Two Shawia Amulets

These amulets, meant to protect against occult forces such as jinns and the evil eye or natural dangers such as illnesses and poisonous animals, traditionally consist of writing in Arabic characters done with saffron-colored water or ink from burned wool on paper or animal skin. They are worn enclosed in a little leather bag or a silver locket.



Amulet against poison and poisonuos animals

Amulet to „unknot“ headaches and neuralgia

In the world of the Jinn and Shaytan

Existence of the ghost or spiritual world always spurred great interest among people. How i t came to be and what kind of creatures inhabit it is somewhat explained in the holly books, however, more information is provided through folk tales in which numerous experiences by talented individuals have been accumulated, heightened sensibility by such individuals and their occult knowledge opened the doors of gaib for them – the invisible world and enabled communication and insight of ethereal forms which dwell in that second reality.

According to the mythological traditions of the Middle East during the time that almighty Allah created the first people he didn’t divide the world into material and spiritual, however, since people were deathly horrified when meeting Jinn beings, especially their children, the wise Allah decided to separate humans and Jinn by placing an invisible curtain between them, thus creating two worlds, or better to say two spheres, one of humans and the other of spirits. Since then humans and Jinn exist side by side without much issues, with one exception that they can see us clearly and we cannot see them.

In the world of gaib which literally is teeming with the numerous population of various spirits, Iblis is the king of all Jinn, and as such he causes great contradictions among theologians, especially regarding his origin. Certain scholars believe that in the beginning Iblis was an angel, others that he is the son of a Jinn which was taken into heaven to get an education, where he got the name Azazil. Egyptian philologists derivate the name Iblis from the root b-l-s which means “has nothing to expect”, since Iblis has nothing to expect from Allah’s mercy due to Iblis’ evil nature. We come across a belief that Iblis belongs to earth Jinn which is evidenced by his name Al-Hakam i.e. judge which he gained at the time when Allah sent him to judge his kind, when Iblis was a young Jinn only a thousand years old. In the second thousand years Iblis grew haughty and led a rebellion against god and his rule.

The most interesting thesis about Iblis relates to his sex i.e. suggests that he is a hermaphrodite which lives in a distant island in the middle of the sea where he lays three thousand eggs from which then come the Jinn. Iblis sends them to all parts of the world in order to spread and strengthen his dominion across earth.


Jinn as people

Some pre-Islamic polytheists claimed that the name Jinn signifies souls of planets which is why, accidentally or not, in Arabic occultism we come across seven planets and seven Jinn kings which are arranged according to their influence.

In the hierarchy of creation of Jinn the lowest class are Ifrit or Afarit. Allegedly, according to legends Ifrits can be created from humans which die suddenly or violently since out of such shocking trauma for the human soul and Ifrit is born. After them come the Maridi, Jinn which lives underground, and so forth in the long list of these supernatural beings.



When it comes to the appearance of these ethereal creatures we need to mention that there are numerous species or tribes of Jinn, where each is different from the other. But, despite this we can enumerate their common characteristics. The largest Jinn has a body 17 meters tall and the smallest 17 centimeters. While dwelling in their world the Jinn have a sort of veil over them but when they appear in the material world then they’re dressed in yellow since it is an equivalent of fire. Their presence in the human dimension is given away by an unpleasant smell made out of a mixture of sulfur and tar. Another interesting detail which can help identify Jinn is that they have four fingers, they don’t have a thumb – unique symbol of a human. Other specific features are their eyes which resemble those of reptiles, especially snakes, but once they materialize in front of people then they get red eye with a burning glow.


Jinn speak all earthly languages, even the old and forgotten ones, similarly they have their own language which they can teach to individuals they come into contact with and form an alliance. Their world is a copy of the human world i.e. they have their states, cities, rulers, families, they love or hate each other, kill each other, perform war, give birth etc. They have various religions which existed in the world, there are atheists, even cannibals. They’re present across the galaxy and inhabit various planets. They live for a very long time, a couple of thousand years and are temperamental and difficult since they stem from a flame of molten lava which shaped our planet millions of years ago.


Shaytan work

Unlike the Jinn, Shaytan in Bosnian tradition are described as small creatures green-yellow in color with a long tail. One eye is open while the other is closed, since he cannot see with that eye. Also, though they have two legs they’re actually lame. They literally drag the other leg. Because of these defects on the spiritual ladder their rank is the lowest, they’re cowards by nature, they can be chased away by a common curse. But, they shouldn’t be underestimated since they can be cunning. In Islamic tradition Shaytan is actually the one that leads people into sin and not the Jinn. Namely, when a Shaytan enters a human and possesses him, then the person will become pronouncedly prone to vices; gambling, infidelity, alcoholism, drugs, lying and treason. If a person is possessed by a Jinn the person then loses his mind, becomes a psychiatrist case, has hallucinations, has one part of the body paralyzed, suffers epilepsy or falls into delirium.

Since Shaytan are extremely frustrated due to their physical appearance and deformity, as well as the position he takes, he is obsessed daily with jealousy and hatred towards everything and everyone – this literally seeps from the healthy but spellbound eye. In our tradition it is claimed that Shaytan like to gather near springs and observe people, especially young girls and young men which come there to drink water, in order to spellbound them with their eye. Unlike the Jinn, Shaytan are extremely tied to humans and they like to be near them. We learn about this from the tales of our Bogomil forefathers which recounted that the Shaytan purposefully made holes in the earthen human body and in a wicked way managed to climb the resurrected human’s left shoulder and stay there forever, becoming a part of his nature and character.

In cunning, skillful  deceits and limitless persistence lies the Shaytan’s strength and power. At the same time this demonstrates the thesis that we’re talking about a pretty intelligent being which knows studiously human nature and weaknesses. Besides the shoulder Shaytan have other favorite places in which they dwell and among them is the landmark or border over which people quarrel and hate each other about since the old days. Actually, wherever there is a fight or bad blood, folk wisdom will say, the Shaytan will dwell.

Also, in each house there is the same number of Shaytan as the number of household inhabitants, however the number of Shaytan can be increased using a tabooed activity, for example if you sharpen one knife against another knife. Therefore each time one sharpens a knife it should be passed through fire and the prayer Euzubilah should be uttered. In this way they’re chased away.



Prophecy about a female Shaytan


It is interesting to note that in Persian-Arabic magic there is no ritual of invoking the Shaytan but only the Jinn. We can conclude thus that they’re untamable and stubborn creatures whose primary mission from the day they were created, to create unrest and doubt into the hearts of humans and to cause them to behave badly. Shaytan are thus true enemies of religion and exemplary life. Because of the pronounced influence into human history and everyday life we shouldn’t wonder why people paid them more attention than the Jinn, which resulted in them becoming parts of numerous folklore tales and prophecies.

Old Bosnian grandfathers and grandmothers still today talk about the things they remembered from their forefathers’ traditions which spoke about our world being ruled over by a male Shaytan, which according to the old folk was better since he was a male. But, with the coming of the new millennium the ruler has changed and humans entered a catastrophic age.

-“When a female Shaytan rules of the earth – the old people would warn us – “hard times will arrive, our people (Bosnian) will scatter across the world, we will desire to see each other. While the female Shaytan rules over the world a great stone will fall from the sky and destroy Mecca and Medina. After that more people will attend a funeral in Bosnia than there will be living in Mecca and Medina. That will be the punishment from the lord for those that defiled and desecrated the purest religion with their greed and infidelity.

In the rest of the prophecy old people said the following: “Woman and animal will have more rights than any male, all values will disappear and other grotesque rules will be enforced in order to degrade the human kind to that primitive animal level…” As we can infer from the rest of the prophecy about the female Shaytan it is evident that a nuclear war will take place on earth which will lead to the complete destruction of our civilization but the human population will decrease drastically, those that survive will mutate due to the radiation and will give birth to small children with only one eye, which in itself resembles the Shaytan. Life will continue below the earth since on the surface no condition for living will remain.

Nafaka (provisions) kept us going

Bosniacs people are the only one in the Balkans that use the word nafaka on an everyday basis. In accordance to this it is worth analyzing culturally and linguistically this word, because of its immeasurable role in studying the traditional life of our people. At the very beginning of this short study it is necessary to note one irrefutable fact which states that the Bosniacs people in its long history were exposed to numerous misfortunes, even a real danger of extinction, but what has kept and saved them is their cheerful spirit and incorrigible optimism often summed up in this short phrase: “God will give us nafaka!”.  

Nafaka is an Arabic word which reached us through the Ottomans. It is very important in Islamic teaching since it manifests Allah’s mercy and in the Turkish language it has numerous synonyms. In Bosnian nafaka is translated in a few ways: alimentation, provisions, supply or supply for life. Two more terms in everyday use which signify wellbeing and success are the Persian word baht – luck, we come across it in certain love spells, and the Arabic word bereket (berićet) – progress, prosperity. Besides these others, especially in folk speech, in use are words of  similar meaning such as hair, rizk, rahatluk, etc. All of these represent fertile and positive events which present themselves as feelings of content, ecstasy and optimism. Psychological effect is manifested in the weight of the word nafaka, which compares her to the state of hoe, solace or hidden happiness. All of this is evident in statements such as: “You never know where your nafaka is waiting for you!”, “New day – new nafaka!”, etc. This is why people believe in nafaka fatalistically (“No one can take away your nafaka!”), like almost everything else that is tied to the holly and divine.

Definition of the term nafaka is a relatively wide and according to some dictionaries could be shortly describes by the following: “what is determined for a human to eat in this world”. When a diseased lives long, it is said: “he collected (or bought) his nafaka” – when someone before they die eats a lot he desires to eat what is his in this world.




According to my opinion nafaka is a term which in everyday discussions takes the place of the term luck but also human destiny i.e. life. Perhaps it would be explained simply that nafaka signifies everything that a person is destined to receive and live through as ordained by God. Among the folk we can often hear “every child carries (brings forth) their nafaka”, which was used by poor parents to protect themselves from the criticism of their surrounding because they’re poor enough even without children.


Nafaka determined by God

Identification of human birth, living and death is summed up in the collective consciousness of Bosniacs people in the term of nafaka; “He was born with such nafaka!”, “Whosever is born with good nafaka no one can harm him!", “Such is his nafaka!”, “He ran out of nafaka and died”. “Nafaka is the best hero!” – according to the belief in destiny, if someone is destined to live, i.e. he didn’t run out of nafaka, he can avoid death and become a hero. According to folk tales a man lives so long as God has prescribed nafaka to him, not a minute longer. On that day when a man uses up his nafaka he will die. According to the above we can conclude that folk wisdom doesn’t know happy and unhappy people, but classifies them exclusively with greater or lesser nafaka.

Belief in nafaka is a perfect example how long certain beliefs were deeply incorporated in the traditional lives and that they create a certain notion of an individual towards society, but also himself. Primeval desire and need of every human being is to a large extent determined by the percentage of luck in their life, since as folklore deliberation suggests, a happy man is healthy, successful and cheerful. That’s why everyone of us intimately identifies with the term nafaka. However, from the tales of older people we could easily conclude that the perception of nafaka is individual and primarily depends on the percentage of modesty, i.e. how much an individual is content.

Origin of nafaka coincides with the folk belief about human fate. Still to this day it is believed that Allah determines the destiny of every embryo in its first 40 days, which is why an ugly person marries a beautiful woman, a stupid man becomes rich, etc. Certainly, there are opposite examples but all of them are a product of smaller or greater nafaka which a person carries inside of them. I remember the discussion with the late Bilka, stravarka from Stijena (Cazin), almost a decade ago, which used to talk about herself and her work and often said that she always had nafaka, as if it came out of the earth or fell from the heaven, she used to say. Based on the above we could conclude that nafaka is weaved into the human beings, but that it also exists in everything around us due to its divine source.

To some extent nafaka can be called god’s justice. –“No one can take away your nafaka!”, older people would say when they wanted to explain fatalism, the thing which was destined to someone. For example, it happened that a father desired to leave his inheritance to the youngest child, despite the opposition of other family members. No matter the various blackmails and games that the family played in order to change the fathers mind, the house in the end was left to the youngest child.

Also, without halal (permissible) there is no nafaka. Namely, there will be no nafaka in the thing given as gift unless it is given from the heart – halal. That’s why stolen or forcefully taken things are unlucky since they don’t have god’s mercy in them.

Nafaka is a word which creates pleasure and happiness and ubiquitous way favours human senses. It caresses his eyes and ears, seduces the nose and overwhelms with pleasure the palate. If a sudden guest arrives during coffee or lunch, people would tell him: “You came with nafaka, come on in!” or "Welcome, it is your nafaka to eat (drink) this with us!”. However, terminology in this case cannot be simple in this case nor can it be summed up in such an obscure form. Namely, in folk discussions for meal the term often used, even today in rural areas, was "nimet", primarily for bread or cake, but generally for food also. Therefore it is wrong to equate the term nafaka with food, instead it should be viewed through a wider prism, in which we can hint numerous meaning of everything which this Arabic word represents.


Summoning nafaka

Generally, though considered to be divine gift of mercy, i.e. something that mortals have no effect on, strong desire for it among the people gave birth to various ritual actions that summon nafaka. Desire for nobility dominates in them since a generous act attracts good which is what the saying from Kladuša confirms: “Give alms, continue nafaka!”. Similarly, grandmothers and grandfathers which bless the young would often say: “May Allah give you gani nafaku!” or “May god give you unimaginable nafaka!”, people claim that it is better than “the seen one” since it s greater and more plentiful.

In Cazin and Velika Kladuša the prevailing belief was that nafaka could be summoned, namely, when one would buy cattle or something else it was a custom to buy it in the name of the family member for which it was believed to have the most nafaka, in order to allude that with such a purchase the thing would be nafakali i.e. advanced and happy. Similarly, when buying a stove the first fire will be lit by the family member which was thought of as having the most nafaka in life, in order for the home and family to be prosperous and protected against evil.

In this part of Bosnia a ritual with trahana (tarahana – Persian stew) was known which was used to summon i.e. stimulate nafaka. If someone is unhappy, business isn’t doing well or is prone to bad luck, during young Friday he would make trahana but in such a matter to let it overflow on fire (stove). While the boiling white water is overflowing from the vessel the person would repeat three times:

Bismilahir rahmanir rahim.
As this tarhana is overflowing
on all sides,
so too may my nafaka overflow and cover me,
with god’s will an my prayer.

Bosnian:

Bismilahir rahmanir rahim.
Kako ova trahana izvirala i kipila
na sve strane,
tako moja nafaka izvirila i mene obasipala,
sa božijim emerom a mojim sepom.

After cooking tarhana in this manner and cooling it, it would be consumed for three days. Some informants recommend eating the stew in small batches for seven days. In such a manner, it was believed, nafaka would be summoned.

In this context we shouldn’t forget to mention halva – sweet that takes an honourable place among Bosnian people. It is traditionally made (roasted) on the eve of Ramadan, Laylat al-Qadr and Eid, since its smell cleanses the entire house and attracts nafaka and wellbeing.


To be of a lucky hand

Tying food and nafaka is not rare in folklore of our people and is especially evident in marital customs, part where the bride arrives before the grooms house, where she is showered in candy and money. At the threshold of the house she is welcomed by a poor woman, she takes her shoes off, and the bride gives her a gift. A little later she is welcomed by the mother-in-law with the Qur’an and cake with two jugs of water in hand. She places the cake under her left and Qur’an under her right armpit, two jugs each in one hand. Bride reaches the hearth, Qur’an is given to the women, cake and water is placed on the hearth. It is believed, that the bride brings nafaka into the house with this ritual gesture. Also, it was a custom for the bride and the groom to “break” the cakes, and if for example a larger piece of the cake stays in the grooms hand it was believed that he will have greater nafaka, and vice versa.

In Velika Kladuš in the past there was a custom of  a bride spreading her handkerchief on the threshold of the house and kissing it, before entering the grooms house. She enters the house with her right foot and someone takes off her shoes, since some money would be hidden in her shoes as a gift for the person that takes off her shoes, she then goes towards the hearth. She kneels there, she divides the embers using tongs, throws her handkerchief into the fire to burn – for nafaka.

For certain jobs it is very important to be gifted with nafaka. Namely, for a stravarka widely known for successful lead melting or for an Imam which writes effective talismans and amulets, people say that they have “nafakali (lucky) hand”. While melting lead, there are a lot of small pieces at the bottom of the vessel, the stravarka will comment: “it is nafakali!”, i.e. the diseased will get better.

Before starting the divination process the diviner asks for the money from the client in order to encircle the cards or beads three times around it and place the money in her pocket, explaining that the process if used for nafaka. Similarly, if nine groups of four beads appear during the divination process, so called hadžirli hatma, the diviner will utter contently: “Your beads have fallen on a great nafaka, cover it with a red cloth!”.

In the end we should mention the following belief according to which it is not good to give names to children of deceased family members since “whoever died he has no nafaka left”.  

Autor: Raif Esmerović

Circle of destiny: Universal Mother and Sep

Bosnian horoscope or circle of destiny is based in its essence on principles of folklore (agricultural) calendar which divides the years into two seasons – summer and winter or better to say, to the light and dark part. (1) Inside such a division there are twelve signs from which half belong to the light and the second to the dark part of the year, and as such they are each other’s opposites. Circle of destiny is a graphical representation of Universal Mother’ stomach, symbolic characters which are depicted in that divine circle represent all living world which exists on earth and they are plants and trees, animals and humans. In a direct and picturesque way this is a representation which shows that we all come from the same source and that we are connected and that we cannot exist without each other. Shortly, Bosnian horoscope is a shamanistic representation of what our forefathers (Illyrians) believed in, with a clear focus on nature and its forces in their ongoing interaction they create a unique symbiosis of material and spiritual strength.

Patronage i.e. the most influential elements on the circle of destiny are Sun, Moon and Earth as well as four elements, everything that we have been throughout history and all our lives exposed to. Although four elements are in constant permeation, as keepers of life and harmony, they have their considerably stronger influence in certain parts of the year so that in the warmer part of the year the elements of wind and fire dominate, while in the cold part water and earth dominate. Through the influence of elements we can follow the base of the circle of destiny and cycle of life and death, which in its alternation encourages life energy and creates fertility.

It is known that Illyrians have inherited matriarchy in whose centre was the worship of Universal Mother – “One which gives life to everything”, whose existence we can find in oral traditions of our people, from which we would point out the ones about the separation of the year, tales of snijet and other certain mythological representations. 
Though at first sight they may seem as parts of different traditions all of them are segments of a unique cult of fertility, which has remained in the collective consciousness to this day due to its existential purpose.

Celebration of fertility and love

Beginning of the dark part of the circle is called “feasting” or “feast” since it represents a period of year when the fruits are ripe i.e. fertility has reached its peak. Since the old days it was an opportunity to stage festivities of thanks and celebration since then the community has ample food to live off of until spring. That’s why Universal Mother is celebrated, a personification of all deities of fertility in various cultures, alfa and omega of entire creation. But, though this event represents the end of the light part of the year and entry into a dark one, we shouldn’t forget that it doesn’t signify anything bad nor negative but quite the opposite. It, namely, hints at the pagan new year which at this time of plenty has ideal predispositions for celebration and happiness.



Before the beginning of the dark part of the year since the old days people ploughed their fields in order to sow wheat, symbol of Universal Mother, i.e. in a ritual way stimulate from the beginning the cycle of fertility. By no accident, in the autumn among Bosnian people traditionally marriages took place, since agricultural works were finished, food was plenty and with that conditions for humans to “plant” their seeds was met and to renew life in the community. That’s why since the old days this was a period of giving thanks but also love. All of this was favoured by elements water and earth, both symbols of female fertility, which in the Universal Mother herself indicate creation of a new life. Namely, in monotheism it is claimed that a human being is created out of earth, and in the much older traditions life is created from earth.

Holly silence

In the second part of the dark part of the year which is called “holly silence” nature is in the phase of apparent sleep i.e. hibernation, forces of life receded deep into the ground and are awaiting after three full months, when fire and air assume domination, to awaken and activate. But, while “holly silence” lasts a real mythological play is taking place in which unstoppable desire for existence through a new birth culminates with death. Namely, at the time of hibernation (sleep), complete calmness of nature in winter months, sleeping Universal Mother is loved and fertilised cunningly by a dragon which is called Sep or Sap in some traditions, giving all of his life energy into her body, and after three or four months she gives birth to a divine snijet – young god with dragon blood and strength, which occurs during the light part of the year or better to say at the time of the phase. (2)

Allusion to this mythological tradition was always located in folk tales about the birth of snijet – dragon cub, which would attack individual women while they were alone in the field or at home, hypnotising them with its emerald eyes and then making love to them. In the rest of the tale people claimed that a fertilised woman gives birth to snijet after three or four months. It is important to stress that in folklore tales there is no mention of the legend of dragoness i.e. female dragons, therefore we come to a conclusion that there are only male dragons. That’s why traditionally dragons sexually attack women and even cows.

That Universal Mother is fertilised is hinted at by the folk calendar which states that in this dark period of the year (winter) female names dominate Veljača and Baba out of which the first one implies to Universal (Mother), from the abbreviation Vela, and Baba to a pregnant woman (zababila se, obabila se). After the period of baba comes did, i.e. she is joined by a male mythical character which personifies God which she will give birth to at the beginning of the light part of the year and in that manner mark its beginning.

In this new cycle domination is taken over by elements of air and fire which enables the birth of a dragon god. By no accident the custom of lighting a fire around the house at dawn was kept, Mijene (6th May) with a goal ¸of chasing away snakes from the home i.e. dragon, ancient symbol of evil. Namely, according to folk descriptions, a dragon is nothing else but a long snake with wings and pointy tale, on whose body are small arms and legs. Universal Mother, personification of good, gives birth to the god of evil Sep, which is at the same time her son and lover, so that she may continue the eternal circle of life and fertility. With a desire to limit the power of the evil god, dragon and to remove it from people, at dawn fires would be traditionally lit whose fires and smoke should frighten him. (3) It is no accident that in Christian mythology this date is connected to a story about Saint George which kills a dragon with his spear, which is nothing but a modified version of an ancient pagan myth about the birth of divine Sep.

In a mythological sense this fear is justified since in all folk traditions about divine Sep he is always trying to destroy the world and swallow the sun and moon (eclipse) in order to avoid his own death, from which he is born again through the womb of the Universal Mother. With this the ancient cycle of birth and death is renewed who knows how often in mysteries of fertility but also it confirms that the living tissue of the entire universe is made out of the principles of good and evil.
Universal Mother and her son recover for seven days after birth, in this case from the 6th to the 13th of May, and that period is according to traditional belief charged with extreme magical strength which can be deadly for humans. (4) As is believed even the sun is poisonous until the period of Mijena passes and if someone would fall asleep in the sun light or in the shade of a walnut tree he would risk of falling terminally ill. Belief that the sun is poisonous until Mijena passes leads us to a conclusion that it is hostile towards the birth of the divine dragon form which it is believed that it constantly attacks the sun trying to devour it.



Dragon and snake (incarnation Universal Mother) on Bosnian tombstone (stećak).

Young son – dragon soon abandons his mother, future lover, and leaves in order to circulate through the earth and exit it, he would ascend towards the sky and would come back to earth again, renewing vegetative circle with his mystical flight.
All of the above is no fiction it is based on Bosnian traditions and folk calendar which together, in its entirety, presents ancient beliefs of our forefathers, intriguing reptilian cult which is unique to our people and which through folklore survived to this day. Salamander, Frog as well as the Dragon (snijet), are shamanistic totems deeply involved in the traditional stories of Bosnian people and with that original representatives of Illyrian cult of fertility.

SENDING A JINN TO SOMEONE

On Wednesday night you recite these names three thousand times while burning frankincense, benzoin, mastic, coriander, and date heads: „Ahoosh Mahoosh Lahayoosh“.

ON BINDING WHOMEVER TO WISH

Take seven silk threads of varying colors, tie them into seven knots, and then recite the following incantation seven times on each knot:  Aneef (x2), Bisabsab (x2), Katamtah (x2), Talaflafat (x2), Majanjafat (x2). The speakers spoke by Saitakh. I bind you, O N.son of N. from the sons of Adem and the daughters of Hawa (or from N.) with an Arab-Magian-Jewish-Christian bind that neither man nor woman nor Magian man nor Magian women nor Jewish man nor Jewish woman nor Christian man nor Christian women nor non-Arab man nor non-Arab women can break, expect me, by my two hands, and the mighty Hand of Allah. His saying has come. They will not speak. Where is Madhhab, the commander of the army, the jinn, and the soldiers? Where is Jama'ah the Christian? Where is Angry Abdullah? Where is Shaqshaq the Jew? Where is Salih ibn Atat the Christian? Where is al-Hayajee? Where he who possess weapons and riding animals? Where are the Winds? Where is Bani Ruqah? Where are those who sought shelter and then took their horses and were taken by al-Lati wa ul-Uzzah. If you do not do what I have commanded you, I wil expose you before the armies, the jinn, the soldiers, and the children of ifrits; Hamal, Hamal, Aqshatan, Aqshatan, Atoroosh, Atoroosh, Hameet, Hameet and Alahameet, Alahameet. These are children of the ifrits who enthrall. I take from you, O N. son of N., three hundred sixty-six veins, including the one between your things, which stems from between your eyes. If it stands, it will bend; if it bends, it will become crooked; if it becomes crooked, it will fail; if it fails, it will become lazy; it will die down; it it dies down, it will fade away; if it fades away, it will worry; if it worries, it will become sad; if it becomes sad, it will die: if it dies, it will vanish.'Surely you shall die and they shall surely die. Then surely on the day of resurrection you will contend one with another before you Lord'.

SERVANTS OF THE NIGHT

If you want to do any spell at night, then mention its servants. As if the nights say after the release of the inhabitant: „Come, O N., O servant of this night and do (state your need).“ Call him with his name.

LOVE SPELL

Write the following talismans on eight pieces of paper-one on each paper-along with the Commission:

Wrap one white peppercorn in the first piece of paper, two in the second, three in the third, etc.

Cast the papers in a fire while saying the following:“ Inflame the heart of N.with the love of N., the right of these talismans and names.“

The Charm of al-Fatiha

Whoever writes all the letters of al-Fatihah in a clean basin, rinses it with rainwater and then gives it to a sick person will surely cure the sick person, with God's blessing. And if the person has been charmed or tied up, he will surely be rid of the charm or set free.

 

Al-Fatihah, when written in a clean basin with clean ink and rinsed with clean water, which is then rubbed onto the sick person once over his whole body and three times over the affected area while the following verses are recited three times, will cure the person of his pain:

Allahummashfi 'antasshafi, w'afihi wa 'antal mu'afi.

Rasulullah s.a.w. says that a person who has pain in his body and recites al-Fatihah three times, lays his fingers on the affected area and then says the following lines seven times, will surely be cured of his pain:

Allahumma 'inni 'a'uzu bika min sharri ma 'ajidu wa 'uhazir.

Divine bull Tur

From the beginning of mankind the bull was a holly animal which is a part of numerous mythological traditions and cults, due to its physical strength and imposing look. Among the oldest myths where he is mentioned is located in Mesopotamia and the legend about the deity Guagalanni, better known as the heavenly bull or bull from the sky. Gugalanna was the first husband Ereshkigala, deity of the underworld, dark world without light. Gods sent him to exact revenge upon Gilgamesh because he refused sexual advances of the goddess Inanna. During that occurrence, the heavenly bull, whose kick causes earthquakes, was defeated and dismembered by Gilgamesh and his follower Enkidu. In the middle east religious paradigm of killing a bull is frequent and we can find it in the legend about the genesis shaped in the Persian god Mithra, from whose description of his birth and life the mythological legend of Jesus was created, this god hunted and killed a wild bull. From the body of the dead animal, plants started to grow, from the bones wheat sprang up and from his blood grapevine. That’s when the first people were created. Even after the advent of Islam in these areas the bull didn’t lose his divine characteristic which is best confirmed by the Arabian myth, or better said cosmological representation, about the white bull Kujuta which stands on the head of a horrible beast Bahamut and holds the earth on his back.

Bahamut or Behemoth is the name of a mythological giant fish which in Arabic cosmology represented a backbone of earth, and for her mythology claims that she possesses numerous eyes, ears, noses and tongues. Certain myths claim that instead of a fish’s head it has an elephants head or hippopotamus head, and in some versions Bahamut is actually a sea dragon with sharp teeth and limbs. Bahamut holds on his strong body all seven spheres which in Arabic mythology constitute the entire universe. On Bahamut, i.e. on his head, the bull named Kujuta is positioned, which holds a mountain made out of rubies on his back. On top of that unusual mountain the angels are holding the seven layers of earth. Alternatively, on the back of Bahamut is actually a surface made out of sand. Kujuta is standing on that sand, and the mountain that he is carrying on his back has a vast ocean in the middle of which earth is floating. Underneath Bahamut is the dark and mysterious part filled with mist and water. Some mythological data claim that underneath that dark sphere there is a fire world in which the snake Falak dwells.



Bahamut is an original mythological creation of the Arabic mythology, data on it appear in cosmological tones which date since 1291. The name itself in Arabic means “the beast”. About it the ancient Arabic historian, Ibn al-Wardi  wrote, it is also mentioned in the 1001 night where the story about the man named Isa is mentioned, who after seeing Bahamut out of shock and fear loses his consciousness. Once he awoke, Allah asked him if he had seen a big fish. Isa replied that he saw a bull standing on top of the fish’s head. The Jews assimiliated this mythological being, like many other religious-mythological segments, in their mythological traditions.


Arabic Kujuta and Bosnian Tur


Certain segments of the presented legend have connecting points with Bosnian myths about the gigantic bull Tur, which holds the planet on his back, from whose will depends the fate of earth and all people. Generally, the myth about Tur is short and there are not a lot of details which would reveal something more about the wider representation of Bosnian cosmology and the only exception is Rogatica. Namely, in that part of Bosnia it was believed that underneath the land there was an endless sea, on its surface swam a giant fish, on the fish’s head a bull stood and on his back earth. When that bull moves slightly his ear, the earth shakes, and when he would move his leg or something else, the entire earth would plunge into the sea, but it was believed that Allah created a small fly which constantly flies around the eyes of that bull and he is so afraid of her that he literally can’t move. (1)

As among the Turks there is no recorded legend not about Bahamot nor Tur, we can conclude that there was no transfer of myths during the Ottoman occupation of BiH, instead it is a rudiment of an ancient pagan cult which was inherited by certain Mediterranean people, and among them the Illyrians. There is a logical probability  that Illyrian soldiers serving in the Roman Empire transferred the legend of Tur to the territory of Syria and further, or vice versa, inherited it and brought it to the Balkans. But, no matter how it happened we’re talking about a very old legend from the old, ancient times. The bull had a very significant place for the Illyrians in the religious-magical sense and even if we don’t have many written data about the Pagan rites of our ancestors, we discovered through archeological findings that they preferred to hang the horns of Bos primigenius at the front of the house which had a magical function to protect the family and give it fertility. Also we shouldn’t forget to mention the traditional custom among Illyrian tribes of offering sacrifice, gift of blood and meat to the gods for a successful harvest of wheat, when they would slaughter a bull during august up on a hill.


Unique Tur  


Other bypasses in the legend itself are evident, namely, as the Arabic mythology claims Bahamut will when judgment day comes be destroyed by its creator i.e. god, to whom this beast is only subjugated. Among the Bosnians it is narrated that judgment day will take place on the day “when Tur shakes his body”, i.e. there are no claims about the classic notion of Judgement day where everything happens by god’s will, which gives us ample space to conclude that Tur holder of the earth is the ruler of the planet and people.

Similarly, while in Arabic mythology the bull Kujuta is depicted with totally white skin in Bosnian mythology he is black, and is truly connected to an actual animal (Bos primigenius) which died out in Europe in the middle ages. The best proof of its presence on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina are toponyms which give a deeper historical connotation to everything. Tur in Bosnian tradition is without a doubt a deity and in that form it is not seen anywhere else on the Balkans, nor in Europe, which in and of itself implicates that we’re talking about an ancient supernatural being. In the past it was assumed that his name Tur comes from the abbreviation of the Latin word Taurus but it is clear that the original name stems from the actual name of the wild bovine Bos primigenius.


Divine plowman Vidasus

In the traditional life of Bosnia and Herzegovina a castrated bull i.e. ox was an integral part of a village household and it replaced the horse, which had a higher market price and that’s why he wasn’t owned by numerous village households. Researching ethnological build and oral tradition of the belief of Bosnian people about the ox it is noticeable that he was treated with care and attention primarily because of the existential but also holly purpose. When the summer plowing begins to the ox which was on the right side people would wrap around his right horn a red knit (thread), a chicken egg would be cracked on his forehead and his neck would be covered with butter. All of these ritual measures were undertaken with the goal of protection from evil and summoning good luck and fertility.

In folk astronomy the constellation out of seven stars so called pleiad is called the Volovi (oxen). It is interesting because the pleiad (Messier 45) is located in the constellation of the bull. Though Wikipedia claims that pleiad is represented in all mythologies from the southern hemisphere it is evident through legends about Tur, but also other folk beliefs and traditions, that we can notice a mythological connection with the pleiad in Bosnian mythology. Segments of the divine cult of Tur are hinted out of the two folk names of the constellations which are located one next to the other and they are Orion, assembly of three stars, which in Bosnia were called Štapovi (sticks) and the already mentioned Volovi (oxen). (2) In the spring, when it is time for sowing, when the Štapovi are visible on the sky, it is a sign that dawn occurred, morning is nearing, and that oxen must be fed and harnessed so they can plow.



Together these two constellations represent the one which operates the oxen i.e. ploughs the land i.e. represents the mythological divine sower, which could be no one else than the Illyrian god Vidasus, known as Žeteoc – the one that reaps (wheat). In addition to that goes the data that the plough was invented by the Illyrians.


Seven oxen – seven stars

According to folk tales from Velika Kladuša in ancient times lived a greedy man which had seven oxen. As he had an uneven number he yearned for another ox in order to have eight of them i.e. to have an even number. One day he remembered that in the neighboring village there was a poor man that owned only one ox. –When he has only one he doesn't need even that one, he concluded and he came up with a plan with his son to go there after midnight and steal the ox. What they conceived off they undertook. When they came half way home some unrest caught the father and he told his son they should stop so they can rest. Seeing a bale of hay close by he ordered him to bring hay and put it into nine small heaps, one next to the other, once this was done he let the stolen ox feast on the hay. But, instead of eating from the first pile the ox hesitated, he sniffed and only stopped at the seventh pile where he started to ear. That horrified the father and he said: “Can you see that, my son, what a sin we made by stealing this ox from that poor man, his curse will follow us up to our seventh generation!”. But, greed in him overcame his fear and he continued his way home. Somehow at that time, since dawn was nearing, the poor man awoke and headed towards the barn to feed the ox but as soon as he entered the barn he had seen that the ox was gone and that someone stole him. From sorrow and pain he started crying and he cursed the thief, let God punish him and take from him what the thief took from this poor man. Soon the father and son, together with the stolen animal, came close to their house. When they came next to the barn, the father was surprised by the silence that he noticed in the barn, he hurried to light a candle. The pale light of the candle shone light on the barn quickly. The barn was completely empty. There were no oxen. The father ran out wildly and he held his head out of torment and pain. He then looked to the sky wanting to wallow to God to what had happened to him and before he opened his mouth he noticed in the sky seven shining stars flickering together and wide eyed he realized that he cannot cry out to god, since he punished him because of his great sin that he did towards that poor man. That’s how, according to folk tales, the constellation of oxen (Plejade) came to be, as a warning to all that you shouldn’t steel from other people especially oxen. (3)

Note

(1) It is interesting to mention that at one time the people from BiH represented the earth as a big foursquare slab, which in the edges on a hair of the bull leaned on four pillars, and it seemed that she might tip over at any moment. But it wouldn’t, the people claimed, since she stood there according to god’s will and mercy. That slab was of an even length and width. Pillars were oily, tall and thin, they were bending, so that it seemed that they might break off at any moment. They were made out of white marble and planted in an unmeasured sea depth, since under that entire slab (earth), an endless sea was located, which cannot be seen since it is underneath us. This is a vast sea and all others are small compared to this one.


(2) In Bosnian love magic a girl, if she is casting a spell with walnuts, looks at the oxen in the sky, since they’re numerous and powerful, and if she wishes to see (dream) her future husband then before going to bed she looks towards the pillars and utters the following: “Illuminate me Žarinko Nasiba, set me on fire Planinko Nasiba, so I can see my future husband. To see him tonight in my dream as in real life, or to see his face, or to hear his name. Until I see him he shouldn't walk nor work!"

(3) Motif of teleportation of a terrestrial occurrence which symbolizes a great sin onto the sky, which represents the worldly stage, is common in Bosnian traditions. Another famous folk tale about divine intervention and public punishment is the one in which god immediately put to death a disobedient son, when he swung his axe towards his mother, wanting to kill her, and his body, together with the axe, god teleported to the surface of the moon, so that it serves as a warning to all people that mothers must be respected.

 

How to get a wife and have a secured marriage

Write Sura Yusuf (12) the entire chapter) on a Wednesday and wash yout body with it at sunrise as you sit on a stone. This should be repeated on Sunday before sunrise as you sit on a stone.  The sura should also be written and rubbed on the leg; and you should also rub it into some meat winch you will cook and eat. The one who does this will have a wife, by the Grace of God. If you do this with your wife, the two of you will never divorce and have a secured marriage.

A Charm to Bring Your Lover Home

Take an aromatic mixture of Cloves, Cinnamon and Cardamom and place in a large jar. Over this read seven times backward the Yasin chapter of the Qur'an. Fill the jar with Rosewater and a shirt of your beloved. Add to this mixture a handmade piece of paper inscribed with the name of the wayward lover and the names of the four angels (Mikail, Azrail, Jibril, Rafail). Place the jar over the fire; and as soon as the mixture begins to boil, the wandering lover will be on his way home.

-from an ancient Persian formula

Bosnian Stravarke – travelers between two worlds

Lead melting ritual with which, traditionally throughout centuries in Bosnia and Herzegovina, were removed the consequences of magical attacks, spellbound eyes, fear and unexplainable diseases and direct contact with spiritual beings, is one of the most preserved rituals from folk medicine. Analyzing in detail ritual procedures of that fascinating ritual it is easy to notice numerous segments of shamanism to which our ancestors were prone. Observing the practice of several stravarke especially Ajša and Bilka, which inherited their knowledge of healing from certain family members, I witnessed scenes which in a pretty authentic way represent shamanistic practice of our forefathers Illyrians and their animistic cults.

Animism (from the Latin word anima – soul) is the oldest form of human belief and religious consciousness of man which was recorded during the Paleolithic period and signifies belief in the presence of spirits in living and nonliving things and apparitions, and in them, according to the British anthropologist Sir Edward Burnett Tylor, it contains “a minimal definition of religion”. Archaic animistic beliefs that certain ghosts cause diseases among humans and with that damage its inborn connection with nature (harmony), in the earliest age of human presence on earth born a need to communicate with that negative entity, whose presence isn’t clearly defined, i.e. they can be located in anything that surrounds humans.



Individuals who are energy wise and mentally best aligned with the spirit world were traditionally called shamans, and their successors were without any doubt in Bosnia individuals of both sexes which are called stravari and stravarke, for which it is often said that they “possess the power of prayer”. Their ability is manifested in that they can with the power of their will elevate their consciousness onto a higher thought level, in order to comprehend spiritual reference and based on her to undertake a certain ritual of exorcism and curing of spiritual, and sometimes physical ailments. In that above all mystical, but also risky undertaking, the shaman aligns with the energy of the earth, just like individual birds use the power of the wind in order to stay in the air a few hours at a time with minimal usage of their wings.

Studying the practice of stravarka Ajša it is evident that in the beginning of the ritual she is sitting at the table with her face turned towards north and her left hand (fist) she positions in the middle of her forehead while she leaves her right hand free so that she can move the edge of the vessel with water clockwise, or as it is said among the folk “to follow the sun”, almost mechanically, during the utterance of the exorcist formula. All the time while the mystic prayers are being uttered, the stravarka looks with great focus onto the surface of water slowly moving her body left and right. Protection of the forehead with the left hand, actually with closed fingers, is based on the old Illyrian belief that every human in the sky, in the universe, has his or her own star, dwelling of the soul, with which he is connected through the forehead. As stravarka is directly exposed to danger from negative energy in the lead melting ritual she protects her star i.e forehead from its influence since otherwise, Bosnian stravarke claim “if you don’t protect your star you can get mentally ill!”.

Slowly and rhythmically moving her upper body the Bosnian shaman was consciously exposing himself to autohypnosis, while focusing on the surface of the water, known for its characteristic of absorption, and with that it become the medium, through which stravarka penetrates into the invisible world of spirits. Water is a symbol of the mental sphere and as such is an ideal surface on which it is easiest to bring the human mind into a state of stronger or weaker trance. Thereby a great role is played by the exorcist formulas themselves, whose verses are rhyming, and are uttered with a low voice, droningly almost automatically, which is why you need to know them by heart. Sometimes the listener has the impression that stravarka sings the verses due to the rhyme. I’m of the opinion that this magical poetry is the key of leading into a trance since it is known that music, with that poetry, stimulates slow hypnosis of the left side of the brain, the one in charge of inner communication.

Blowing and yawning

Analyzing voodoo rituals energetic hitting on the surface of the drum, singing and ecstatic dance leads to a trance or much more passive ritual of tribe shamans, who alone and with droning beating of the drum, followed by quiet singing of prayers to spirits causes a trance, we can notice a lot of similarities with Bosnian stravarke which instead of a drum uses a vessel with water, over which she slowly moves her body left and right (east-west) and sings verses of the exorcist formula slowly.

While mechanically repeating the text of a formula and slowly moving her body, the stravarka is releasing accumulated energy by blowing in the direction of the water vessel at the end of each repeat. Ritual blowing towards the prop or diseased can be considered as a specific way of imitating divine creation of a man, to whom god, in order to animate the body made out of clay, blow life into it, or even as a transfer of energy which the shaman or stravarka cause in themselves by uttering the magical formula. Blowing in a precisely determined direction, that energy is directed in order to cause a desired effect.

Signs that the stravarka is entering a light form of trance is frequent yawning, which is interrupted by utterance of magical poetry, but professedly it has a strong psychological effect on her and the diseased himself, which is usually sitting next to her. With uncontrollable yawning she stretches her jaw and increases the size of her chest with which she pumps the brain with air which in turn leads to the reduction of its temperature. Similarly, with that physiological phenomenon she expels a certain amount of air from the body, cleanses her, which undoubtedly represents in the magical ritual an exchange of accumulated energy and a release. Yawning is sometimes actually spontaneous and out of control or stravarka but sometimes a ritual habit but it does play an important role in the ritual. We shouldn’t forget to mention that all shamanistic rituals of healing are focused on release of the diseased’ body of one or more negative entities with which she wants to accomplish ectoplasm effect, which is sometimes visible, material, and sometimes fluid. Yawning in this case could be considered as expulsion of hot air, steam, from the body.

Among the folk there is a belief that one person which yawns a lot during the day was a recent victim of someone’s spellbound eyes, and that by yawning the body is signalling that it is under direct attack of negative energy which it wants to release. It is evident that the alleged belief probably stems from shamanism of our forefathers which actually confirms the opinion of stravarke which claims “if that (stravarka) yawns intensively during the exorcist seanse the diseased will be cured quickly”. Even our forefathers the Bogomils considered yawning a physiological phenomenon which releases the soul from suffering, namely, in the middle ages in BiH they believed that the best and luckiest death when the dying yawns three times, before breathing his last breath, since that is a sure sign that the soul will be saved. In that context it is easy to conclude that the gesture of yawning in spiritual interpretation defined by an actuator of release from the presence of the entity or apparition which negatively affects the human body and spirit.    

While in the state of trance the shamans directly or symbolically signalizes i.e. communicates with a spiritual entity and stimulates it for aid. I’m of the opinion that spirits respect individuals which have the ability to enter their world and talk to them. Especially since they have the function of correcting wrongs which are certainly not favorable for the spiritual world, since it is known, that we’re all intertwined and everything that happens in the material world has an effect on the spiritual and vice versa. To us and to the supernatural entities does not fit to spend time in whirlwinds of unharmonious energy. Probably even the spirits suffer from humans themselves and shamanist practice of communication between the two worlds is necessary and crucial for survival, and it is evident that despite technological advancement the need for spirituality will never cease.

In shamanistic healing the goal is for the stravarka, but also the diseased to harmonize with the natural ritual i.e. harmonize with it, since the disease itself or evil that befell him, is the result of this misbalance. That’s why ritual healing are always undertaken around the rise of the sun and in the afternoon, when the sun loses its strength and is nearing setting, alluding to the weakening and disappearance of the negative state. The same principle applies to the moon. To bring oneself into a state of light trance, but also connect to natural forces, stravarka turns her face in the direction of north and uttering verses of the exorcist formula she slowly moves her body left-right i.e. in the direction of east-west, imitating the solar trajectory focusing all the while on the water. Such a position is not accidental, it has its origin in ancient shamanistic beliefs. Namely, in ancient times it was considered that the Northern star represents the centre around which everything revolves which is why this rudiment still present in the practice of Bosnian stravarke. North represents the state before sunrise i.e. before the birth and appearance of light. It symbolizes dawn, time when the power of evil weakens and disappears. Dawn among Bosnian stravarke is considered as a short but very important part “when the night is separated from day”, with which it is alluded on the division of evil (night) from good (day) and release i.e. recovery. Shortly north to the Bosnian stravarke signifies dawn and is a substitute to that part of the day, and it is often less important whether she is performing healing ritual in the morning, around noon, or at night, it is enough to just assume a correct position i.e. that the body and face are turned in that direction.

Mother gave birth, mother healed

During the entire time of the exorcism the diseased is sitting at the table across stravarka quiet, and between them there mustn’t be any items on the surface of the table, in order to not have any physical barriers when transferring magical energy. Similarly, stravarka warns the diseased that while the séance lasts he shouldn’t cross his legs or arms, with which the diseased would block and disable acceptance and flow of positive healthy energy throughout his body. Though not a crucial factor in the healing process, the ritual is consider to be successful if during it the diseased becomes sleepy or even falls asleep, this means that he too is in a light state of sleep or  hypnosis.

Shamanism and cult of healing are deeply influenced by the cult of the Grand Mother “since who will take better care of the healing of their children than the mother”. In a nice and poetic way this reveals the beginning of the most famous Bosnian exorcist formula :” Mother gave birth, mother healed…” When pouring molten lead into the water into the vessel of water, which she holds over the diseased, stravarka looks through the window, in the direction of a hill. This is no accident, since during the time of the Illyrians and Bogomils hills were holly places, dedicated to various deities, especially ones that bring luck, health and fertility “since they’re trapped and full, they resemble a pregnant woman’s stomach”, which in the best possible way reveals the connection with the Grand Mother.

How nature and herbs came to be

On one opportunity when Muhammad travelled, he was covered in sweat from the long journey, and from him his sweat dropped onto the earth. Where ever a drop from his forehead touched the earth a flower would grow. Sweat from other body parts that fell onto the ground became herbs that cured various illnesses. Bosnian people claim that among the first herbs to grow were dwarf elder, rue, alecost, basil and others. From the sweat which fell from his neck and hands small and large trees would grow. From the sweat from his the body of his horse made the hills, rocks and mountains grow.



Bosnian mythology

Four holly books

In folk stories about four Indžil, holly books, it was claimed that they came from the sky. In all of those books Allah wrote the first prayer, and God’s messengers continued. One of Indžil, the first one was written by Adam, and they say that it is as old as Earth itself. It is the oldest of them all. As the story further claims, Adam when he could no longer write due to his old age, an angle held his hand so he could continue. Half of this Indžil was carried away by angels, “and it was very big, so big that not all people from earth could move it”. Adam restlessly continued writing, without taking a break, and as the story claims, he wrote it his entire life. The second holly book is from Moses. It is not as old nor as big as the one from Adam. Third book was written by Jesus. Fourth by Muhammad and he said that holly books will no longer be written, since in his book everything is contained, since the creation of the world and until judgment day.



Bosnian mythology

How an owl shamed God’s messenger Solomon

People say that to Solomon’s wife out of wrath came a crazy idea, and she commanded her husband, to build her a tower out of bird’s bones, since she hated birds. God’s messenger Solomon since he knew bird language called all the birds for a meeting to arrange a deal with them how to build the tower. To his command all the birds came, only the owl was running late, Solomon got angry at the owl, and once she arrived he asked her why she was running late. The owl told him that she spent her time counting the hills and valley, men and women. To that Solomon asked whether there were more hills and valleys, to what she answered that there are more valleys, since small hills are counted as valleys. Then god’s messenger asked her are there more men or women to which she replied that there are more women “since I counted those men to whom women command, such as you, among the women!” Hearing that Solomon was disappointed that the owl shamed him in front of all the birds and he decided to give up building a tower.



This story was often told among the Bosnian people in front of that man for which it was known that he is afraid of his wife.

Bosnian mythology

Tattooing in the Bosnian tradition

Beginnings of tattooing can be located in the ancient history when man of that time placed various paints on his body in order to camouflage himself for hunt or to scare an enemy during a conflict. Beginnings of that existential practice is best noticed in the prehistoric drawings on walls of caves when the primitive Homo sapiens wished to capture strength and speed of animals by depicting them, since what his eyes could see and his hand could touch was no longer strange and impossible to catch. Accidentally or not, that primitive iconography through the following periods shaped art and religion and gave a strong incentive to talisman magic, especially among the Arabic people. Namely, in numerous amulets we can see drawings of certain animals such as a snake, scorpion, lion, around them were placed prayer words, with the aim of the barer of the amulet to be protected from their attacks. Magical symbols were not necessarily only written (drawn) on paper or animal hide, they were also depicted on clothes, especially shirts, and the naked human body. Of course, besides depictions of dangerous animals in the content of the amulets and talismans numerous depictions of squares were noticed, of circles, hexagrams, pentagrams, eyes, hands, various beings but also picturesque magical letters. All of those motifs today, and numerous others, we can see in tattoos around us.



Tattoos of women in Morocco and Algeria


Karl Steiner in his anthropological work “Bosnian folk medicine” describes the tradition of tattooing among Bosnian Catholics:

“That entire community is happy and in a good mood, there is singing and laughing on all sides and some older women were working, to “tattoo by puncturing some crosses” the young men and women, along with silly conversations and quips, according to the reports of Greek and Roman writers the old Illyrian pagans, Skit and Tarčani in ancient times tattooed on their children emblems, nobleman’s symbols and other ornaments and pictures. In a mixture of soot and saliva, in Indian ink, watered down gunpowder or wooden coals, carmine, indigo, cinober, light paste (pinus nigra) and resin, a point of a larger needle is placed in the mixture and it is used to draw the ornament on the forearm, upper side of the arm, on the chest, forehead or upper arm. When the paint starts drying, the old lady will use it to puncture their skin. That dipping of the needle in the mixture and punctuation of the skin is repeated numerous times, then the punctured place is wrapped after three days with certain, medicine herbs or linen thread. Often the tattooed places will quickly heal, so no scars are left, but it happens often, that the wounds get pussy (Sclerosis) and for lystatory or septic blood poisoning (Lymphengioitis) with knots under the arm pits. More dangerous are those cases, when the saliva from the mouth of a woman, which performs tattooing, transfers syphilis to the tattooed. To this “out-of-genital” transfer of syphilis not much attention has been paid so far, since the person infected in this way didn’t pay much attention to the initial signs of the diseases, which starts with glands being swollen, but often the secondary signs were also ignored. However, this poison spreads epidemic disease and other diseases, and it often happened that the entire family is infected and based on that we can conclude in which ways this disease spread in this area. Often for tattooing a motif of a small cross was used in a simple or ornamented form. On the top part of the arm a cross in a circle (kolo) would be tattooed, jeličin križić, old Arian circle and semicircle (fence), on the forearm a bracelet."

At one time among certain local anthropologists there was a theory about the tendency for tattooing of Catholic women in BiH, during the time of Ottoman occupation, especially depictions of a cross on the hand, based on the assumption that with such markings they were protecting themselves from a forceful marriage to a Turkish soldier, however, that thesis doesn’t have logical validity. There are a few reasons for this, the first and most important one is that tattoos on women for the Turkish soldiers didn’t represent an issue nor a hindrance to abducting her or forcing her to marry him. Also, today we know that tattooing wasn’t a taboo among the Ottomans, Arabs and Armenians, moreover, among the Turkish people it was claimed that even Hazrat Fatimah, daughter of prophet Muhammad, had a tattoo on her body. Besides, tattooing a cross which was, as we all know, a pagan symbol, present among numerous civilizations before the advent of Christianity, and usage of it as a decorative motif on the body is first and foremost a continuation of an antique tradition, especially since women were the ones to tattoo it wanting to secure fertility, since the old days the ost desirable and vital attribute of any woman in this culture.

Illyrians and tattooing

Illyrians were prone to tattooing as we know and that practice among the Bosnian people is the legacy of their forefathers. Why did it persist the most in Herzegovina, among the Catholics, is not hard to conclude. Namely, it is enough for us to mention that according to genetic research the Illyrian gene is mostly present in Herzegovina where it is present up to 70%. Similarly, analyzing the depictions on grave stones, ancient tombstones in BiH, it is evident that to the Illyrians various forms of a cross and swastika are the most common motifs as recognizable characteristic of a solar deity. There is a belief that the cross, circle and swastika are magical-religious depiction of one or more snakes, otherwise ancient symbols of fertility. Besides, a snake in Illyrian religion is an impersonation of a progenitor and protector of each family, which further strengthens her holly role. As Augustin Kristić mentions in his ethnological work “Urežnjaci iz narodnog liječenja Bosne I Hercegovine” (remnants of folk healing from BiH), snake as a motif for tattooing was primarily present among women. The author writes: “Not a lot, but on the hands of the women I saw (not so much in men) across Bosnia “punctured” – tattooed snake. On my question: why did you puncture a depiction of a snake? – nowhere did I receive the same answer. Often it was said, that they don’t know why they did it. These three answers are what I presume the meanings of the snakes: It carries luck – shields from spells – It will prevent a snake bite”. Besides the motif the answers given as a complete opposition to the depiction of the symbolism of a snake in Christianity are interesting, the snake is thought of as being the representative of evil. With that it is clear that we’re talking about an ancient tradition, Illyrian one, since a snake and tattooing belong to a culture of our forefathers.



Tattoos of Catholic women in BiH

I’m sure that the practice of tattooing since the Ottoman occupation of BiH was present among Bosnian women, and probably a few centuries after that, when puncturing of the body was substituted by a less aggressive method called kinanje. K’na, more popularly called kina or Hena which women used not only to die their hair and nails, wrists of the hand, fingers and individual parts of the face, i.e. everything that was visible by the observer. Since childhood I remember the older women that came to our house, or lived in the neighborhood, that they had on those body parts the color Kana. We need to emphasize that tattooing was considered as a protection from evil and disease, identical to what exists in the Islamic tradition in relation to hena. Therefore a logical conclusion imposes itself that the so called Kinanje among Bosnian women was a substitute to tattooing. Tattooing a dot on painful places on the body or pressing a finger dipped in kana onto the painful place, with the goal of stopping the disease, is an old healing practice alongside the Mediterranean. Besides its prophylactic and healing function the tattoo had a psychological effect. This is evident in the practice of Armenian women which had the custom of tattooing wrists in order to have greater strength to milk cows and sheep.



Wedding rituals with hena in Islamic tradition

In the end we could conclude that the practice of our forefathers was never completely lost among the Bosnian people, since even before today’s trend of tattooing, from the beginning of this century, it was a standard rule when serving military in the former JNA, for young men to tattoo classic symbols of that time such as a rose, five-pointed star, names of loved ones, numbers and the like. And what is more interesting, especially among the Bosnian people, there was no opposition from the elderly to this practice, especially if take into consideration the conservative nature of our society as a whole.

Note

Certain Illyrian tribes represented graphically their solar deity with a circle inside of which is a dot. Among the Turks and Armenians during tattooing of “son’s children” it is depicted by a circle inside of which is a dot and along the circle there are more dots. Circle was especially popular among the Armenian women as a representation of sun and moon and as such symbols of fertility. Tattooing of a small circle on the breast represented a status symbol among these people and it was carried only by beautiful women.

MISCELLANEOUS FOR EVIL EFFECT

Following cartographic chart be prepared and burnt in a brand new carthen lamp with mustard oil. The person under influence be asked to gaze it. When it is burnt off completely keep the lamp safely. Repeat thid action second and third day also. Suitable time for this action is after Maghrib or after Isha. And the place where this action is conducted be aloof or secluded.

Amulet against jinns / devils

Day of Mourning in Honor of the Genocide in Srebrenica - 11.july 2017

Islam – the greatest phenomenon of our age

In the 21st century Islam became much more than the largest monotheistic religion, right behind Christianity, and we certainly must regard it as a phenomenon in numerous segments. Plan which was made in the west that has a goal to misrepresent and misuse this religion and bring it in line with terrorism, in order to find a good enough reason to rob and exploit oil and gas, as well as other natural resources of individual Islamic countries, achieved a collapse and actually produced a completely opposite, unexpected effect. Coming into focus of the entire world, Islam became well-known and studied that stats record larger percentages of converts from other religions to Islam each year. Christianity which literally swallowed Judaism, though the Jews don’t accept Christianity nor Islam, moreover they despise them; they have seen from the beginning the greatest enemy, whose people possess the most important natural resources, and as such they threaten the two main principles of western civilization – hegemony and desire to dominate, which carefully has woven them in their twisted interpretation of Christianity, completely identical to the way Saudi Arabia is representing Islam today.
But, something in that skilfully crafted plan of Anglo-Saxon political elite got out of control and despite their aggressive effort and propaganda of all western media it produced a completely opposite effect. Namely, like never before in history books about Islam started to spring overnight, encyclopaedias, documentary films and movies are being made, famous newspapers started writing about Islam. Also, the internet is full of content about Islam and despite the negative propaganda of the western media, under the direct control of the American government, suddenly is became magnetically attractive to the entire world and it awakened an unforgettable interest like no religion before in the history of mankind.


Genocide over Muslims

Though Arabian and Persian people were faced with western hegemony and robbery since the colonial times, overture into new suffering and destruction by the West began on September 11th 2001 when the Saudi terrorists attacked USA, under the leadership of Osama Bin Laden, direct descendant of the Saudi monarchy, they performed a larger play than the one about the landing of American astronauts on the moon, which had a goal to open the doors to robbery of natural goods of the Middle East and genocide over Muslims.
To better grasp which key role Saudi Arabia had in all of this you need to know at the beginning that it actually isn’t even a state in the full meaning of that word, actually it is a private property of a self-proclaimed monarchy of the Saudi. Of course, don’t even think that the American government pushed the Saud’s into such a criminal act, actually it found allies in them, which had the same desire to have greater power and dominion over the entire region. From the start of this criminal undertaking the monarchy of the Saud were not even slightly interested in their globally negative effect on Islam and Muslims, but exclusively to spread their power and destroy all those they considered their enemies. That’s why a military aggression on Iraq took place, when the American’s together with the European allies killed over a million of Iraqis and after them Saudi Arabia sent their army – terrorists. Of course, for this crime none of the named will step in front of an international court because what does an Iraqi or Arab life mean to someone from the West?

Saudi monarchy before September 11th got a guarantee from USA that no one will judge them for their crimes, a similar privilege is enjoyed by the Israeli army, and that the Senate, as well as any president, will stop any attempt of placing blame or pointing of fingers towards the real culprit. In all of this the Saudi recognised a perfect opportunity to completely destabilise Iraq, second strongest rival right behind Iran. Americans will be pleased with a military aggression on Afghanistan prior to the attack on Iraq, in order to steal opal from the Afghani mountains together with their European allies and in order to ensure the production of opium. Of course, the greatest wish of the Saudi, which they share with their ally Israel, is a military strike on Iran so that it too can have the same destiny as Iraq, but such a scenario will definitely not take place since the Iranian people are united, but also militarily superior in relation to surrounding countries. This is what brings the Saudi monarchy into hysteria and a great shopping spree for armaments, which they will soon use against their own people.


Wahhabism – terrorism

Saudi monarchy’s desire for hegemony and domination after the American attack on Iraq keeps growing and it is financing the creation of the so called Islamic state which has a goal to destabilize, in the long term, besides Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Besides these ambitions among the Saudi there is a public hatred towards Muslims, while openly calling for killing of the Shiites and Alawites, they’re more discrete when it comes to the Sunni, since they’re afraid of the possible reaction of their neighbours, and they give this task to the terrorists, for which they pay up tens of millions of dollars each month. And that the Saudi are the main donors and commanders of all terrorists in the Middle East, but also in the West, was best confirmed by Putin’s sharp warning to the Saudi that if there is a terrorist attack during the Winter Olympic games in Sochi, Riyadh will be the target for Russian nuclear missiles. And as we know there were no terrorist attacks during the winter Olympics.

Root of the hatred towards the Shiite and Sunni is hidden in Wahhabism, which is a dominant religious dogma in Saudi Arabia i.e. twisted version of Islam and as such is the only religious principle of all terrorists from Al Qaeda to ISI, and all future versions of mercenaries of the Saudi monarchy. But, we shouldn’t ignore the traditional hate that USA has towards Islam which is presented for a long time through an open hostility towards the Islamic republic of Iran; Iran with its name best represents this region. Unlike Saudi Arabia, Islamic republic of Iran is the true representative of all Muslims across the globe and therefore is constantly in the sights of USA and Israel, UK, France, Germany and all those wishing to destroy Iran and with that Islam. While Iran continuously, openly calls for unity of all Muslims across the world and selflessly helps Palestine, Syria and Lebanon so that they can resist the Zionist attacks and hegemony, Saudi Arabia has an ally relationship with USA and Israel, which are as we know, declared enemies and killers of Muslims. According to this we know which side they represent and what their interests are.


Terrorist attacks in the Middle East and West – two different stories

It is interesting that in all western media pays no attention to terrorist attacks across Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt and other Islamic countries, where victims number not dozens but hundreds, but as soon as such an attack takes place in the EU or USA then its headline news for days which are used to the max. Identical case is when it comes to killings in Palestine, namely, when the Jews attack the Palestinians and kill hundreds of civilians, mostly women and children, then it represents short news in the western media, which are nowhere close to headline news, but if for example a Jewish child is hurt or a civilian then the media experience a hysteria and show, the ones that possess the most modern weapons, ones which always repress and undertake genocide over the Palestinians, as victims?!