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com SORCERY AND FORTUNE TELLING IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Bosnia-Hercegovina, like its Ottoman, Habsburg, and Yugoslav predecessors, is a multinational state. Today, most citizens identify themselves as one of three Slavic groups: Bosniaks (44 percent), Bosnian Croats (17 percent), or Bosnian Serbs (31 percent). In addition to Slavs, smaller groups Bosnian living in the region for centuries include Albanians (descended from Illyrians), Germans, Roma (Gypsies), Jews, Romanians, Turks, and Hungarians.

Bajanje - magical whisper

The word bajanje (incantation) comes from a verb in the Bosnian language and it means speak or relate. The term has its origin in the Azerbaijan language where it represents folk poetry bayati which is in fact incantation- a type of magical poetry intended for sickness, happiness, love, fertility, keeping evil at bay. The skill of incantation or magical formulas is known from the pagan times when it was used as a replacement for today's prayers. In both instances the magical-religious speech that was expressed poetically was meant to serve as a contact between humans and the supernatural in order to procure a benefit. In the Old Testament it is written: "In the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God". The same principle is found in the Qur'an where it says that the whole universe was created out of two letters "Kaf" and "Nun" which create the word "Kun" when combined, which means "Be!" In Bosnia and Herzegovina there are two forms of magical poetry; the shorter form called basma and the longer one called bajalica (magical whisper). 1

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Folklore claims that the whole world (Earth) is placed upon a basma and if one knew the content of that magical poem, one would then rule the whole world. It is believed that a basma is powerful as long as a small number of people know its content (up to three) and as soon as a fourth person finds out its content, it loses its power. The structure of the basma has a so called triad- repeating the basma three or even nine times which can be justified as three times three. It is always whispered during a particular time of the day or night, on the moon light or next to water or fire. Some Bosnian witches believe that the world stands on a basma and the black earth on a prayer Ikhlas and that's why these two elements are inseparable during the practice of curing or making spells. Before the witch utters a basma, she repeats the prayer Ihlas three or five times, because the 112. chapter in the Qur'an gives strength for uplifting the basma to a certain spiritual level. Love basma are especially popular, and some girls still use them in Bosnia. It is believed that every basma works in the course of 7-40 days. When a woman wants to awaken love for her in a certain male, she needs to pee on nine white beans and she needs to throw them into the fire. As soon as the beans start crackling in the fire she utters the love basma. After she utters it three times she needs to take an axe and hit the threshold of the entrance door. It is believed that the male, on whom the spell is cast, must fall in love with the girl, or otherwise his body will be covered with itching and rashes. Besides that the male will suffer from high fever and a desire to see the woman that threw the spell. Other basma that are popular are those against spell bound eyes, which are based on a ritual of extinguishing coal fire. The idea behind this ritual is that by extinguishing the fire one is symbolically extinguishing the negative effect of the spell bound eyes. Bajanje aganist the evil eye: The evil eye sits on the treshold, his mate under the treshold. The evil eye has three eyes: one eye is of water, the second eye is of fire, the third eye us charmed. The water eye burst and put out the fiery one and took the charmed one to the high mountains to the broad plains. The sea has no bridge, nor a dog horns, nor the palm (of the hand) hair nor is here any spell on my -name-.

Witchcraft

n a long tradition of magic practice in Bosnia & Herzegovina, particularly the practice of love magic, we encounter various aspects of beliefs in the power of spirits, planets, herbs, as well as blood, human secretion, and so on. Alongside it all, an influence of Slavic and oriental beliefs based on animalism is evident, what tells us about the ancient connection between human beings, nature and its forces. Only some persons used to practice magic throughout the centuries; those who were able of establishing contacts with the invisible entities. Sometimes, such communication was initiated by spiritual forces themselves and more often by human beings performing magic rituals. In Bosnia & Herzegovina, the most known ritual of establishing contact and alliance with the invisible forces is sacrilege with the Koran, in which man or woman denies their faith in God and accept devil as their master or partner. Such power was often desired by women aiming to be successful in love magic practice. In order to acquire magical power and make an alliance with the world of demons (jinni), a girl involved in a dark ritual of initiation must get completely undressed/nude and step with both feet on Koran and say: Iblis, I surrender to you my soul and I ask the following By 2

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such an act of sacrilege she gets in union with demons. The benefits of such a pact for a woman are numerous; a girl (witch) has the power of invisibility, or power to revenge whoever she wants to, or to cast love spells. Various magic rituals aiming to get jinni (spirits/demons) across prove that. One of them is performed by a girl during the night; right before she gets in bed, she knocks the walls saying: I knocked the wall and 3 jinns popped out Traditionally, every witch performs her magic right at the sunset time, although the whole night is adequate for all magic practices, particularly a night before some important holiday when various fortune telling practices are performed too. In that way, a night before Bayram, girls get outside, take a look to the brightest star at the sky and, being very focused, repeat for nine times: Tell me star, who loves me, tell me is it the one I love too? Immediately after this they go directly to bed and if they happen to dream about men they love that night; it is a proof that their love is mutual. The special attention in love magic Bosnian witches pay to a herb called milogled (asarum europaeum) for which they believe it possesses a power to stimulate erotic desires in a monotonic marriage and to fire up love in the heart of the wanted person. Milogled is picked up in the forest in ritual way at the sunset time, in a way that an herb is first encircled by a golden necklace and then pulled up from the soil, along with the root. Since this herb mainly has only two leaves, one is coated by honey and second with butter with magic words being chanted. After that one leaf is placed at one side of the entrance door of the house and second on the other side, in order to get loved person passing between them. The moment beloved person passes through the door; the leaves are to be immediately glued to each other and carried along for some period of time. If this magic is performed for the husband then the mentioned leaves are to be put in his pillow. A great power to seduce the desired person, according to believes in Bosnia, are with the amulets made by a mullah (Islamic priest). Amulets made for this purpose are normally kept as talismans or burned in fire, beloved person is looked at through them or they are to be buried underneath the beloved persons threshold. Sometimes, amulet is burned down and ash is to be poured in a drink or meal of a desired person. It is believed that this is very powerful magic. However, its effects often last for 40 days only after what the magic is to be repeated. 3 In love magic, human secretions (sperm, vaginal secretion) are often used. After sexual intercourse woman picks the sperm of her lower by a kerchief after what she wipes her vagina with it. Then she washes a kerchief in a glass of water and she puts that water in her lovers coffee or soup with magical words being chanted.

Apart from sperm, menstrual blood is also very much in use in the whole of Bosnia. Woman gets menstrual blood fall on the sugar cube (normally 3 drops), and by chanting magic words she puts it in the coffee of the desired man. According to beliefs in Bosnia, woman have got two sorts of blood; one is menstrual blood that will make a desired man passionate and obsessed with her, and second; located in the fingers of a fist, which is used for practicing magic that will make beloved man obey her will and dominated by her.

Folk medicine in Bosnia

eople in Bosnia and Herzegovina always believed that ones stomach (gastritis) can get dislocated from its natural position, what further on causes health problems. Stomach in humans can be dislocated in any of the following situations: hunger during hard work or a heavy burden; jumping or falling from a tree or some highness; nightmare or general stress, which is most

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common cause. It is important to say that stomach never dislocates because of nutrition/diet. When a humans stomach (gastritis) dislocates people in Bosnia say: "strunuo se" or suffering from stomach (gastritis).From the shifted gastritis patient feels severe pain in stomach, vomiting, decreased appetite and often being tortured by insomnia. Although the very method of treating gastritis is not that complicated and does not require particular knowledge, though there are some conditions to pursue and one of them is that the person (stravarka) have warm hands. The people of Bosnia believe that there are nine forms of struna that differs in color. Blue string (plava struna) is considered to be the easiest form of the disease that is easily treated. Red string (crvena struna) caused by the stress, worrying, emotional problems; its manifested by weight loss, pallor and nausea. Black string (crna struna); women often suffer after childbirth, and men from carrying heavy burden; it is manifested by sudden weight gain, abdominal distension, pain in the stomach and intestines. Stravarka pays full attention to diagnosis to which direction stomach (gastritis) dislocated, as, according to their believes, stomach can move/dislocate all the way up to the spine or legs. This is why the most important part of their treatments is massage. In order to find out whether the patient really suffers from that disease Stravarka touches patients skin located between thumb and forefinger. If, during such a diagnosis attempt she senses a small ball underneath her fingers/palms it is seen as a definite sign of the stomach (gastritis) disorder. Then, she starts massaging the patient up his/her arm all the way up to his/her shoulder until she locates stomach and bring it back to its place. There are several more methods of bringing gastritis back to its place using massage; stravarka puts a cup (in up-side-down position) onto a patients belly and massages patient from the hips to the navel. While she practices this routine she constantly chants the following magic words: Come Hazrat Fatima take your feather and remove from this patient all his/her pain, and return his/her gastritis in place! Then she, using a scarf or bigger piece of cloth, wraps up a cup around patients stomach and leaves the patient to lie down in that position for half an hour or until the patient get well.

After the treatment patient is recommended to follow a strict regime of diet for the next seven days; to eat only cooked food, fruits and vegetables and avoid meet, greasy meals, canned salads, fried eggs and so on

Bosnian divination with 41 grain of beans

he Bosniak women (fortune-teller) selects forty-one white grain beans, and divides them roughly into three heaps. She then takes four at a time from each heap, until only four or less remain in each. The remainder she also divides into three heaps, and again takes from each by fours. Three more heaps are thus made, so that at last there are three rows of three piles in each. What is left she divides by four, and sees whether the remainder be one, two, three or four. The varying numbers and positions of the grains of beans can be explained by an experienced fortune-teller to the intense satisfaction or to the disappointment of the one who consults him.

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divination. Then the fortune teller takes all beans into her hand and person who has come for the fortune telling raises the question she would like to have answered. After that fortune teller blows into her fist and throws the beans on the floor. With this is the first part of the divination is completed. After that the analysis of the position taken by a grain marked in red starts. If the grain fell nearer to the piece of bread it represents a symbol of happiness - the wish will be fulfilled, in love ones will marry, work will progress and etc.

One of the most popular methods of fortune-telling in Bosnia and Herzegovina is certainly divination with beans. The origin of this technique comes from Turkey, where there is an equivalent method called fasulya fali or kumalak. Among the people there are stories that demised Hazrat Fatima secretly performed divination with beans, hiding it from her father Muhammad. On one occasion while Hazrat Fatima predicted the fate of her friend in the room suddenly entered Mohammed. Hazrat Fatima in shock and rush managed to hide under her dress only half of the beans, which were located in front her, therefore since then it is believed that in every divination lies half truth and half lie. It is interesting that one combination of divination is named after her name Hazrat Fatima fal. It is a combination of 333, which represents happiness, marriage and the fulfillment of whish. In Bosnia, a person dealing with the divination in the beans is called faladija* or *faladinica* (falajiya or falajinica) if it is a female person. For divination in the beans fortune teller needs the red patch on which he or she lines up 41 grains of white beans. Before she starts placing the beans on the patch she takes the beans into the right fist , places the fist close to her mouth and recites the prayer: Rabbi yesir vela tu'asir, rabbi temmim bil-hayr three times and then blows into her fist three times. Then she divides the beans into three smaller piles and from each takes the four seeds making a figure of three rows with nine beans pile where each individual pile can have 1, 2, 3 or 4 seed. The left vertical line represents a female person and the right male person. The vertical line in the middle is called the house or heart. In addition, females and males lines are divided into three symbols: the head, arms, legs and the line in the middle is divided on: the cushion, fireplace and doors. The method of divination in the bean is extremely broad and requires much effort and space for an explanation, however there are several shorter versions of divination which people mostly use to get the answer to a specific question. In simpler form of divination 38 grains of white beans is used a piece of bread, one coffee grain and a metal coin. Before deviation can begin a grain of bean is highlighted in red paint which will represent the person who asks the questions in the process of the 5

On the other hand if the red bean fell nearer to the coin, that person can expect the cash gains in near future. If the bean falls close to the grain of coffee it's a bad sign, which represents trouble, tears, or at least unfortunate event. This sign also represents a negative answer to asked question.

D'ira - circle of ghosts

n the past of Bosnia and Herzegovina there was an exorcist ritual named d'ira ; used for treating mentally ill persons by releasing them from ghost possession. D'ira is the Arabic word, and it means circle. In this case, it is a magic circle which mullah (hoda) droves with knife around himself and a child before the ritual start.

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In his book "Zapisi i Hamajlije" from 1940yr. Muhamed Garevi mentioned unusual manuscript from year 1303yr.written in Arabic language, in which the world of demons, number, places where they dwell and ways and modes of attacking human beings, is described. As a result of their attacks people get following symptoms/diseases; epilepsy, partial or complete paralysis, headache, nigh mares, hallucinations and so on In Bosnia, demon attack is called ograma. Hodja with amulets through the ritual of daira treats the patient. D'ira represents dangerous ritual that requires a vegetarian nutrition, great devotion, purity of the body and spirit, and a blue-eyed medium boy or girl, under 12 years of age. Ritual is performed in clean and isolated room. Hodja draws circle on the floor with a knife around himself and medium, then burn frankincense, place a cup filled with black ink to what the child will gaze constantly during the ritual. Then hodja begins with chanting prayers from the Qurans selected citations. When the child reports seeing small figures/silhouettes of dwarfs appearing in a long line on the surface of the ink, thats a sign of ritual on its way in right direction. The moment when a child sees the monarch of dwarfs; usually demon that is dressed differently from other dwarfs, child will let hodja know about that so that he could stand up and show respect to the king. When the monarch of the demons sits down, hodja sits down too. Then is the time for conversation to begin with hodja intending to convince the master of the demons to order his servants to leave the body of the victim/patient. If the ritual succeeds patient faints for a moment and wake up well and healthy. D'ira is, as already mentioned, very dangerous ritual that can be performed only by spiritually strong individuals. In some ethnological records, there are cases with no happy ending; when some mullas hodzas obsessed by the demon remaining paralyzed or mentally sick. Ethnological records say that during the ritual of daira strong winds used to blow, sometimes uprooting trees from the ground and blowing away roofs from the houses. There are over 10 ways/techniques daira is performed, as follows; using cup of coffee, palm, mirror, water, nail, and other...

Melting the fear - salivanje strahe

travarka Aia from Sarajevo practices a form of ethno-medicine characteristic for Middle East and the Balkans, a method called salivanje strahe or salivanje zrna melting the fear in Bosnia. This method consists of ritual behaviour and a special text known as a basma (or bosnian magic poetry), used together with the aim of healing the patient. Another part of the technique is the melting of lead (or 'melting the fear'), which consists of the ritual melting of a small piece of lead, by means of which stravarka Aia ' sees' the cause of the illness. This piece of lead represents the condensed illness and its cause as well. The shape the melted metal assumes is interpreted by the conjurer (stravarka). At the end of the interpretation, the conjurer gives this piece of lead to the patient and he must liberate himself from it by throwing it ritually back over his shoulder without turning back his head, while pronouncing a charm. That ritual can be performed by man or woman, but women perform it more often, as they used to, traditionally, care about their family's health. Women who does that ritual in Bosnia is called stravarka or "stravarua", and she is usually older lady who has been passed through menopause. The illness which stravarka Aia heals and from which the term 'melting the fear' originates are defined in the folk speech as straha or strava - a terror, a fear, a spell, or evil eyes. These are different psychic crises, neurosis, states of stress and nervousness. Stravarka, in the process, uses a few props; metal spoon, bowl for water, 3 or 4 pieces of lead and red towel or scarf. Ritual follows the strict religious pattern and therefore Stravarka, before she starts performs abdest (muslim religious washing). Stravarka, over the lead and bowl filled with water, pronounces some individual Quranic prayers, with ElFatiha first Quranic chapter and Ikhlas 112. chapter dominating. When treating a frightened child, Aia first put little pieces of led through the gun barrel and then puts them in a spoon and melt in the fire. However, when treating her adult patients she holds a larger or several small pieces of lead in her hand and rotates them 3 times clockwise round around the patients 6

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head saying: Euzubilahi mine ejtanir radim bismillahir rahmanir rahim. While the lead is melting in fire, Stravarka, over the bowl with water, quietly speaks prayers and basma (magic words) that seek the salvation of God and the health for a patient. Between the prayers she repeats the following words:"Dear Hazart Fatima, my dear mother, tell your father Mohammed that the patient needs help day and night" - "Draga moja hazreti Fatime, draga moja majko, reci svom ocu Muhamedu pejgamberu da bude u pomoi i u danu i u noi". When she pronounces all the words and prayers due to which she normally experiences some harmless sensations like uncontrolled yawning or tearing eyes stravarka covers patients head with a cloth or red scarf (patient sits on a chair). Then, while holding the bowl of water in her left hand over the patients head she takes a right handed spoon with melted lead and quickly pours it into the water. On this occasion stravarka says; lead to break and all evil to bounce from (name of patient) Amen!, Amen!, Amen! - "Olovo puca i sve zlo razbija sa N Amin! Amin! Amin!" When pronouncing the magic words she looks out into a high mountain intending, in such a way, to positively affect the recovery of a patient. Namely, in BIH high landscapes such as mountains, are considers as symbols of happiness and good health; this is originating from the old Bosnian Sunworshiping Cult. During this ritual, several times encounter the segments of those beliefs when stravarka 3 times moves in clockwise direction; following the path of the sun, when circling lead around the patients head or during her prayers chanting over the bowl of water that she, after every prayer, rotates in clockwise circle. After she throws dissolved lead in cold water, on which occasion leads form various shapes, Stravarka Aia commences analyses of the obtained shapes what leads her to the cause of problem/disorder. If lead forms in a shape of a needle or number of them Stravarka is convinced that the patient was a victim of an enormous shock of fright. Lead formed in a circle is a sign of a direct patients contact with the spiritual world of Jinns, on which occasion spirits harmed the patient. After Stravarka Aia performed the analyses of the obtained forms of lead, she collects all the lead by the spoon and brings it back to fire in order to re-melt it. 7 Then, she repeats the same ritual that has already been described above, with a difference in lead being melted in water this time over the patients stomach not head. When stage two is completed the last time Stravarka melts lead over the patients feet, what is the final/ending stage of the ritual.

srce or heart

The sign of successful treatment is sought in the lead itself. Namely, so-called heart (srce) appears in the very lead (shape of tear), what is a sign of all the evil being neutralized in the patient. The patient washes his face 3 times with the water lead was melted in 3 times, drinks a bit of it too, washes his/her hands up to his/her elbows and washes his/her legs up to his/her knees. The rest of the water is spilled under bush of rose.

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Heart or tears of lead is kept for a month time under the patients pillow and then thrown down the river stream. According to the beliefs, a woman who would give birth to three Snijet's would immediately, after her death, go into heaven. Midwife's described the Snijet as a living being that needed to be killed as soon as possible. It had red hue and it was horrible. In the past, under the guise of Snijet a lot of criminal activities (infanticide) were committed, when a woman would want to get rid of her child that she got out of wed lock. In certain ethnological documents Snijet was often connected to dragons. Namely, in Bosnia and Herzegovina it was believed that dragons could make love to a woman that was sleeping and as a result of that children that were born had dragon origins. Besides women, the dragons impregnated cows. In both cases the dragon child would fly off as soon as it was born in fear of human retribution. However, it would return every night while the woman was sleeping, to feed itself with the milk of its mother. Such women would claim that their breasts were empty in the morning which further sparked the belief that there was a mysterious birth. According to written testimony of such women, they claim that their pregnancy was normal and had all the accompanying symbols of a pregnancy, until after nine months the woman would wake up one morning with an empty belly and her child missing. Such a case would automatically be considered a Snijet or worse a dragon birth and such a case would immediately become a taboo and people avoided talking about it. People thought this appropriate because they didn't want to incur the wrath of the dragons by talking about that event. Bosnian people describe dragons as winged snakes that fly in the sky usually on days when rain fell during a sunny day. Among the Bosnian people the memory of dragons was relieved through one of its fiercest combatants for freedom and independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, captain Husein Gradaevi called Bosnian Dragon. Evidence that such beliefs are not only connected to the glorious past is the National soccer team which is nicknamed Dragons, because the dragon is a symbol of power, strength and freedom.

Snijet

n the past in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 19th and half of the 20th century among the Bosniaks numerous strange cases of mysterious births were mentioned where pregnant women would give birth to strange creatures called by the people "Snijet" (Mola hydalidora). In the medical terminology we are talking about an abnormal product of conception in which the offspring doesn't develop, instead it only proliferates the placenta's embryonic tissue into a timorous formation which is called Mole by the medical profession. The belly of the pregnant woman would grow, imitating a normal pregnancy. Because the Mole is today regarded as a tumor it is natural that such a state is considered life threatening for the pregnant woman. Probably because of this most of Snijet were born during the first three months of the pregnancy. Most ethological documents agree that the Snijet would leave the pregnant woman during the first three to four months of pregnancy, although some documents that are found in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina claim that the Snijet could be born after nine months of pregnancy. As soon as the pregnancy would prolong itself or get complicated in any way, the midwife would suspect a Snijet, because in such situations the woman would bleed much more than usual and it would take longer for her to recuperate. Even though it was considered a good deed to give birth to Snijet, it was usually killed with a broom and buried where horse manure was stored. 8

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Bosnian love spells
Evretna sabretna safretna what I'm speaking may you speak it too.

hen Bosniak girl see new moon then she whispers three times magic words:

Sarem sokli Sarajevo, ibrishimli hirayevo, hane bishi yaterishi, of mine N. (name of lower) chifderishi, anihi pyanihi you are drunk N.sichumihi.

(Sarem sokli Sarajevo, ibriimli hirajevo, hane bii jeterii, mome N.ifderii, pijan si N.siumihi.)

This three basme (love magic words) repeat 3 times and blow in the direction from the person you love: Elif elif etti you to my meti what I'm speaking may you speak it too. Ehum vehum chulli lehum chulli salli sallellahu kulhuvelahu. 9

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Amulet or Hamajlija

In Bosnia and Herzegovina there is a long tradition of wearing amulets, which are called hamajlija (amulet). They are shorter or longer texts from the Quran written on a piece of paper where a picture of a magic square is present (wafq) and at the end of the text the name of the owner is written. Amulets were worn for various reasons such as the protection from sickness and as a cure but mostly because they provide immunity to the wearer. When someone wants to get an amulet they go to a hodja (mullah) who uses the system of Arabic astrology and numerology, also known as ebjad hisab, and turns the name of that person along with the name of his mother into their numerical equivalents and divides it by the number 12. When he receives the final number he then writes the corresponding text. Every amulet begins with the words: Bismilahir rahmanir rahim and continues with some prayer, usually it is the first verse of the Quran, El-Fatiha. The constituent part of any good amulet is the magical square or wafq whose content is made up of a sequence of numbers, Allahs names or short quotations from the Quran. In Velika Kladua an amulet is written for nine days before the appearance of the new moon. When the whole text is completed the paper is folded into a shape of a triangle and sown in a red fabric. Beforehand a leaf of rue (Ruta graveoles) or a piece of yew (Taxus bacuta) or three beans of coffee are placed inside the amulet. In the past the amulet was encased in metal and sown inside of a rabbits skin.It is interesting to mention that the amulet has a fascinating effect on the wearer. If the wearer is under the influence of black magic, soon after he has started wearing the amulet around his neck a harmful sensation will befall him, for example chest pain, nightmare, etc. That is a positive sign that evil has been neutralized. Also this is the crucial moment when the amulet and the wearer have bonded.

Amulets were mostly worn by children, according to the ethnological data collected during the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the majority of Bosniak children wore an amulet sown on the top of their fez, shaped like a triangle and sown inside a red fabric, so that it can protect them from spellbound eyes o which children are most susceptible to. In such an amulet a standard prayer that was written in it was a prayer from the Quran called AliImran, using an ink made out of rose water mixed with musk and saffron. Amulets were also worn by pregnant women so that they can be protected from spellbound eyes and to prevent a possible loss of the offspring. Besides this a red sting was tied around childrens arms or a small shell was sown on their hats to annul every influence of spellbound eyes. A classical amulet was often worn in a triangular metal box which is called Mahfaza whose shape also had a symbolical meaning. Namely, each side of the triangle symbolized a verse from the Quran: I am God", "There is no God but me, No one truly knows what I am. In Bosnia and Herzegovina since the old ages amulets connected to war are also known, they are called Enam, named after the same prayer in the Quran, these amulets were worn by soldiers going to war. Besides written amulets in Bosnia we find various objects- amulets; a wolfs tooth was worn by feeble and scared children, a figurine of a frog made out of 10

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silver were worn by women who wanted to be protected against gynecological issues or they wore a silver plate on which it was written Mashalla. Out of herbal amulets, garlic, leaf of rue or a piece of yew were used, and from the animal amulets, thorns from a hedgehog, a rabbits foot, a wing from a bat, etc. Besides the need to protect himself from evil, man also wanted to protect his animals. For protection purposes a red fabric was tied to a tail of a cow, a wooden spoon was used for horses, or a small amulet was written and placed on the horns of the animal. Besides people and animals, material goods were also protected from evil. In the past in Bosnia and Herzegovina a lot of attention was given to the protection of the house from black magic and spellbound eyes, to keep peace and happiness inside the house. Along time ago the practice was to write Allahs name Ya Hafiz, which means God Protector, on the house doors, especially in Sarajevo. The name was written in Arabic in golden letters on a dark background. The amulet doesnt only have the power to protect a human or a house from black magic, its scope of action is much larger and it can, among other things, protect its owner from negative propaganda and crooks. For that reason an owner would write the following on his house: I said, and swore to Allah that I will do X. After that he would take four pieces of paper and write on each one of them, one name of the four great Angels: Azrail, Jibrail, Israfil and Mikail and he would place these papers in four corners of the house.In Bosnia we encounter various beliefs about amulets, and these are the most popular ones; it is believed that an amulet can lose its protective power if it is punctured by a sowing needle. In the same manner the amulet has no power of protection if its owner drinks or eats a spell in his drink or food, it protects man only from external influences, whether they be material or astral origin.

Sedef or Sedefil

nother plant used specifically for protection against the evil eye was rue (Ruta graveolens) or Sedefil. Since newborn children were believed to be most susceptible to the evil eye, the Bosniaks used to put a branch of rue in the baby's clothes but and associated it with birth as well as death (it was placed above the head of the deceased)

The most famous plant among the Bosniak people which is by tradition connected to the sacred and the mystic elements is rue (Ruta graveoles). The word rue (sadef) has its origin in the Arabic language and it is commonly called in Bosnia "sedefil", "sedefat" etc. It is commonly believed that this plant has strong apotropaic powers, the old Egyptians, Chinese, Romans and Celts were aware of this fact. In Arabia, Peganum Harmala is a plant that is credit for annulling negative effects, especially spellbound eyes, in Bosnia this role is performed by nacre. Its worth is perhaps best understood by the old adage of grandparents who say "one should cater for nacre more than its own child." In alternative medicine in Bosnia and Herzegovina, nacre was mostly used for heart diseases. Tea was usually made from this plant or a dry mixture of it would be combined with honey and eaten as such. 11

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Prophylactic characteristic of nacre should be sought in its original form, namely one leaf had five smaller leaves which associate us to five fingers or Khamsa (Hand of Fatima). Except the fact that the plant was placed under children's pillows to protect them against spellbound eyes, girls usually wore a bundle of the plant in their hair for the exact same purpose. Besides being able to protect one from spellbound eyes, the plant possessed a characteristic which enabled it to annul any and every magical or hostile effect and therefore it was usually found in front of a house, a bush planted near the entrance door or perhaps from both sides to prevent evil from entering the premises. These are the reasons why this plant gained popularity amongst the Bosnian people who see nacre as their national amulet. Also the practice of using nacre is common in Bosnian spiritual healers, especially "stravarka" (ocakli kadin). One of them, "stravarka" by the name of Bilka, puts a bundle of the plant on the Qur'an and a piece of led over it to annul evil as soon as she begins the ritual. Bilka explains the usage of this plant: nacre is a heavenly plant which wards off any and every evil.Nacre is successfully used to annul black magic, this is one of many Bosnian recipes. It is necessary to take nine flowers, nine leaves and nine branches of nacre and place them inside a bottle which was beforehand filled with clear spring water. After that one must repeat the following nine prayers: El-Fatiha, Ikhlas, Falaq, Nass and Tebetyeda. After this is completed the bottle is closed and left closed overnight. The following day a person which has problems with negative energy has to first take a bath, and then when the body is clean it needs to wash himself with the water from the bottle taking care that every part of the body is washed with this water. One should not dry his body with a towel, but wait for it to be dried by itself and after that the parts of the plant need to be thrown out in a place where people don't trot.

Iblis, help me!

or a woman to become a sihirbazica (witch) and gain magical powers she needs to take the holly Qur'an and throw it on the ground and stomping it utter: Iblis, help me, I give you my soul, help me in my intentions (or wishes)". In Bosnia it is believed that after this blasphemous act she becomes a witch: she can cast love spells, exert revenge on her enemies, become invisible... In the past, according to ethnological writings, young women often became witches in order to become attractive with the help of magic, so that men would want them. Similarly, a woman would become a witch in order to bring her man back, who left her or to separate him from his beloved girlfriend, her rival. In their practice the Bosnian witches used various ways to cast love spells on men, and the most famous one is the one with white beans. The ritual was performed as follows: At night, when no one is around, the witch would take an axe and place it behind the entrance door along with nine white beans on which she urinated on. Then the witch goes to the fire place inside the house and places the beans in the ash near the fire. She would 12

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then utter: "the beans crackle, bah bahti, the axe behind the door and X in front of it. Die, burst until you come to me, with Gods power and my merit, veledalin amin". She would then blow three times in the direction of the man and then she would swallow her spit. The witch stirs the beans in a circle with a metal spoon, takes the axe and brings it and places it next to her feet, and then she stirs the beans with the spoon one more time and brings the axe back behind the door. While doing this she utters: "I am placing the axe behind the door; I am not placing the axe but the brain and wits of X behind the door. Die, burst until you come to me, with God's power and my merit.Veledalin amin". After that she repeats the following words three times: "basmice, basmice sisters as ordained by God, bring me X there is the dark and the cloud, I am his shining sun and moon. Dark all around him and I am his only light, elzalif amin". At the end she blows down her bosom three times, turns around and goes to bed. It is believed that after this ritual the man who was the target of the ritual becomes plagued by an unexplainable longing and wish to see the woman as soon as he can. Because of the love magic the man cannot sleep nor concentrate on anything else. If he resists the urge to visit the witch strange blisters appear on his body and he suffers a high temperature for days. When he visits the woman, and as soon as he lays his eyes on her, all of the symptoms disappear immediately.

Istihara

rayers of istihara are said specifically to predict the future. People, usually women, will come to the bula and ask if she can pray istihara on their behalf to find out whether a certain project will succeed, for example. Before going to sleep the bula will pray for a dream that will reveal whatever it was the person in question wanted to know about her future. The bula will then interpret the dream. The istihara is said to demand intense concentration and be mentally very tiring; not every bula can do it. While shari'at-oriented Islamic scholars consider much of the divination practiced by Bosniaks in Bosnia to be against the spirit of Islam, the bula I spoke to emphasized that the istihara is a practice referred to in the Qur'an.

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define the problem and thereby relieve the anxiety. The ritual could only be performed by devout women who could recite Qur'an verses. The pattern formed by the lump of lead was always interpreted as an indication that something had upset the patient, and suggestions were made as to what this might be and what the patient should do. She may be advised to say specific prayers regularly od perform other religious duties. The lead ritual might be repeated a couple of times over the next week or two, until she felt calmer and less worried.

Salijevanje strahe

The Writing of Amulets

he same was not, however, said about salijevati stravu or salijevati strahu which can also be performed by less religiously educated Bosniak women, as it requires less knowledge. The central item in the ritual is a lump of lead which is heated and then thrown into water, where it forms a pattern from which the supplicant's troubles are interpreted. Apart from the local bula there was one other woman in the village who performed this ritual. She had learned it from an old bula from the district, who decided to stop performing it because of pressure from her children who complained that it was primitive superstition. She taught the woman from Dolina how to perform it and gave her the lump of lead ( which should be handed down from one bula to another). I observed salijevati strahu on several occasions. It was always performed at the request of women who had either been bereaved by the death of a close relative, or had been upset by other events in the immediate family and were anxious and unable to sleep, though they did not know the reason why. The casting of the lead and the Qur'anic recitation were believed to help 14

he most common and popular form of help Bosniaks in the village sought in times of personal stress (particularly when was believed to have been caused by negative influences such as sihir) was an amulet, popularly called zapis (note), written by a hoda. A zapis may more rarely be referred to as muema (the Arabic word which describes the wrapper around the note). Then more general term hamajlija (from the Arabic term for amulet) is also used. A zapis is a small piece of paper with a verse or phrase from the Qur'an written in Arabic and carried as a charm or amulet. Worn for protection against spells and indirectly therefore against illness, it can also be worn as an amulet to

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secure happiness and good fortune, or to ease anxiety and physical pain (such as headaches). Such problems are not untypically brought on by life-cycle changes, such a marrying and becoming a bride and new member of a household, the birth of a child, or the death or illness of a close family member. The paper is wrapped into a triangle in a small piece of red cloth which has been oiled or waxed to make it more resistant. (The Arabic word muema means oilcloth). The zapis is attached by a safety pin as close to the person's body as possible, usually to the undershirt. Only a trained hoda is considered competent to write zapis, the few who actually do so are well known is rural areas, especially among Bosniaks. The hodas who write amulets must know to write Qur'an verses in Arabic, and to able to choose verses appropriate to each case. They are often retired religious instructors with long experience and good psychological insight into local life. Some hodas, however, think the practise is not in the spirit of Islam and is immoral (because of the money involved). The official Islamic Association was rigorously against it and would teach young medresa students to preach against it if posted to rural areas. The verses written on the zapis are chosen according to the problem it is supposed to remedy. After the zapis has been written and wrapped there are several possible procedured: it may be worn immediately without any further measures being taken, or it may be put through various magical treatments. (It is important that the zapis not be worn or left in unclean places such as the lavatory if unprotected, that is, not oiled.) The magical treatment also varies with the nature of the problem the zapis is supposed to protect the person from. One of the hodas told me that fewer people asked him to write zapis for them today than in his younger days, since today there are more doctors around, so fewer people come and ask us (hodas) to write zapis. Besides, young people nowadays do not believe in praying. Villagers and hodas alike told me that in the late eighties fewer hodas practiced forms of faith healing and divination such as the writing of zapis. This was clearly related to the younger hodas' more formalized and more shari'at-oriented Islamic training, rendering them critical of such practices. Nevertheless, judging from the number of case histories I collected of people who had sought the help of a hoda and who had had a zapis written for them at least once, it was still a much used strategy for coping with misfortune. However, people tended to seek the help of one of the more prestigious sufi 15 hoda, in contrast to the local ones, reported an increase in the number of people who had come to them with health or personal problems over the last few years.

Bosnian healers

mong the most common problems healers are asked to remedy are chronic illness, marital difficulties, infertility, prolonged bachelorhood, and mental problems such as anxiety or depression. I knew of three people, two woman and a man, who practiced healing as described. They are usually called by their first names and the name of their village. All three lived in remote mountain villages. People came from all over central Bosnia and from Sarajevo to see them. One of the villagers' favorite stories about one of them was that during the Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo (1984) this hoda had visitors from distant countries who took the trip all the way from Sarajevo to seek his help. The story was always told to establish this man's importance. However, the real medresaeducated official hodas dismissed these healers (and diviners) as illiterate because they mixed Qur'anic knowledge with what the official hodas considered to be non-Islamic folk beliefs. The second category consists of bulas who do faith healing and divination and hodas who write amulets. I will deal with both in turn. Female faith healers are typically middle-aged, and are bulas of the traditional rather than the medresa-educated kind. Generally, female healers use fewer written sources and concentrate on reciting Qur'anic verses, praying and divination. They are particularly sough after for

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salijevati strahu (to pour/cast horror) and the praying of istihara, traditional healing practices and divination accompanied by Bosniak prayers and teachings from the Qur'an.

Bewitched or nagaziti, ograjisati

ord which does not exist in any dictionary, and my Sarajevan informants did not understand it. They suggested it was supposed to be nagaziti (na sihir or jinns), which means to be bewitched, or alternatively nagrajisati, which mean to get into trouble or fare badly. It is believed that a person may be bewitched by what most informants referred to as something, or more rarely as a devilish brew, which may attach itself to breadcrumbs, nails, blood, wood chips, or rubbish which has been left outdoors by humans. This stuff is believed to be used by sorcerers when making sihir. This devilish brew containing malevolent spirits may thus be transferred deliberately by sorcerers to people who are thereby poisoned. Again, a person is most vulnerable to such attacks at akam (sunset). If going out after sunset he or she should always say bismillah as he or she may unknowingly step over rubbish of the type described, left by humans on the ground where agents of the devil gather. The best protection, however, is to wear a zapis.

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commence the story on witchcraft along with this very text and end it sometimes/somewhere in the future.

Time of the ritual

In Bosnia, the most powerful and the most dangerous days are considered to be those between 30th of April and the 13th of May in which, accidentally or not, the witches holiday Beltane (1st of May) happens to be. In this very period the regeneration of Nature is at its peak, as well as farming works. In the middle of o this period there is a Hidirllez (6th of May) Christian ChristianMoslem holiday of Pagan origin that is traditionally put in the context of Nature and water which is under the influence of the Moon. The worshiping of water as one of the manifestation of the Goddess is well reflected in two customs that t are practised even these days in some parts of Bosnia. This is about the celebration of the first Tuesday that predeceases Hidirllez Holiday called Boni Tuesday (Boni utorak) entirely devoted to the water treatment (of the sick). During Boni Tuesday, healing ealing springs in the Nature are being visited; the sick drink the water and wash their bodies with it. The first Tuesday after the 6th of May is called Dovni Tuesday (Dovni utorak) and on this day prayers are to be chanted for the wellbeing of individuals s and the community as a whole. Clearly speaking; the believers used to pray or, better to say, thank to the ruler of the water (the Moon) for its support, aiming to get its protection throughout the year. Of course, by the appearance of Islam all that referring erring to the old Cult had to be suppressed and assimilated into the new religion. The Goddess had been changed to the prayer to Allah, although it is clear at the very first glance that those rituals have nothing to do with the Islam.

Witchcraft in Bosnia

hanks to Bogumils who at one period of the BiH history used to be dominant religion and, in the same time, worshipers of Nature, the old cults managed to survive. By their credit we can, today, follow the leads of old days witchcraft performance, which, after so many centuries still exist through various beliefs and practical performance.

Witches and their religion of Nature; worshiping worshipin of God and Goddess through the Sun and the Moon, have their deep roots in the beliefs of many nations across the Balkans and the rest of the Europe. These days, analysing ethnological data, as well as traditional beliefs from Bosnia; dozens of extremely interesting details can be disclosed showing us that old religion of Nature managed to survive both time and monotheism. However, in order to present data on witches performance it is necessary to write so many pages with so many data enclosed. Since, every eve single journey begins with a single step well 17

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The Moon Cult

Light and the darkness

Even today in the 21st century the Bosnian witches follow the ancient guidelines in their magic performance. The part of the day when the Sun is setting and the night falls down between Aksham and Jaci ( izmeu akama i jacije ) is still considered to be the best period for the magic performance, especially for the love magic. Analysing in detail the information why the sunset period is the most important period of the day to the Bosnian witches for performance of the magic ritual, is to be sought in the very roots of European witchcraft history. Two of the most important holidays Beltane and Samhain celebrates the beginning of the shiny & dark part of the year. Both holidays are the moments of the most celebrated celebrations and most powerful rituals related to the divinity of the Nature. Similar to that, the end of the day and the beginning of the night represents the miniature alteration of light and the darkness, Beltan and Samhain. According to Bosnian believes , immediately after the sunset Jinny get the power, they wake up and go active, what is coincided with the belief that in the night of Beltan and Samhain the door of the spiritual world open from which various spirits and demons come to he world of human beings.

lthough small number of ethnological data on magic inheritance of Bosnia & Herzegovina can be found today, from what such data disclose it can be clearly found that in the past existed several types of cults among which the Sun and the Moon cults dominated. Even these days, when they see a New Moon, some Bosniak women perform the ritual in which the influence of Islam and the old days Moon cult interlace with each-other. While gazing to the moon, a woman, lifts her arms to the chest level, with her palms pointing the sky, chants 5 Qu'ran-s prayers, after what she wipes her face with the palms. In the continuation, a Moon Cult ritual follows; a woman points her right forefinger to the Moon saying: The way you Moon grove and transform so renew my form (existence). Apart from this ritual there were dozens of similar rituals amongst Bosniak women that were passed from one female generation to another. In another ritual woman prays to the New Moon for a good health of her children, in which case she directly alludes to the Goddess of the Moon; the protector of fertility and children. Another interesting belief alludes to the old times idea on divine characteristic of the Moon, namely; it is believed that when the New Moon is seen for the first time the formula: I see New Moon, Mashallah! should be chanted, as in contrary a bad magic of evil eyes can strike the person. In traditional Bosnian beliefs small kids are most vulnerable to the influence of the evil eyes what leads to the idea that in the old days the New Moon has been considered as a divine child,i.e. freshly (re)born Goddess, which her followers need to protect; in the faze when she has no enough strength and power.

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The Bogomils in Bosnia

hen Christianity commenced to spread in the East and West, in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, it intermingled in the East with the learning of Zoroaster, which reigned in the Persian Empire as the official religion of the state. By a mixture of both creeds, the Persian prophet Mani (216-276) fashioned a new teaching, known after his name as Manichaeism, and adopted the the principal ideas of Zoroaster, as for example, the old Aryan dualism, and rules for foodstuff. Thus when this new creed began to spread speedily through the Byzantine Empire, it was severely opposed by the powers of state which caused a dispersion of the religion and atomization into many sects. One form of persecution of the adherents of the new religion took the form of sending them to western confines of the Empire to be used as cannot-fodder against invading Bulgars, who menaced the Empire from the 6th to 10th century. But the heretics, instead of waging war against the Bulgars, fled to them and spread amongst them the new creed. Thus, during the first half of the 10th century there appeared in Bulgaria a man named Jeremija, who found a new religion, based on Manichean teachings and old Slavic customs. Jeremija took the name of Bogomil meaning Dear to God; it was he who named the new religion Bogomilism. It soon spread all over Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia and finally reached Bosnia. Bogomils thus came to Bosnia directly from Bulgaria and established therein a powerful bulwark.

HAMAJLIJE AND ZAPISI

mong the Bosniaks (as everywhere else in the Muslim world), the religious amulets are written in Arabic characters, but sometimes also by means of various secret writings. Most of the time, they appeared on small pieces of paper (in general rather white), even on rollers (from 5 to 10 cm broad,of variable length, up to 50 cm and sometimes much more, up to three meters), or on varied materials (various kinds of leather, stones, sheets of trees, egg shells, etc.). They contain either Qur'anic quotations, prayers, magic triangles or squares, usually written with a pen made out of reed, the kalam, but some times also with a gold or iron pen, if not with special grass. An amulet can be made for medical aims (fever, tooth ache, psychoses, to facilitate childbirth, etc.), or for practical or emotional aims (to have children, to obtain the love of someone, or the separation from someone, to make the beloved one returns, to know the situation of a absent person, to know the thoughts of someone, to predict the future...).

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If the patient was not cured by the amulets, sometimes, when the conditions could be met, one tried another magic ritual, in particular a form of very peculiar and spectacular magic, that of the d'ira, or djinns convocation . . OTHER AMULETS "Ruica hazreti Fatime" or "Hand of hazreti Fatima" (Anastatica hierochuntica) is a shrub that grows in the deserts of northern Africa and southwestern Asia. It is very hygroscopic and can live without water for a long time.When a piece of the shrub is put into water, it suddenly gets alive and spreads its twigs like the fingers on the hand. The hand of hazreti Fatima was used in difficult childbirth, when it was put in water, because according the principles of imitative magic it was believed that at the same way the mother's womb will widen and the baby will be born more easily.

Apotropaic scriptures (zapisi) also belong to this category. These are shorter quotations from the Koran, written on pieces of paper usually by Moslem priests and given to members of the congregation for protection from particular diseases. The hodzas wrote special notes in ink: for healing, for success in business, and to counteract evil spells. These notes, called zapisi, were worn around the neck in a special locket, or sewn into the inside pocket of a shirt, or braided into the hair. Sometimes they were soaked in water and drunk.

Oman (Inula helenium L.) is the name of the plant the root of which was used as amulet. Pieces of the root were worn on necklaces by deserted women in order to regain the affection of their husbands.

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Zazor or Evil Eye

The evil eye is a belief that Bosniaks share with Turks and other people of the Balkans, and the Mediterranean, and the Middle East.

Amulet (hamajlija) from a village near Biha, Bosnia and Herzegovina, start of the 20th century. Three pieces of yew wood, one cowry shell (Cypraea moneta) and two mother-of-pearl buttons sewn on a red silk ribbon. Such amulets were onto children's clothes in order to protect the child from the evil eye.

odern man, though having a higher level of consciousness and living in a society much more developed than his ancestors, is still afraid of evil eyes (or urok, zazor, urokljivo oko) more than all other diseases combined. The best evidenced for this is a belief in the nation that more people have died as a result of evil eyes than all diseases combined. Belief in the power of evil eyes was found even in ancient Persia (Iran), the culture for which it is assumed, based on the discovered historical sites, that is older than 7.ooo years, where she was embodied in the form of the female demon named Agas. Now days, there is no nation in the world where there is more or less expressed belief in the power of the human negative view, whether we talk about Hindu, Muslim, Christian or other religion. With the arrival of Turks and Islam in Bosnia, belief in the evil eye suddenly escalated, therefore in line with this whole series of rituals and beliefs about the protection and eliminating the negative effects of the evil eyes were developed. Evil eyes, is a reflection of the negative energies of one's soul (psyche) triggered by uncontrolled emotions such as jealousy or a great admiration. It is believed that every man has this power even those blind, because the spell is created with the help of views and words. It is believed that the green eyes are evil eyes, especially if that person is born under the sign of Scorpio. This category includes persons who cut their nails with scissors, etc.

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While the evil eyes are considered primarily children's disease, since they are most affected, also adults are not immune to them especially the young, beautiful and successful ones. Spells are subject to pregnant women, patients, animals and etc. At least resistant to the spell are children especially in the first 40 days of their lives, therefore caring mother stick to the various prophylactic rituals of placing amulets, garlic, or leaf of rue (Rute graveoles) under the pillow or a piece of wood tisovina (Taxus baccata),or around his hands she ties the red thread on which is tied 40 knots and etc. For the purpose of prevention in Bosnia we usually can hear the word universal Mashallah which is believed to be the strongest protection from all forms of evil eyes. When a child cries for no apparent reason and is restless, mother immediately suspects on the effect of the evil eye, especially if this happens after departure of guests from the house. In order to neutralize the effect of the evil eye mother pours some water into hers mouth but does not swallow the water and stands behind the door and looks into the angle between the door and the wall. While standing in that position she recites the prayer Ikhlas and then water from her mouth spills into her right hand and throw it over her left shoulder and with her wet right hand wipes the child's face. Once the power of evil eye has been neutralized, she ties around his hand red or silky thread for his "health.

Bosnian folk calendar

Your courteous Bosniak or Iranian will not take a compliment without "Mashallah;" the Italians will not receive one without "Grazio a Dio! while the Irishman almost always says Glory be to God, and the English peasant Lord be wi' us, the idea in every instance being to avert the danger of fascination by these acknowledgments of a higher power.

he Bosnian national (agricultural) calendar spans back to the old era. The maker of the calendar is unknown. It is known that it was created and used by a farmer. Some dates from the Julian calendar, which was created 45 years BCE, can be recognised in the Bosnian calendar. After Christianity came, some of these dates received names of saints. With the arrival of the Slavs, pagans, people known for agriculture, the dates had different names, but they always remained the same. The folk calendar was used continuously, it was used during the time of the Bogumil's, it was also used during the Ottoman period, and it even serves a purpose today. Besides this, in Bosnia the Hijri calendar was also strictly observed. It was done by the Imam's and other religious scholars, in order to be aware of the important religious dates (Ramadan, Bayram, New year, etc.). The Hijri calendar was impractical when it came to agriculture, since it moved forward ten days every solar year, however it was practical when it came to fasting during the month of Ramadan since it moved through all the seasons. We need to mention that the Hijri calendar was the official calendar in Bosnia during the Ottoman period, until the AustroHungarian period when they brought the Gregorian calendar. The Bosnian folk calendar begins on December 21st, the folk belief holds that on that date, the day extends as much as a rooster can jump from a doorstep. From

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this date on comes the Zehmeriya (Turkish: Zehmeri) the coldest part of winter that lasts for 40 days. While Zehmeriya lasts people avoid drinking cold water in fear of catching a cold. January: the folk call January the longest moth in the year. From January 17th the counting of the weeks until Hidirlez begins (May 6th), 17 weeks total. This is what determines the sowing. The period from January 31st until March 20th is called Hamsin and it represents the second part of winter. February- from February 14th until March 14th is Veljaa, the folk belief is that if snow falls in the beginning of the Veljaa that the year will be fertile, and that wheat will have a good yield. Djemre (Turkish: Cemreler), the meaning of this word is "burning charcoal", it is believed that Djemre is the sun's heat which starts to have an intense impact on the land and it starts awakening the nature. -The first Djemra appears on February 20th and heats the air. That's when the Southern wind starts blowing and it becomes milder. -The second Djemra appears on February 27th heats up the water and raises its level. The water in the river doesn't freeze from this point on. -The third Djemra appears on March 6th and heats up the land. The snow melts fast and the first grass starts sprouting. (Right after the first Djemra the people have a custom to notch the roots of the birch and put a glass bottle so that the juices of the birch flow in it. The bottle stays in that position until the third Djemra. The collected juices are used for medicinal purposes, especially kidney diseases) March: the agricultural works begin during this month, the potatoes, onions and salads are sown. After the third Djemra the fruit trees are notched and inoculated. Grandma (Baba)- from March 15th until March 21st is the period of the grandma, the unstable period when a couple of weather phenomena change in one day. Grandpa (Did,Djed)- from March 21st until March 28th is the period of the grandpa, the folk beliefs are that it is more merciful and people start sowing potatoes during this period. (Did or Grandpa is a name (title) of each Bogumil priest in Bosnia and Baba (grandma) is the name of his wife who helped her husband and the community by healing with herbs, assisting in births, or foretelling fortunes. Since the Bosnian people were Bogumils before Islam came, it is then no mystery why they kept some of the memories of their old religion. 23 Among the folk there are numerous stories, mostly comical, about Did and Baba and their adventures. By them, we can discern that they commanded great respect among the Bosnian people.) Kablii- March 29th until March 31st Stablii- April 1st until April 3rd tapii- April 4th until April 7th (All three names are connected to the past of Bosnia when the winters were very long and they usually lasted until the middle of April. During that period the cattle used to die because of lack of food) Muenjaci- period from April 8th until July, this is the period when people suffered (hence the name) until the sowing of the wheat. April: during April the corn is sown. The old Bosniaks would wait for the frogs to start making noise, which would be a sign that the climate is optimal for sowing. The people also followed other signs of the nature, and therefore it is believed that when the beech tree starts sprouting leaves that one can begin sowing grain without fearing frost. During the middle of April the grapevine was notched and a bottle was placed underneath it for the juices to drip in it until Hidirlez. This juice was used by women to smear on their hair so it would be healthy and grow quicker. May: in the first quarter of May the sowing of beans begins. Hidirlez or Jurjevo (May 6th)- according to the national calendar from this day forward, the summer begins and the swimming in lakes and ponds can begin. In the period from May 6th until May 13th the first swarms of bees are let loose. June: the first seven days of June are called "bijela nedjelja or white week" because the white mushrooms ( Cantharellus cibarius) are picked in the forests at that time. In the beginning of June , pumpkins, turnips and radishes are sown. August: it is believed that this month gives diarrhea to children and the elderly. To prevent this from happening, the mothers would take some clothes of their children and throw it under the wheel of carriages that carry wheat bundles. In the first days of August the onion and garlic are picked. Aliun- August 2nd: the folk belief is that from this day on, the summer loses its heat and slowly turns into autumn, the water in the rivers begins to cool down and there can be no more swimming. September: during this month the potato is reaped, the corn as well and the grapes start ripening. If some strawberries sprout in September, then it is believed that the autumn will be long and mild.

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October: in the first and second week of October wheat is sown. Kasum - November 8th: from this day onward, winter starts. On this day, all loans are settled, and leases of land end. some disease, to find a thief, to find out the sex of the baby, to find out whether the year will be fruitful, to find out if a couple will get married, etc. According to the beliefs in Bosnia the ideal day for fortunetelling, especially with the help of beans or coffee, is Tuesday. This is because it is believed that Tuesday is the day of magic when each spell has a stronger effect and each fortunetelling is more accurate. To foretell the future using coffee, it is necessary to fulfil a few simple conditions. First, the coffee cannot be express coffee but "Bosnian coffee" so that the cup will contain a lot of sediment. The coffee should be drank hot and without sugar. When the coffee is finished, the person that wants its future foretold, places some money under the saucer and spins the cup three times clockwise and covers it with the saucer. After that one places his/her index finger from his/her right hand on the cup and in his/her mind he/she must make a wish or think about a specific person. The side of the cup from which the client drank is considered to be a representation of him, whilst the opposite side is considered to represent a person of the opposite sex. The bottom of the cup is a symbol of a home and all the symbols that are found on that part signify events inside the family. Before the fortune teller starts, he/she first checks the situation of the entire cup. If the space around the handle of the cup is empty and without any sediment, it is believed that the person is unhappy in love affairs or is in a bad financial situation. If the bottom of the cup is filled with sediment that signifies a period of prosperity while an empty bottom signifies a bad financial situation, a departure or a trip. Bosnian fortune tellers pay specific attention to interpretation of individual symbols and they connect them with other symbols in their vicinity. Of course, there are some other important symbols that every fortune teller pays specific attention to. If there happens to be three identical symbols inside the cup, then that signifies great pleasure... The following represents some interpretations that Bosnian fortune tellers use during their fortune telling 24

Falanje

alanje or fortune telling comes from the Arabic word fal, to bode, or tefaul which means positive fortune telling. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, besides a unique method that is practiced by some Imam's, a combination of astrology, numerology and spiritual science known amongst the people as "opening of the starts" or yildiznama, the three most popular divination systems are present: fortune telling with the help of beans, coffee and cards.

The desire to foretell the future is as old as mankind itself. The fear of the unknown and generally, man's need to influence fate has led to various forms of fortunetelling which served to foretell the outcome of

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using coffee: Angel- joy, a wish coming true Aeroplane- mail, news Car- happiness Bull- wealth, money Old woman- sorrow, sickness Numbers: 1- decision, 2-sickness, 3-date, 4-you must be patient, 5-worry... Flowers: you are in an advantageous period Pigeon: mail, news Lizard: change, new beginning Piano: you will receive an important message Umbrella- you will meet an old love partner Wolf: tears and sorrow because of jealousy Moon: feast, a wish will come true Bear: sickness Mouse: beware of a theft Knife: an end of a relationship or marriage Eagle: an advantageous change or move Frog: you will be a victim of someone's scheme and intrigue Dots: large dots in the cup always symbolise favourable news. Large dot on the bottom of the cup: pregnancy in the family Pregnant woman: monetary gain, present Horse: a victory in court or in sports Chicken: others are slandering you Pyramid: trouble with a court or the law 25 Dog: stable relationship or marriage, loyal friend Ring: marriage Heron: pregnancy Fish: worry, disease Letters: A-new beginning or a new job, T- stress, Flove... Heart: the best symbol in love fortune telling. This is a sign of love. If the heart symbol is white then it signifies true feelings Deer: an important conversation with your partner Cat: a black cat is a symbol of hatred, someone doesn't like you. A white cat warns you to be careful with blandishment and mellifluous words Bird: a symbol for news Parrot: you will meet a person who speaks two languages or is a stranger Spider: be careful of your pride and stubbornness Rifle or a gun: stress, anger Dragon: you are prone to saving and keeping money Snake: enemy, adversary in love Rabbit: you are having problems sleeping Squirrel: lack of confidence or bravery Cross: argument, fight Fox: be careful or lies and hoaxes Glasses: you will meet a new person... At the end of every fortune telling the client presses his finger on the bottom of the cup and makes a wish so that the fortune teller can see if it will come true. The sediment that remains on the finger of a female client is placed under her tongue so that her man says her name often and that he thinks about her often. Fortune telling for marriage: When a girl comes to

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someone's house for coffee for the first time, she needs to steal a lump of sugar in a manner that no one notices it, and then when she goes to sleep she should place that lump under her pillow. That night she will have a dream about the man that she will marry.

NEVER DONT FORGET - GENOCIDE IN BOSNIA 1992-1995

Bosniaks as a people traversed the bloody path of distress, concentration camps, shelling, hunger, they died from bullets, grenades, torture, blows, rapes, they were thrown in fires, drowned in rivers, buried alive. Srebrenica represents only the pinnacle of that path paved with blood and suffering. Srebrenica is the horrifying truth for the entire world to see. Srebrenica continued the tragic story of Nazi concentration camps where the helpless gaze of the victims testifies about the brutality that is done by the monsters and psychopaths. Srebrenica represents all nightmares about people without a soul and heart, about the dratted people that kill and torture innocent people out of sheer pleasure. Whosoever forgets Srebrenica will become a victim of the same hangmen. Every year on July 11th, Srebrenica receives new victims of the 1995 genocide. Every year more painful cries are heard by the mothers who lost their children, bloody memories are evoked...The graves keep piling up, they keep multiplying in unrevised rows. They killed them for the simple fact that they weren't Serbs. They killed boys, men, women, old people. Without mercy, just because they weren't Serbs. Just because they weren't members of the superior race, sounds familiar? as an affiliation towards nationality, that exact thing happened to the Bosnians in the hegemonic Yugoslavia in which the Serbs did their best do degrade Bosnia and the Bosnian people. At one time they called the Bosnians "Muslim Serbs"???? We will understand this attitude if we comprehend the fact that Serbia had territorial ambitions for the neighbouring countries, especially Bosnia and Herzegovina. The attempt of the Bosnians to assimilate failed despite the fact that they were forbidden to proclaim their nationality, this ended in the biggest war crime since WWII. Bosnia happened, Srebrenica happened. With the attack on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia started to openly implement its plan to annex the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, this was also evident when the Serbian politicians called it "The Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina" during the start of the aggression in 1992. Even though the plan failed despite the horrible suffering of the Bosnian people, mass raping of children and genocide, the dream of Great Serbia hasn't been completely destroyed, it has been reshaped into something that the Dayton agreement calls "Republic of Serbia" or Republika Srpska. This genocidal creation which represents a brake for any advancement of the modern Bosnia and Herzegovina towards the EU or NATO is one of the biggest world political mistakes of the 20th century. A catastrophic mistake which the European leaders will have to correct if they want to have a stabile region. During the 90's of the last decade, Europe showed is powerlessness in the face of the Serbian Nazism as it did in the face of the German Nazism during WWII. The result of such passive attitude was the creation of new concentration camps in which the Serbian Nazis 26

THE TRUTH ABOUT BOSNIA Did you know that Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only country in the world that has two names?! The reason for it is to stop its national unity in every possible way. While it was a part of Yugoslavia, which was a communist and therefore atheistic country, there were the Muslims as a nation in BIH. Even though we all know that religious affiliation cannot be regarded

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undertook ethnic cleansing and genocide over the Bosnian people. Europe got a new AuschwitzBirkenau in Srebrenica, Viegrad, Foa, Sarajevo...During the period of 1992 to 1995 the Bosnians survived an attempt of total obliteration that the war criminal Radovan Karadi announced at the beginning of the aggression with the words: "one nation in Bosnia will completely disappear! (Bosniaks)". An attempt of the European political elite to calm their consciousness in front of the whole world is their attempt to call the aggression of Serbia and Montenegro on Bosnia a civil war in Bosnia?! However the real truth is that there was never a civil war in Bosnia, a well planned out aggression by Serbia and Montenegro through the army force JNA took place. That army changed its name during the beginning of the war and it became the army of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina to conceal itself and under the pretence of protecting the Serbian people from the unarmed Bosnian people it committed such horrific crimes that were last seen in the Nazi camps.

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