Bosnian Fairy

 

Herbs for magic but also for healing is infrequently grown in the gardens if the witches since they believe that the largest magic capacity can be found in "wild" grown (from God) plants especially if it grows in hard to reach places next to a river or a creek. Particularly amazing power is possessed by forest herbs, especially if there is a creek flowing through the forest. In the old Bosnian legends the faeries live inside the forests, and among them the famous Bosnian fairy, with whose song and dance all of the vegetation swells and grows and in special cycles it gains magical powers.

Cult of the mother goddess in Bosnia

The existence of the cult of the large mother is found in the Stone Age. She was considered to be the mother of humans and gods and her cult spread along the Mediterranean belt, which once contained the Illyrian kingdom and today, among other countries, the modern day Bosnia and Herzegovina. The cult of the large mother stems from Syria, according to the available data, from which it spread to other countries and we can find it in Egypt (Izida), Babylon (Ishtar), Asia Minor (Kibela), Greece (Demetra), etc. The Syrian name Taschter or Tir, from which the name Astharte is derived, is present in Bosnia by the name of Tur, Tir or in the female form Tirinica.

 

Astharte was a goddess of the moon, fertility and motherhood but also of war, described as a horned deity, with a head of a bull. This data is key to linking her with the Illyrians and the myth about the bull Garonja who is only familiar to the Bosnians, the Serbs and Croats don't mention him in their mythology. 

According to all of the archeological data the ox or bull belonged to the cult of the moon among the Illyrian tribes. It is important to note that the bull is a common symbol of the cult of the mother among all of the ancient peoples, the myth about Mithras also existed among the Persians; he killed the godlike bull and created entire nature out of his blood, especially wheat.

In Donja Dolina (Sanski Most) during the excavation of an Illyrian village, a skull of a pre-bull was found  (Bos primigenius), which is - as Ć. Truhelka speculates, attached to the façade of the house and served as a bucranium. It is known that a head of a bull was hung on the walls of temples in Greece once it has been sacrificed to the gods, and that's where the tradition originated from also this is the reason for all of the bucranium carvings on temples and various other structures.

Numerous depictions of oxen are from an earlier time, they didn't always carry an explicit message, but they surely weren't only decorative in nature. It is interesting that the findings are only limited to the north, and to a lesser extent to central areas where the Illyrians lived, even though it is fairly certain that in other areas there was also a religious system in which the ox, as a lunar symbol, was connected to the cult of the large mother. Here we're referring to the area occupied by the Liburn people, then people from the region Dalmatia and partially tribes in the southern and central parts of the Illyrian tribes. Also in this case, as with many other symbols, lack of illustrations should be sought in the sphere of esthetic comprehension of the former men, not only in the religious differences, i.e. the lack of the cult of the bull in specific Illyrian regions.

Ritual slaughter of the bull as a sign of fertility and its connection with the cult of the large mother was very old in these regions,  and was preserved unchanged to this day in the Balkans and elsewhere.

 

 

Bosnian myth about the bull Turu

 

 

In publications "Supplements for oriental philology:  Revue de philology orientale" from 1980 the following content is mentioned on page 311: "In 1933 from a poor old woman, Puhalovka Alijaginica, who lived in Čerbedžije in Sarajevo, literally recorded the following: "On Wednesdays when you pray afternoon prayer and bow: Ognju and Ognjevom Piru, Turu, Hadži Dedi, Hadži Kasapi, Sitoj Nefisi, Vejsil Karaniji, their parents and brother Mevelan". Checking whether this tradition is still prevalent in other places, I found out from Mahmud Traljić (born in Sarajevo in 1918)that he listened to the enumeration of these names from a Muslim woman from Sarajevo Fatima Hajrić, which died in 1961 or 1962 in her 102^nd year.

As Oganj, Ognjev Pir and Tur or Tir don't belong among the names of Islamic saints it is evident that these names are actually folk names for Illyrian deities. In my opinion we're dealing with two deities i.e. sun god Oganj (fire) or Ognjev Pir (emperor of fire) and goddess of the moon Tur or Tir. In other words, this means that among the Bosnian Muslims there were people who unknowingly, before WWII, prayed to the ancient gods. Confirmation of this fact can easily be found in the fact that these deities were presented in one context.

That Tur-Tir is a female deity is confirmed by a statement from Seid Traljić who mentions a female cult name Tirinica, whose godlike characteristics were annulled by Islam, but her name was kept in prayers until WWII, since it was considered holly.      

The Bosnian folk believed from old times that the Earth resting on the back of a large bull called in some places Garonja. According to belief when he moves his ears there will be an earthquake and when he shakes his entire body it is believed that it will be the end of the world. Ethnologist Gržetić stated succinctly the belief which perhaps best depicts who is behind the character of Garonja, namely: "the people in Bosnia still to this day believe that the earth is supported by Turu, and once he shakes, there will be an earthquake". Meaning, the original name of the bull is Tur and not Garonja as is mentioned in south-western part of Bosnia.

According to everything that is written it is easy to conclude that the ancient mother goddess is behind the character of Tur or Tir (Tirinica), which was also depicted with the head of a bull. She is the mother of fertility, i.e. earth, and it is logical that he is depicted supporting the earth. It is quite probable that the Latin word for bull - Taurus stems from the name Tur.

On the prevalence of the cult of the mother goddess in Bosnia and Herzegovina the following place names testify, such as: Turovo (beneath Jahorina), Turić (Gradačac), Turići (Vlahovići near Travnik, Lugovi near Fojnica, Banovići, Visoko), Turija (Bihać, Konjic, Tuzla, Visoko, Srebrenica), Turjak (Bosanska Gradiška, Dobrun kod Višegrada) and Turjačani (Bosanska Gradiška).  

Mujo Hrnjica

                                              Dear God, who was that hero?
                                             It was Mujo Hrnjica of Kladuša.


Even though Mujo Hrnjica is not a mythological character but a real, historical figure, his life is interwoven from beginning to the end with a lot of mystical content which makes him an interesting figure about which one can write a lot.

 

 

 

What Hercules was for the ancient world Mujo Hrnjica is for the Bosnian world. Symbol of courage, a hero of great strength and a dangerous enemy to those that dislike his people. Because of all of those characteristics many Bosnian women named their son's Mujo which was a symbol of great strength and might and it contained prophylactic power against evil and disease.  

  

Historical tradition about Mujo begun in the fall of 1637 when Mujo's uncle Hurem-aga Kozlica brought his two young nephews, who lost their father in the war, from Udbina to Velika Kladuša. The older boy was called Mustafa, but he was called Mujo and the younger one Halil. Besides being younger, Halil was thinner and less bulky during childhood, since his mother couldn't breast feed him because of the great grief she felt for her killed husband, and Halil didn't accept milk from any other woman. That's why they fed him with cow's and goat's milk which brought him the name Stalled Halil.

 

According to legend, in Velika Kladuša Mujo and Halail were met by a mountain faery, calling them with a song in early dawn. She brought them to the river Kladušnica, washed them with dew and fed them with faery milk. Halil didn't want to drink milk, he drank the dew instead while Mujo liked the faery milk very much and drank a lot of it. Because Halil took the dew from the faery he grew into a very handsome young man, all the girls in Velika Kladuša yearned for him, calling him and falling into hysteria once they saw him, Unlike him, Mujo gained enormous physical strength which was given to him by the faery milk. He had a stern and piercing gaze, the one possessed by warriors.

In that sense the mountain faery became the second mother to the future heroes who protected Kladuša fort from the enemy. It is interesting to note that the faeries were mentioned as messengers in songs which transferred news from one warrior to the other and helped defeat the enemies or to explain their tricks and ambushes. How popular the faery cult was is best witnessed by the medieval city Vrnograč, 16 km away from Velika Kladuša, which was according to legend built by faeries. That's why it is called faery town.

 

The tradition about Mujo and the faeries is nothing more than an old Illyrian legend since Mujo's physical appearance is that of a warrior; he's tall, has thick dark hair, a moustache and a beard and strong arms. It's no coincidence that faeries are traditionally tied to Mujo since sine in the Illyrian times the cult of warrior was cherished which was closely associated with the cult of deities, especially the main one Vidasus among whom water nymphs were depicted i.e. faeries. In epic poems numerous encounters of Mujo and the faeries is mentioned, where they communicate and where the faeries heal Mujo's wounds gained in battle. How familiar he is with the faery world, their capabilities and character is best depicted in a poem in which Mujo like a skilled wizard manages to outwit the faeries transformed into goats.

 

According to legend, Mujo Hrnjica always carried an amulet with him on the right side of his suit. The amulet wasn't Islamic in content like the famous amulet-shirt of captain Husien Gradaščević, but ancient which stems from the cult of mother earth. It's a small red bag which contained 9 wheat kernels. Wheat as one of the largest gifts of nature is a symbol of the cult of mother goddess, to whom faeries belong. All of this data confirms that among the Bosnian folk, through long continuity, the ancient tradition and beliefs were preserved. As the legend tells, the enemies found out what was protecting Mujo from death, through venal servants the enemies got a hold of Mujo's amulet. Apparently, the amulet was stolen a day before he was killed.

 

1. Mujo Hrnjica is the most famous hero along with Alija Đerzelez of Bosnian epic poems. The epic Mujo Hrnjica was presented to the wider literary and cultural audience in a striking manner by Kosta Hormann in his first and second journal. There the epic character is best presented in his ethical and psychological wholeness. Poems from these journals were recorded throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina and as such present the best proof of how famous and meaningful this grand hero was. Besides Mujo, his brother Halil is often mentioned, while stories about their third brother Omer are few.

 

 

 

2. On this rock which is called Ploča, which is a folk name for a horse shoe, according to legend the imprint of Mujo's horse Đogat can be seen which was made when they were passing through. The rock is located in Mala Kladuša above the main road between Velika Kladuša and Bihać.

 

 

 

3. The city in which Mujo Hrnjica lived with his family - old town in Velika Kladuša. According to the reports of Krsto Frenkopan Tržački to the archduke in Graz from 20.11.1641. "Mujo lives in Velika Kladuša with his brothers".

 

 

Mujo died between 1633-1676, he was betrayed and murdered by his fake friend Meho Katarica, who had just been converted to Islam.

 

Halil Hrnjica died in Banja Luka during a coupe, during which the famous Tale Ličanin died as well.

 

Omer was ambushed and killed by a chieftain (a leader of outlaws and bandits).     

In the footsteps of the Bosnian sun god

The human species inhabited the Balkan area a million years ago, at that age the remnants of humans found in the caves of Šandalj next to Pula in Croatia were estimated. Throughout all that time our ancestors carried inside of them a feeling of security that the cave offered. That feeling became a part of the human gene.

Numerous caves in BIH are known for having ritual and religious significance in various periods of this area. The oldest holly caves are in Badanj in the canyon Bregava next to Stoca and the cave "Pod lipom" not far from Kada's village next to Sokoc whose cult significance is depicted by drawings on the walls. The drawings can also be seen on the entrance of Ledenjača cave next to Miljevina, on the cliff "Pod pismom" next to Višegrad in Robovići next to Foča, in the Djevojačka (maiden) cave next to Kladanj and also at the entrance to Vjetrenica. We could say that the presence of these drawings in the caves separates BIH from the other countries of south-western Balkans. Out of ten drawings, seven were found in BIH, and the other three are located more to the south in Montenegro and Albania, countries which constituted major parts of the ancient Illyrian kingdom. The mere arithmetic fact gives Bosnia a unique cultural and historical significance. The drawings in the Bosnian caves are situated from the early Palaeolithic period, around 14 thousand years BCE, until the Middle Ages. This shows the multiplicity of religious beliefs where the medium of pictures is only a symbolic means of expression. Without knowledge of this language it is impossible to have a clear insight into the holly Bosnian underground.

Places which simply flourish with deep meaning for the Bosnian spiritual history is the space around the royal city of Bobovac in central Bosnia. Here too the spiritual tradition is long which confirms the numerous cemetery tombstones. On the cliffs above the monastery in Kraljeva Sutjeska there are twelve caves. They are smaller in size which can house one or two people. Previous research has shown their ritualistic significance. Cave Ljuba has an artificially carved semi-circle bench stipadium, famous from when the Christians used to pray sitting in circle. From that bench there is a carved path which leads to two resting places or two praying places. When it comes to the morphology of the cave there is no need for this path since the sides of the cave are not steep. It is obvious that even walking along that path had ritualistic significance. The path ends in front of an altar, artificial window which is oriented towards the east. Who were these people that directed their prayers to the rising sun? 

It is difficult to answer this question fully because we can only follow history satisfactorily to a certain period until ancient Bosnia (Bassania), but deeper into history things haven't been researched as far.  However, undoubtedly the undisputable fact is that the cult of the sun god (Oganj, Ognjev Pir, Zvizdan) has its genesis in the Bosnian region. Its traces are interspersed throughout the religious practice of the Greeks, Celts and the Romans, i.e. people who came into direct contact with the Illyrians. We can't disregard nor forget the influence of ancient Persia through temples of the god Mithra which are also placed inside caves, and the one which is best preserved in Bosnia is located in Jajce and dates back to third century AD. The sun cult didn't even disappear when the Slavs arrived and mixed with the Illyrian tribes, only the name changed into Svetovid, although this name wasn't the sole name of the sun god, since we come across a very widespread name which is derived from the word star (zvijezda, zvizda), Zvizdan. However, all religious practice of this cult still remained unchanged and under strong antique influence, especially Roman and Celtic. The best proof of this is the practice of keeping various rituals and competitions which is undoubtedly of Roman origin. From ritual competitions stems the toponim playground on the Hotijelj hill on mount Ratiš, as well as toponim playground on Trebava.

In ancient and medieval Bosnia all hilltops were dedicated to the sun god, and that's the reason why all rituals took place up high. That's why many mountain tops have the name Zvijezda (Zvizdan) in their root, which is also a folk name for sun today, like the hill Zvijezda above Malešić, terrain Podzvizd on the slopes of Monja, locality Zvijezda in Sladna where the cult area Rahimin tomb is located. Above the village Priluk there is a hill called Sunčevo (Sun's) hill. We shouldn't forget the medieval city Podzvizd in Velika Kladuša which was built on top of a hill, etc. 

which was built on top of a hill, etc.