The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-27
BOSNIA'S QUEER CUSTOMS.
ODD AND INTERFERING CEREMONIES
AND POPULAR BELIEFA

tn. $500. r.'..', g.. ,,,
lLosrAh' BOSNIA 'uly lo'-lraui'ion IN this
eountry ID d great packnorse ON wnich genera
'ion ai.er generation loaus us history OF sor'
TOW anu Joy lhese peopie were once turkish
, 'lley are now austrian reeneh- iheir
.a"suase Is rehheu hno peau.iiu' III poetic in-
| ehHn', ihe younE peasant ihssle kreets her
io,e e slns'he sone"ha. III TINS strain:
| inou' my non. from the uense ioresIs' thou.
my "oh' my WIG VOL from the mountains;
'nou' my prince son from uou heaven
.reaklng 10 MS motner' the swan says:
| , bear oiu mother' IN my White breast art
| 'hou tbe req heart
His beloved he addresses;
| . Ihou. my soul; thou sunshine Tor my
thought thou. my strength splendor OF stars
| III the hlght!
| Inc lolk-lore 10 imbued with the same tom
| uer Tone the same quiet. happy smile that
| MARKS the people MS they gather around the
| nre place on winter evenings. when the Bos-
man alps rear their snowy heads high over the
sui ianc'
-hio,, o st pas.s ei ,r'enaeh'p are made
| ", ~. nv 80 uea.n o"n oieah, rrienoShips
| p.,e aa ~ "'e common ~ she eiaV races
| - - "u s, NV" "in,' anu uI'nh 10" drops
| Sr,In RI 49, 10 no"s hom the
,o', nv "steo 70 a,"a's STAND Dy ana
- . ,'' o''ei' 0reh ivy must sacrince
.neH ,,eS " Keep the pace. whenever such
- 10 sonciu .i pet"een inah ana
| the same time nreventod from m arrrino IT.
ceremonv which ia oIwavu ,tt.ndad b., -.
! Is called prohretinA tho unitin, f-iand. 49,
bratimo. A ceremonv batveen women 10 80,
Uncommon and 10 tormo, ,,oaa.trir M
Christian Rosnian wnnon a.. TO- ~ o,ao
their probratimo but tho TIT ish Yvo,,,on -
ara forbiddap rho sight ~ etronoa NO, 80 ,
approacbsd nv nrohrotir,o In thoir -.
Great imnortanco % ottoobad 20 s,,ol sno s'
onJ nsn,lIv tho hrshand in,itos ~ ts,ans'
who bos shown himsoIr 10 his vito ~ -.
timo to his house in order that be ,now 80
municat, with her
The Bosnian tran sforms all eviIs nil brrtiro
or dostructiye influenced. into so,na 80
sonolitv W Evil Roc , rooI ,oI. -
unti ba boo narsoniead q T., 60 sb I'm
Tbus tho nigbtm,ro is norsoriGod h.. 49,,
drancd in hIock who r,Iee about -, W. go
in tho NIGHT intart On s,ronoIir, noo1i. m
ward hor ~ ovary tr,a pnn,ia 1919 a..
foIowirg formuIn heforo eoinr - ho5 '' '"0
b'ack Ho'a NiRhIhdfe' stay nome.
D''e ho. a. oacA mo your piack oeh'
I,'ohhcu 'i'ou arC ny you ana all the saints;
heinr anu poison shail ehd my days.
o. N'Ao,a', snii'e the oiack mora
90 she sHaii not piague any christian soul.
-, N''> ''' '"O iSo'es vi
'no forest
pe'ore she counts each grain OF sand
Children are belted in red pieces OF cloth
into which onions have been sewed and they
are then thought safe against the BLACK
Mora" Onions are commonly used as a pre-
ventive against all kinds OF enchantment,
Houses in whic h saints lamp" is burning
are never infested by Black Nora" = |
The belief in witches. vampires and the "enl |
eye is as Justly noted o-day in Bosnia as in |
the medieval times. Scarcely a score of wars |
ago woman was buried alive because she |
was suspected OF witchery. All good Bosnans |
cover the forehead. for on the forehead is an |
invisible mark easily detected by any witch |
who knows her business. Through tits mark |
she will dispatch some kind of sickness or pain |
into your system.
While the fear OF the evil eye is common In |
Turkey. Russia and among the Balkan noun |
tains. 1t reaches its highest clipax in Bosnia.
~ you are so unfortunate us to comment upon |
the good looks OF child. its mother will not |
rest until you have consented to take back
your words. and as furtherpreventve against
enchantment. scratch its face with your nails.
II you refuse to do this tie child will surely
sicken and die. You must never condescend
to the uncanny and dangerous operation OF adj
miring horse or hed, at least not without
counteracting the witfh-encouraGng effect OF
your admiration by promptly making faces at
SAID horse or field. and showing your contempt
OF these objects by appropriate gestures. such
as knocking on stme wooden thing with the
khucklc OF your hiddIe hnger.
People as wei as cattle carry amulets con-
slsting mainly OF blue pearls and turquoise:
the nation would not hang together without
them. Mencarry amulets In the tassel OF their
caps. little hlidren nave them sung about the
neck horses nave their names and tails i'm
bedded WIN these little things.
The heller in fairies is prodigious They call
them vita. that is' supernatural creatures
maidtns who are born in dense forests below
the SHADOW OF mysterious trees. The vita
issves forth from the dew as it settles on the
thirsty leaves. Ihey know no babyhood. and
Re perfect beings as they blossom forth mys-
~riousy IN inc forest darkness They
wear iohg goiueh hair. ana mover about
MOUNTAINS ana cross roaus' Iheir meeting
pIaces are called the dancing foor OF the
forest iauies' ana certain glndes and open
ihgs IN the WOODS are pointed out as belonging
10 then. Ihere they dance and sing and carry
nh- 4 n n NJ nj tl,n,,,