical reasons, to offer help, if there is a need to do so, and check what the mother and the child need and they bring it as gifts. As pregnancy, birth and time after it, were reserved exclusively for women and their activities since the old days, men were completely distanced from all activities, which is a rule forced by patriarchy. However, there were certain situations when they did get involved, at least during this last stage of fascinating ritual of new life, which could be characterised as "male babine", though there is another name for it - jedvoček. As the name itself reveals we're talking about a situation where a married couple is awaiting birth of a son or child generally for a long time. Men gift the child in money but also chicken egg and the child is sprinkled with some flour on the head and eyebrows "so that he may live long to an old age".
Chicken egg in the Bosnian cult of fertility is primarily a symbol of luck, life and fertility and it was mandatorily gifted according to the rule, one egg for a female and two for a male child, especially when the mother visits someone's house with the child. Among the Bosnian people a custom called Pološke was recorded, when a mother visits someone for the first time after birth, usually someone from the family, members of that family gift the child with eggs. Entering the house, the mother would ritually utter: "I'm here, the other in Pološke!" indicating that it is time to gift the child with eggs. It is interesting that the name Pološke itself comes from položak i.e. egg which is not taken from the place where chickens usually lay eggs and there is a possibility of some of them to peck.
In fear of faeries and spells
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
srijeda, 23. ožujka 2016.
Ancient fertility rituals
In ethnographic notes from the beginning of the twentieth century one can find descriptions of rituals which spurred fertility, which are, as one can notice, completely lost in the first half of the previous century; this proves that the Illyrian cult of fertility managed to preserve itself among our people, a cult which was based on pagan beliefs. Role of men and women is pronounced in them, i.e. the things which were called in the ancient witchcraft/paganism High priest or high priestess, which blessed nature and called upon its forces via sexual relation.
With the advent of monotheism though the pagan religion or better to say the religion of nature, was repressed, this has not necessarily represented the end of it since the pagan rituals were an integral part of agriculture, i.e. cult of fertility, without which people couldn't live. That's why a resistance towards the forced religion arose and a special, parallel form of the religion was created, which we today known as "folk religion" based on pagan beliefs and customs, whose age dates from the earliest days of our people, therefore the ethnologists and anthropologists themselves cannot fathom their origin and symbology.
The worst evil that could take place with the advent of monotheism, primarily Christianity and Islam, is violent distancing of man from nature. But, this was the only way that church, despite the forceful christening and demonising of all things pagan, could significantly suppress the religion of nature, or more precisely - marginalise it. However, even in such a crippled form, without freedom or religious equality of men and women, the cult of fertility managed to prosper. The substratum of the former High priest and priestess was located in marriage, i.e. the husband and wife could without any judgement continue to practice their ritual incitement of fertility and preservation of life itself, in the privacy of their home.
Horns of god Vidasus
Paganism is based on the belief that men and women have equal rights and that the first and oldest deity in human history was the Grand Mother, the one that gave life to all things, the one whose traces can be found in the neolith period. Man and woman also signify two sexes without whom life in nature is impossible and whose bodily connection is nothing short of nature's blessing. That's why the symbols of paganism were always symbols of sexuality and fertility, especially the horns, snake, staff, circle, etc.
The most reliable traces of the Illyrian cult of fertility are evident in certain parts of Bosnian love magic, closely tied to stimulating fertility, where one can clearly notice a focus on individual forces of creation. It is noticeable that in magical practice nudity during rituals is emphasized especially if the woman or girl is taking the "horns" of the house with her hands, i.e. roof, and repeats a magical formula. While uttering the curse she firmly holds the roof, or even shakes it, desiring to attract the attention of none other than god Vidasus himself.
Horns are, as it is known, an ancient symbol of fertility and power but also the ancient characteristic of the moon goddess. According to the occult definition the roof represents a heavenly part of the house, as does the trunk of the tree (beam or "horns" of the roof are made out of tree), while the home threshold is closely tied to the earth, its function is to signify a border between the external and internal world, through which one enters and exits, and that's why in folk religion of BiH it denotes a vagina - "it's not good for a girl to sit on the threshold since she will have difficulty giving birth", etc. In this short analysis we cannot ignore a very important piece of information which relates to the description of Vidasus, god of fertility and nature, whose status symbols were large horns on the head, and the ritual holding of the "horns" is explained by this fact. Nudity, is similarly, one of the key sequences in the pagan ritual of fertility, where there is no false morality, instead the beauty and sexuality of the human body is celebrated. In the preserved relief depictions naked girls are dancing around god Vidasus (faeries, nymphs) with long, unbraided hair.
There are more preserved data which confirm the thesis that we are talking about Vidasus and rituals dedicated to him. Namely, in order to subjugate a man to her will, usually a husband, a woman looks at him through her hand, discreetly, and repeats the following formula, which has a pronounced sexual tone, three times: "Place your horns between my legs!". This ritual is nothing else but an imitation of seduction of Vidasus by his companion goddess Tana, probably from some rituals dedicated to the renewal of the cycle of fertility. One could conclude that love magic is based on mimicry of ancient forces of nature or allusion of their heavenly power, all with the goal of connection and harmony with the eternal circle of fertility and life. Proof of this are the beginning of all magical formulas which are always based on the allusion "as I.so that."
With the advent of monotheism though the pagan religion or better to say the religion of nature, was repressed, this has not necessarily represented the end of it since the pagan rituals were an integral part of agriculture, i.e. cult of fertility, without which people couldn't live. That's why a resistance towards the forced religion arose and a special, parallel form of the religion was created, which we today known as "folk religion" based on pagan beliefs and customs, whose age dates from the earliest days of our people, therefore the ethnologists and anthropologists themselves cannot fathom their origin and symbology.
The worst evil that could take place with the advent of monotheism, primarily Christianity and Islam, is violent distancing of man from nature. But, this was the only way that church, despite the forceful christening and demonising of all things pagan, could significantly suppress the religion of nature, or more precisely - marginalise it. However, even in such a crippled form, without freedom or religious equality of men and women, the cult of fertility managed to prosper. The substratum of the former High priest and priestess was located in marriage, i.e. the husband and wife could without any judgement continue to practice their ritual incitement of fertility and preservation of life itself, in the privacy of their home.
Horns of god Vidasus
Paganism is based on the belief that men and women have equal rights and that the first and oldest deity in human history was the Grand Mother, the one that gave life to all things, the one whose traces can be found in the neolith period. Man and woman also signify two sexes without whom life in nature is impossible and whose bodily connection is nothing short of nature's blessing. That's why the symbols of paganism were always symbols of sexuality and fertility, especially the horns, snake, staff, circle, etc.
The most reliable traces of the Illyrian cult of fertility are evident in certain parts of Bosnian love magic, closely tied to stimulating fertility, where one can clearly notice a focus on individual forces of creation. It is noticeable that in magical practice nudity during rituals is emphasized especially if the woman or girl is taking the "horns" of the house with her hands, i.e. roof, and repeats a magical formula. While uttering the curse she firmly holds the roof, or even shakes it, desiring to attract the attention of none other than god Vidasus himself.
Horns are, as it is known, an ancient symbol of fertility and power but also the ancient characteristic of the moon goddess. According to the occult definition the roof represents a heavenly part of the house, as does the trunk of the tree (beam or "horns" of the roof are made out of tree), while the home threshold is closely tied to the earth, its function is to signify a border between the external and internal world, through which one enters and exits, and that's why in folk religion of BiH it denotes a vagina - "it's not good for a girl to sit on the threshold since she will have difficulty giving birth", etc. In this short analysis we cannot ignore a very important piece of information which relates to the description of Vidasus, god of fertility and nature, whose status symbols were large horns on the head, and the ritual holding of the "horns" is explained by this fact. Nudity, is similarly, one of the key sequences in the pagan ritual of fertility, where there is no false morality, instead the beauty and sexuality of the human body is celebrated. In the preserved relief depictions naked girls are dancing around god Vidasus (faeries, nymphs) with long, unbraided hair.
There are more preserved data which confirm the thesis that we are talking about Vidasus and rituals dedicated to him. Namely, in order to subjugate a man to her will, usually a husband, a woman looks at him through her hand, discreetly, and repeats the following formula, which has a pronounced sexual tone, three times: "Place your horns between my legs!". This ritual is nothing else but an imitation of seduction of Vidasus by his companion goddess Tana, probably from some rituals dedicated to the renewal of the cycle of fertility. One could conclude that love magic is based on mimicry of ancient forces of nature or allusion of their heavenly power, all with the goal of connection and harmony with the eternal circle of fertility and life. Proof of this are the beginning of all magical formulas which are always based on the allusion "as I.so that."
Penis
The importance of sexuality and fertility in human history, almost to the point of exaggeration, is perhaps best presented by the examples of ancient gods. Greek god Priapus, son of Dionysus and Aphrodite, a deity with an extremely large phallus, is the classic symbol of the cult of penis worship which is out of control and sense. Before him the cult of Pan was known, Roman Silvanus or the Illyrian Vidasus, which in its essence celebrates unrestrained sexuality but also emphasises the importance of maintaining uninterrupted continuity of fertility as the basic need of all humanity.
Priapus
In folk religion of BiH the penis was compared to a stick i.e. wood. In certain magical rituals during a friends marriage, a joke was usually done by his friends who would quietly sneak upon the grooms house and uttering a magical formula overturn a wooden stick inside his yard, and according to stories the groom would be unable to achieve an erection.
Bosnian men pay special attention to their penis, probably because the folk name for it is usually "male strength" and sometimes "anguish", because of the traditional obsession of men with their penis. Besides indicating strength, the phallus has pronounced prophylactic characteristics. That we are talking about a great force which will chase away all evil when uttered is demonstrated by the following example from the ritual practice of our stravarke. While pouring molten lead into water stravarka from Velika Kladuša utters:
Fear be gone, you are chased by the father's thing!
With the phrase "father's thing" one alludes to penis. In the exorcist formula from Tešanj the following is mentioned:
A dark dog crosses the water with four legs,
fifth tail,
sixth penis and seventh testicles.
No saddlebag in the testicles
nor a stick in the penis....
nor spells on my child!
Though, according to folk belief, there is no way that someone can cast a spell on the genitalia nor cause a disease since they are parts of the body that no one can see, men have a primal fear from all forms of sexual powerlessness. Based on this we can conclude that identification of men with the penis often crosses all normal forms and often becomes an obsession. In the description of the magical protection of the penis, the man holds his penis while going to the bathroom and utters:
My penis,
you are the boss of the entire castle (estate),
may no one hurt you.
If a man becomes impotent he will undertake all necessary things to bring it back, even if he has to use magical recipes. In Visoko a man wishing to restore his potency would eat roasted sparrows with rice.
In accordance with fertility represents happiness in the narrowest sense, which is then again identified with life itself, sexually functional penis is a source of life happiness and vitality for every man. Looking at him through spread out fingers the man talks to him with a magical formula:
My penis, I'm looking at you through my fingers;
you have small eyes but great powers,
you see in the darkness as you do in light,
please give me luck
and may you never grow tired
and may you always make me happy.
Another interesting thing is that the ritual of looking through the fingers is typical and characteristic of Bosnian love magic, for example when a girl or wife spreads her finger and looks through them at the man she desires or loves, followed by a small love formula. A woman would secretly look through the fingers of her right hand and would repeat this formula three times:
You look at me (the name of the man) lovingly,
string pearls,
give your soul for me,
elzalif amin veledalin amin.
For a man to be generally happy with his penis, besides a good erection one strives for plentiful sperm which in itself guarantees fertility itself. But, besides the fact that sperm is among the folk known as "seed of life", it too has prophylactic powers like the penis, especially ones which need to protect him from spells which women perform against his sexual powers. When a man masturbates and finishes, he would follow the act by this magical formula:
As I had come,
so too may my luck masturbate (walk, go) across the world,
and never let a female put a spell on me.
Trimming or circumcision
Circumcision of the penis is known as a part of the tradition among the Arabs and Jews and according to certain data, all three messengers of God (Moses, Jesus and Mohammed) were circumcised, which is actually one of the main characteristic of monotheism itself. There are some indications that circumcision was practiced even before these instances, and that it is not an original feature of monotheism. But, no matter, removal of the foreskin of the penis, besides having health benefits for the man, became a part of magical belief which are connected to fertility and summoning good fortune.
From various beliefs the following were most frequent: among the people an uncircumcised penis is called a "mutt's" penis, since in that state it resembles a penis of that particular animal, and is considered to be unclean and dirty as such. Similarly, in Bosnia it was believed that it can be beneficial to get hold of the foreskin of a circumcised čifut (Jew), since they were known as extremely stingy people, and one would always seek to gain something from the stingy people through magical rituals, since the borrowed money or item attracted new luck. When one would get possession of such a foreskin, the following would be uttered: "As this penis is happily circumcised, may my luck be happy!"
According to folk legends, if a child dies uncircumcised, the Imam would break the pinkie finger of his right hand prior to the funeral, since apparently it is not good to bury the child before this act. Why this is so, I have not managed to surmise, though there are indications that it was believed that the boy becomes a Muslim after circumcision. Evidently the pinkie finger represents a substitute for the penis, and the act of breaking a substitute to circumcision, which is a logical conclusion which is grounded in love magic. Namely, when a young man wishes to capture a maiden's heart via magic, he would puncture his pinkie finger and have three drops of blood fall on a sugar cube and place it in her coffee. But, as I succeeded in recording from the person revealing these details, she claimed that if she were a man she would never perform such a ritual since "you are weakening your strength and life", which returns us again to the folk name for the penis - male strength.
After the circumcision the foreskin is dried and thrown to a rooster, so that the boy, once grown, receives the sexual power of the rooster, which stands for a fertile and sexually active animal.
Cernunnos or Vidasus
Vagina
Fear of vagina or a woman caused mythological traditions of women as a symbol of evil, manifested in the form of various demonic beings, and among the oldest ones recorded is the one about Tiamat. Origin of this irrational fear, should be initially sought in the physiognomy of the female body. Vagina is the name which comes from the eponymous Latin word which literally means "scabbard". Compared to the penis, which is protruded and clearly visible on the body, vagina is withdrawn inside the body and as such was a mystery for the human psyche and an ideal topic for all imaginative notions and fictions. Even its visual identity, primarily because of the pubic hair and clitoris, it created an impression of something mystical and full of danger, which caused fear among some creators of myths as well as extremely unreal notions. Irrational fear from a woman among men never disappeared and violence over women, especially rape, is actually one of the rudiments of that time (along with the phobia) which is contrary to the popular belief that rape is done out of uncontrollable passion and lust. Monotheism and patriarch grew up on that same fear, since all things which happened at the end of the matriarch were aimed against women, ostracized and turned against the most vulnerable members of the society.
Menstrual period is a natural occurrence and with that an authentic manifestation of the forces of nature inside humans, i.e. woman. First menstruation, which denotes a period of fertility, among girls is called menarche and in its beginning it is pretty irregular i.e. unstable which clearly alludes to certain parts of the Bosnian folk calendar. Namely, in the period from February 14th (exactly at noon - highest point of the sun) until March 14th, also until noon, the reign of Veljača (February) lasts, an extremely unstable period of winter, when according to folk belief bura (gale) north and south wind are fighting. Right after it comes the seven day period called Baba (Grandma) which is similarly fickle, unpredictable and often extreme - snow can fall during the day, wind blows and then the sun appears suddenly, etc. Both names Veljača and Baba, perfectly describe the maturing process of a woman, hormonal cycle, pre-menstrual syndrome, which finishes with Did (/Grandpa/ called by our elders Did Grgo) which comes right after Baba, Did is "good natured since inside him resides the harvest of potato!" If we agree that a potato resembles a testicle and that the laying of seeds in the earth is an act of fertilisation, then we can easily come to a conclusion as to why after Did comes a period of nine days, during which, every three days, there is a change of restless and playful beings, i.e. children, which are called by our people Stablići, Kablići and Štapići. In almost all traditional stories of our people there is mention of three sons which are the main actors in the story. Similarly, I think it's not necessary to especially emphasize that nine days represent nine months of pregnancy. It is interesting that the entire cycle extends to February, March and ends at the beginning of April when the unstoppable awakening and proliferation of nature occurs.
Folk calendar is actually a calendar of agriculture and as such follows the natural cycles which manifest through old deities of the Bosnian cult of fertility and with that it is its only authentic example.
Magical power of menstruation
When a woman has a menstrual cycle, she utters this formula:
My husband,
your penis wants to enter my vagina.
But my red king forbids it,
your penis head is red but so is my king,
and lucky is your red head.
Here I'm giving you my red king for good luck!
Then the husband puts his penis into her bloody vagina and takes it out again, it was believed that then he would be followed by good fortune wherever he might go.
If the trees bare no fruit, then a woman which didn't have any other men, washes her vagina during her menstrual cycle, and waters the trees with the residual water and utters:
Here the flower has come,
to bloom for the whole world!
As I couldn't do without my flower,
so you may not be without your fruit!
Magical power was specifically ascribed to the act of defloration i.e. blood which would then appear from the vagina. When the man would finish with the copulation with a virgin on hard ground, he would utter this formula:
As this earth,
on which we made love is hard,
so shall my luck be hard,
may no one hurt me!
Then if he has to go to court, it is believed, the judge will not be able to condemn him, i.e. determine a sentence.
Grand Mother
The power of vagina itself was divided by whether the woman was a virgin, sexually active, married or divorced, widowed i.e. one that didn't practice sex. Since the old days, certain apotropaic power was ascribed to women for which it was believed that weren't sexually active such as widows or divorced women. In case that children are dying in a family, a pregnant woman would seek to collect rags from nine widows and sow a shirt using the rags. With the shirt she would ensure protection against death. Similarly, the best stravarka which cures evil was thought to be the one which is divorced, probably because of the allusion that she had stopped sexual connection with the man. After giving birth, the next 40 days, she was forbidden to have sexual relations, which can be connected with the taboo of the Grand Mother, since it is believed that during that period she is in the grave with one foot (concept of earth i.e. Grand Mother) and in the phase of recovery and regeneration and that she shouldn't expose herself to energy which is produced by coitus. But, after that, the woman becomes the barer of sexual power which is used to continue reproduction. In spurring reproduction, the woman is called on the vagina through a magical formula, for example, while planting beans she would repeat: Shrubs as bushes, may you boil as a turnip, may you be as sweet as my vagina! A married woman i.e. a sexually active woman, accumulates a lot of fertility energy and uses it to a maximum extent to all things which precede the creation of the foetus. The term vagina is often used in love magic, when women place or wipe sugar cubes on their vagina and place them in their husband's coffee. In Bosnian magic it is claimed about a woman that she possesses two types of blood; the first has the power to enchant a certain man and the second to curb his temper and wrath. A strong force is hidden in menstrual blood and its magic is based on the number 40. From certain information givers, of older age, I heard that women would try and go have a bath before their husbands after sex, and only after her did the husband go. As soon as they would shower, they would pour the dirty water from the tub and she would turn it upside down, uttering a magical formula. When the husband would arrive to have a bath he would turn the tub and would be "struck" by the spell with which the woman wanted to dominate him. Similarly, in the desire to firmly bind her husband to herself the wife would place nine sugar cubes underneath the matrass in the middle where their genitals are placed when they're lying. On each sugar cube she dropped three drops of blood and uttered a magical formula. That night her task is to make love to her husband and to place those sugar cubes during the following days into his coffee or some other drink. Besides the mentioned utilising energy which is created due to sexual act is very famous in other forms of Bosnian magic, especially the one which we call white magic. When she wants to avert her husband from alcohol the wife would take a fistful of dirt underneath a bridge, she would wrap it into a rag and place underneath the marital bed. She needs to make love to him and in the morning take the dirt underneath the bed and feed him the dirt in the following few days slowly or mix it into his drinks. If the husband is being prepared to go on an important trip then he is making love with his wife and in the end he says: As this coitus is sweet to you, woman, so too shall we be followed by sweet luck! Then he would take off his coat and cover her vagina uttering: Here is an old coat and I will go with luck on my trip! Then the woman would lightly thrust the penis into the anus three times. Sperm which is a result of a sexual act, especially one mixed with vaginal juices, represents a sexual sacrament whose power is great that if it were absorbed by a rag it can later be used in individual magical rituals. |
Degradation of sexuality
Nature itself is the greatest altar which exists, which was surely familiar to our ancestors, as well as the fact that respecting natural forces we are returning to ourselves, we are being spiritualised and reset. It's amazing manifestation is observed in the miraculous symbiosis of a man and woman, which as a couple, through rituals of fertility, achieve the effect of harmony and concord with that energy, they blend in it, and in such a manner connect their physical bodies and mental energy even stronger. In many ways this has caused positive reactions and certainly made their marriage even stronger and their family harmonious, since besides sensual pleasure, the couple tried to awaken fertility in their life surroundings, ensure a better harvest, crop yield, and at the same time chase away all evil forces which are in a constant battle against life and forces of good.
This highly social cult destroyed to a greater extent monotheism with its narrowness and disinclination towards any type of tolerance towards things which are different and with violent decadence made people with these remarkable religious-magical practices into persons which from birth had to suppress sexual energy inside of themselves. But, when we analyse in more detail the legend about Adam and Eve, especially from the standpoint of the Bogomils, we come to pretty interesting conclusions which paint a fairly different picture than the one which is being forced on us for centuries by fanatical interpreters of religion. Namely, it is clearly obvious that inborn human curiosity opened the way towards awakening sexuality and so became the synonym for the original sin for which they were expelled from heaven, a place of plenty and fruits into a wild region, where the first mythological people had to create life and fertility (food). Similarly, when we take a look at the other version, the one including a snake, we come to a similar interpretation according to which the snake, ancient symbol of fertility, awakened sexuality in Adam and Eve and the desire for fertility, so that they can gain self-consciousness and control over their lives, and in a way become independent from god. This is why the desire for degradation of a natural and inborn human need for healthy sexuality is unfathomable, this need has been used for practical purposes from the beginning of times; this degradation has resulted in us trying to uncover in the 21st century things which have been discovered by our pagan forefathers in ancient times.
Though it is not an original statement of Aleister Crowley, it is convenient to quote him and his conclusion that suppression of sexual urges is the main reason of perversions of all forms, for aggression and all other anomalies of this modern world. Sexual frustration of the modern man, which was inconceivable for people in ancient times, is the result of systematic destruction of sexual consciousness in monotheism, which subordinated women and made them lower beings, bringing her under the term "birth machine" and to the man forced sex exclusively as the need to create offspring. Everything else, especially enjoyment in the sexual act, was pronounced as undesirable since, as it is known, from the very start monotheism tried to separate man from nature, his primordial cradle.
Hatred towards sex is very pronounced in Christianity where a fantastical and extremely unreasonable theory is promoted where Jesus was conceived in a supernatural way, and not by a sexual act, as well as the unreasonable tendency of the clergy, especially in Catholicism to spend their life in celibacy which is an extreme and unnatural state for any man. What types of deviation has this spurred is best witnessed by mass cases of paedophilia as well as other perversions among the Catholic priests which shocked the entire world. We find something similar in Islam where we have an unreasonable fear of women, her body and generally sexuality. Need to cover a woman with clothes completely, in order to hide everything which makes her a female being, also spurred paedophilia, and in some African countries a very un-Muslim custom of circumcising women, which beside bodily mutilation and traumatic experience makes an asexual person out of the woman.
One of the main roots of the historical fear of women by men, especially forcing the cult of superior men, is in her natural ability to enjoy much longer in the sexual union and that after an orgasm, after only two minutes, a woman can start a new sexual act while the average man needs 15-20 minutes after orgasm to achieve an erection and with that begin a new coitus.
Rituals of inciting fertility
From rare descriptions it is possible to presume that our Illyrian forefathers imagined or represented the Grand Mother. She was embodied in the black earth and her appearance was that of a dark skinned woman, which is not surprising if we take into account certain archaeological research according to which the experts proved that dark skinned people used to live in our lands in ancient history, popularly called Balkan black men. Balkan area itself is important in the total research of European history since, without exaggeration it represents the cradle of the continent itself. There is a great possibility that the Illyrians, due to migration, assimilated the existing religious-magical beliefs and built their cults on top of them, especially the one dedicated to fertility.
Cult of fertility is in principle based on various sexual activities. Use of energy which is produced by sexual arousal, especially before and during orgasm, moves the forces of nature, if they are focused in the desired direction, can call upon all those aspect of happiness necessary for the completion of a goal. Studying the available data I noticed that all those ritual movements and gestures in the Bosnian cult of fertility have a goal of primarily connecting in a more intimate way humans with nature itself, its source, and with that compound spur fertility in both sides. Healthy sexual organ, intimate hygiene, as well as cleanliness of the entire body represented a guarantee that the ritual will produce a positive result and with its state reflect on for example, the cleanliness of grains, i.e. that it will be cockle free. Desire for fertility unquestionably dominated all crude social norms of behaviour, which were more pronounced in rural than in urban areas, and with that they defied the conservative upbringing which was adversely directed towards any form of sexuality which was seen as immoral and demonic activity.
In certain ways the archaic procedures of intimate touching of the male organ with the elements of nature, primarily dirt, trees and seeds, is the primordial connecting of man with that thing which is inborn ever since creation. I am of the opinion that the entire living world recognises itself and communicates through fertility and everything else which it represents in the deeper sense. Fertility rituals are not only important for the maintenance of fertility but also for the wellbeing of the body. It is noticeable in those ritual actions in which the man is talking to his penis, where genuine concern is expressed about that body part, its vitality. Of course, the benefits of such activity are manifold, and among the most important are that the men of that age got to know and develop their sexuality and strengthened his belonging to the community.
Rituals of invoking fertility
Cult of fertility always belonged to the common folk, farmers and herdsmen, and it can therefore be considered as an integral part of folk magic, whose ritual actions and beliefs intensified a fruitful year, in order to ensure enough food to feed the community. Identical rituals of the cult of fertility across Europe had within themselves a pronounced sexual note, i.e. rituals of fertility moulded in the coitus of a man and woman in nature, usually in a field, in order to bless the earth with such an act and spur it to constant fertility. In northern Europe, in lands with rich, i.e. nurtured, pagan tradition these rituals were performed during spring breaks. Since we are talking about an exceptional and powerful force, sexual energy has numerous benefits in paganism. It is used, among other things, as an offer to spiritual forces, for summoning deities, it is used to raise consciousness and knowledge, achieve inspiration, enable permeation into hidden and mystical phenomena, is used for strengthening props, blessing, healing, etc. It is illustrative to mention a segment of pagan rituals, in order to understand sexual energy a bit better. In ancient rituals the Grand priest would spray the witches with his sperm which are kneeling naked in a circle around him, with which he is actually blessing them. With that he is transferring energy of god Pan onto them, i.e. everything that he represents, with which they became more powerful, vital and immune to evil.
These are some of the examples of the magical rituals in the cult of fertility which were present in our lands for centuries. In them one can note an intimate relationship of man and nature as well as celebration of life through creation. As fertility was more pronounced the power of individuals rose higher, but also their ability to overcome all adversity and everyday issues. Pronounced fertility spurs great power against diseases and bad luck which is evidenced by some of our but also some Arabian beliefs. Namely, in Algeria and Morocco it is believed that a woman which gives birth to twins acquires baraka - power of healing certain diseases, while in our region it was claimed that a woman which gave birth to twins can chase away bad weather if she turns her naked behind towards the clouds.
In intimacy with nature
When corn is being sown the owner of the property touches the earth with his penis and utters: "May my corn be this triangular!". Then he raises his penis towards the sky and utters: "May the corn stalks be this straight, like my penis". It was believed that after such a ritual the corn will give rich yields, a few corn cobs on one stalk. If, however he wishes for the corn to germinate quickly into the ground, he would, after having sex with his wife, utter the following formula: "As the soon is exiting quickly, may the corn equally spring from the ground".
When grain is being sown, then some quicklime is added to the mixture, then the husband performs coitus with his wife, ejaculates into his hand and sprinkle the grain kernels uttering: "God help me! My grain, as this sperm is dripping from my hand, so may you grow nice and healthy from the earth. As the testicles are healthy, may my grain be healthy and beautiful."
In the spring the man would touch with his penis every fruit tree and repeat the same magical formula: "As birth (children) is in my house, so too may all trees bear fruit (or "give fruit)".
When cabbage is being sown the husband comes to the field and utters the following formula: "I sow cabbage and with my penis smooth creases. As many hairs that I have, so many cabbage heads may it be!". Then he urinates a bit on the crease. It was believed that the cabbage was wet after that.
For the quince, plum or apple give fruit three grown men gather with lush pubic hairs, they stand next to the tree, take out their penises and each of them utters the following formula: "Do you hear quince, how many hairs there are around the penis! As far as my penis can sprinkle and throw urine, so may you throw your flowers and fruit!"
When the grains are full of mildew, then the owner goes into the field on a young Friday, takes off his pants and turns his bottom towards the grains and farts, uttering: "grains, I'm not farting on you but on the mildew. As the wind exits me, may mildew exit the grains. As my bottom is clean, may my grain also be clean!"
When the man goes into the field to sow grains, he strips naked, and after three rows of grains it will be clean i.e. without cockle.
Naked and healthy man would go at night outside and run through the grains and utter: "As I'm running here healthy, may my wheat advance quickly and healthy! As there are two eyes in my head as two kernels, may everything be clear in my wheat."
When a woman plans on sowing onions in her garden then her husband mixes the seeds with one hand while holding his testicles with the other and returns them in a circle. After that the woman goes into the garden and plants it so that she plants every seed rhythmically lowering the seed between her legs into the hole in the ground, i.e. crossing her vagina with the seeds. According to folk belief the onion which "sees" the vagina will grow faster and better than the one that didn't see it.
Drevni obredi plodnosti
U etnografskim bilješkama sa početka dvadesetog vijeka mogu se pronaći opisi rituala podsticanja plodnosti, koji su se, kako je evidentno, potpuno izgubili u prvoj polovini prošlog vijeka, što dokazuje koliko dugo se uspio očuvati ilirski kult plodnosti, baziran na paganskim vjerovanjima, u našem narodu. U njima je naglašena uloga muškarca i žene, odnosno onoga što se u drevnom vještičarstvu/paganizmu nazivalo Veliki svećenik i Velika svećenica, koji su kroz seksualni odnos blagosiljali prirodu i prizivali njene sile.
Iako se dolaskom monoteizma znatno potisnula paganska vjera, ili bolje rečeno, religija prirode, to nije presudno označavalo i njen kraj, prvenstveno zbog toga što su paganski obredi bili sastavni dio poljoprivrede, odnosno kulta plodnosti, bez kojeg ljudi nisu mogli živjeti. Baš zato nastaje otpor prema nametnutoj religiji i stvara se njen poseban, paralelni oblik, kojeg danas poznajemo pod pojmom "narodna religija" baziran na paganskim vjerovanjima i običajima, čija starost datira od najranijeg vremena postojanja našeg naroda, tako da često ni sami etnolozi, i antropolozi ne mogu proniknuti u potpunosti u njihovo porijeklo i simboliku.
Najgore zlo koje se moglo desiti pojavom monoteizma, prvenstveno kršćanstva i islama, jeste nasilno udaljavanje čovjeka od prirode. No, to je zapravo i bio jedini način da Crkva, unatoč prisilnom pokrštavanju i demoniziranju svega paganskog, u značajnoj mjeri potisne religiju prirode, ili preciznije - marginalizira je. Međutim, i u takvom osakaćenom obliku, bez slobode i religijske ravnopravnosti muškarca i žene, kult plodnosti je nastavio egzistirati, a supstrat nekadašnjem Velikom svećeniku i Velikoj svećenici pronađen je u braku, odnosno muž i žena su mogli u intimi svog doma ili imanja, bez ikakve osude nastaviti sa ritualnom praksom podsticanja plodnosti i očuvanju samog života.
Rogovi boga Vidasusa
Paganizam se temelji na vjerovanju kako su muškarac i žena ravnopravni te da je prvo i najstarije božanstvo u ljudskoj povijesti bila Velika Majka, ona koja je podarila život svemu, a čije tragove obožavanja nailazimo još u neolitu. Muškarac i žena također označavaju dva spola bez kojih je nemoguć život u prirodi i čije tjelesno spajanje je ništa drugo nego sam blagoslov prirode. Zbog toga su simbol paganizma oduvijek bili simboli seksualnosti i plodnosti, posebno rogovi, zmija, štap, krug, etc.
Najpouzdaniji tragovi o ilirskom kultu plodnosti vidljivi su u pojedinim dijelovima bosanske ljubavne magije, usko vezane za stimulisanje fertilnosti, gdje se jasno uočava fokus na pojedine sile stvaranja. Primjetno je kako se u magijskoj praksi potencira nagost pri izvođenju rituala naročito ako se djevojka ili žena hvataju rukama za "rogove" kuće, odnosno strehu, i tom prilikom ponavljaju magijsku formulu. Dok izgovara zakletvu ona se čvrsto drži rukama za strehu, ili je pak trese, želeći na taj način privući pažnju nikog drugog nego li samog boga Vidasusa.
Rogovi su, kako je poznato, antički simbol plodnosti i moći ali i drevno obilježje mjesečeve boginje. Prema okultnoj definiciji krov predstavlja nebeski dio kuće, kao i krošnje drveća ( grede ili "rogovi" krova su izrađeni od drveta), dok je kućni prag usko povezan sa zemljom, njegova je funkcija da označava granicu između vanjskog i unutarnjeg svijeta, kroz koji se ulazi ili izlazi, i zbog toga u narodnoj religiji BiH on označava vaginu - "ne valja da djevojka sjedi na kućnom pragu jer će teško se poroditi", etc.
U ovoj kratkoj analizi nikako se ne smije ignorirati jedan iznimno bitan podatak koji se tiče samog opisa Vidasusa, boga plodnosti i prirode, čiji su statusni simboli bili veliki rogovi na glavi, te upravo ritualni postupak hvatanja za "rogove" ima u tome svoje objašnjenje. Nagost je, isto tako, jedna od ključnih sekvenci paganskih obreda plodnosti, gdje ne postoji lažni moral, već se slavi ljepota i seksualna moć ljudskog tijela. U sačuvanim reljefnim prikazima oko boga Vidasusa uvijek plešu nage djevojke (vile, nimfe) duge raspletene kose.
Postoji još sačuvanih podataka koji potvrđuju tezu kako je riječ o Vidasusu i ritualima posvećenim upravo njemu. Naime, da bi podčinila svojoj volji muškarca, prije svega muža, žena ga diskretno pogleda kroz prste svoje ruke i tri puta ponovi formulu sa naglašenim seksualnim prizvukom: "Ti svoje roge među moje noge!". Navedeni ritual je ništa drugo nego imitacija zavođenja Vidasusa od strane njegove pratilje boginje Tane, vjerovatno u nekom od obreda obnavljanja ciklusa plodnosti. Time bi se moglo konstatirati kako se sva ljubavna magija bazira na oponašanju drevnih sila prirode ili aludiranju na njihove božanske moći, a sve u cilju spajanja i harmoniziranja sa vječnim krugom plodnosti i života. Dokaz toga su i počeci svih magijski formula koji se uvijek temelje na aludiranju "kako ja...tako da.."
Penis
Koliko su seksualnost i plodnost bitne u ljudskoj povijesti, da bi se u njima ponekad i pretjerivalo, možda najbolje prezentuju primjeri antičkih bogova. Grčki bog Prijat, sin Dioniza i Afrodite, božanstvo sa iznimno velikim falusom, klasičan je simbol kulta obožavanja penisa koji se otrgnuo svakoj kontroli i razumu. Prije njega poznat je kult Pana, rimskog Silvana ili ilirskog Vidasusa, koji u svojoj osnovi slavi nesputanu seksualnost ali i naglašava važnost održavanja neprekidnog kontinuiteta plodnosti kao temeljne potrebe cijelog čovječanstva.
Prijat
Penis je u narodnoj religiji BiH upoređen sa štapom odnosno sa drvetom. U pojedinim obredima čaranja prilikom svadbe prijatelji mladoženje, ako se žele malo našaliti sa njim, znali su prve bračne noći tiho se prišunjati kući mladoženje i uz magijsku formulu naopako okrenuti neki štap koji se nalazio u dvorištu njegovog doma, nakon čega, prema predaji, on nije mogao postići erekciju uda.
Bosanski muškarac izuzetnu pažnju poklanja svom spolovilu, vjerovatno iz razloga što se u narodnom govoru on često naziva i „muška snaga“ a ponekad i „muka“, zbog tradicionalne opsesije muškarca svojim penisom. Falus osim što predstavlja plodnost on ima i naglašena profilaktička svojstva. Da je riječ o velikoj sili na čiji će spomen ustuknuti zlo demonstrira i sljedeći primjer iz ritualne prakse naših stravarki. Dok izlijeva rastopljeno olovo u vodu stravarka iz Velike Kladuše govori: „Bježi straha tjera te očeva sprava!“. Iza izraza „očeva sprava“ aludira se zapravo na penis. U egzorcističkoj formuli iz Tešnja navodi se sljedeće:
Mrk pas vodu gazi četirima nogama,
petog repa, šestog penisa
a sedmih muda.
Ni u mudima bisaga, ni u penisu štapa... ni na mom djetetu uroka!.
Iako prema narodnom vjerovanju vaginu i penis niko ne može ureći odnosno izazvati im bolest, jer su mjesta na tijelu koja drugi ne mogu vidjeti, muškarac posjeduje iskonski strah od svakog oblika seksualne nemoći. Na osnovu toga može se zaključiti kako identifikacija muškarca sa penisom često prelazi svaku normalnu formu i nerjetko postaje opsesija. U opisu magijske zaštite penisa muškarac odlazeći u wc, kako bi mokrio, držeći ud u ruci govori:
Moj penisu, ti si gazda od cijelog dvora,
niko tebi ne naudio.
Desi li se da neki muškarac postane impotentan on će poduzeti sve moguće načine da je povrati, pa makar se u tome morao poslužiti i magijskim receptima. U Visokom muškarac koji želi povratiti potenciju jede pečene vrabce pripremljene na riži.
Sukladno tome da plodnost predstavlja u najužem pojmu i sreću, koja se opet identificira sa samim životom, seksualno funkcionalan penis je za svakog muškarca izvor životne sreće i vitalnosti. Pogledavši ga kroz raširene prste ruke muškarac mu se obraća magijskom formulom:
Penisu moj, ja gledam kroz ove prste;
u tebe su male oči al' velike moći,
ti vidiš u danu kao i u noći,
da mi dadeš sreću i nikad ne susto
i uvijek mene sretna učinio.
Ono što je još interesantno jeste da ritualni pokret progledavanja kroz raširene prste je uobičajen i karakterističan za bosansku ljubavnu magiju, kada djevojka ili supruga raširi prste i kroz njih gleda u muškarca kojeg želi ili voli, prateći taj postupak nekom kratkom ljubavnom formulom. Na primjer, djevojka krišom gleda kroz prste desne ruke i tri puta ponovi formulu:
Milo gledaš N u mene,
biser nižeš,
za mnom dušu daješ,
elzalif amin veledalin amin.
Da bi muškarac generalno bio zadovoljan svojim penisom, osim dobre erekcije, teži se i ka obilnom svršavanju koje garantira u načelu i samu plodnost. No, osim što je sperma u narodnom govoru „sjeme života“, ona poput penisa ima profilaktična svojstva, posebno ona koja ga trebaju zaštititi od čarolija koje rade žene a naročito onih usmjereni ka spolnoj nemoći. Kada muškarac mastrubira i svrši on taj čin poprati sljedećom magijskom formulom:
Kako god sam ja svršio,
tako mi sreća drkala po svijetu,
i mene nikad žensko ne moglo začarati.
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