Hazrat Fatima in shamanism

Hazrat Fatima, the daughter of the prophet Muhammad, besides her husband Ali Ibn Talib known among the Bosnian people as hazrat Alija, is a mystical figure and a cult character in shamanism, but also inseparable segment of folk medicine and tradition, where she is a spiritual mother and protector to all stravarke. We are lead to this conclusion by numerous examples from the practice, the most noticeable one is found in one of her names which is Fatima Ana or “Fatima Mother”, from the Turkish word anna or mother. Namely, every time a Turkish woman-shaman i.e. ocakli-kadin pours molten lead in a vessel with water she says: “This is not my hand, this is the hand of Fatima Ana!” alluding that she is only the medium or instrument through which the healing power of the prophets daughter will flow.

Similar ritual practice exists in the tradition of Bosnian stravarke. At the very beginning, before the exorcist formulas and prayers are uttered above the vessel with water, with a quiet voice the stravarka utters this formula: “My dear Hazrat Fatima, my dear mother, tell your father Muhammad...”. The meaning of this magical sentence is actually a desire for supernatural intermediation, with the goal of securing the necessary support from god in order to heal successfully: stravarka asks Hazrat Fatima, which she calls her mother, who in turn will ask Muhammad and he will ask Allah.




Lucky hand

Writing about the tradition of the Bosnian people, Antun Hangi in his chapter about folk medicine touched on the healing motif of the hand, he recorded: “Woman (stravarka), which is known for her knowledge of exorcism and rituals of lead melting, and especially if she is sevapli, of a lucky hand, is very respected since she can do a lot of things if god wills it, from annulling negative effects of evil eyes, cure the frightened, and also she can marry a girl or a boy.”

Researching shamanistic tradition of curing among the Bosnian folk, especially the ritual aspects of the cult “hand that cures” I noticed that they are familiar in numerous aspects. For example, in the exorcist formula which stravarke use to cure a diseased stomach, they say: “Come on, Hazrat Fatima, you bring your pen and with it...”. Without a doubt in this magical request, most reliably defined is the role of the prophet’s daughter who is called upon for help.

Instrument of healing is still the hand but this time it holds the most representative prop-symbol of the shamanistic cult of healing and that is a chicken’s feather, which can also be a bird’s. The motif of a feather was used by all cultures connected to worship of nature and its forces, from the Indians, Maya, Inca all up to the ancient Egyptians. Furthermore, feather like silver is dedicated to the moon, to the female deity and embodiment of the Grand Mother, whose substitute in monotheism became the virgin Mary, Hazret Fatima and sometimes Hawa or Eve.

In a formula for curing recorded in Velika Kladuša, at the very end, an interesting verse is mentioned which literally says: “as light as a feather as clear as silver...” which probably best represents the role and symbolism of the feather in the shamanistic cult of healing. It is quite evident that before the advent of monotheism; in the religion of our Illyrian forefathers, the cult of healing under the patronage of the Grand Mother was well developed, which is a logical sequence under the immediate influence of matriarchy. Women were and still are the best keepers of folk tradition, old language and customs, especially the ones dedicated to healing and magic, which is a result of an old practice of matriarchy in our region. Still today, through old traditions, shorter and longer forms of magical formulas, one can find and hear a lot of old words and phrases which are a priceless linguistic treasure.

Examples of the dominant role of the spiritual mother of healing do not end there. During the banishment of the red wind (Erizipel) stravark, while burning oakum on the body of the diseased, repeats:

Salamaikum, Hazrat Fatima!
What are you doing?
Burning, burning, to burn!
Nine, eight, seven, ....

In abbreviated form of the name i.e. Fata she is often mentioned in basma against snake bite such as:

Fata, Fata kissed gold,
in gold more gold!


At times a mother which washed the face of a spellbound child would utter:

I’m not washing dreams and worry
but evil eyes and insomnia,
with one hand I and with the other Hazrat Fatima,
mašalna inšalna!

Hidden meaning of this ritual is obviously located in the undefined statement which hand represents which mother and probably with that one wanted to confuse and scare evil with the arcane strength of the indescribable parental love and care, in front of which it must recoil.

Another interesting aspect from folk tradition in which the prophylactic role of the prophet’s daughter is emphasized, is evident in the example of borrowing a garden seed for sowing. Namely, when a housewife gives as a gift a seed from the garden she utters:

To you Hazrat Fatima gave a name and to me a seed!

She does this as a precautionary measure so that she may have yields (crop) in her garden.

Saint with three roses

Fatima is often the name of famous stravarke, it was recorded that the name was often given out of love to a daughter, who was an only child. Among the folk it is believed that women with this name often give birth to boys which is obviously alluding to Hasan and Husein, the sons of Hazrat Fatima. From the now deceased stravarka, Fatima D. I once heard that the most powerful amulets for curing are created by Imam’s named Hasan, which can be connected to the story above.

Hazrat Fatima herself in folk tradition of BiH is tied to fortune telling using bean beads, where it is claimed that she used to practice this mantic discipline. This is why before divination the Bosnian diviner gathers 41 bean beads in her hand and holding them in front of her mouth she utters in a low voice the first verse of the Qur’an, and in the end she offers the prayer to Hazrat Fatima’s soul. Allegedly, with this she blesses the bean beads and strengthens them, placing them under the direction of a higher force so that it can correctly show someone’s destiny, since as they claim: “beans are never wrong, only the one using them!”.

During the period when I visited local stravarke often with the desire to gather as much information about their work as possible, I met Alija K. now deceased, she told me about her unusual meeting with Hazrat Fatima. According to her she dreamt of her one night and she described her as “an extremely beautiful young woman, with large dark eyes and white face, which was adorned with a white scarf which had three roses tied to it”.

Allegedly, she was told in that dream that she should continue the practice of curing her mother, a wise woman which was literate during the beginning of the twentieth century in a conservative society such as Bosnia. What was especially interesting in her presentation was a love recipe for having your husband come back to you, in this formula the main protagonists are Hazrat Fatima and her husband Ali, and their connection with the holiest plant for the Bosnian people – sedefil (Ruta graveolens – rue).


Hand of Hazrat Fatima

Although the origin of the most famous amulet in Islam, the so called “Hand of Hazrat Fatima (Fatima’s hand)” , is older than Islam itself, also of Judaism and Christianity, and dates back to the ancient gods whose depictions showed them with a raised right hand, signifying divine authority and power, legends about the origin are an ideal depiction how through time of the human civilization, religion never lost its primary purpose of inspiring man and of giving his life a purpose.

According to an Arabic tradition, when Hazrat Fatima found out of her husband’s infidelity, she was so distraught and in tears that she burned her palm and fingers while mixing a hot mixture of sugar and almonds. She placed her injured hand on her chest, close to her heart and breathing deeply she said: “Dear Allah, give me strength to keep calm and peaceful, protect me and help me, I trust only you!”. As the legend continues these sincere words of an emotionally and physically hurt woman who was humiliated touched Allah that he immediately blessed her hand (berekat) and from then on the motif of her hand has become the most popular and famous amulet across the Middle and Central East and even further.

The hand of Hazrat Fatima is especially beloved among Arabian women which carry it around their necks believing that it will bring them good luck, love, fertility and keep their marriage. Men carry this amulet so that “their paths open up” i.e. so that they can achieve success and prosperity on journeys, in business, commerce, exams, ... Both sexes carry the hand of Hazrat Fatima because of its apotropaic meaning – it protects them from spellbound eyes, magic and evil spirits.

Fatima and Ali

It is known that individual symbols are universal and irreplaceable in the history of human spirituality and one of them is the hand that represents true power of creation and spiritual strength. Certain anthropologists believe that the origin of this amulet dates back to the oldest known cultures and should be sought in the raised hand of the Phoenician god of fertility Baal or in the depictions of certain Egyptian deities, where such a position demonstrates supernatural and royal affiliation. Divine motive of a raised hand was present among Assyrian where there was a common prayer “nish kati” – “raising of the hand”, while for example in the Egyptian text “Book of doors” on the alabaster sarcophagus of Seti I in the museum of Sir John Soane it is written “Large hand” it signifies supreme authority over the sky and earth.

I probably won’t exaggerate if I state that the amulet known as Fatima’s hand is the most popular one in southern Africa where it is used as a universal symbol of protection against evil eyes, which is after all a part of the folklore according to which the motif of an opened palm has an absolute domination over such forms of evil. Almost all present magical ornament across Morocco, Algeria and Tunis is a symbol of a hand painted with henna on the entrance to a house or a wall of the house.

When constructed for women then Fatima’s hand must be made out of silver, while in other opportunities it can be created on wood, metal, shells or added as an addition to the amulet created out of chapters of the Qur’an. In Algeria and Iran it is believed that Fatima’s hand has the power to protect from crocks and generally negative people. It is usually made out of the following seven metals, which in astrology are connected to the seven planets: gold, silver, copper, iron, zinc, lead and tin.

In Egypt amulets made out of turquoise in the form of an eye or hand have, according to belief, prophylactic characteristics to protect a human against evil eyes, and how deeply rooted this belief is in everyday life can perhaps be best witnessed by scenes across Cairo, or across Egypt where we can see these amulets on the entrance door to a house or rear-view mirrors inside cars. Fatima’s hand is often called Khamsa, which signifies number 5, otherwise a holly number in Shiite tradition, where the five fingers represent five members of the holly family: Muhammad, Fatima, Ali, Hasan and Husein. Namely, while the focus among the Sunnis is only on Muhammad, among the Shiite, Alawites and other Islamic directions, respect is given to all of the above. (1)

It is very interesting to note that individual lands of the Maghreb have in their national features (a flag or crest) magical symbols which signify power and protection such as the pentagram sign on the flag of Morocco. Crest of Algeria adopted in 1976 has in its middle, underneath the rising sun the hand of Hazrat Fatima (2). In both lands Fatima’s hand is connected to prophylactic statements such as: “Five in your eyes!”, “Five on you!”, “Five in the face of my enemies!”, etc.



Hazrat Fatima as a cult symbol


It is necessary to emphasize that the popularity of Fatima in the Islamic world is actually a phenomena if we remember how dominant the historical marginalization of women among the Arabs, Persians and Jews has been. (3) Probably the first and most important reason is hidden in the fact that prophet Muhammad had seven children out of which only Fatima lived longer than him, and in accordance he showed her the most affection. (4) About Muhammad’s love for Fatima, Hazrat Aisha says: “Prophet rose in front of Fatima, he would welcome her, kiss her and offered her his sear. When he would enter her room she would rise to meet him, she would take his hand, welcome him and kissed him and she would offer her seat to him. She entered his room when he was on his death bed, he still welcomed her and kissed her.” (Buhari & Muslim).

Although Fatima is a cult symbol and the manifestation of female spiritual energy in shamanism with her indispensably appears Ali Ibn Talib, her husband, through whom the tradition of transmission of Islam to people was preserved. He also represents a cult character and is given mystical powers. Bosnian tradition claims that Hazrat Ali was born on second august and that day in BiH is called Aliđun (Aligun : from the Turkish word gun which means day). Fatima and Ali are often the main protagonists in numerous magical formulas such as this: “Hazrat Fatima plants flowers, Hazrat Ali encloses the garden…” In another formula which is uttered when planting vegetables it is said: “Hazrat Ali plants the garden, what did he plant – may it all sprout! Veledalin amin”. In both examples this holly couple is directly tied to vegetation and nature itself which undoubtedly alludes to the cult of fertility which has undergone reforms with the advent of Christianity and Islam, obviously a substitute for the divine couple Vidasus and goddess Thana was obtained in Fatima and her husband Ali.

Names Hazrat Fatima and Ali as marital partners, are present in love magic, despite the evident condemnation of magic work in Islam, numerous people are liberal about spells which are meant to preserve a marriage and a family. In Bosnia for example they’re not considered negative, instead they’re seen as necessary so that, usually the wife, can avert her husband from his mistress and save the family (children) in the process. It appears that other Islamic states have similar views. A wife in Malaysia which wants to prevent her husband from cheating with other women, she would make love to him on a Thursday night and after coitus she would use her middle finger of her right hand to rub her vagina and collect some sperm and vaginal fluid, which she will place inside a drink which she will then offer to her husband or lover. As soon as she dips her forefinger in the drink she utters: “E, mani, jangan kau menyukai yang lain kecuali diriku sendiri seperti selama ini, saya sajalah yang dipujinya sama seperti Ali di hadapan Fatima, berkah kun fayakun.”

In Iran and Turkey there are numerous legends about Ali, successor to Muhammad, and the most famous one was where he was familiar with and proficient in occult knowledge. To his son’s Hasan and Husein, when they were children, he created an amulet which they carried around their neck with the goal of protecting them against evil eyes. Fatima and Ali are attributed with a prophetic gift, she allegedly could interpret bean beads and he knew how to interpret figures in coffee grounds. This is probably the reason why we find their names in fal-basma i.e. formulas which are uttered before divination.



Note

(1) It is a horrifying fact that in Saudi Arabia, where Wahhabism rules, or more accurately a twisted version of Islam, out of which the forces of ISIS and Al Qaida sprung up; in such a society carrying amulets was pronounced as blasphemous and superstitious, and such an act is usually punished by traditional public execution where the accused people get their heads cut off by sabres.

(2) In Sudan, Fatima’s hand is a ubiquitous graphical symbol which can be seen on official forms of the government and police.

(3) Primitivism and barbarism that is present in Saudi Arabia is a product of a grotesque monarchy, which besides an artificial creation of Israel, represents the source of all evil in the Middle east. An interesting data is that both bloodthirsty and inhumane dictatorships have been put into place by the colonial superpower the UK with the goal of twisting and degrading the entire Islam as a religion and to destabilise the Middle East for a long period of time. Do not forget that the root of terrorism, besides in Saudi Arabia and Israel, has been created by Mossad and Israeli nationalists with the goal of endangering the Arabian and Persian peoples which are a majority. Of course, with the selfless help from the US, which donates annually millions of dollars to Israel all the while the US now has 50 million people who are registered as living on the boarder of poverty. It is absurd that to the American government 4.5 million lives of the Jews in Israel can be more important than their own citizens which pay tax regularly. In the end a question can be posed as to how the American people can allow that the money, which should improve their living standards, can go to the militaristic government of Israel and towards the realisation of the plan of killing the Palestinian people. How bloodthirsty people the Jews really are, their primary purpose is a genocide doctrine which has been murdering the Palestinian people for centuries, can be best seen by the fact that whenever a fire breaks out in Israel, it turns out that they don’t have Canadair planes for extinguishing the flames, and they plead for help to other countries. Of course, despite this fact they gladly display the possession of the newest fighter planes and tanks which they use gladly to kill and massacre the Palestinian people, destroying their homes in the process. I believe that it is not necessary to further elaborate on what type of people they are and what they enjoy. They’re not for peace and they’ll never be. Jewish dogma is that only they have the privileged status of a victim and that the suffering of other people is not important in comparison to them, and in accordance to this no one should criticise them even if they killed half of the world’s population. However, we should all be aware that the Jews are far from victims, they’re executioners and killers. And they should be called as such.

(4) It is a historical fact that Islam gradually managed to ban the inhumane practice of the Arabs of killing female children, which spurred poverty and the inability of offering dowries, but because of the traditional antagonism towards women, Islam didn’t succeed in bringing equality between men and women. Today’s Muslims across Middle East don’t see anything wrong in dressing like the westerners and in using all the benefits of the western civilization, but regardless of that fact, according to their hypocritical stance, Muslim women should dress as if they were in the middle ages.

Neutralising negative energy

Though I explained in the beginning of the text the side effects of working with love magic, we should note that Bosnian stravarke or stravaruše warn that a clear indicator of a magical attack is when someone dreams that he is being attacked by one or more horses, or another type of animal, which is according to them more than clear sign that the negative energy started to directly influence the psyche of the person.

Magical cleansing is usually performed over the clothes which you carried during a ritual. It is believed that the ritual with the lead not only cleanses the person and the surrounding with its prophylactic characteristics, but also blocks all negative agents which could harm the person in the future. Though the ritual of elimination of evil can be practiced during any time of the day, from dusk till dawn, though individual days in the week have their advantages: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, around noon, when the sun is in the zenith "when it calms down". If the ritual is performed on Tuesday then it is recommended that it should be done the following two Tuesdays or it can be combined, two Tuesdays and one Friday or similarly.  

In order to release the accumulated magical energy, especially if you frequently perform rituals, then it would be preferable to practice the ritual of cleansing at least once a month. At the same time you will neutralise symptoms from yourself such as stress which will be reflected in better sleep, mental calmness, etc.

For proper performance of the ritual you will need the following props:

a piece of lead,

vessel with spring water,

metal spoon,

red rag,

three matches.

Use one piece of lead, of such a size that it can fit inside a metal spoon. The lead needs to be clean, washed in water and dried. Holding the lead in the right hand utter a prayer from your religion, such as Our father or Ya-sin. With that you infuse metal with the positive energy which will be free and channelled properly during the process of melting and becoming hard again. At the end of the prayer, blow vigorously in the direction of the lead.

Once you have done this, circle the lead three times around your head with your right hand, clockwise, starting always in such a manner to touch the part of the forehead between the eyebrows which, in Bosnian witchcraft, is called "star" or "house of the star". This ancient Illyrian belief about the connection of stars in the sky and the humans on earth is deeply rooted in beliefs of Bosnian magic and that's why they represent one of its main principles. With that we are certainly a step closer to unravelling the secret of where the ritual of melting lead comes from which our Illyrian forefathers respected, attributing magical powers of healing and influencing human destinies to it.

The next important prop is water. Spring water has special powers of mother earth and that's why it is most often used in rituals. Spring water is best taken immediately after sunrise or in the evening, after sunset, since its healing properties are greatest then.

You should perform the ceremony facing the door of the room, in order to allude ritually that the negative energy is leaving your home. Spread the red rag on the table first and on it a piece of clothing you wore during a magical ritual, usually your sweater. On the part of the sweater where your heart is when you put it on, place the vessel with spring water. Place the lead into the metal spoon and start melting it on the fire.

Utter this magic formula above the vessel with water:

I salute you good ghosts,

I salute you water, general,

you have great power to take down trees, rocks and mountains

and wash from them (remove) spellbound eyes and magic -

help and remove all evil from me.

Everything that came from the Jinn and the devil

let it go to the high mountain tops,

there were the rooster doesn't sing,

where the cow sounds,

where the ox cannot be heard,

where the bread is not baked,

there all evil should remain!

While you are uttering this formula move the vessel with your right hand in a circle, clockwise. With this ritual gesture one imitates the sun's movement and alludes to its victorious power over evil and darkness.

Pour the molten lead into the vessel with the spring water but in such a manner as to circle it three times, clockwise, the spoon around the edge of the vessel and then pour the lead in the middle. When touching cold water the molten lead can produce a strong sound and every time it will form one or more shapes which reveal in which amount the negative energy influenced you.

By analysing the formed shapes of lead we can come to some very interesting information about how and in what way the negative (magical) energy has influenced the person but for a detailed insight into these lead forms requires a special chapter and this time I will focus on the most important symbol of neutralising and that is the so called heart (see picture).

                  "heart"

Sometimes it can happen that during all three processes of pouring lead the symbol of the heart is present but more often it happens once or twice. If at the bottom of the vessel you don't find the symbol of the heart during all three pouring processes, then you are a victim of a stronger magical attack or activity. But no matter you should not worry yourself because after you consume the water in which the lead was poured , your body (aura) will be cleansed and the symbol of the heart will appear, at least once, in a new ritual. Bosnian stravarke recommend to pour some water into the shampoo in order to cleanse your body from the negative energy during every shower and your organism by drinking it.

After you have poured the lead into the water you will pick it up and return it into the spoon and melt it on the fire again. During that time you will lower the vessel with water down the sweater to the part of the stomach and repeat the magical formula above the water. You will repeat the same process the third time while moving the vessel to the edge of the sweater.

After the last pouring of the lead the ritual is ended using three matches. One by one the matches are lit above the vessel with the water, while the text of the formula is repeated, and the matches are carefully carried in circle around the edge of the vessel and then they are extinguished in the water.

I don't light the matches

I'm burning from myself

all spellbound eyes, hostile activity, magical attacks.

Whatever is directed at me, addressed, framed and manufactured

let it fall off of me and disappear!

With god's help and my formula veledalin amin!

As you can conclude from the text of the formula itself this activity serves to cleanse with the element of fire which has the power to scare but also burn accumulated evil energy. Pour the water from the vessel into an empty bottle and the rest of the lead and matches scoop and throw down a river. You will consume the water the following few days, it is recommended three, five, seven or nine days, in the morning after you wake up and in the evening before sleep.   

'atil wa batil

Incantations play an important part in the efforts to remove the influence of the evil eye. When an afflicted person is thought to be a victim of nazar, or the glance of the evil eye, a particular kind of incense, which is made of seeds of the wild rue, mixed with leaves of myrtle and frankincense, is burned at sunset; and while the smoke is curling about the head of the victim, the following incantation is repeated:

Wild rue, who planted it ?...... Muhammad.

who gathered it ?................... Ali.

who burned it ?......................Fatima.

for whom ?........................... For Hasan and Husain.

The names of the " Five " are all in this incantation, combining their power with that of the incense. The Iranian women call this incantation 'atil wa batil, or " offensive and defensive."

 

 

 

 

 

Zazor, začud and prostril

Arabs, Persians and other Muslims believe that there are two types or two directions from which spells come – the first one is from humans and the other from Jinn. In folk tradition there is a belief about three types of spells: zazor, začud or učud and prostril. Zazor is a spell created out of jealousy and envy, začud comes out of great wonderment and admiration towards someone or something and prostril is the most dangerous type of spell since a child can easily die from it, if one doesn't react on time. In Cazin and Velika Kladuša when people say that someone is ill due to „svitskog sepa“ or „svitske djece“ they actually want to say that he is a victim of evil eyes.

Among Bosnian people there is a belief that more people have gone underground (died) due to consequences of spells than due to all diseases combined. Similarly, a common belief is that spells are often child diseases. Because of this understanding it is customary among Bosnian people to place the money, given to child when you see it for the first time, on the forehead, on its “star” for “good luck”. The money is given with a purpose i.e. the parents will order and pay for an amulet with an Imam, so that the power of the amulet will protect the new member of society from evil and spells. The acquired sum should not be reduced nor increased not to disrupt the mystical power of the amulet.

Until the ordered protection arrives, the mother as well as other inhabitants noticeably strive, especially during the first 40 days but also first couple of years, to be cautious and to react to the smallest signs, despite the amulet. Special caution is cultivated towards the first child since it is believed that it is most susceptible to an attack of this evil.

Various taboos are being uphold among which the most important rule is that a tired or drowsy child should not be caressed “since it won’t have the strength to resist the spell!”. Another rule without which it was claimed the child couldn’t be nurtured is the necessary usage of one or more apotropaic props so called džidža. Their only purpose was to divert the real, newest and strongest, gaze which would pave the way with its destructive influence for other negative influences.

Džidže or miniature metallic ornaments in BiH possessed in the past great manipulative power towards the destructive power of spells. All children, whether Muslim or Christian, had in their vicinity, on the crib or a hat, an item made out of silver in the form of a rabbit, rooster, frog, small rifle, arrow, sabre, mace, a hand with five fingers or lead “heart” formed during the ritual of lead melting.


Amulet against spells

Apotropaic content which was used by the Bosnian people in defence against evil eyes is varied and imaginative: red velvet tied around a wolf’s, fox’s or rabbit’s tail, dried on a spindle and then encircled with silver and gold a rooster’s coccyx, golden money, small shells, a few grains of rye or a silver plate which was forged by a naked blacksmith in the middle of the night which has the child’s name etched, and the like. But, it would be wrong to conclude that only children wore such items, namely, it was once established to see on women, especially elderly women, an upside down a zipper or safety pin, for which they claimed averted evil eyes.

“On fez of Bosnian children – especially boys – you will often see a three-cornered, made out of red cloth or silk, amulet with a few sentences (verses) or an entire prayer (surat) from the Qur’an, which was written down by a skilled Imam. They often write down a few sentences from the third chapter i.e. surat Ali ‘Imran (Imran’s family), which is well known as “small hatma”, or even the entire surat. It is recommended that an Imam prepares an ink made out of rose water mixed with saffron and incense. Such an amulet, it is said, not only protects children from spells but also pregnant women which carry it around their necks".

In the continuation of his text “About spells”, Leopold Gluck describes, somewhat clumsily, the content of an amulet against spells, he came into possession of the amulet through a Bosnian friend. Like any amulet this too begins with the words “Bismilahir rahmanir rahim” – “In the name of the merciful Lord!”. Right after that follows a prayer dedicated to four angels, each of which rule with one part of the world, to the four holly men enumerating four holly books. The prayer ends with the names of the seven sleepers from Ephes and their dog Kitmir.

Transcription of the amulet text: “Allahumme ya Rabbi Džebraile ve Mikaile ve Israfile ve Azraile ve Ibrahime ve Ismaile ve Ishaka ve Jakube ve munzilel berakati vet Tevrati vez-Zeburi vel Indžili vel Furkan. Ve la havle ve la kuvvete illa billahil aliyyil azim. Jemliha, Mekseline, Mislina, Mernuš, Debernuš, Šazenuš, Kefetatayuš, Kitmir.„

Translated to English the text of the prayer would go as follows: “My God and Jibrail and Mikaile and Israfile and Azraile and Ibrahime and Ismaile and Jakube and you from which all good stems, who gave the Torah, Gospel and Psalms and the Honourable Qur’an, I cannot help you only mighty Allah can. Yemliha, Mekseline, Mislina, Mernush, Debernush, Shazenush, Kefetatayush, Kitmir.

Underneath this prayer a magic square stood or a vefk with numbers whose numerological value represented one of the 99 God’s Beautiful names.



Instead of an amulet among the Bosnian people one would wear “blue or a turquoise, egg shaped rock so called “uročnjak” which was attached to a fez. An upturned (seam on the outside) left sleeve of a shirt, stung the eyes less, but as they say gave no less protection against spells".

Traditional practice among the entire Bosnian population, regardless of faith, was that one would wear an item of clothing upside down in order to shield from spells – “for the spell to go back”. Among Ćifuti (Jews) a bag sown in three corners using golden thread or red cloth or silk was given to children, in it was a small piece of rue, a piece of garlic and some salt, blessed on the second day of Passover in the Synagogue.

Help was sought amongst herbs and roots of certain plants such as valerian, willow or elecampane, for which it is said in a folk song:

If it weren’t for willow and elecampane
I wouldn’t nurse my son Osman.

From the herbal pharmacy, traditionally certain plants were favoured more than others primarily because of their healing properties but also apotropaic properties. We are talking about garlic and rue.

-“Most of those regulations recommend garlic, since evil spirits run from it. – “It is good”, old people say, “to rub the diseased with garlic and give him a clove to eat.” “It is good”, they said, “to crush rue, drain the juice and give a few spoons of it for drinking, one can also give crushed rue mixed with honey for consumption in the duration of 40 days.”