During the Ottoman occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the massive conversion of Bogomils to Islam not much was done to preserve the ancient identity of the Bosnian people, at least in the segment that relates to the cult of the Grand Mother. The ancient religion of nature finds its place in a completely non- Islamic tradition about fairies, various demonic creatures, magical rituals of healing, fertility preservation and invoking prosperity. The conversion from one religious doctrine to another is never complete since Monotheism is a modern version of Dualism which is the successor of even older pagan systems. That is why the Turkish invaders nurtured many other archaic beliefs besides Islam, especially because of the dominant influence of neighbouring Iran and Syria.
Among the Bosniaks of that time, which converted to Islam and to belief in one God which is interwoven with pagan oral tradition on which it is based, and it is particularly manifested through folk poetry where they describe encounters of faeries, ancient forces of nature, and Bosniak heroes like Mujo Hrnjica. An amulet made out of nine grains of wheat which according to folk tradition Mujo Hrnjica carried with him fully corresponds with the old Bosnian cult of faeries, especially the Mountain fairy, which is a socially accepted predecessor of the ancient cult of the Grand Mother. The tradition itself represents the Mountain fairy in the role of a mother since she willingly "adopts" two boys, Mujo and Halil, regardless of the fact that their biological mother is still alive and present. The fairy shows maternal feelings and care which is particularly demonstrated in that part of the legend where she uses her breast milk to feed Mujo, giving him a part of her magical powers on purpose and making a half-mythical creature out of him. Certain legends claim that the amulet with nine grains of wheat were carried by Mujo since he was told to do so by the mountain fairy which additionally supports the thesis of direct connection of the Mountain fairy with the Grand Mother, the ancient goddess of the Illyrian tribes, to which all ancient cultures dedicated wheat as a cult mark. Herodotus in one of his descriptions of the Illyrians mentions that Illyrian women bring wheat straw as a sacrifice to one of their goddesses. The same ritual was done by the Celts towards their goddess Brigid.
When we analyse the belief about wheat throughout the past we will notice that it is also pronounced among the Bosnian people. Wheat was considered a sanctity since it stems from heaven just like the bees and sheep. Bread, milk and honey as three products of these holly gifts constitute the staple of human diet but also offering to gods. Tradition moulded in a distinct Bosnian prophecy speaks about the disappearance of these three heavenly gifts before judgement day. That the belief in the prophylactic power of the seed of wheat is not only a thing of the past is evident by the following examples. During WWII and enemy shelling the livestock was usually killed, mostly sheep's grazing, which represented a great loss during the scarce wartime period. According to the saying of Fata Bajrić from Bihać her grandfather placed three seeds of wheat on each sheep as magical protection and miraculously none of the sheep's got hurt which was not the case for his neighbour's sheep's.
During the last aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina undertaken by Serbia and Montenegro (1992-1995) many defenders of our country had a small bundle sown in by their mothers in their uniforms which contained nine kernels of wheat wanting to protect them from enemies. Acting just like the Mountain faery acted towards her "adopted" son Mujo Hrnjica again demonstrated a deep connection of the Bosnian people with their ancient roots. In both cases it is noticeable that the ancient belief in the power of wheat among the Bosnian people is activated in especially dire situations or better to say during war times.
Women were, which is quite logical, always more connected with the Grand Mother since the element of that cult can be found in numerous female love formulas but also those intended for healing. Help during marriage and healing are among the main features of power of the Grand Mother which is confirmed by the following basma:
Hey N. all the girls, women and widows
are crows, magpies and foxes,
and only I am a Mountain faery to you.".
During a healing ritual of the stomach the stravarka utters the following: "I'm preparing this medicine in the name of the Mountain faery, sister, mother.".
Among the Bosniaks of that time, which converted to Islam and to belief in one God which is interwoven with pagan oral tradition on which it is based, and it is particularly manifested through folk poetry where they describe encounters of faeries, ancient forces of nature, and Bosniak heroes like Mujo Hrnjica. An amulet made out of nine grains of wheat which according to folk tradition Mujo Hrnjica carried with him fully corresponds with the old Bosnian cult of faeries, especially the Mountain fairy, which is a socially accepted predecessor of the ancient cult of the Grand Mother. The tradition itself represents the Mountain fairy in the role of a mother since she willingly "adopts" two boys, Mujo and Halil, regardless of the fact that their biological mother is still alive and present. The fairy shows maternal feelings and care which is particularly demonstrated in that part of the legend where she uses her breast milk to feed Mujo, giving him a part of her magical powers on purpose and making a half-mythical creature out of him. Certain legends claim that the amulet with nine grains of wheat were carried by Mujo since he was told to do so by the mountain fairy which additionally supports the thesis of direct connection of the Mountain fairy with the Grand Mother, the ancient goddess of the Illyrian tribes, to which all ancient cultures dedicated wheat as a cult mark. Herodotus in one of his descriptions of the Illyrians mentions that Illyrian women bring wheat straw as a sacrifice to one of their goddesses. The same ritual was done by the Celts towards their goddess Brigid.
When we analyse the belief about wheat throughout the past we will notice that it is also pronounced among the Bosnian people. Wheat was considered a sanctity since it stems from heaven just like the bees and sheep. Bread, milk and honey as three products of these holly gifts constitute the staple of human diet but also offering to gods. Tradition moulded in a distinct Bosnian prophecy speaks about the disappearance of these three heavenly gifts before judgement day. That the belief in the prophylactic power of the seed of wheat is not only a thing of the past is evident by the following examples. During WWII and enemy shelling the livestock was usually killed, mostly sheep's grazing, which represented a great loss during the scarce wartime period. According to the saying of Fata Bajrić from Bihać her grandfather placed three seeds of wheat on each sheep as magical protection and miraculously none of the sheep's got hurt which was not the case for his neighbour's sheep's.
During the last aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina undertaken by Serbia and Montenegro (1992-1995) many defenders of our country had a small bundle sown in by their mothers in their uniforms which contained nine kernels of wheat wanting to protect them from enemies. Acting just like the Mountain faery acted towards her "adopted" son Mujo Hrnjica again demonstrated a deep connection of the Bosnian people with their ancient roots. In both cases it is noticeable that the ancient belief in the power of wheat among the Bosnian people is activated in especially dire situations or better to say during war times.
Women were, which is quite logical, always more connected with the Grand Mother since the element of that cult can be found in numerous female love formulas but also those intended for healing. Help during marriage and healing are among the main features of power of the Grand Mother which is confirmed by the following basma:
Hey N. all the girls, women and widows
are crows, magpies and foxes,
and only I am a Mountain faery to you.".
During a healing ritual of the stomach the stravarka utters the following: "I'm preparing this medicine in the name of the Mountain faery, sister, mother.".
