Raif Esmerović

Mysterious Bosnia and Herzegovina –

between legend and reality

History of a people, especially in the distant past, ancestors Illyrians, probably came to our area from
can be studied and perceived from various aspects today’s Iran and India, following this creature during
and directions, which can be summed up in one its migration towards the European lands. Namely,
whole or studied individually. Mythological according to research of the Paleontological
legends and beliefs are one of such approaches, museum at the University of Oslo, first examples
since we cannot ignore the fact that often legends appeared in the area of today’s India two million
and myths are real descriptions of events to years BCE from where they migrated to the Midlle
which folk imagination has given a mystical East and other parts of Asia. They reached Europe
around 250 000 BCE. Since prehistory Tur was an
thread and has impressed upon them human
important animal for the survival of humans, our
hopes of the time. Because of these reasons it is a
ancestors as well, which is evidenced by drawings
real pleasure to research the history of the
in pre-historic caves but also the above mentioned
Bosnian people which is contained in myths,
legend.
legends and folklore, those unique fragments of
collective consciousness, which survived to this
day through oral transmissions. Actually, the
intent of this feuilleton in part is to touch upon
interesting aspects of shamanistic practice of
Bosnian stravarke which are intertwined in
ancient folk myths, which are usually the best
reflection of life and thinking of our ancestors,
their habits, spiritual understanding and
coexistence with nature.

Although a several ethnologists mentioned the

beliefs of Bosnians in terms of Tur holding the earth
in “Contributions to oriental philology” of the Oriental
institute in Sarajevo, year 1980, page 310, a very
On the trail of Tur
interesting practice of Bosnian people is mentioned;
although people crossed over from Arian
Christianity to Islam they still continued to give
honours to the old Illyrian deities, joining them to the
The honour of opening up the first chapter of
Muslim devotes such as Vejsil Karanija:
Bosnian mythological scene deservedly belongs to
the mystical being Tur (bull) who holds Earth on his
1 “Then, from an old lady, Puhalovka Alijaginica,
shoulders, according to legends . Curiosity of this
which lived in Čebedžije in Sarajevo, I recorded the
mythological tale is that it is only present among
following: „On Wednesday one would pray noon
Bosnian people and as such it represents 2
prayer and bow to : Oganj and Ognjev Pir , Tur,
exceptionally important segment in search of our
Hadži Dedi, Hadži Kasapi, Sitoj Nefisi, Vejsil
origin. Researching available tales and data about
the extinct bovine of the same name, Tur (Bos
2
primigenius) I came to a conclusion that our Pir is the name mostly connected to Sufism, it signifies the
Sheik, spiritual leader, holly person. /The Pir or Sufi Saint in
Pakistani Islam/. Oganj comes from the Illyrian language, as
1 the name for the hearth, and signifies fire. It is possible that
According to the Bosnian tradition this world is standing on behind the name “Ognju i Ognjevu Piru” – the literal translation
the back of a giant bull Tur (Garonja). When he moves his ear would be “fire and fiery saint” – are hidden the deities of the
somewhere on earth there is an earthquake, and on the day household hearth, in which according to the Illyrian belief
that Tur shakes his entire body the end of the world will take belongs the snake. Conclusion is imposed by itself that Oganj i
place. For the rumble one hears when there is an earthquake, Ognjev Pir are ancient deities of our ancestors i.e. fire and
people say that it is the roar of the bull Garonja. snake, totems of the house and family.

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 Raif Esmerović
Karaniji, his father and mother.” sold) honey (?) 360. guarantors: Ibrahim and
Osman, sons of Hizir, form the mentioned street.
In the rest of the text the author claims: “it is a Present: Nesuh Imam, son of Muhamed; Mustafa,
shame that Gržić is pretty unspecified, claiming that son of Tur Alija; Husein, son of Pir Alija; Sefer
“people in Bosnia still believe that the world rests on Imam, son of Seid, Hadži Kurt Alija, son…” On page
Tur, and when he shakes, that earthquakes take 223 a list is mentioned in which among other names
place”. It is interesting that the author mentions that there are these two: “Tur Ali, son of Murad, Pir Ali
Tur shall appear before the people when a great son of Murad…” etc.
earthquake takes place, which directs us towards
the ancient traditions about doomsday which is
among the Bosnian people predicted when the
bees, sheep and wheat disappear, “40 years before Great bird – creator of life on
doomsday”. earth

In Cazin the bull Tur is also called Garonja, which

picturesquely tells us that we are talking about a bull Although shamanistic practice in Bosnia throughout
with black pelt, which is what the real Bos the last centuries has been minimised and reduced
primigenius looked like. Personally, this last data is to only a few fragments of folk medicine we cannot
the most fascinating one since this wild ox has died disregard the rich inheritance in oral tradition. That
out a long time ago, namely the last Tur lived in close contact of man and nature – natural forces –
1627, which begs the question how our people can best be experienced through certain legends,
remembered the way the ox looked like since there such as the one which can be heard from
are no written documents about it. Actually, it is a individuals, usually elderly people, and which is in
real mystery if anyone in BiH, especially among the complete opposition with the monotheistic tradition
common folk, knew whether such an ox actually about genesis. Namely, it claims that life on earth
ever existed in our area?! wasn’t created by Allah but that in the beginning of
time our planet was covered by an endless desert,
without any signs of life. At one moment a Great
celestial bird flew over the land and once it saw this
Place names wasteland she was overcome by sorrow and she
dropped a tear which created a lake once it fell to
Illyrians have, especially the tribe Japoda, like other the earth; the lake grew daily and it got wider and
ancient peoples always chosen places near water deeper until it became an ocean. Then from the
when building their settlements, which is where they water’s depths life appeared on the surface and
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stayed the longest, like most animals, therefore it is spread across the once desolate land .
not strange that often place names begin with the
name Tur and they are usually found, or at a relative
distance from a larger river such as: Turija in Bihać,
river Una, village Turjak near Višegrad, river Drina,
Turjak near Banja Luka, river Vrbas, Turić near
Pelagićevo, river Sava, or some places in Croatia,
close to BiH, such as Turanj in Karlovac, river
Korana, Turopolje near Zagreb, river Sava, etc.
Probably in the previous centuries there were more
place names across Bosnia and Herzegovina but
through the turbulent history and the influence of
colonial conquerors the names gradually changed.

Personal names

3
Tur and Pir among the Bosnian people from middle This tradition I heard in childhood from now deceased Đulsa
ages were personal names which is shown by the Ordagić (Velika Kladuša), which told other folk myths such as
the one when a snake enters a human being and gives birth to
census mentioned by A. Sućeška in the annex snijet, but this legend impressed me especially because this
“Waqf loan in Sarajevo” /Oriental institute in sweet old lady, a frequent guest in our house, wanted to
Sarajevo, 1996/ page 120. where, among other explain why there is so much sorrow and pain in the world –
because the world was created out of a tear. In a deeper
things it is written: “Loan: 3.600 from the price (of sense, this tradition reveals that the origin of life is fluid i.e. tied
to water, sperm or fertile water i.e. amniotic fluid.

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own star, habitat of soul, with which he is connected
through the middle of the forehead, that place which
is called “the third eye” which confirms the theory
about terrestrial seed of life. There is a Bosnian
belief that in animals, especially dogs, there can be
a human soul, also the colourful description of
scenes from hell in which punished people always
have an interaction with animals leads us to a
similar conclusion.

There are several mythological tales in BiH about

the creation of the first man and every one of them
is in the spirit of the monotheistic dogma about
Adam and Eve, as the first people in the world. But,
what attracts our attention are the tales about the
human body and soul. For me the most interesting
one speaks about the difficulty in divine creation of
Memory of the gigantic bird, which breathed life to man, namely, the greatest issue was to get humans
the desolate earth, remained throughout the accustomed to breathing and air, which is confirmed
centuries in the memory of the Bosnian people by the legend that god had the greatest difficulty in
which as a sign of thanks offered/sacrificed the designing the nose of a human. This primordial
scent of fruit, which she apparently used as food. issue has not been overcome until today, if we take
They would do this by placing fruit peels on the into account the shock that a new-born baby
stove, apple or orange peel, so that they can spread experiences before it draws its first breath when it
their fragrance which would go up towards the sky. comes out of the womb, which is followed with great
Though today there is a thought that the Great pain and loud crying.
celestial bird could have been an alien ship which
brought life to earth, as a type of experiment, we
shouldn’t downplay the importance of the legend
itself, just like the fact that there are several
traditions including the Great bird, like the one in
which she bet with god that she will stop and
prevent marriage of a boy and a girl, which has a
deeper meaning and alludes to the existence of first
people on earth.

Soul and creation of man

The Illyrians nurtured polytheism, segments of

which are present in all tales of Bosnian people as
we shall see further in the text. Totemism and
animism, which are crucial for the definition of
polytheism are clearly noticeable in a few important
segments of Bosnian mythological tales such as the
one about zviždenjak, star as the habitat of the soul,
source of water and trees. It is considered that
they’re totems, but also astral, animal and
vegetative doppelgangers through which the human According to a Bosnian legend when an embryo is
being is tightly connected to nature and its forces conceived in the mother’s womb, during the first 40
which surround them. days, God determines his entire faith. However,
although a bit hidden in this belief it is insinuated at
Without a doubt the seed of life stems from space the connection of the embryo with the soul i.e.
and something or someone has brought it and consciousness, which makes him a foetus and
planted it on earth for some, to us, unknown reason. enables him to develop. Respectively, it is believed
But, ancient Illyrian belief that every man has his that the embryo during the first 40 days is not

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actually a being, until the gift of life i.e. was believed that as soon as earth received the last
soul//consciousness is not given to it by divine part of the body, the soul would find its peace. The
intervention, so that it can have its own faith. There same thing happened with animals, whose
is a belief that the soul doesn’t enters the embryo apparition the people called – Prikaze. In both
i.e. foetus at once, but gradually, in stages, through cases, during such supernatural encounters, there
the head (temple) which signals at the belief of was a danger that a human can fall ill because of
Bosnian women that the child’s temple is closed stress and fear.
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only when it can pronounce the word – egg . Shape
of egg and apple, folk representations of the soul, is
very similar and actually a result of certain
differentiation through folk tales, which is usually Death of male children
oral, and as such through generations of narration it
has gone through smaller or larger changes. But, In all ancient Bosnian traditions one can glimpse a
what is most important is that it kept its essential shamanistic practice of connecting people with the
meaning. animal world, plants and spirits which they
represent. First plants which appeared on earth
5
According to the growth and development of a haptovina (Sambucus ebulus) and odoljen. For
human, his soul grows as well. Admittedly, among both of them it is claimed that they’re the oldest
the Bosnian people it is usually described as a fruit plants in the world. Especially interesting is the old
of the apple tree; it is hard to reach “since it has Bosnian legend which spoke about no male children
seven layers around it” – namely, as far as I could being able to survive more than 24 hours after birth
fathom from my informant, the first layer should be until the plant odoljen (Valeriana officinalis) has
the aura, then skin, hair, blood, meat, veins and sprouted from earth. According to that legend we
bones. The soul is described as a type of foreign could conclude that to our forefathers this plant was
parasite, which, when it enters the body, uses its one of the cult plants and at the same time a symbol
energy tentacles to wrap around each bone 99 of male strength and life. But, this legend also can
times and that is “why it is not easy to die!”. As folk lead us to the way of a theory that the process of
tales further state, during death the soul first creation of the first humans was not easy and it
recedes from the peripheral parts, from the hands obviously repeated itself a few times until it was lead
and legs, when it is usually said that his hands and to a useful state.
feet are cold.

Violent death, especially the one in which the

human is being killed or dismembered, disrupts the
regular process of separation of soul from the body
and the side effects of such an event are the
vortices of discordant energy which in the past was
called by our people Prepasti. There is a dilemma
whether the violent dismemberment of a human
body severs the part of soul which is in that limb.
Namely, after WWII people reported the appearance
of vague vortices of wind and mist, which turned into
dark figures for moments, in meadows or places
near creeks or rivers, where like miniature
Odoljen is a name which comes from the term “to
tornadoes they rose into the air. Such sudden
resist something”, and in BiH folklore it is considered
apparitions “souls which are calling for help”
a plant which has apotropaic strength to protect the
happened in places of death, where soldiers, but
human being from all evil spirits and magic –
also civilians, violently lost legs or arms. Bosnian
negative energy – which prejudges the theory
people considered the appearance of Prepasti as a
according to which the creation of the first human,
search of ghosts for their lost limbs. Allegedly,
which was a man, was not possible until the first
Prepasti would disappear without a trace only when
odoljen has appeared, probably the plant totem of
the rain would wash away all the blood and when
our ancestors, which should be added to the already
the plough, ploughed the bones into the earth. It
existent list.

4 5
We shouldn’t forget the traditional Bosnian ritual of giving a Haptovina or shortened hapta is used in the cult of the dead,
chicken egg or an egg to a new-born as a symbol of health namely, in the past there was a custom of placing a knife on
and life which is connected to what has been written. the chest of a dead body and above his head a steam of rue, if
Background of this gift giving can have a kind of magical motif one couldn’t find rue it was exchanged with ćabarska trava or
“gifting of the soul” or its strengthening. Sumbucus ebulus.

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inhabitants from all evil. When building a house,
In folk tradition it is said that faeries tend to comb until the middle of the previous century people
their long golden, while sitting on a rock or near a would leave a small hole in the wall, close to the
river and to sing: “If a mother knew what odoljen
ground, so that the so called house snake could live
herb is she wouldn’t burry her son into the black
earth!”. As we can sense from the above mentioned, in it. Often none of the inhabitants would ever see
the need for shamanistic approach to nature is the snake but despite this it was firmly believed that
deeply rooted in the consciousness of our people, it existed and people would leave food or a small
and highlights and confirms the extremely tight saucer with milk next to the hole. In certain parts of
connection of man with the world which surrounds
BiH the builders would etch a drawing of a snake on
him and especially the mystic forces.
the wall, in order to mark its secret role and
welcome it.

Besides, among the Bosnian people it was believed

that the forest or outdoor snake can enter a human
Garlic and the secret of
and live in his womb for some time. Namely, as the
eternal life
villagers claim that in the past it happened that a
person would fall asleep outside, on a meadow, or
In Bosnia it is believed that every disease has a
under a tree, and a snake would enter into his body
cure, only death cannot be cured, though people
through the mouth. Such a person would be
claim that it could be cured if someone could catch
recognized by sudden loss of weight and a pale
the seed of garlic. However, the cunning faeries
face. According to the villagers, everything that he
would pluck the seed and take it with themselves,
would drink or eat, the snake would eat and it would
for centuries they prevented humans from attaining
take away his strength and food. If the snake would
their desire for immortality.
not be chased out of the human body, the person
could die. That’s why people would bake a young
chicken and a vessel with milk would be placed next
to the face of the person while it slept. The snake
would, allegedly, drawn by the smell of the chicken
and milk, come out of the body and free it of its
disastrous presence. As informants further claim
such a snake would be completely white when it
would exit. It is quite obvious that this belief is
Illyrian since it reflects the mythological thesis about
the connection of a snake and humans.

Snake in the human body

Ever since the ancient Illyrian ancestors the snake

had a primary place according to its religious-
mythological meaning. In the myth about the
genesis the first Illyrian or progenitor came into
being from a snake that’s why it has a central role in
the family, it represents an animal doppelganger of
the head of the family, it protects the house and its

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Birth of a dragon

Snijet or Snit got its name among the people by the

soft membrane of the chicken’s egg which the
Birth of dragons in Bosnia
chicken can lay when lacking calcium. Numerous
ethnologists often made a mistake connecting this
Among the Bosnian people since the ancient times
folk name of a dragon cub with a corn snijet (corn
a belief about dragons was present, the dragon not
smut) /Ustilago maydis/ not realising what the
only existed but it sexually assaulted women, but
informants were trying to tell them.
also cows, and out of this unholy union dragon cubs
were born – snijet. This unusual belief is traditionally
A few elderly women from which I had an
present among the Bosnian people while among
opportunity to hear about the birth of snijet had an
Bosnian Christians it doesn’t exist or appears in rare
identical description of its birth. Namely, since all of
instances.
them were illiterate and they didn’t know the name
for a placenta, they used a folk name for it, what to
According to people the dragons loved to stay in
them seemed to best describe what they see and
woods or hills, flying from one tree to another,
that is snijet according to the soft membrane of the
sleeping inside caves or bathing in rivers. Namely, it
chicken egg. But, it is an important detail which
occurred that random passers-by near a river, would
reveals how snijet was constantly born in a white
hear sudden trashing on the surface of the river and
placenta, unlike a normal human baby whose colour
would experience drops of water falling on them.
of placenta was always dark red-blue or maroon,
For such sounds it was believed that they were
out of which the snijet would exit as soon as
created by a scared dragon which feeling
possible, running out of fear from human contact.
someone’s presence would fly away. Allegedly,
According to the informants if in the woman’s
while in the water the dragon would go in circles and
stomach only a snijet was present, they would often
once bathed it would erect its body and would fly
give birth in their sleep, in the morning they would
towards the sky.
awaken with an empty stomach. Every night the
dragon cub would return to its mother while it was
sleeping in order to feed with her milk. Allegedly,
Gaze of emerald eyes
such a woman would go to bed with her breasts full
of milk and in the morning she would awaken with
People describe the dragon as a long snake, over
breasts completely empty.
two meters, with very thin and short legs and arms,
whose body is covered with dark scales and a tale
which is pointy at its end. What is especially
characteristic for him are his magnetic, emerald
coloured eyes which hypnotise his victim,
preventing any and all resistance from it. Often in
the past the dragon would lurk young women which
went to get water on their own or women which
worked in the field alone, he would surprise them
with his appearance and he would hypnotise them
with his gaze, out of which they would awaken
without any memory of the event. But, this strange
meeting did not go without consequences because
four or more months later the woman, which was
hypnotised by the dragon, would give birth to snijet
– a dragon cub.

As we can conclude by studying the ethnological

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records, but also listening to statements from was less present. In Zukići they described snijet as
individual old women, especially the ones which a demonic being “which looks like a human, but
publicly and without hiding claim that in their youth wasn’t one”. That description in certain parts of BiH
they gave birth to snijet, every Bosnian woman in was a result of fear from cannibalism to which snijet
the past, until WWII, at least once gave birth to a was allegedly prone to in the first period of its life, in
snijet during her reproductive cycle. Because of this order to successfully finish its incubation period and
claim it wasn’t considered to be a sin to give birth to exit the woman in the outside world. It was claimed
a dragon cub, moreover, it was considered to be a that in certain cases snijet would eat the womb of
good deed even to the woman which three times the woman i.e. it would feed with it. That’s why in
gives birth to snijet entrance into heaven after death Zukići it was believed that the snijet for a pregnant
is promised. But, it was obviously considered woman represented a great physical and health
beneficial in case the snijet is killed the moment it is issue since it would have a difficult time carrying it
born and buried, without allowing it to escape. and giving birth to it.

In this part of Bosnia it was claimed that snijet can

Cannibalism and killing only be killed by a washerwoman, a board for
washing clothes, after which it would be buried
People firmly believe that all those snijeti which under ground. It is remembered that before WWII in
women don’t kill after birth, become dragons. a neighbouring village Kusonje a woman gave birth
Perhaps this is where the collective fear of Bosnian to a child with eaten fingers on the hand and the
people lie, if all of the cubs would be allowed to live feet along with a snijet. For this deformity the snijet
their population would grow to a dangerous level was accused, claiming that it ate the child’s fingers,
and it could endanger humans. Women described and it was immediately killed by a washerwoman. In
snijet, after it left the white placenta, as a small hairy other parts of BiH, women would kill it with a broom.
creature of a dark colour which resembles a mole
the most. It moved fast, climbing up the wall and In Pazarić and surrounding areas each time a
would screech hysterically. woman would give birth to a snijet it would be
covered up and would be kept a secret, which was
Sexual attacks by dragons on women occurred, usually a traditional taboo in all areas of BiH. Snijet,
when she would be in the early stage of pregnancy if it was born dead or if it didn’t manage to escape
with her husband, and in her womb together, one and save itself, would be immediately wrapped in an
beside the other, the child and snijet would grow. In old cloth and buried in the ground taking care that
certain ethnographic records it is written that a no one sees it. A rule that all women across BiH
woman would give birth to a live child with a dead held is that a dead snijet should be buried, whether
snijet on his head, then the child would die as well. in the ground or manure, and that under no
Similarly, if both are born alive, and the snijet kills circumstances should it be thrown in the trash. Was
itself, it was believed that the child will die soon as it done out of fear from the possible revenge from
well. According to this it could be concluded that the dragon, which is evident, since it wasn’t even
according to folk belief the snijet represented a type recommended for people to talk about dragons, or a
of human animal doppelganger. certain dose of respect was given towards these
mixtures will remain one of the numerous mysteries
among the Bosnian folk.
It looks like a human, but it is not

Fear of snijet, though common to the entire Bosnian

Bosnian Stravarke – travelers
folk, was not of the same intensity in all regions, and
between two worlds
in certain locations its pronounced influence was
recorded. The decisive factor in that was surely the
frequency of birth, since in regions where such an Lead melting ritual with which, traditionally
apparition was rare, or better hidden and tabooed, it throughout centuries in Bosnia and Herzegovina,

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were removed the consequences of magical certain ritual of exorcism and curing of spiritual, and
attacks, spellbound eyes, fear and unexplainable sometimes physical ailments. In that above all
diseases and direct contact with spiritual beings, is mystical, but also risky undertaking, the shaman
one of the most preserved rituals from folk medicine. aligns with the energy of the earth, just like
Analyzing in detail ritual procedures of that individual birds use the power of the wind in order to
fascinating ritual it is easy to notice numerous stay in the air a few hours at a time with minimal
segments of shamanism to which our ancestors usage of their wings.
were prone. Observing the practice of several
stravarke especially Ajša and Bilka, which inherited Studying the practice of stravarka Ajša it is evident
their knowledge of healing from certain family that in the beginning of the ritual she is sitting at the
members, I witnessed scenes which in a pretty table with her face turned towards north and her left
authentic way represent shamanistic practice of our hand (fist) she positions in the middle of her
forefathers Illyrians and their animistic cults. forehead while she leaves her right hand free so
that she can move the edge of the vessel with water
Animism (from the Latin word anima – soul) is the clockwise, or as it is said among the folk “to follow
oldest form of human belief and religious the sun”, almost mechanically, during the utterance
consciousness of man which was recorded during of the exorcist formula. All the time while the mystic
the Paleolithic period and signifies belief in the prayers are being uttered, the stravarka looks with
presence of spirits in living and nonliving things and great focus onto the surface of water slowly moving
apparitions, and in them, according to the British her body left and right. Protection of the forehead
anthropologist Sir Edward Burnett Tylor, it contains with the left hand, actually with closed fingers, is
“a minimal definition of religion”. Archaic animistic based on the old Illyrian belief that every human in
beliefs that certain ghosts cause diseases among the sky, in the universe, has his or her own star,
humans and with that damage its inborn connection dwelling of the soul, with which he is connected
with nature (harmony), in the earliest age of human through the forehead. As stravarka is directly
presence on earth born a need to communicate with exposed to danger from negative energy in the lead
that negative entity, whose presence isn’t clearly melting ritual she protects her star i.e forehead from
defined, i.e. they can be located in anything that its influence since otherwise, Bosnian stravarke
surrounds humans. 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
Individuals who are energy wise and mentally best
hypnosis of the left side of the brain, the one in
aligned with the spirit world were traditionally called
charge of inner communication.
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
Blowing and yawning
said that they “possess the power of prayer”. Their
ability is manifested in that they can with the power
Analyzing voodoo rituals energetic hitting on the
of their will elevate their consciousness onto a
surface of the drum, singing and ecstatic dance
higher thought level, in order to comprehend
leads to a trance or much more passive ritual of
spiritual reference and based on her to undertake a

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tribe shamans, who alone and with droning beating from suffering, namely, in the middle ages in BiH
of the drum, followed by quiet singing of prayers to they believed that the best and luckiest death when
spirits causes a trance, we can notice a lot of the dying yawns three times, before breathing his
similarities with Bosnian stravarke which instead of last breath, since that is a sure sign that the soul will
a drum uses a vessel with water, over which she be saved. In that context it is easy to conclude that
slowly moves her body left and right (east-west) and the gesture of yawning in spiritual interpretation
sings verses of the exorcist formula slowly. defined by an actuator of release from the presence
of the entity or apparition which negatively affects
While mechanically repeating the text of a formula the human body and spirit.
and slowly moving her body, the stravarka is
releasing accumulated energy by blowing in the While in the state of trance the shamans directly or
direction of the water vessel at the end of each symbolically signalizes i.e. communicates with a
repeat. Ritual blowing towards the prop or diseased spiritual entity and stimulates it for aid. I’m of the
can be considered as a specific way of imitating opinion that spirits respect individuals which have
divine creation of a man, to whom god, in order to the ability to enter their world and talk to them.
animate the body made out of clay, blow life into it, Especially since they have the function of correcting
or even as a transfer of energy which the shaman or wrongs which are certainly not favorable for the
stravarka cause in themselves by uttering the spiritual world, since it is known, that we’re all
magical formula. Blowing in a precisely determined intertwined and everything that happens in the
direction, that energy is directed in order to cause a material world has an effect on the spiritual and vice
desired effect. versa. To us and to the supernatural entities does
not fit to spend time in whirlwinds of unharmonious
Signs that the stravarka is entering a light form of energy. Probably even the spirits suffer from
trance is frequent yawning, which is interrupted by humans themselves and shamanist practice of
utterance of magical poetry, but professedly it has a communication between the two worlds is
strong psychological effect on her and the diseased necessary and crucial for survival, and it is evident
himself, which is usually sitting next to her. With that despite technological advancement the need for
uncontrollable yawning she stretches her jaw and spirituality will never cease.
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 Mother gave birth, mother healed
physiological phenomenon she expels a certain
amount of air from the body, cleanses her, which In shamanistic healing the goal is for the stravarka,
undoubtedly represents in the magical ritual an but also the diseased to harmonize with the natural
exchange of accumulated energy and a release. ritual i.e. harmonize with it, since the disease itself
Yawning is sometimes actually spontaneous and or evil that befell him, is the result of this
out of control or stravarka but sometimes a ritual misbalance. That’s why ritual healing are always
habit but it does play an important role in the ritual. undertaken around the rise of the sun and in the
We shouldn’t forget to mention that all shamanistic afternoon, when the sun loses its strength and is
rituals of healing are focused on release of the nearing setting, alluding to the weakening and
diseased’ body of one or more negative entities with disappearance of the negative state. The same
which she wants to accomplish ectoplasm effect, principle applies to the moon. To bring oneself into a
which is sometimes visible, material, and sometimes state of light trance, but also connect to natural
fluid. Yawning in this case could be considered as forces, stravarka turns her face in the direction of
expulsion of hot air, steam, from the body. north and uttering verses of the exorcist formula she
slowly moves her body left-right i.e. in the direction
Among the folk there is a belief that one person of east-west, imitating the solar trajectory focusing
which yawns a lot during the day was a recent victim all the while on the water. Such a position is not
of someone’s spellbound eyes, and that by yawning accidental, it has its origin in ancient shamanistic
the body is signalling that it is under direct attack of beliefs. Namely, in ancient times it was considered
negative energy which it wants to release. It is that the Northern star represents the centre around
evident that the alleged belief probably stems from which everything revolves which is why this
shamanism of our forefathers which actually rudiment still present in the practice of Bosnian
confirms the opinion of stravarke which claims “if stravarke. North represents the state before sunrise
that (stravarka) yawns intensively during the exorcist i.e. before the birth and appearance of light. It
seanse the diseased will be cured quickly”. Even symbolizes dawn, time when the power of evil
our forefathers the Bogomils considered yawning a weakens and disappears. Dawn among Bosnian
physiological phenomenon which releases the soul stravarke is considered as a short but very important

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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.

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.

Velika Kladuša, 2017.

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