Flowers that smell like sorrow

Bosnian lily (Lilium bosniacum) is a flower of Bosnia and Bosnian people. Extraordinarily beautiful flower, dignified, all in golden-yellow color it proudly keeps its loftiness and regal posture  while its red stamen symbolize blood of the Bosnian man, which was often shed because of the enemies of this country. The Bosnian lily became a symbol for the suffering of Bosnian people during the aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995. In a tragic song it is mentioned that a lily each year on July 11^th changes its fragrance and that day it smells like sorrow and pain. That day from the lily the blood drips on the sacred Bosnian land on which the dead bodies of murdered men, women and children of Srebrenica, Sarajevo, Žepa, Zvornik, Bijeljina, Foča, Višegrad, Prijedor, etc. lay.        

 

 

Utve with golden wings or Utve zlatokrile

In Bosnian mythology mystical being are mentioned and described as half women half bird which has golden wings. They are called utve with golden wings and according to mythological classification they belong to beings of positive action which help individuals during hunt or other activities, entire villages or even nations. According to belief utve are immortal and from the beginning there is always a same number of them, which still remains unknown, which brings us to a conclusion that they don't have the ability to reproduce.

The people describe them as beautiful girls with luscious breasts and from the stomach downward they have bird's legs and feathers. They are adorned with golden wings of a wide span and while they fly they spread light in a large circle. According to the legend about the king which conquered the Indus people in certain parts of Bosnia believed that utve had bird's heads and chests and legs and backsides like a woman. According to legend utveescaped from India into Bosnia after a powerful king invaded India with his army, in that "cursed land" and there he came across beings with a head of a rooster and a body of a man which offered resistance for months and warred against him until he conquered them.

But since people often connect directly or indirectly utve and faeries it is then completely clear that their appearance was more feminine and beautiful, i.e. that they had female heads and breasts with bird legs. In support of this thesis is the lack of any data that utve gave birth to a child or had a love relationship with a human being.

People recount about utve that they are like faeries who escaped into the mountains and hard to reach places from the time when guns and cannons appeared because they couldn't take the sound of guns which only brings evil and death.

Analyzing the tradition about utve we come to a conclusion that after all we are dealing with an ancient myth which probably comes from Persia and is based on the belief in Amenta Spentas, forerunners of angels of monotheism. Amenta Spentas are seven immortal winged beings whose purpose is to preserve the harmony in nature among the humans, spreading justice and truth. Belief in them was taken over by the Jews, Christians and in the end Muslims calling them Arch-angels.

Ramo and Bajro

Ramo and Bajro are two mythological characters which represent the month of Ramadan and the holiday of Eid (Bajram), to whom the imagination of people has given the design and characteristics of humans. While Ramo is a stingy old man who spends his days in renunciation and avoidance of every opportunity to live a different life from the one that he is used to from his childhood, Bajro is his complete opposite. He is a jolly old man who is first of all a hedonist, loves company of friends and is always optimistic when it comes to the future. In thos moments when they meet, which is often, they always get into a fight because of their differing life philosophies but they always, in the spirit of faith and Muslim solidarity, reconcile in order to convey a wise message to the listener.
Sometimes alongside them there are two other young men that appear Šaronja and Bjelonja. The first one represents a typical Bosnian who lives by the directive of that its important to fast the first, the middle and the last day of Ramadan in order to satisfy the least amount of necessary religion, while Bjelonja doesn't even undertake that. Unlike Šaronja, he doesn't wish to wear a mask of hypocrisy so he presents himself like he really is, with all of his flaws and virtues. All characters have a comical note to them and they often go from one extreme to
another, but it always has a happy ending.

Fairies of Bosnian mythology

If some faeries take particular care of a human, that then means that he carries a deeper connection to their world. Such persons shall stand out in life with enlightened wisdom. To be the favourite of the faeries, that is if he is noble and the faeries like him, means that one has the ability to hear their song or even distinguish their mysterious verses heard through the wind. Such a man will appreciate the truth since most faeries are guardians of truth and they drive away lies. However, if an encounter of a faery and a bad person takes place, that person is then risking mental illness.

Bosnian mythology enumerates many names for faeries, the most famous ones are: Bosnian faery, faery queen Golden, Red faery, Forest faery, faery of the mountains (mountain faery), Black faery, water faery etc. Certain faeries have characteristic names such as Gope, Gospa, Srebra, Bilka, etc.

 

Red faery (Crvena vila)

She usually appears around sunset. They usually sit in an alley or next to a road combing her long red hair. The one who meets her can be harmed when she swings her hair in his direction and hits him with it. A man becomes sick from that blow and sometimes they can fall into a coma. Her symbol is the colour red.

 

 

Bosnian faery (Bosanska vila)

She is a girl with golden hair and luscious bosom. She wears a long white gown whose edges are sown through with a golden thread. In her hair there is a flower of lily. Her body is adorned with large wings which she uses, according to legend, to fly through the air and fly over Bosnia in all directions. Bosnian faery has a mellifluous voice and she sings often. By nature she falls within the benevolent kind. She can often be found in the company of other faeries which are of a lower rank than her. Her symbol is the flower lily (Lilium bosniacum).

 

 

Mountain faery (vila Planinka)

She is a faery that has a garland of flowers in her hair. She wears a long dress and sometimes she holds a walking stick in her hand. She has the ability to transform and she often transforms into a goat for easier passage along the steep hillside. She is familiar with all of the secrets of the plants and healing. Herdsmen often encounter her, and she helps them if there is a need for it. Her symbol is a white goat.

 

 

Forest faery (Gorska vila)

She is among the oldest faeries and she is often called the mother of faeries. It is considered that Golden faery is her daughter which inherited her. Forest faery is the one which is most remembered among the Bosnian folk because she was the reason that Mujo Hrnjica became the biggest hero of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is meek and wise by nature and she has a mellifluous voice. The Bosnian witches (stravarka) call them for aid during healing rituals addressing them with words "mother, sister". Her symbol is a golden apple.

 

 

Faery queen Golden (kraljica vila Zlatna)

She is the mistress of all Bosnian faeries. She lives in large thick forests and always moves in the company of her subjects. At night, especially during a full moon, she exits the forests and bathes in a river or pond. She has golden wings and a crown on her head. After her bath she sings and plays with the other faeries on some mound until the first rooster sounds at dawn. Her symbol is a full moon.

 

 

Water faery (Vodena vila)

She is the guardian of all springs and it is believed that humans can suddenly fall ill if he walks next to a spring during night or if he accidentally disturbs a faery that is bathing. That's why there was a folk custom to great the spring with these words "Selam alejk, water and waters guardians!" Showing respect towards the faery the humans tried to protect themselves from their rage. All water faeries are by nature egoistic and vengeful. They usually hate men and they are always trying to trick them and drown them in the water while they are more merciful towards the women and they sometimes help them. The symbol of a water faery is a silver coin.   

 

 

Black faery (Crna vila)

She is also called which-faery since she appears in the form of a dark shadow especially around the time of holidays Beltaine (May) and Samhaine (October-November). Sometimes they appear after sunset but more often at nights with moonlight. She appears suddenly and disappears quickly. From all of the faeries the black faery doesn't speak much nor does she sing. Her symbol is black colour.