The Little Witch Book

E-BOOK

BOSNIAN WITCHCRAFT

Raif Esmerović The Little Witch BookE-BOOK

BOSNIAN WITCHCRAFT

Raif Esmerović The Little Witch BookE-BOOK

BOSNIAN WITCHCRAFT

Raif Esmerović The Little Witch Book

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The Little Witch Book RAIF ESMEROVIĆ

hanks to Bogumils who at one period of the BiH history used tobe dominant religion and, in the same time, worshipers ofNature, 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 beliefsand practical performance.

Witches and their religion of Nature; worshiping of God and Goddessthrough the Sun and the Moon, have their deep roots in the beliefsof many nations across the Balkans and the rest of the Europe. Thesedays, analysing ethnological data, as well as traditional beliefsfrom Bosnia; dozens of extremely interesting details can bedisclosed showing us that old religion of Nature managed to surviveboth time and monotheism. However, in order to present data onwitches’ performance it is necessary to write so many pages with somany data enclosed. Since, every single journey begins with a singlestep we’ll commence the story on witchcraft along with this verytext and end it sometimes/somewhere in the future.

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Time of the ritual

In Bosnia, the most powerful and the most dangerous days areconsidered to be those between 30th of April and the 13th of May inwhich, accidentally or not, the witches holiday Beltane (1st of May)happens to be. In this very period the regeneration of Nature is atits peak, as well as farming works. In the middle of this periodthere is a Hidirllez (6th of May) Christian-Moslem holiday of Paganorigin that is traditionally put in the context of Nature and waterwhich is under the influence of the Moon. The worshiping of water asone of the manifestation of the Goddess is well reflected in twocustoms that are practised even these days in some parts of Bosnia.This is about the celebration of the first Tuesday that precedesHidirllez Holiday called Boni Tuesday (Boni utorak) entirely devotedto the water treatment (of the sick). During Boni Tuesday, healingsprings in the Nature are being visited; the sick drink the waterand wash their bodies with it. The first Tuesday after the 6th ofMay is called Dovni Tuesday (Dovni utorak) and on this day prayersare to be chanted for the wellbeing of individuals and the communityas a whole. Clearly speaking; the believers used to pray or, betterto say, thank to the ruler of the water (the Moon) for its support,aiming to get its protection throughout the year. Of course, by theappearance of Islam all that referring to the old Cult had to besuppressed and assimilated into the new religion. The Goddess hadbeen changed to the prayer to Allah, although it is clear at thevery first glance that those rituals have nothing to do with theIslam.

Light and the darkness

Even today in the 21st century the Bosnian witches follow theancient guidelines in their magic performance. The part of the daywhen the Sun is setting and the night falls down between Aksham andJaci ( „između akšama i jacije“ ) is still considered to be the bestperiod for the magic performance, especially for the love magic.

Analysing in detail the information why the sunset period is themost important period of the day to the Bosnian witches forperformance of the magic ritual, is to be sought in the very rootsof European witchcraft history. Two of the most important holidaysBeltane and Samhain celebrates the beginning of the shiny & darkpart of the year. Both holidays are the moments of the mostcelebrated celebrations and most powerful rituals related to thedivinity of the Nature. Similar to that, the end of the day and the

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beginning of the night represents the miniature alteration of lightand the darkness, Beltan and Samhain. According to Bosnian believes, immediately after the sunset Jinny get the power, they wake up andgo active, what is coincided with the belief that in the night ofBeltan and Samhain the door of the spiritual world open from whichvarious spirits and demons come to he world of human beings.

The Moon Cult

Although small number of ethnological data on magic inheritance ofBosnia & Herzegovina can be found today, from what such datadisclose it can be clearly found that in the past existed severaltypes of cults among which the Sun and the Moon cults dominated.Even these days, when they see a New Moon, some Bosniak womenperform the ritual in which the influence of Islam and the old daysMoon cult interlace with each-other. While gazing to the moon, awoman, lifts her arms to the chest level, with her palms pointingthe sky, chants 5 Qu'ran-s prayers, after what she wipes her facewith the palms. In the continuation, a Moon Cult ritual follows; awoman points her right forefinger to the Moon saying: “The way youMoon grove and transform so renew my form (existence)”. Apart fromthis ritual there were dozens of similar rituals amongst Bosniakwomen that were passed from one female generation to another. Inanother ritual woman prays to the New Moon for a good health of herchildren, in which case she directly alludes to the Goddess of theMoon; the protector of fertility and children. Another interestingbelief alludes to the old times idea on divine characteristic of theMoon, namely; it is believed that when the New Moon is seen for thefirst time the formula:“ I see New Moon, Mashallah!“ should bechanted, as in contrary a bad magic of “evil eyes” can strike theperson. In traditional Bosnian beliefs small kids are mostvulnerable to the influence of the evil eyes what leads to the ideathat in the old days the New Moon has been considered as a divinechild,i.e. freshly (re)born Goddess, which her followers need toprotect; in the faze when she has no enough strength and power.

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Cult of the mother goddess in Bosnia

The existence of the cult of the large mother is found in the StoneAge. She was considered to be the mother of humans and gods and hercult spread along the Mediterranean belt, which once contained theIllyrian kingdom and today, among other countries, the modern dayBosnia and Herzegovina. The cult of the large mother stems fromSyria, according to the available data, from which it spread toother countries and we can find it in Egypt (Izida), Babylon(Ishtar), Asia Minor (Kibela), Greece (Demetra), etc. The Syrianname Taschter or Tir, from which the name Astharte is derived, ispresent in Bosnia by the name of Tur, Tir or in the female formTirinica.

Astharte was a goddess of the moon, fertility and motherhood butalso of war, described as a horned deity, with a head of a bull.This data is key to linking her with the Illyrians and the mythabout the bull Garonja who is only familiar to the Bosnians, theSerbs and Croats don't mention him in their mythology.

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According to all of the archeological data the ox or bull belongedto the cult of the moon among the Illyrian tribes. It is importantto note that the bull is a common symbol of the cult of the motheramong all of the ancient peoples, the myth about Mithras alsoexisted among the Persians; he killed the godlike bull and createdentire nature out of his blood, especially wheat.

In Donja Dolina (Sanski Most) during the excavation of an Illyrianvillage, a skull of a pre-bull was found (Bos primigenius), whichis - as Ć. Truhelka speculates, attached to the façade of the houseand served as a bucranium. It is known that a head of a bull washung on the walls of temples in Greece once it has been sacrificedto the gods, and that's where the tradition originated from alsothis is the reason for all of the bucranium carvings on temples andvarious other structures.Numerous depictions of oxen are from an earlier time, they didn'talways carry an explicit message, but they surely weren't onlydecorative in nature. It is interesting that the findings are onlylimited to the north, and to a lesser extent to central areas wherethe Illyrians lived, even though it is fairly certain that in otherareas there was also a religious system in which the ox, as a lunarsymbol, was connected to the cult of the large mother. Here we'rereferring to the area occupied by the Liburn people, then peoplefrom the region Dalmatia and partially tribes in the southern andcentral parts of the Illyrian tribes. Also in this case, as withmany other symbols, lack of illustrations should be sought in thesphere of esthetic comprehension of the former men, not only in thereligious differences, i.e. the lack of the cult of the bull inspecific Illyrian regions.Ritual slaughter of the bull as a sign of fertility and itsconnection with the cult of the large mother was very old in theseregions, and was preserved unchanged to this day in the Balkans andelsewhere.

Bosnian myth about the bull Turu

In publications "Supplements for oriental philology: Revue dephilology orientale" from 1980 the following content is mentioned onpage 311: "In 1933 from a poor old woman, Puhalovka Alijaginica, wholived in Čerbedžije in Sarajevo, literally recorded the following:"On Wednesdays when you pray afternoon prayer and bow: Ognju andOgnjevom Piru, Turu, Hadži Dedi, Hadži Kasapi, Sitoj Nefisi, VejsilKaraniji, their parents and brother Mevelan". Checking whether this

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tradition is still prevalent in other places, I found out fromMahmud Traljić (born in Sarajevo in 1918)that he listened to theenumeration of these names from a Bosniak woman from Sarajevo FatimaHajrić, which died in 1961 or 1962 in her 102nd year.

As Oganj, Ognjev Pir and Tur or Tir don't belong among the names ofIslamic saints it is evident that these names are actually folknames for Illyrian deities. In my opinion we're dealing with twodeities i.e. sun god Oganj (fire) or Ognjev Pir (emperor of fire)and goddess of the moon Tur or Tir. In other words, this means thatamong the Bosniaks there were people who unknowingly, before WWII,prayed to the ancient gods. Confirmation of this fact can easily befound in the fact that these deities were presented in one context.

That Tur-Tir is a female deity is confirmed by a statement from SeidTraljić who mentions a female cult name Tirinica, whose godlikecharacteristics were annulled by Islam, but her name was kept inprayers until WWII, since it was considered holly.

The Bosnian folk believed from old times thatthe Earth resting on the back of a large bullcalled in some places Garonja. According tobelief when he moves his ears there will bean earthquake and when he shakes his entirebody it is believed that it will be the end

of the world. Ethnologist Gržetić stated succinctly the belief whichperhaps best depicts who is behind the character of Garonja, namely:"the people in Bosnia still to this day believe that the earth issupported by Turu, and once he shakes, there will be an earthquake".Meaning, the original name of the bull is Tur and not Garonja as ismentioned in south-western part of Bosnia.According to everything that is written it is easy to conclude thatthe ancient mother goddess is behind the character of Tur or Tir(Tirinica), which was also depicted with the head of a bull. She isthe mother of fertility, i.e. earth, and it is logical that he isdepicted supporting the earth. It is quite probable that the Latinword for bull - Taurus stems from the name Tur.

On the prevalence of the cult of the mother goddess in Bosnia andHerzegovina the following place names testify, such as: Turovo(beneath Jahorina), Turić (Gradačac), Turići (Vlahovići near Travnik,Lugovi near Fojnica, Banovići, Visoko), Turija (Bihać, Konjic, Tuzla,Visoko, Srebrenica), Turjak (Bosanska Gradiška, Dobrun kodVišegrada) and Turjačani (Bosanska Gradiška).

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In the footsteps of theBosnian sun god

The human species inhabited the Balkan area a million years ago, atthat age the remnants of humans found in the caves of Šandalj nextto Pula in Croatia were estimated. Throughout all that time ourancestors carried inside of them a feeling of security that the caveoffered. That feeling became a part of the human gene.

Numerous caves in BIH are known for having ritual and religioussignificance in various periods of this area. The oldest holly cavesare in Badanj in the canyon Bregava next to Stoca and the cave "Podlipom" not far from Kada's village next to Sokoc whose cultsignificance is depicted by drawings on the walls. The drawings canalso be seen on the entrance of Ledenjača cave next to Miljevina, onthe cliff "Pod pismom" next to Višegrad in Robovići next to Foča, inthe Djevojačka (maiden) cave next to Kladanj and also at theentrance to Vjetrenica. We could say that the presence of thesedrawings in the caves separates BIH from the other countries ofsouth-western Balkans. Out of ten drawings, seven were found in BIH,and the other three are located more to the south in Montenegro andAlbania, countries which constituted major parts of the ancientIllyrian kingdom. The mere arithmetic fact gives Bosnia a uniquecultural and historical significance. The drawings in the Bosniancaves are situated from the early Palaeolithic period, around 14thousand years BCE, until the Middle Ages. This shows themultiplicity of religious beliefs where the medium of pictures isonly a symbolic means of expression. Without knowledge of thislanguage it is impossible to have a clear insight into the hollyBosnian underground.

Places which simply flourish with deep meaning for the Bosnianspiritual history is the space around the royal city of Bobovac incentral Bosnia. Here too the spiritual tradition is long whichconfirms the numerous cemetery tombstones. On the cliffs above themonastery in Kraljeva Sutjeska there are twelve caves. They aresmaller in size which can house one or two people. Previous researchhas shown their ritualistic significance. Cave Ljuba has anartificially carved semi-circle bench stipadium, famous from when

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the Christians used to pray sitting in circle. From that bench thereis a carved path which leads to two resting places or two prayingplaces. When it comes to the morphology of the cave there is no needfor this path since the sides of the cave are not steep. It isobvious that even walking along that path had ritualisticsignificance. The path ends in front of an altar, artificial windowwhich is oriented towards the east. Who were these people thatdirected their prayers to the rising sun?

It is difficult to answer this question fully because we can onlyfollow history satisfactorily to a certain period until ancientBosnia (Bassania), but deeper into history things haven't beenresearched as far. However, undoubtedly the undisputable fact isthat the cult of the sun god (Oganj, Ognjev Pir, Zvizdan) has itsgenesis in the Bosnian region. Its traces are interspersedthroughout the religious practice of the Greeks, Celts and theRomans, i.e. people who came into direct contact with the Illyrians.We can't disregard nor forget the influence of ancient Persiathrough temples of the god Mithra which are also placed insidecaves, and the one which is best preserved in Bosnia is located inJajce and dates back to third century AD. The sun cult didn't evendisappear when the Slavs arrived and mixed with the Illyrian tribes,only the name changed into Svetovid, although this name wasn't thesole name of the sun god, since we come across a very widespreadname which is derived from the word star (zvijezda, zvizda),Zvizdan. However, all religious practice of this cult still remainedunchanged and under strong antique influence, especially Roman andCeltic. The best proof of this is the practice of keeping variousrituals and competitions which is undoubtedly of Roman origin. Fromritual competitions stems the toponim playground on the Hotijeljhill on mount Ratiš, as well as toponim playground on Trebava.

In ancient and medieval Bosnia all hilltops were dedicated to thesun god, and that's the reason why all rituals took place up high.That's why many mountain tops have the name Zvijezda (Zvizdan) intheir root, which is also a folk name for sun today, like the hillZvijezda above Malešić, terrain Podzvizd on the slopes of Monja,locality Zvijezda in Sladna where the cult area Rahimin tomb islocated. Above the village Priluk there is a hill called Sunčevo(Sun's) hill. We shouldn't forget the medieval city Podzvizd inVelika Kladuša which was built on top of a hill, etc.

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FAIRY MAGIC

Faeries are in a nutshell ancient ghosts of nature orpersonifications of their strengths. They were knownto the old Illyrians, Romans, Greeks... The belief infaeries is found along the entire Europe but also ofMiddle East. In Iran and Turkey the faeries are called

periler and have identical functions and descriptions like the ones in the European tradition. Theyare described as eternally young girls of stunning beauty, with long red and golden hair. A largenumber of faeries has wings.

According to Bosnian mythology the faeries are born out of dew which falls on the leaves of thegreat tree which grows on a mysterious, unknown hill. It has magical powers which can be usedfor good and bad which is witnessed by numerous events sung in folk songs where it is describedthat faeries became to certain heroes, such as Alija Đerzelez, Mujo Hrnjica or Halil, mothers, sistersor lovers. If a faery took on a motherly role towards the hero, she would grant him enormousstrength and intelligence, but if the relationship was that of siblings, they would heal all woundsthat the hero received during battles with herbs and magic or the faery would tell him all aboutthe enemy's plans. If the faery falls in love with the hero then she would become his lover and themother of his future child which she would leave with the father after birth and she would goback to her faeries in the nature.

It is this belief about the abandoned faery children resulted with the birth of a humane practice oftaking care of orphans which saved thousands of children abandoned at an early age, from acertain death. Namely, the Bosnian folk believed that abandoned children after birth were childrenfrom a faery and that's why it was gladly taken in and raised as their own. It was believed thatthose children brought good fortune and bliss to the family which was from then on protected bythe faery. In the past BIH didn't have an orphanage or another government institution whichwould take care of abandoned children, this belief largely helped in taking care of countlessorphans which were abandoned in forests or streets by irresponsible parents.

As we already mentioned the faeries took great interest in Bosnian heroes, they helped them incombat, healed their wounds, grieved for them, became their lovers and mothers of their childrenand sometimes sisters. However, from the preceding text we can see that faeries didn't only helpfolk heroes but also common people, especially children. Their help was particularly valued by thepeople which can be seen by numerous epic poems like the one from Jablanica called "Halilsearching for Mujo's horse Đogat" in which out of 347 verses, 41 of them were dedicated to thefaeries participation as a helper. Their specialty, besides magic is healing with the help of herbs. It

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is considered that most of the knowledge about medicinal properties of plants the humansgained thanks to the intervention of these beings. In one poem how the mother of Omer Hrnjicafollowing the advice of a faery finds the plant kunica (Achillea millefolium L.) and drains its juicesabove her son's wound and covers it with cloth. In folk songs the wounded Mujo Hrnjica is beinghealed by faeries which live in forests and mountains. Besides such a way the faeries, wanting tohelp the greatest hero of Bosnia, perform various spells such as the one that gave his horse Đogatwings and helped him win every race.

The faeries usually live on mountains and large forests near lakes. They spend most of their timeflying from tree to tree, bathing, combing hair and dancing in circles. The hair which contains allof the faeries power was often depicted in folk stories as a great danger to the faery itself since itcould get tangled in a bush and she became an easy prey to passers-by. Apparently, whosoeverhelped a faery untangle her hair from a bush could ask the faery to help him with something or toeven become his wife. She couldn't reject any wish. Faeries, especially the ones living inmountains or forests, easily fall in love. There are dozens of stories in which a faery fell in lovewith a man and then kidnapped him and lived for several years in a cave or forest with him.

Evil faeries

Unlike them, the water faeries are hostile towards humans. They reside next to sources of rivers,streams or seas. They spend almost all of their time bathing and they have fun by enchanting withtheir song the one that they want to drown. That's why people carried ember with them whenthey would approach a river or creek during the night in order to protect themselves from thefaeries.

In a few folk tales about Mujo Hrnjica and Alija Đerzelez, they are depicted as brothers eventhough in real life they weren't brothers. We hypothesise that the idea about them being brotherswas created based on the information that both of these Bosnian heroes were fed by the milk ofthe same faery, they are considered "foster brothers". According to Bosnian belief if a motherloses her milk and another woman breastfeeds her child that woman is considered to be his othermother or "foster mother" and it's forbidden for that child and children of that woman to getmarried.

In a folk song about Mujo and Alija it is mentioned how they went hunting birds from the familyof ducks known as utve zlatokrile (Tadoma ferriginea) which are, as mythology claims, the form inwhich faeries like to transform into. After they finished with the hunt they sat down next to thelake to rest and they eventually fell asleep. During that time they were observed by three whitefaeries which were angry since they killed a few of their favourite birds. The oldest one of themoffered to the others hundred ducats if they manage to alienate the two of them. The youngestfaery appeared next to Mujo and started to cry. Her cry woke up Mujo who saw a beautiful younggirl next to him. He immediately woke up his brother Alija saw instead of one, two beautiful girlsand he answered angrily that it's not fair that he has two beautiful girls and he has none. They gotinto a fight and Mujo pulled out a knife and stabbed his brother. Then he placed the girl on the

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brother's horse and he mounted his horse and they rode home. Along the way Mujo saw a blackcrow without her right wing and he asked her how she lived without her right wing to which thecrow replied that she lives like a brother that has no brother. Those words saddened Mujo and hefelt sorry for wounding his brother and the faery told him to hurry back since she used to heal thesik and she would heal his brother. However, when they returned his brother was already deadand Mujo punished himself with death.

However water faeries are not untouchable and their constant need for bathing can lead theminto dangerous situations. Namely, if a man spots them bathing he can sneak and steal theirclothes. According to belief the faery whose clothes is stolen by a man she needs to marry him. Inethnographic books there are records that faeries often met with elf's in a village Seoce nearVisoko. Apparently some young men managed to steal their clothes and some faeries marriedthem. Since they are immortal after the death they became free and they would return intonature.

All of the faeries powers are located in her hair which they nurture until perfection. While they arecombing their hair the faeries sing and during that they utter mysterious verses which are full ofwisdom. The hair that falls off during combing is wrapped around fern (Pteridophyta). Theyespecially like to visit horses that have a lush mane and they like to knit tiny braids which are hardto undo. Such horses are considered to be special because they have been touched by faeries.

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Fairies of BosnianmythologyIf some faeries take particular care of a human, thatthen means that he carries a deeper connection totheir world. Such persons shall stand out in life withenlightened wisdom. To be the favourite of thefaeries, that is if he is noble and the faeries like him,means that one has the ability to hear their song oreven distinguish their mysterious verses heardthrough the wind. Such a man will appreciate thetruth since most faeries are guardians of truth andthey drive away lies. However, if an encounter of afaery and a bad person takes place, that person isthen risking mental illness.

Bosnian mythology enumerates many names for faeries, the most famous ones are: Bosnian faery,faery queen Golden, Red faery, Forest faery, faery of the mountains (mountain faery), etc. Certainfaeries have characteristic names such as Gope, Gospa, Srebra, Bilka, etc.

Red faery: she usually appears around sunset. They usually sit in an alley or next to a roadcombing her long red hair. The one who meets her can be harmed when she swings her hair in hisdirection and hits him with it. A man becomes sick from that blow and sometimes they can fallinto a coma. Her symbol is the colour red.

Bosnian faery: she is a girl with golden hair and luscious bosom. She wears a long white gownwhose edges are sown through with a golden thread. In her hair there is a flower of lily. Her bodyis adorned with large wings which she uses, according to legend, to fly through the air and flyover Bosnia in all directions. Bosnian faery has a mellifluous voice and she sings often. By natureshe falls within the benevolent kind. She can often be found in the company of other faerieswhich are of a lower rank than her. Her symbol is the flower lily (Lilium bosniacum).

Faery queen Golden: she is the mistress of all Bosnian faeries. She lives in large thick forests andalways moves in the company of her subjects. At night, especially during a full moon, she exits theforests and bathes in a river or pond. She has golden wings and a crown on her head. After herbath she sings and plays with the other faeries on some mound until the first rooster sounds atdawn. Her symbol is a full moon.

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Forest faery: she is among the oldest faeries and she is often called the mother of faeries. It isconsidered that Golden faery is her daughter which inherited her. Forest faery is the one which ismost remembered among the Bosnian folk because she was the reason that Mujo Hrnjica becamethe biggest hero of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is meek and wise by nature and she has amellifluous voice. The Bosnian witches (stravarka) call them for aid during healing ritualsaddressing them with words "mother, sister". Her symbol is a golden apple.

Mountain faery: she is a faery that has a garland of flowers in her hair. She wears a long dress andsometimes she holds a walking stick in her hand. She has the ability to transform and she oftentransforms into a goat for easier passage along the steep hillside. She is familiar with all of thesecrets of the plants and healing. Herdsmen often encounter her, and she helps them if there is aneed for it. Her symbol is a white goat.

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Faeries and magic

It's not impossible to see faeries. Sometimes meeting them can be a spontaneous and suddenevent caused by a magical ritual. There are two reasons that can cause to be accidentally visible tohumans. The first one is that nature ghosts, in certain circumstances, thicken their fluid form insuch a way that it becomes visible to those humans who are sensible enough. As a secondpossibility comes the one by which man, due to his accessibility or particular psychological state,caused by occult techniques or spontaneity, becomes sensitive to various vibrations.

If you would like to see or hear sky faeries I recommend that you try it somewhere in nature, earlyin the morning, because according to mythology that is the time when "faeries born during thered dawn" appear, whose appearance is usually the most fascinating. All you need to do is to beopen and focused. To help you see the faery in the sky, you can repeat the magical formula"Paralada" which enables you to see them. You will recognize them by the white and goldendresses and long hair in which all of their power is contained, according to mythology. Sky faeries

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can also be seen in a forest, especially near an old oak tree, or on the back of a deer or someother animal.

Water faeries, which often serve as muses to humans, can be seen near lakes, rivers or creeks. Tocall forth their forms you should repeat the formula "Nixa" out loud which stimulates clairvoyancein terms of the water element.

The belief in faeries is not only a part of the Bosnian folklore but also of the magical tradition. Asthe stories about faeries are the best kept part of the ancient occult of the Grand-mother in whichfertility, motherhood, love and magic intertwine, i.e. the entire concept of ancient witchcraft waspreserved in the practice of many rituals and beliefs. Some of them were practiced until themiddle of the past century among the Bosnian women, especially the elderly women.

If child was struck by a negative influence of spellbound eyes and as a result cries often withoutany visible cause, it has a fever, is sleepless or loses appetite the mother will, at dusk, when the faeriesgather around to dance, take the child in her hands and rock it in the direction of west and repeat:

The faeries are calling me to a wedding,

I'm not going nor am I sending my child,

but I'm sending my son's (or daughter's) tears.

Sometimes faeries can attack people and during it they throw vilenine on him, a disease which ismanifested in mental issues, fear, unrest, insomnia, headache, etc. To cure himself from such anunnatural disease, the diseased must sit on the floor and one of the members of the household holds ametal dish above his head which holds fire created out of spruce branches. Seven grains of salt are thrownin the fire twenty one times. It is believed that the crackling of the salt in the fire and the smoke of sprucebranches will annul the effect of vilenina.

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Invocation the famousBosnian Fairy

This is a witch's ritual of invocation ofthe Bosnian fairy. During any night that hasa full moon she undresses completely. Shedraws a protective circle in front ofherself in which she will stand during theinvocation. Once you enter, finishencircling closing it completely while youare inside. Then turn your face towards theeast. Close your eyes and listen for the vibration of the circle inwhich you are. Let your breath follow the vibration of the circle.Once you succeed in doing this let out a voice from the depth ofyour chest and utter the ritual chant: "Apo Pantos Kakodaimonos"-allow the last letter to echo out of your mouth even when theinvocation is finished. Place both of your palms on your stomach andbreathe in with your entire lungs. Once your lungs are full, exhale,help yourself with your palms by pressing on your stomach. Do this acouple of times in order to cleanse your spirit and then slowlyspread your arms in a swimming motion. Once they are spread, utterthe following: "Apo Pantos Kakodaimonos". You will repeat the palmaction on the stomach and breathe again, repeat the spreading of thearms and once done utter for the third time: "Apo PantosKakodaimonos".

You will then slowly spread your legs but you will not raise thefeet from the ground. The feet need to slide on the ground. You willlight a blue candle which shall be turned towards the east, then ablack one turned towards north, a green one facing west and in theend a red one facing south. When you do this, you will utter a newoath, fully concentrated:" Ordao Alim". You will turn your bodytowards the east, spread your arms and utter:" In the name and powerof the ghosts I'm calling you, my sisters from the east". You willpause shortly, then utter: "Vau". You will then turn towards thenorth and call the spiritual powers from the north. Then theinvocation of the powers from the west follow, then the ones fromthe south, in the same manner. Once you do all of that you will bestanding in the centre of the circle, close your eyes, cross yourarms on your chest and utter: "Yod". This is repeated three times ina row, each time with a deeper and deeper concentration. Then, themoment when a Bosnian fairy appears in front of you outside theprotective circle will come. She will be wearing a see through dresswhich will accentuate all of her curves. Unbridled golden hair willdescend to her shoulders. She will be holding a book in her hand.She will ask you what is it that you want from her. You have to tellher in a loud voice what is it that you want to know, she will openher book, leaf through it and find the answer to your question. You

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mustn't record what she tells you, you need to remember it. Andthere is no secret that she cannot give you. And there is no problemthat she cannot solve. And there is no future which she cannot seeinto. Thanking the power which appeared in the form of a Bosnianfairy, she will give you all you want. When the time forconversation is up she will tell you she needs to go. She willdisappear. You mustn't leave the protective circle since the invokedpower is too strong for the human body and you could die if you doit. Wait for the Bosnian fairy to disappear, then perform the ritualof dismissal but this time in a reverse order. Only when you havedone that, you can delete a part of the circle with your hands, exitit, and then delete it completely.

After that wash your entire body with cold water, rinse your mouthwith which you asked questions, ears that heard the answers andhands that lit the candles and participated in the ritual. Thethings that you wash don't wiperather wait for the drops to dryby themselves. What you found outyou mustn't tell to others, noteven to the other witches, becauseif they want an answer from thefairy they will perform the ritualthemselves. The answers will begiven only to you and only you canuse them in your witchcraft. Onlyafter the invocation, if youare uncertain that you will rememberwhat has been said to you and only after the water has dried fromyour skin, you can record the revelations in your witch's book whichyou will destroy before you die, leaving the human form.

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The Witches Garden

The unbreakable bond of man and nature is best explained with oneBogomil legend. Sine God created man out of earth, he left him todry in the sun and went to get the soul which will breathe life intothe earthen body. Seeing the earthen creature, the devil used themoment of gods absence to poke 41 holes in the body and escaping.When god returned and blew the soul through the nostrils it went outthrough the holes that the devil poked. At thatmoment realising what kind of prank the devilplayed, he healed all the holes with the helpof herbs, except one hole. This hole wasdetermined for the soul's exit after death.Giving life to the human, god explained whichherbs he placed inside his body, and in thatsense revealing to him which herb heals whichpart of the body. That's why in folk medicinein BIH this number was always taken to set howlong a certain tea needs to be consumed, howlong to apply an ointment or something similar.

How much the Bogomil tradition was influentialin traditional medicine is confirmed by thefollowing recipe for various diseases. One would pick 40 types ofherbs and store them in an earthen pot which would be filled withclean spring water. The pot would be sealed shut and buried to staythere for 40 days. After that the water from the pot would have tobe drunk during 40 days since it was considered to be a panacea ormedicine for all afflictions. According to traditional instructions,each morning on an empty stomach one would drink an amount ofmixture that could fit in a small fildžan (traditional coffee cup).

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The Witches Garden



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The Witches Garden



Holly herbs of Bosnian paganism

Visibaba (Galanthus) since ancient times among the Bosnian folk thisherb is named Baba or Grandma which alluded to dedication of thisspring herb to the old deity Baba or old lady, ancient mothergoddess. In the preserved writings of Bosnian ritual witchcraft thisherb was used to remove sleepiness and spring fatigue from men,especially children. A stem of snowdrop (visibaba) would be circledthree times around a person's head, clockwise, uttering " Snowdropis sleeping and you're not, snowdrop is sad and you're happy!".

Heavenly husband and Baba's retainer is Did or old man, ancient sungod, to whom a plant has been dedicated in the south-western part ofBosnia by the name of Did or Silymarin. The plant was tabooed andholly which proves the folk belief that it shouldn't be trampled.The one who does so, will befall an accident.







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Sedef, sedefet, sedefil ormerđanđus (Ruta graveoles) has adominant place in the mysticbotany of Bosnia andHerzegovina. Among the folkSedef is considered to be aholly plant with miraculouspower which came directly fromheaven and is connected withGod's prophet himself, Muhammad.In the chapter of Mawlid "Birthof the Prophet" in the firstverse it is said: "Amina, themother of Mohammed - theprophet, she gave birth to Sedef..."

Because of its popularity it is present in folk medicine but alsothe spiritual tradition. It is also inevitable in the cult of thedead: a stalk of sedef is placed above the deceased's head in orderto protect him from a demon attack and to ensure a safe transitionto the afterlife. It is traditionally planted in graveyards so thatit can spread with its fragrance peace and tranquillity and to chaseaway the sorrow and melancholy.

In folk medicine it is considered that this plant has a beneficialeffect on the heart, therefore it is mentioned in one recipe: "Theplant sedefil is plucked, is used fresh or dried, ground and mixedwith honey when one experiences pain around the heart." In anotherrecipe the following is mentioned:" For heart diseases one shouldboil and drink sedefil, especially its leaves." Besides finding aplace among the Bosnian folk as a medicinal herb for curing diseasesof the organs, this plant is also useful when it comes to protectionand neutralisation of all supernatural effect which can harm ahuman.

Sedefil has exceptional apostrophic power against the effects ofspellbound eyes, and the flower from this plant was often timesfound in the hair of girls in the past, especially during largegatherings. If it was considered that a child was under negativeinfluence of spellbound eyes he had to smell a stalk of freshsedefil.

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Sedefil was used to cure fear which can manifest in two waysaccording to folk belief - through the nerves and the bowels. Thefirst type is often found in children and is manifested through afeeling of droopiness, shaky legs, nightmares as well as theappearance of a dark ring around the eyes. If the fear affected thebowels then it is manifested through a chronic diarrhoea, which sapsthe energy from the diseased.

In treatment of the first type the ritual with lead is used, and inthe second, when the fear affects the bowels, before sunrise a fewbranches of sedefil are plucked which are then crushed and thenmixed with some water. That mixture is then filtrated, a small spoonof honey is added to the mixture as well as some sugar and is lefton fresh air and direct sunlight for 24 hours. That cure is thengiven to the child for two or three days at dawn, before sunrise. Ifit is an adult then the medicine is taken for seven days.

Cikorija (Ciciborium intybus): besides nacre this is the secondfavourite plant among Bosnian stravarke which is used as a necessaryprop when it comes to healing skin rashes for which it is believedthat had originated from a person stepping over a place where dirtywater, blood, urine or something else which attracts the Jinn hasbeen spilt. After crossing over the tabooed place the person willstart to feel a slight tingle in the feet, depression andsuffocation. These symptoms point to the fact that an attack from aspiritual being has taken place on the human and that's why theritual of melting lead needs to take place. After the ritual hasbeen performed a stem of Cikorija is submerged in water and then thepart of body that has the rash is sprinkled with it.

Oman (Inula helenium): this plant has a special place in Bosnianwitchcraft because of its magical potential. Still today someBosnian women try and dig up a root of Oman before the firstsounding of the cuckoo bird in spring since at that time it has thestrongest prophylactic powers, according to folk belief. After it iswashed and cleaned from the rest of the dirt the root is cut with aknife into smaller pieces and then a needle is threaded through inorder to hang them on a wall much easier.

With a few dry pieces placed on burning coal the house is covered in

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its smoke, especially the bathroom.

-In a house that has more female members the bathroom is a favouritegathering place of the devils and Jinn's, because they love to watchthem take baths and comb their hair. That's why the bathroom shouldbe covered in Oman's smoke each month to chase them away and toavoid inconveniences that they can cause to humans, Alija Ćerimovića stravarka from Velika Kladuša explained.

Leaves of Oman often replace paper when it comes to amuletmanufacture which is intended to cure effect of black magic. Thesmaller leaves are used for children and the big ones for adults.After certain prayers are scribbled on it or symbols the paper isplaced inside a pillow which the person will use until healed.

Fasligan (Ocimum basilicum): because of its pleasant and nice smellthis plant has prophylactic powers in Bosnian witchcraft and isdedicated to the moon. The plant was brought to the Balkans by theOttomans using its plants to wrap pieces of meat so it can retainits freshness for longer so it can be consumed. Fasligan hasproperties to chase away negative energy with its smell, such asspellbound eyes, and that's why it was traditionally harvested inautumn and stored in bouquets which were hung on house walls. Ifsomeone suspected that their children, livestock or bees wereaffected by spellbound eyes the plant would be set on fire and itssmoke would be used to cover the person or animal. It was also usedfor home purification and a dry twig of Fasligan was crushed andspread across a stove in order for its smell to gradually spreadacross the house.

The folk belief is that a stem of Fasligan which is a year old hasthe power to heal sugreb. One would add a spoon of honey into avessel filled with water and stir well, and then a stem of Fasliganwould be dipped in water. A person suffering sugreb stands on adoorstep of a bathroom and sprinkles a part of its body affected bysugreb with Faslinga.

Still to this day it is believed that Fasligan planted amongstvegetables keeps the yield from spellbound eyes and defends itagainst snakes. Fasligan in Islamic tradition is connected to Hasanand Husein, two sons of Hazrat Fatima.

Neven (Calendula officinalis) is a plant that is often mentioned infolk songs where a girl uses love magic in order to conquer or

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punish a man because of unrequited love:

"It wasn't me Meho I swear on your life!

I only circled out your footprint in the ground

and there planted Neven.

As Neven can't grow without Earth

so you too will not be able to live without me"

In the past in Cazin it was forbidden to plant Neven in the housewhere there were adolescent females since itruined their chance to get married. But,Neven didn't get a reputation of an unwontedplant because of this isolated case but quitethe opposite. Because of its yellow colour inBosnian witchcraft Neven was dedicated to thesun and that's why it carries the power ofattraction for money and business luck and itwas always planted in pots and kept on thewindow of a house or business office.

Verem (Calamintha officinalis) - this Bosnianname for this plant comes from a Turkish wordfor sorrow and is traditionally used for treating the disease behindwhich lies depression. Verem was used to make tea which was drunk bypeople who felt sorrow or melancholy. Especially susceptible todepression in the past were women of various age to whom it wassuggested to drink tea from Verem and to go to a creek or riverevery day and dragging a cloth across the surface of the water toutter: "O dear water if you only knew how I felt" she would confideto the water and listen to the calming sound which wouldpsychologically calm and relax them.

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Stravna trava (Glechoma hederacea) in the ritual of fear eliminationor another type of shock which appeared after a traumatic experiencethis plant was used. Stravarke, traditional Bosnian healers, boiledit in a vessel with water sometimes adding pieces of bread. When thewater started to boil stravarka would, holding an empty pan, pourthe boiling water above the head of the diseased into this pan alongwith the plant and she would flip that vessel upside down to createa vacuum in order for the fluids to return into the vessel. Afterthe water cooled the diseased person would use it to wash his faceand to drink it and the rest was thrown outside usually on the roador a cross road.

For curing all forms of fear a stravna herb is used whose leaves aresubmerged into water and is left overnight and is taken the next dayas an elixir. The leaves of this plant are also given to pregnantwomen as a prophylactic agent, to women after birth and childrenwhich carry the leaves on their chest, to protect them against thefear and panic.

Still today most Bosnian herb healers are familiar with the effectsof Stravna herb which in combination with time yields amazingresults in depression treatment, treating anxiety and stress.According to the recipe of Alja Jusupović from Foča a pinch of Veremand Strava herb is used and poured over with hot water. The vesselis covered and left to stand there for half an hour until it cools.The tea should be drunk three times a day, sweetened with honey.

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Okoločep (Mandragora officinalis):this plant whose root reminds us of ahuman body is in use since theancient times. The plant containspoisonous ingredients to whom largemagical powers were given. Bosnianwitches used okoločep for variousspells and the most famous one waswhen the root of the plant wassubmerged in water for some time,then a hole is punctured inside of itand a wife would look at her husbandthrough it. This would eliminate anyinterest he had for other women.

Odoljen (Valeriana officinalis) according to a legend in Bosnia andHerzegovina there were no men in the country until odoljen sprung upfrom the ground. Allegedly, before this miraculous plant appearedall male children would die after 24 hours. Odoljen is also called aplant of the faeries since they mentioned it often in their songsadvising people to use it for medicinal purposes: "If a mother knewwhat odoljen is, she would never burry her son", etc. In Bosnianwitchcraft the root of this plant is used to stimulate peace andharmony inside a household. When it is plucked out of the ground theroot is cleaned and dried, then crushed into powder which is placedinside food and drinks in small quantities which is consumed by allmembers of the family. That's why odoljen is often called among thefolk pomiruša. If a husband and wife get into a fight and don'tcommunicate for a longer period, then the powder of the plant ismixed with the powder of miloduh (Hyssopus officinalis). Bothpowders are mixed with a spoon of honey and discretely offered tothe husband and wife saying:"as the milodih mixed with odoljen andmerged so shall N. and N. will merge and reconcile.

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Lindik (Gentiana cruciata): this is an old plant of Bosnianwitchcraft. It was used to cure insomnia and love problems, sincethe old days, by putting it inside a pillow.

Šipak (Rosa Canina): according to folk belief in the fruit of šipakone could find a small white worm. Whether the worm is alive or deadit can be used to foretell how many children a woman will have inher marriage. The woman threads it through a sleeve of her clothesand places it inside a glass of water that she offers to her husbandwithout telling him what she did. When the husband drinks the waterthe woman looks to see what has happened to the worm: if it stayedon the bottom of the glass then she will have only one baby with herhusband, but if he drinks it with the water they will have morechildren.

If a small child cries often during the night and is not sick, it isconsidered that it is a victim of spellbound eyes, that's why asmedicine a flower of rose hip plucked with one's eyes closed isplaced next to the child's head.

The hand of Hazrat Fatima (Anastatica hierochuntica) is a plantwhich grows in the lands of the Middle East and which was oftenbrought to Bosnia by the man and women on the pilgrimage to thoselands. It was brought with the intent to help during childbirth.Namely, according to belief, if the labour prolonged, this plantwould be submerged inside a vessel with water and the plant wouldswell after soaking up a part of the water. This was interpretedthat the "hand" opened and that's why the pregnant woman wassprinkled with the water hinting at the fact that she too will"open" after that i.e. give birth.

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Trava od sastave (Geum urbanum) is a traditional medicine for allafflictions which appear under the ribs. People believe that thoseare the symptoms of gastric diseases, according to belief thegizzard can be moved from its place because of a shock or bad eatinghabits and cause a lot of pain. The root of this plant is used forthe preparation of this cure, it is washed and ground then mixedwith crushed garlic. The powder is then mixed with honey and a smallamount is taken each morning on an empty stomach until the painrecedes.

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LOVE MAGIC

Bosnian love magic is based on a belief of magical power of love oaths and formulas and thepower of various herbs, animals and bodily fluids. The magic formulas were mostly done aftersunset until midnight, Monday evening and first Friday after the new moon. Old Bosnian womenwhich are familiar with love magic suggest that love potions should be given to the target personin the morning, before she/he washes up, because the effect of the potions are the strongest firstthing in the morning. The time of the new moon and full moon are the most convenient for allforms of love magic. In order for love magic to be successful it shouldn't be discussed since thatweakens its effect and it dissipates.

To win over a young man a girl takes two leaves of a plant Bal(Papaver somniferum). She spreads honey on one leaf and butter onthe other one and places those two leaves on two sides of theentrance door of the house. When the man she fancies enters thehouse the girl connects the two leaves and buries them under theroof, to the place where rain falls from the roof onto the ground,all the while uttering: "As the rain drops need a hole in the groundso too NN needs me."

When the sun sets the girl takes a few stems of thorn apple (Daturastramonium) and throws it into the fire uttering:

Thorn apple divides thorn apple,

šendeli bendeli, ni šendeli ni bendeli,

NN will go crazy after me"

then she turns the palms of her hands towards the fire and utters:

Fire, by God a sister, this spell hasn't been tied either to me noryou but to my loved NN and his 77 veins and 88 joints.

After that the girl goes to bed.

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When a girl or a wife wants to make a love potion for her lover or husband she takes a glass ofwater and an empty bowl in which she will perform ritual washing of the body. This ritual is doneafter the woman has taken a shower, since according to folk belief love oaths (basme) have poweronly when they are uttered by a person with a clean body. Before she commences ritual cleansingthe woman repeats the verse Ikhlas five times.

N. me elif, you elif,

you were muti

whatever I'm doing you are doing

look with my eyes (wash eye lids three times)

hear with my ears (wash ears three times)

speak with my mouth (wash mouth three times)

operate with my hands (wash hands three times)

walk with my feet (wash feet three times)

veledalin amin from God amin.

The water which was used to wash the mentioned body parts is stored in a small bottle and iskept until a suitable moment when it can be poured in the lovers/husbands coffee or juice. Whenshe completes this she then blows three times in the direction of the juice or coffee and swallowsthe spit in her mouth.

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you were muti









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you were muti









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To make a man come visit her, a woman would perform a ritual with a frog. The woman places alive frog inside the ash where there is a fire burning and covers the frog with a metal dishuttering: "As the frog is croaking my N is crying. If he doesn't come to me while the frog is alivehe should die with his next step."

When a girl wants love from a certain young man she pours a bit of water in her mouth, butdoesn't swallow it, and in her mind she utters the verse Ikhlas and then she utters:"Dear Lordconnect me with NN and fulfil my will". After that she pours the water from her mouth into a juiceor coffee which she will give to the young man to drink.

When she gets her period the girl puts a few drops on an old rag, wraps it and buries it under thethreshold over which the man she is in love with will walk over.

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In the past the women used to give advice to one another about using sugar cubes for lovemagic, in order to awaken love and lost passion within their husbands. As advised by elderlywomen a woman would rub a sugar cube on her vagina and place it into her husband's coffee.While placing the sugar cube inside the coffee she would utter the following words three times:"However sweet this coffee might be to you, I will be even sweater to you veledalin amin". Shewould then blow three times towards the coffee and swallow her spit.

When a woman sees that her husband is angry she places her hands on her face and looks at himthrough her fingers without him noticing and utters three times:"Here comes my NN, his mouthare a twig and my vagina his tongue, from God amin veledalin". Some women which practice thisspell believe that it can soothe and calm even a man that found his wife in bed with another man.

For a man and a woman to quarrel continuously one takes two small rags, a few blood drops andpieces of hair from a dog are placed into one and into the other a few drops of blood from a catalong with some cat hair. Both rags are tied into a knot and the following is uttered: "The quarrelof a dog and a cat shall afflict NN and NN". Those rags are buried on two sides of the entrancedoor to the house or yard of that specific married couple.

When a mistress wants a man to leave his wife for her, after intercourse she wears his underwearfor seven days.

If a woman wants her man to look at her with loving eyes all the time, she regularly, every month,cuts her pubic hair and burns them in a fire.

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FOLK CALENDAR

The Bosnian national (agricultural) calendar spans back to theIllyrian old era. The maker of the calendar is unknown. It is knownthat it was created and used by a farmer. Some dates from the Juliancalendar, which was created 45 years BCE, can be recognised in theBosnian calendar. After Christianity came, some of these datesreceived names of saints. With the arrival of the Slavs, pagans,people known for agriculture, the dates had different names, butthey always remained the same. The folk calendar was usedcontinuously, it was used during the time of the Bogumil's, it wasalso used during the Ottoman period, and it even serves a purposetoday. Besides this, in Bosnia the Hijri calendar was also strictlyobserved. It was done by the Imam's and other religious scholars, inorder to be aware of the important religious dates (Ramadan, Bayram,New year, etc.). The Hijri calendar was impractical when it came toagriculture, since it moved forward ten days every solar year,however it was practical when it came to fasting during the month ofRamadan since it moved through all the seasons. We need to mentionthat the Hijri calendar was the official calendar in Bosnia duringthe Ottoman period, until the Austro-Hungarian period when theybrought the Gregorian calendar.

The Bosnian folk calendar begins on December 21st, the folk beliefholds that on that date, the day extends as much as a rooster canjump from a doorstep. From this date on comes the Zehmeriya(Turkish: Zehmeri) the coldest part of winter that lasts for 40days. While Zehmeriya lasts people avoid drinking cold water in fearof catching a cold.

January: the folk call January the longest moth in the year. FromJanuary 17th the counting of the weeks until Hidirlez begins (May6th), 17 weeks total. This is what determines the sowing.The period from January 31st until March 20th is called Hamsin andit represents the second part of winter.

February- from February 14th until March 14th is Veljača, the folkbelief is that if snow falls in the beginning of the Veljača thatthe year will be fertile, and that wheat will have a good yield.

Djemre (Turkish: Cemreler), the meaning of this word is "burning

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charcoal", it is believed that Djemre is the sun's heat which startsto have an intense impact on the land and it starts awakening thenature.-The first Djemra appears on February 20th and heats the air. That'swhen the Southern wind starts blowing and it becomes milder.-The second Djemra appears on February 27th heats up the water andraises its level. The water in the river doesn't freeze from thispoint on.-The third Djemra appears on March 6th and heats up the land. Thesnow melts fast and the first grass starts sprouting.(Right after the first Djemra the people have a custom to notch theroots of the birch and put a glass bottle so that the juices of thebirch flow in it. The bottle stays in that position until the thirdDjemra. 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 treesare notched and inoculated.

Grandma (Baba)- from March 15th until March 21st is the period ofthe grandma, the unstable period when a couple of weather phenomenachange in one day.Grandpa (Did,Djed)- from March 21st until March 28th is the periodof the grandpa, the folk beliefs are that it is more merciful andpeople start sowing potatoes during this period.

(“Did” or Grandpa is a name (title) of each Bogumil priest in Bosniaand “Baba” (grandma) is the name of his wife who helped her husbandand the community by healing with herbs, assisting in births, orforetelling fortunes. Since the Bosnian people were Bogumils beforeIslam came, it is then no mystery why they kept some of the memoriesof their old religion. Among the folk there are numerous stories,mostly comical, about Did and Baba and their adventures. By them, wecan discern that they commanded great respect among the Bosnianpeople.)

Kablići- March 29th until March 31stStablići- April 1st until April 3rdŠtapići- April 4th until April 7th(All three names are connected to the past of Bosnia when thewinters were very long and they usually lasted until the middle ofApril. During that period the cattle used to die because of lack of

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food)

Mučenjaci- period from April 8th until July, this is the period whenpeople suffered (hence the name) until the sowing of the wheat.

April: during April the corn is sown. The old Bosniaks would waitfor the frogs to start making noise, which would be a sign that theclimate is optimal for sowing. The people also followed other signsof the nature, and therefore it is believed that when the beech treestarts sprouting leaves that one can begin sowing grain withoutfearing frost. During the middle of April the grapevine was notchedand a bottle was placed underneath it for the juices to drip in ituntil Hidirlez. This juice was used by women to smear on their hairso 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 calendarfrom this day forward, the summer begins and the swimming in lakesand ponds can begin. In the period from May 6th until May 13th thefirst 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) arepicked 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 childrenand the elderly. To prevent this from happening, the mothers wouldtake some clothes of their children and throw it under the wheel ofcarriages that carry wheat bundles. In the first days of August theonion and garlic are picked.Aliđun- August 2nd: the folk belief is that from this day on, thesummer loses its heat and slowly turns into autumn, the water in therivers begins to cool down and there can be no more swimming.

September: during this month the potato is reaped, the corn as welland the grapes start ripening. If some strawberries sprout inSeptember, then it is believed that the autumn will be long andmild.

October: in the first and second week of October wheat is sown.

Kasum - November 8th: from this day onward, winter starts. On this

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day, all loans are settled, and leases of land end. Kasum is Turkishthe name of November. The Arabic word kasim means 'something thatdivides“.

Pagan background of the folk calendar

As Christianity took over most of the pagan holidays and customscreating a cult of saints, in this analysis of ancient Bosniancalendar we won't waste space and time by discovering which sainttook over which role of a pagan deity, instead we will focus on moreimportant, original segments which are in its basis key principlesfor punctual description of the folk calendar whose content followsthe creative cycle of nature. The only thing that is worthmentioning is that Christianity changed moved some dates a few daysearlier or later from the original date of the pagan holidays inorder to give it a Christian meaning and diminish the ancient, paganone.

Researchers of ancient Bosnia came across archaeological evidencewhich point out that there was mixing between the Celtic religiouscults with those of the Illyrians, especially with the Japodi, atribe that inhabited the north-western part of Bosnia. By analysingthe folk calendar of that part of Bosnia, which was transferredorally from one generation to the other, we can discover the tracesof Celtic religion, the cult of fertility to be more exact, which isa staple part of what we know today as European witchcraft.

By describing particular calendar dates and beliefs connected tothem we can relatively successfully reconstruct the ancient cult oftriple goddess Brigid which is also considered the Grand Mother.Wheat was dedicated to her out of whom prophylactic symbols werecreated with intent to keep the family safe from evil. Herodotus inone of his descriptions of the Illyrians mentions that Illyrianwomen bring wheat as a sacrifice to one of their goddesses. Thisundoubtedly confirms the similar belief of the Celt and theIllyrians.

In the folk calendar dualism is emphasized, the permeation of thenegative and the positive period during which nature begins and endsits circle of fertility, which is under the protection of thegoddess mother and god sun. Modelled after the antique folk

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calendar, the Bosnian is divided on only two seasons i.e. summer andwinter because it is in its essence agricultural and follows thenatural cycles. According to the belief of the Bosnian folk summerbegins in May and ends in November (Beltane-Samhain), and then comesthe winter, when would the manifestation of the goddess mother, inher three forms, commence together with the winter solstice.

Zehmerija, Veljača and Baba we will analyse in more detail, besidesfemale names and characteristics, they symbolise three life stageswhich are undoubtedly reminiscent of the pagan cult of the goddessmother, which was celebrated as triple goddess - girl, mother andold woman. The name Zehmerija, unlike the other two names, doesn'toriginate from Bosnia, it is a part of the Turkish folk traditionwhich was accepted by our people and merged into the tradition. But,while Zehmerija actually Zehmeri or Zehmerir in Turkish alludes tomales, in Bosnia Zehmerija was always considered to be a femalename. This is supported by "Crna Zehmerija" (Black Zehemerija),which represents the coldest winter days. During that period in thepast people tended to get frozen fingers or toes, in case of verylow temperatures.

Zehmerija

Witches holiday Yule which is exactly on 21st December and more thanideally it corresponds to the calendar date of the beginning ofZehmerija. From the winter solstice the day starts to get longer bythe amount that the rooster can jump from the house doorstep. Inthis folk belief there is a clear allusion to the sun cult, whosesymbol is a rooster, because in paganism after 21st of December thesun is "born" and announces a gradual arrival of warmer days.

The goddess gave birth to a son, god, which will eventually becomeher lover and father of the child in the next cycle. She is tiredand exhausted and that's why she's resting and recuperating. That'swhy it's cold and snowy in nature. The goddess like the Bosnianwoman rests for 40 days (četeresnica) after birth, which is also howlong the Zehmerija is, and during that time the folk traditionrecords various taboos which clearly allude to birth. Apparently,while the Zehmerija lasts the people would avoid travelling bynight, in order not to cross places where the demons celebrate anddine which also has the greatest influence during that part of year.From such encounters between people and the Jinn, humans can fallill both physically and mentally. A similar prohibition pertains toa woman who gave birth; she was prohibited from going out at night

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from fear of a demon attack, since she has no immunity to themduring the first 40 days after birth.

Veljača

Calendar wise Veljača is different from Zehmerija because it doesn'tcoincide with the other pagan holiday called Imbolc which iscelebrated from dusk of 31st January until 2nd February which meansthat it comes at the end of Zehmerija, and we shouldn't disregardthis information. Imbolc is the event when the Celtic triple goddessBrigid first appeared as a girl and made love with the young sungod, who was born on the shortest day in the year.

The difference of 12 days is perhaps due to the events i.e. mistakesin oral transfer of the tradition from one generation to the other.But, we shouldn't ignore the fact that Zehemerija, which lasts for40 days, begins on December 21st and ends 1st of February. The nameVeljača probable comes from Velja, Vela or Velika which alludes tothe fact that the girl became a mother, and that's why she obtainedthe title grand/big, the one that brings forth life. Her symbol isthe full moon. The goddess recovered from birth. God hasstrengthened and his warmth slowly permeates the earth and that'show the first signs of spring come about. His power growscontinually, the light pierces darkness and the days become longer.The nature is slowly coming to life, which is reflected by theBosnian calendar in the form of a fight between southern andnorthern wind. The goddess shows her blessings, the folk traditionclaims that if the beginning of Veljača i.e. 14th, 15th and 16th ofFebruary is marked by precipitation of snow the year will befruitful, especially for wheat, usually a symbol of the goddess.

Baba or Grandma

Baba, as the name suggests, symbolises an old lady. In the same way,the pagan holiday Ostare falls on the vernal equinox on the last dayof a seven day cycle which is ruled by the Baba. With that we couldclaim that the last day symbolises the end of the life cycle. Inthis period the goddess mother conceived a child i.e. son who willbe born on December 21st. Baba can be easily seen as a pregnantwoman since the Bosnian term zbabna refers to a pregnant woman andthe word babine refers to the traditional visit to the woman who

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gave birth. The folk description of Baba's character clearly alludesto classic symptoms that a woman has during childbirth - she iswilful, fickle, prone to frequent changes of mood... Due to suchcircumstances the goddess mother can sometimes steal fertility fromhumans and cause a dry year or a year marked by frequent storms.

During this period the goddess covers the earth with fertility,awakens it from its slumber, and the god grows and slowly reachesmaturity. The hours of the day and night are equal, and light slowlytriumphs over darkness. Farming activities start. The sun is in itsnorthernmost point.

The end of Baba begins with a seven day period during which Didrules, the male principle, or better to say god whose mother is thegoddess, he has now reached maturity and shares grace to the people,which is described in the folk tradition: "Did is merciful becauseduring it one can start planting potatoes". The seed is placed inthe earth which needs to supply the crop, fertility. The dominantinfluence of god is seen in the following months.

Jurjevo (Hidirlez)

In the pagan tradition Beltane symbolises the beginning of the lighthalf of the year i.e. the arrival of summer. For the Celts that isthe holiday dedicated to the god of light (sun) who has fire as itssymbol. That's why each year during Jurjevo or Hidirlez in Bosniaearly in the morning, before sun rise, a fire is lit in the yard asa sign of welcome to the sun which will appear in the east. Becauseof the strong monotheistic influence that ritual was interpreted asa defence from snakes, which allowed it to be hidden and freelypracticed throughout the ages.

Ajvatovica - ancient cult of sun

Ajvatovica according to all the available data is an Illyriantradition of the sun cult which announced the renewal of nature, itsfertility through water and the forest. The days of Ajvatovica lastfrom 15th to the 25th of June which coincides with the summersolstice (June 21st). In Celtic religion during the summer solsticea large ritual takes place, holly unity of the mature sun god andmother earth. On this day the sun god's might is at its peak.

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40 days and nights is the time that Ajvaz Dedo prayed for the waterto start flowing perfectly coincides with the period of June 21st toJuly 31st i.e. the beginning of the second pagan holiday which iscelebrated for three days of Lugha or Lughnassan.

Aliđun

Lughnassan which lasts from 31st July until 2nd of August is theancient holiday of harvest. In Bosnia during that period comes theAliđun which is considered by the people to stand for the height ofsummer during which there is prosperity of fruits and grain. In thepast the Bosnian people visited cult places in nature, known asdovišta, and those were the places where god was worshiped andcelebrations were held followed with entertainment and food. Withthat the old pagan tradition was followed of praising the holiday ofharvest and thankfulness for the yields of nature. Dovište Lastavicawas until the middle of the twentieth century a cult place whereBosnian people would gather for 2nd of August to practice the ritualof slaughtering sheep, which is a tradition from the Illyrian timesas many ethnologists claim, and it symbolised "sacrificing a virginto the devil" i.e. a specific deity from whom one sought mercy andblessing in order to ensure fertility.

Kasum

Samhain (31.10-02.11), symbolises the end of the summer and thelight part of the year after which winter and darkness arrive. Amongthe folk it is called Kasum, Turkish name for November. The nameKasum stems from Arabic which means "something which is shared". Theend of the warm period and the beginning of winter is best supportedby the folk saying: "Jurjevo brings a green leaf and Kasum whitesnow!" That is where the Bosnian folk calendar ends.

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Bosnian lily (Lilium bosniacum) is a flower of Bosnia and Bosnian people. Extraordinarilybeautiful flower, dignified, all in golden-yellow color it proudly keeps its loftiness andregal posture while its red stamen symbolize blood of the Bosnian man, which was oftenshed because of the enemies of this country. The Bosnian lily became a symbol for thesuffering of Bosnian people during the aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992to 1995. In a tragic song it is mentioned that a lily each year on July 11th changes itsfragrance and that day it smells like sorrow and pain. That day from the lily the blooddrips on the sacred Bosnian land on which the dead bodies of murdered men, women andchildren of Srebrenica, Sarajevo, Žepa, Zvornik, Bijeljina, Foča, Višegrad, Prijedor, etc. lay.

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The Little Witch Book

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