Stop the Silence!!! Stop the Genocide Now!!!

                                 
           

London Mysteries

Anita Salihović is an old lines witch, once a member of a Rroma clan in what is now Bosnia, who is somewhat older than she appears (she seems to be in her mid-twenties, but was born back in the 1760s); she is an example of a witch who abused her powers and became a succubus, reliant on soul-craft and soul consumption to sustain her—she's one of the most dangerous women in Britain, certainly more so than any human woman, but she doesn't want you to know that, and she doesn't particularly want to be, either. She works as a nurse in a coma ward, attempting to manage her need to feed on souls by only stealing the spiritual essence of those who are likely to never return. Although not as strongly tied to witches' magic as she once was, due to her transition into one of the succubi, she nevertheless knows a lot of their history from an intimate perspective, and is a good ally—one who strongly emphasizes the scant few rules all witches must follow. After all, no one knows better what the consequences can be.

Alias: Lamia, Lamija, The Lady of Dragons

                                            Profession: Nurse and midwife
                                            Species: Succubus/witch
                                            Played-By: Rebecca Herbst

history |

Probably the last truly powerful European witch of note, Anita was born Lamia in Ottoman-occupied Bosnia during the year 1762. She came from a Rroma traveller family and experienced enormous persecution, and contrary to stereotype, abilities like hers would not have been welcomed; she hid them for years. When she came into adulthood and married, she had two children, both of whom died of illnesses before reaching their third birthdays. Disillusioned with life and her husband, she abandoned him at the age of twenty, using her light skinned appearance to parley herself a new identity as a Bosniak woman. She met other witches, who recognized her powers and taught her how to use them. Employing both her magic and her social savvy, she quickly charmed many people with not inconsiderable power, and ruthlessly blackmailed heads of government whenever she saw fit—but she also helped them with her magic and influence. She became known as "the lady of dragons", for her sometimes-malicious use of an Ala which was under her control. When she realized she was a witch who could still use soulcraft to its complete extent, something that even by the late 18th century was virtually unheard of, she began to use it against her worst enemies, those she believed deserved it for their cruelty, particularly toward women. She became effectively immortal in the mid-1780s, and continued her reign for the next thirty years. When the Ottoman Empire collapsed, she moved her attentions to England and its assorted territories, even causing chaos during the first World War.

  

VAMPIRES - TRUTH OR MYTH?

Lampir according to Bosnian belief is a dead man, who was possessed by an evil spirit (Jinn) 7 or 40 days after his death, who in turn resurrected him in order to exit his burial place and terrorise the members of his family and various places and drink blood. He is described as a man without bones, inflated like a paunch, full of blood, ragged and hairy, with big eyes and nails; dressed in the clothes he was buried in or wearing a white cloth over his naked body. Bosnian name for vampire is lampir (lepir or lampijer) . Term coming from the folks name of the butterfly – lepir. The according Bosnian beliefs death man from grave,  who is become vampire, went to out in shape butterfly and fly.


                                             

In Bosnian Posavina ethnological data reveal that people believed that the lampir had eyes of a goat or a goat which he used to hide once he came into contact with humans since they gave him away. Besides the form of a human he can also have various animal forms such as a cat, dog, pig, ox, horse, mouse, bat, etc. He exits the grave though a small hole since he has the ability to elongate himself, but once he gets out he becomes large and grotesque and he makes sounds by shouting in various voices. He appears always after midnight and walks around the graves and its immediate vicinity.

When a lampir goes around a house he is followed by the noise of ten sieves, sieving the ground. He often brings some dirt from his grave and offers to some inhabitants to smell it and then sneeze. If someone says "healthy" to that person than he won't turn into a vampire; if not then he will turn into one. There are a lot of documented stories about the lampir's nightly visits, this is one of them: around Prijedor there is a Muslim graveyard. Next to it there is a Christian house. When a religious student stopped by, the housewife told him the following: "For a couple of nights we have been disturbed by a vampire. In the late night hour he throws stones at the house so forcefully that the boards on the roof started to break. Two nights ago I went out to see who is throwing rocks at our house - but as soon as I stepped out there was an eerie silence and I didn't see anyone. And as soon as I went back into the house it started again. This continued until dawn. Then I visited the graveyard, looked at all the graves, and I spotted a hole in one of the graves. I placed a large stone onto it but it was in vain, because the vampire threw stones again last night."

The standard assumption that garlic and hawthorn are a sure defence mechanism against a vampire are not true in Bosnia which can be ascertained through the following story: "A woman by the name of Aćima died in a village called Stupari, and the people started to talk that Aćima started to return to her house after midnight. The inhabitants and her husband testified to this claim, then the villagers gathered around and dug up her grave and saw her peaking at them through one eye, then they put a hawthorn stake through her. The next night a member of Aćima's household got sick, that member claimed that Aćima came back again walked around the house not saying anything, and that she took three pieces of garlic with her before she left. The family and their neighbours dug up her grave again and they found her lying on her side and the three pieces of garlic were placed around her. They made a big fie around her and once they burned her they closed the grave again. Since then the lampir Aćima was never heard from again.

One of the more interesting beliefs of how one becomes a vampire was recorded in Vlasenica - that is if someone walks over a yarn. This happened to an ethnologist: "Two girls who were weaving a yarn asked me to go over a yarn once I stepped over it. I didn't want to but they were persistent because if I didn't a great evil would befall me. When I asked what could happen they answered that I should step over it again and that they would tell me. Once I did what they asked, they said that if I didn't step over it again that I would become a vampire once I died and if they were alive when that happened he would seek them out and kill them."

TRACES OF VAMPIRISM IN BOSNIA

According to the claims of the author of the insert of the show "Galileo Mystery", in 1731 in a place Međeđa near Višegrad the earliest place of vampirism was recorded. It all began with a sudden death of 14 people. Since the deaths were not preceded by an illness the locals ascribed the deaths to vampirism. Allegedly in order to be certain of their claims, they dug up the graves a few days later and in them they found the bodies untouched! The insert didn't offer any concrete details which would substantiate this story from Međeđa, but the written documents about vampires from the time of Austro-Hungarian rule were shown which can now be found in the city archives of Vienna.

The German psychologist Sibel Balta researched these documents, she researched the mysteries connected to vampires for years. She explained that the documents refer to the Serbian village Kišeljevo and the Bosnian village Međeđa, in the 18th century a lot of unresolved murder mysteries occurred there. According to the available scriptures, Austro-Hungarian physicians paid more attention to the cases in Kišeljevo because of the king's decree, and because of the insistence of the villagers they dug up graves which were believed to hold vampires.

Balta further claims that the documents held incredible details. They say that the physicians exhumed the bodies which seemed untouched and unharmed. According to their report the skin of the bodies was pinkish in colour and in their mouths they found traces of blood. The physicians documented that the bodies seemed as if alive after death. Considering the fact that doctors of that time didn't have the means to explain what they saw, they came to the same conclusion as the locals that the deceased were the victims of vampires. They even approved the ritual of putting a hawthorn stake through their hearts, which was at that time considered as an effective cure against vampires.

However, Dr. Balta claims after researching vampires herself, today almost 300 years after Međeđa and Kišeljevo that the story of vampires hides a serial killer. To uncover clues and substantiate her claims Balta announced a visit to Bosnia.

( text copied from www.falanje.com )

Bosnian cuisine in past

Hearth cooking. The round, metal object to the left is a sač used for baking on the hearth. Planinica, Bosnia, 1968.

Making trahana, a granular pasta eaten in soups. A specialty of Bosniaks in Bosnia (though Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serbs will sometimes obtain some from them) and perceived as an ethnic marker. This is further demonstrated by the proverbs – „trahana, glavna hrana za godinu dana!“ (trahana, the major food for the year!) and "trahana, bošnjačka hrana!" ("trahana, Bosniaks food!") Planinica, Bosnia, 1968.

At the ritual supper following a hay-cutting be presented by the host to all his workers. Planinica, Bosnia, 1968.

Making pita, filo dough filled with meat, potatoes, apples, greens, cheese, squash, or whatever. Gornji Vakuf, Bosnia, 1968.

Bosnian Cook by Alija Lakišić

Thanks to him we have the first book containing valuable information about various kinds of Bosnian cooking with hundreds of recipes for savory dishes cakes and sweets. Alija Lakišić holds the view that Bosnian cooking represents the culinary art of the Bosnian people and those of Herzegovina, influenced by elements of their culture and containing much of the oriental way of life, so that in many ways it is a combination of the tastes of East and West.

Alija Lakišić has made a special study of the meals that used to be served in the local eating houses and households on special occasions. The number of courses differed, from a single dish (which means a meal for the poorest) to thirty in all. Formal suppers — in Bosnia the evening meal is the most important one — abound in different courses. The first written recipes and menues in Bosnia are contained in the documents compiled by Isa Beg-Ishaković in the second half of the 15th century, and later in a volume compiled by Gazi Husrev-Beg in 1531. Let us take a look at one of of these old menues: first, native brandy ( rakija) and savoury tit-bits served on a large platter before actually sitting down to the table. Then follows: a dish of onions, a broth of cabbage, boiled and roasted meats, meat pie, and finally pilaf. All these dishes were served with excellent Herzegovina and Dalmatian wines, to be followed up by rice pudding, baklava (a sweet made of raisms and ground walnuts steeped in syrup), small had and Turkish delight of various flavours.  At that time, feasts in Sarajevo and other larger towns in Bosnia always had at least twelve courses not counting minor ones served in between, which, if included, would bring the number of courses up to eighteen. Here is an example of one such evening meal with all its courses: ginger, broth (the Sarajevo or Beg variety), stuffed turkey, Sarajevo baklava, sorrel pie, cheese or meat pie, stuffed vine leaves, pilaf served with sour cream, pancakes, rice pudding, and, to finish, strong black coffee to be drunk while smoking a long oriental pipe or waterpipe (nargileh ).

The looking for some old woman who would reveal to him the secret of how to make the original Džandar baklava, a sweetmeat made of 24 layers of paper-thin pastry. It is very obvious that the old Bosniaks cared little or nothing for what we now call a "proper diet". They ate inordinately, their food was steeped in fat and their desserts were over-sweet. However, they took their time over their food, savoring every morsel. Lakišić has selected some of these old Bosnian recipes for our readers who can try their hand at them and then, we hope, thoroughly enjoy eating them.

MOSTAR BAKLAVA (MOSTARSKA BAKLAVA)

 For 20 pieces: 550 gr. of fine flour, 100 gr. of coarse flour, 150 gr. of ground walnuts, 200 gr. butter, a little oil, one egg, 600 gr. of sugar, a lemon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Using 500 gr. of flour, a little oil, salt, tepid water and half an egg, knead a soft dough. Divide and add a little coarse flower until the dough has become firmer. The dough is then rolled out into paper thin sheets and left to dry. While the pastry sheets are drying, prepare the filling: 5 dkg of soft (fine) flour is mixed with half an egg and a little water, and then rubbed between the palms to form tiny grains about the size of rice. This is then slighty browned in hot fat and mixed with ground walnuts and fine sugar. Sometimes the sugar is omitted. ( In Travnik the fine dough crumbs are obtained by forcing the dough through a sieve). The pastry sheets are then placed on a greased round baking tin alternately with the filling and sprinkled with melted butter, until all the pastry has been used up. The uppermost sheet (in some places called duhak which means a bridal veil) must be thin and unblemished so that when baked the sweetmeat looks as attractive as possible. Finally, the baklava is cut into diamond- shaped pieces and baked in the oven, first moderate, then hotter, and lastly turned down again. The baklava is baked until it is a rich golden brown. Care should be taken not to over-bake it.

 If the baklava is very thick, the upper layers are sometimes lifted off during the baking and then put back again so that the middle does not go "sad". While the pastry is in the oven, make a thick syrup out of 1 litre of water and the sugar, later adding lemon juice and vanilla. This is then poured over the pastry until the latter can absorb no more. While the sweet is still hot it should be covered up and left to stand overnight.

Stećak

Stećak is monumental tombstone of medevial Bosnia, sometimes called kam, marble, bilig... An estimated 66,00 are found within the borders Bosnia and Herzegovina, usually grouped in the cemeteries. The most famous is Radimlja, located in Stolac. Appearing in the 7th century, the Stećci reached their peak in the late 14-th to 15th centuries. Spiral, arcades, rosettes, vine leaves and grapes, suns and crescent moons, deer, dancing the kolo, hunting and most famously the image of the man with his right hand raised, are among the decorative motifs that appear on Stećci. The Stećci have been nominated to the UNESCO World Heritage List as Joint Cultural Heritage by the four countries in the 2009.

Mythological World of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Stuhe: in the past it was believed that stuhe or zduhači were male witches. They possessed magical powers and they were clairvoyant. They usually helped people by performing various miracles and protecting some place from ill weather. They usually moved at night. Amongst the people there are a lot of tales about fights between stuha when there was a fight between the good ones and the bad ones. The most famous zduhači in Bosnia and Herzegovina were  Gaibija and Suljo Aganović from Foča.

Mythological World of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Soul or Duša: according to belief a man should never be woken abruptly because his soul leaves his body while he sleeps and travels around the world without any limitations. There is a similar belief amongst the Bosniaks about witches, they can also travel in the same manner with their physical bodies while they are asleep. When a witch falls asleep her soul exits through her mouth and wanders off to do evil to other humans. Her body then becomes blue and cold, her mouth stretches and her lips blacken. Before dawn her soul returns in a form of a bumble bee and enters her mouth at which moment she awakes abruptly from this mystic state.

It is believed that the souls of children haven't yet completely merged with the body and that their souls wander the world almost every time they fall asleep. Because of this reason mothers who want to move their child while it is sleeping, call the child by its name, or she lightly pulls its nose, wanting to alarm the soul about what is happening at that moment. Immediately the soul returns to the body. Otherwise, if the soul isn't warned, it is believed that the child can get ill or have serious psychological consequences.
Today in Bosnia and Herzegovina it is believed that a dying man's soul can not leave his body until his family and his neighbours "ne halale" (forgive him for his sins).

Mythological World of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Angels or Meleki: it is believed among the people that there are two angels, one of them is blind and the other one is deaf, which are sent by Allah to stir up the clouds and the storm to places where Allah wishes to punish the people because of some sin. If the blind one hears the prayer from the mosque he will immediately redirect the clouds and save that place from the storms. It is further believed that the Šejtan wants to hinder him in his intent and that a fierce fight between them arises. According to the legends when the angel swings his sword towards the Šejtan a lightning flashes in the sky.

When a baby is smiling it is believed that it has seen an angel. The angels are considered to be the protectors of babies because of the baby's purity and impeccability. It is believed that babies are actually angels until the moment when they learn to speak because then they can utter the bad words along with the good ones and so they lose their gracious ability.

Mythological World of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sheitan or Šejtani: they are demonic creatures that are similar to the Jinn. They are less powerful than the Jinn, because when a Šejtan enters a human, the human starts enjoying vices, impurity, lies or theft; but when a Jinn enters a human being, then the person suffers mental illnesses. Šejtan are easily frightened and they run away from humans as soon as the following words are uttered: "In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful".

A Bosnian legend claims that that the Šejtan was present when the first man, Adam, was created. Namely, when God created the human body, He left it lifeless for three years. Each day the Šejtan would come and observe the human body and he would batter his fingers on the body. When he would reach the human's head, he would batter it to and say: "This head won't be empty". At the passing of the third year Allah gave life to the human and it rose to life. Allah warned the human immediately about the Šejtan and told him not to speak to the first creature that approaches him and not to tell him his name. In the beginning Adam resisted the Šejtan's advances, but after some time he gave in to the Šejtan's blandishment and questions and he started a conversation with the Šejtan. The cunning Šejtan jumped on his left shoulder and exclaimed that he will remain there forever since they are now friends. As soon as God saw what had happened he sent an angel to land on to Adam's right shoulder to stop the Šejtan from influencing the human to do evil all the time.

In Bosnia against the Šejtan there is a saying: "Šejtanu nalet te bilo!"  

Bosnian Cook

Lamija Hadziosmanovic – The Bosnian Cook

In a Sarajevo bookshop we found a cookbook in English called ‘Bosnian Cook’. I hunted for days to get the contact information for the author, Lamija Hadziosmanovic.

After my friend translated some articles I found, we tracked her down. She agreed to let me interview her and it was by far the highlight of my time in Sarajevo. It’s rare to be invited into someone’s home, so I was intrigued by how quickly she offered her flat as the best place to meet. I realized why as soon as we entered, it was full of gorgeous Bosnian furniture, dishes, blankets, and carpets. Every corner had a display meticulously set up and immaculately clean. My eye was drawn to a haunting black and white photo of a woman who she explained was her mother. It was one of her only possessions that survived the war, everything else I was looking at she had acquired since it had ended. After the war, Lamija’s home was a shell and though the pain was still very evident, the thing I took away from my time with her was her pride and the strength it must have taken to rebuild what she’d lost.

Bosnian food: Kljukuša or Kvrguša

This dish is popular with in Bosnia, serve it with a tossed green salad.

1 ¾  cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
5 to 6 eggs
Milk
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
 2 ½ pounds chicken, cut into pieces (or use breast strips)
¾ cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 375*. Grease a large 9 x 10“ baking dish. Combine 1 ¾ cups of the flour, eggs, and milk to create a batter resembling that of a thick pancake batter. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, mix well and pour into the greased baking dish.
Salt and pepper the chicken pieces and arrange throughout the batter in the baking dish. Bake for about 40 to 50 minutes till golden. Remove from heat. Mix the sour with 1 teaspoon of flour and then pour it over the chicken dish. Return the chicken to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

The holy tree of Bosnia- Tisovina (Taxus baccata)

Until today the tree cult has been preserved in Bosnia, where specific trees, like linden (tilia platyphyllos) or Tisa, Tisovina (Taxus baccata) occupied a central place. The belief in magical powers of trees is not a product of monotheism but that of the old pagan times when nature was much more appreciated and respected by the humans. 

The yew tree has been regarded as a sacred tree that has prophylactic characteristics which protect man from evil spirits, black magic and spellbound eyes. For that reason it is the tree that has the most superstitious followers. Perhaps the best indicator of its popularity is more than a hundred topographic names across the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina such as Tisova Kosa, Tisovac, Tisovina, Tisovo Brdo, Tisov Do, etc. As the oldest larch tree in Bosnia, the one near Olovo, in Bukov Dol (Bukova valley), is considered to be over a hundred years old.

Its magical characteristics it earned by an array of natural occurrences such as the location in which it grows. Because the places are hard to reach the Bosnian people believe that Tisovina tree has some divine qualities. Besides the tree is wild grown and durable which further strengthens such beliefs. According to folk belief, fairy's gather at the place where the yew tree grows which clearly points at the old pagan cult of tree worship.

The long history of Bosnia is marked by the yew tree since the farmers, throughout history, appreciated it because it hinted at man's connection with nature. Small pieces of wood were placed in punctured horns of animals in order to protect them from evil and illnesses. The farmers regarded possessing a larch staff as a great treasure which they used to drive their oxen or if they possessed a plough made out of yew. Taxus baccata is called the lucky tree and can be seen in the wallets of many Bosnians, because of financial prosperity, or in red linen bags which are carried by the people as small amulets. Taxus baccata is also a child's amulet whose purpose is to protect the child from spellbound eyes and prevent eventual disease and evil.

Yew is a poisonous tree. In the ethnological records of the National Museum of BIH there were records of cattle poisoning which fed across the forests and also some shepherd poisoning, who accidentally ate the sour fruits of the yew tree. Besides the Bosnians, the old peoples also knew about its poisonous characteristics. From Cesar's book "About the Gaelic Wars" he claims how the old people believed in the supernatural powers of the yew tree but that they also warned of its poisonous characteristics.

Even though it was popular, the prophylactic powers of the yew tree were almost its doom at one period in time. Namely, the people, not caring about the forest regulation rules, started cutting down the trees in order to make amulets out of it and also various other items such as dishes, spoons, boxes, fences, etc. But this time too the tree showed that it can not only protect others but also itself. Among the people an ominous belief started to spread, namely if a yew tree  is cut down in someone's yard, he or she shall suffer a horrible fate. This lead to a ban on logging.

Sending back the spell

Traditionally in Bosnia and Herzegovina the spiritual healers, stravarke, bule and hodžas, annul all those psychological and physical problems that can be caused by negative energy (black magic) by writing zapise (notes), hamajlije (amulets), by spirituality (da'ira) or salivanje strahe (melting lead). However, the effects of black magic can be neutralised by certain exorcist rituals that are specific to Bosnian magic. In the ritual all the power of the spiritual healer comes to the forefront, where the healer, without coming into contact with the patient, annuls the negative energy and sends it back to the one who created it by simply using the patients name and surname.

Since the old days in Bosnia there was a rule that when a patient's medical results claim that he is healthy but he still feels ill, that then it is time to visit a spiritual healer. Today the belief in the power of magic is similar to that one of the old days. The only thing that has changed are the names for the occult processes, and instead of the term sihr or black magic, evil eyes the terms negative energy is used, and instead of ograma, nagaza the term astral attack is used, etc. When a spell is cast at someone, then that person changes its behaviour quickly, all of a sudden it loves or hates a certain person, falls ill, divorces or experiences a series of accidents both business or family related.

Stravarka Nisveta B. from Zenica is one of the people who has a lot of experience when it comes to Bosnian magic, its disadvantages and its benefits if it isn't misused. Besides being known for the ritual of salivanje strahe (melting lead) she is very successful in falanje u grah or throwing beans. Her specialty is neutralising black magic and returning it to the sender.

-Black magic can be returned to the sender in a few ways. In my work I use the ritual with chicken egg and lime (Calcium oxide). The ritual is best performed during sunset, between 17h and 22h.

Nisveta places a half of kilo of lime in a metal dish and places an egg in the middle. Before she continues with the more aggressive part of the ritual she finishes her religious washing (ablution) and reads a couple of verses from the Qur'an such as Fatiha, Ikhlas, Falaq, Nass, Jinn, Mohammed and Ya'sin. After reading the mentioned verses, Nisveta blows towards three corners of her room, the fourth corner is left intact to serve as an astral portal through which the negative energy will go back to its sender.
After she has finished with the part consisting of prayers stravarka Nisveta pours a glass of water on the lime then takes a wooden stick which she uses to stir the mixture in a circle, around the egg, the mixture is stirred until the egg bursts because of the heat of the lime. While she stirs the lime Nisveta repeats the exorcist formula:
"Dear Allah, as the egg cooks in the lime so also the enemy of XX (here the name of the patient and his parents needs to be said) cooks in pain and agony. Let the magic be returned to the one who made it and who sent it!"
The moment when the egg bursts, the ritual is finished. The black magic has left the spellbound patient and has returned to the sender.

Sometimes the egg bursts in the first ten minutes of the ritual but more often it happens after half an hour to an hour. The success of the ritual is usually dependent on the person that is performing it. It is necessary to achieve a perfect focus, calmness and complete emersion into the ritual. The ritual is done with God's help and belief that only with His will the evil can be banished. For that reason it is necessary to achieve a mind and body state that resembles the one of an actor. If that is achieved often tears come to one's eyes. In the end it is a reliable sign that the ritual will be successful.

The witch or wizard immediately feel the effects of the ritual on themselves. It is manifested in smaller or bigger reactions depending on the strength of the black magic that they just created. If it's a weaker form of magical effect then the witch will usually have uncontrollable fits of laughter or crying, insomnia, bloated stomach while in the case of stronger spells she can experience serious health issues or even delirium.

Bosnian Folk Medicine

Just few decades ago, every settlement in Bosnia, no matter how big it was, had its traditional healers, herbalists, stravari, faladžija, Nowadays, situation is completely different and traditional occupations and crafts are condemned for disappearance. Disinterest of newer generations to preserve cultural heritage is not a problem only in Bosnia but in the rest of Eastern Europe.

1. Klinčići (hidrokela): a sickness that is present in newborns aged up to one year. It is manifested through a swollen scrotum which causes crying, nervousness and lack of sleep. The old Bosniak women regularly control their grandchildren's scrotum out of fear from them having klinčić. They are looking for water inside of them, if they are swollen or if they have changed their colour. This is done for the simple reason that the klinčić wouldn't evolve into a kila (hernia).

Derviš Husagić

Klinčić can be cured in several ways. The most famous way of treatment is for the child to be brought to a folk doctor which possesses the gift of healing which he received from Allah. That gift can only be bestowed upon those children whose father dies before they are born. In Bosnia it is believed that they possess the gift of healing.
The treatment method is very simple; the sick child is laid down on the floor, his legs are raised so that his scrotum is free. The folk doctor makes a circle three times around the scrotum with his heel, clockwise, and the he lightly touches the scrotum with his heel. The therapeutic process is repeated three times. Then the doctor exits the room leaving the parents to dress their child. There is a rule for him that he mustn't turn backwards and that he must say "Alahimanet!" when the parents leave with their child. The most successful doctor in curing Klinčić is Derviš Husagić from Kakanj.


2. Strunjen želudac (Gastritis) If a person feels pain in his stomach right after eating then it is believed in Bosnia that his/her stomach has been moved out of its natural position, to the right or left side of the stomach. One determinant that the stomach has been moved is the pain under the ribs. The Bosniak women that treat such problems are called Želudarice. Before treating the ill they touch their right hand, the part between the index finger and the thumb, and if they feel a knot in form of a small pellet, then they are certain that there are problems with the stomach. That uncomfortable and painful experience can be caused by various factors but the most common are; if a hungry person lifts heavy weight, bad diet, stress, emotional problems, falling and hitting oneself, strong coughs, etc.
Stomach problems can be treated with massages, vacuum or magic. All three methods warrant success.


3. Namještanje pršljena: A large number of people have the "atlas" moved (their first vertebra) which can cause various psychophysical problems. This problem is often first encountered in childhood, caused by falling or sudden head movements. The movement of atlas is noticeable by a barely visible blue line across the nose, it looks like the capillaries burst. A few days after the injury, the child loses appetite and has problems swallowing food. As soon as that happens, the neck should be returned in its natural position so that the vertebra can straighten, because if they stay in that unnatural position, they will cause many problems in the man's life.
If a child falls down suddenly, there is a practice that his mother or some other person, takes his head with both hands near the ears and lifts it off the ground, in such a way the vertebra will be returned to its place.


Podizanje tjemena (angina tonsillaris): when a small child falls off the bed or from somewhere else, he can usually "padne tjeme", it is sometimes called the "third tonsil", this causes a lot of vomiting and loss of weight. The woman that deals with such problems, dips her middle finger in oil, places it into the child's mouth and pushes it upward towards the roof of the mouth. When she completes this process she then massages the child behind the ears, then takes it by the legs and turns it upside down and shake's it a little. This completes the healing process.


4. Vađenje truna: Hava Čebić from Banovići is one of the last practitioners of this ancient method of curing the inflammation of the eye epithelia. When a small piece of wood, stone, metal dust, hay or something else falls into a person's eye then epithelia gets irritated, the eye reddens and hurts. Before the treatment, which lasts less than half a minute, Hava rinses her mouth with alcohol and then holding the eye lids of the patient she searches for the foreign object in the eye with her tongue, as soon as she finds it she removes it with her tongue.

Hava Čebić

5. Warts are treated among the Bosniak people in various ways and the most common one is to rub the warts each morning with one's own saliva. If one persists in such a treatment he warts will soon disappear.

Bosnian cuisine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn67ynfGMuI

Manydishes that did not originate in Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose oriental originis undisputed, have over time acquired characteristics that differentiate themfrom the same dishes prepared in the East (Iran, Turkey). The cuisine, or, to bemore precise, the traditional culinary art of Bosnia and Herzegovina is based onthe culinary skill of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which combines theirown cultural elements with foreign recipes, thereby endowing them with aspecific stamp characteristic of Bosnia.

Because the culinary art of the medieval Bosnian kingdom was confined to the noblemen's castles, we can say that the year 1462 marks the birth of traditional cuisine in Bosnia. That was the year when the first aščinica, a restaurant for the townspeople, was opened. We do not have precise evidence about the contents of the menu at the time. However, we do know that 400 years later the variety of meals available throughout the year in an aščinica in any larger town in Bosnia and Herzegovina spanned over 200 different dishes. The common characteristics of these dishes are:

 Bosnian cuisine contains an abundance of vegetables, meat, fruit, milk and dairy products;

the dishes are not made with a browned-flour base (roux), and strong or hot spices are not used. When spices are used, only very small amounts are added to the food so that the taste of meat is not diminished;

 cooked dishes are light because they are prepared in small amounts of water and cooked in their own natural juices, without a roux. The resulting sauce thus has a minimal amount of oriental spices. As a rule, quality dishes are not prepared in fat but are boiled in the juices of cooked meat, which is rich in proteins, and the juices of vegetables;

roasts and many pies, both sweet and savory, are popular;

 broths and soups are practically compulsory;

a wide range of sweets are available.

The function of the traditional large hearth (measuring 2-4 metres in length), 1.20 metres in width and 1.5 metres in height) in the ašinica, as well as in the bakeries where most dishes were prepared, was twofold. New dishes could be quickly prepared on the hearth and other dishes could finish cooking, so that that area also served as a kind of visible menu. The dishes were laid out on plates on the hearth, for which only wood or charcoal was used, so that they kept continually warm and the customer could choose which dish he wanted and in what quantity.

The hearth in an aščinca consists of three parts. The first is a burner with very hot fires. There are three troughs 20 cm to 30 cm wide and 20 cm to 40 cm deep into which embers are poured or charcoal is burned. Some dishes are quickly prepared here, while others finish cooking and are sauces which are mixed in of flavouring. The skill of a chef is measured by the quality of these sauces and the way he used them in different dishes.

The second is a compartment for plates. The hearth also serves as a warming table because all of the plates are warmed there at a steady temperature. Here the dishes are also arranged into individual serving.

The third is a cauldron. It is used for cooking soups and broths and for keeping them warm. 

The kitchen of the aščinca was situated behind the room where food was served. It consisted of an area where the dishes were prepared and the kitchen hearth where the fires were prepared and the kitchen hearth there the fires were kept burning and the final touches were added to the dishes. Above the hearth were pothooks from which cauldrons hung, while on the hearth itself was a small clay oven for preparing roasts and pies. One corner was designated for the making and drying of pastry dough, next no it was an area for brewing coffee. Since most town in Bosnia and Herzegovina had running water, the kitchen also had a separate area for the washing and drying of dishes. Apart from these rooms the aščinica also had a to a room containing the butcher's tools. There was usually a cold storage room located in the cellar where food was kept and preserved. The bakery, which was separate from the aščinca, was used for the baking of different types of pastries, as well as cakes and pies and dishes prepared in pots. Once the bread and pastries were baked the fire in the bakery hearth was kept burning so that other dishes could be cooked on this low heat.

Larger aščinca as well as karavansarajs (hotels) had large trays with small samples of the dishes and many spoon so that the guest could try each dish. A different spoon was used the sampling of each dish, and a bowl of water was provided for the immediate disposal of used spoons.

Surviving historical date tells us that during celebrations, weddings, gatherings and picnic all ethnic groups used the same rich and varied menu consisting of twelve to thirty different dishes.

Bosnian pastries and delicacies

All Bosnia seem to love rahatluk. Ad who can blame them? The name is a corrupted form on the Arabic rahat-lokoum, which means „a little sweet that causes pleasure“. And that is just what it is. This delicious hard gelee is made of sugar, starch, water, almonds and rose oil. The dried, sliced almonds are put into a mixture of syrup and starch; lemon juice and a few drops of rose oil are added, and the mixture is left to cool in an enameled dish.

1.5 kg. (3 lb. 4 oz.) sugar

1 ¾ l. (3 pt.) water

250 gr. (8 ½ oz.) cornflour

125 gr. (5 oz.) almonds

1 lemon

6-8 drops of rose water

50 gr. (2 oz.) almond oil

Although it may be bough ready-made many Bosniak housewives prefer to make their own, in the following way: Place the sugar in a large saucepan, pour on 1 ¼  pints ( ¾  litre) of water and make a thick syrup. When the syrup thickens, remove pan from the heat. In another saucepan place the cornflour and slowly add the rest of the water (1 litre or 1 ¾  pints). Add this mixture to the syrup slowly, stirring all the time. Return to the heat until the mixture starts to fall off the spoon, stirring all the time and being careful not to let the mixture burn. Towards the end add the juice of one lemon.

When the mixture begins to leave the sides of the pan, remove from the heat, add the rose water and the almonds, blanched and cut into thin strips. Grease a large enamel dish with almond or ordinary oil and pour in the hot mixture to form a layer 3 cm (just over one inch) thick. Level with a knife and leave for 24 hours to set. Cut into squares 2 by 4 cm (nearly 1 by 2 inches). Dip each piece in sieved icing sugar mixed with rice or cornflour, and place in layers in a tin.

Rahatluk can be made in smaller quantities, but since it keeps for a long time without losing its taste or freshness, it is more convenient ito make a larger quantity and store in tins.

Đul Fatma, Đul pita or Ružice

(Jul Fatma Pie or Roses)

1 lb. flour

1 cup water

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon oil

1 cup milk

4 ozs. rice flour or 2 ozs. cornflour

3 cups sugar

8 ozs. nuts

1 cup oil or butter

Vanilla flavouring

1 lemon

The word "đul" means "rose" in Arabic. When these pastries are baked they resamble an open rose — hence their poetic name. With the ingredients in the first column make paper-thin sheets of pastry as for walnut "pita" or baklava.

Filling

Add milk to rice flour or cornflour gradually and cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add 'It cup of sugar.

Take four sheets of pastry and sprinkle them in turn with hot oil or butter. Place them one on top of the other and spread the filling along one side of the pastry. Roll up as tightly as possible. Butter a large baking tin. With a sharp knife cut the roll into one-inch slices and place then flat on the baking tin. Bake in a hot oven for about 20 minutes.

Syrup

Put 2 ½  cups of sugar into 2 ½  cups of water, add vanilla and one lemon cut into slices. Bring to the boil and simmer until slightly thickened. Pour this syrup over the hot "pita". After all the syrup has soaked in, carefully remove all the pieces of "pita" and arrange on a serving dish.

see more: www.buduh.blogger.ba

Bosnian magical formula against Evil Eye

Stravarka repeat three times Surah Ikhlas and then the following  formula:

In my Aliye there are nine spells;
not nine of them,
there are only eight;
not eight of them,
there are only seven;
not seven of them,
there are only six;                                                                  
not six of them,
there are only five;
not five of them,
there are only four,
not four of them,
there are only three,
not three of them,
there are only two,
not two of them,
there's only one;
there's not even.
Veledalin amin!