Cult of fertility among the Bosnian People

pin into her hands which she would
use as an auxiliary prop for
support, if she gives birth
squatting down. Though it is
considered that the husbands were
never present during births, Antun
Hangi, citing folk belief gives us
a different conclusion. He writes
that it is good if the woman is
reporting her feelings to the
husband as she is giving birth
since it will lessen her pain,
sine she is sharing it with him.
Similarly, if the husband is not
present, it is not a sin for her
to talk about her pain with her
grandma or someone else who is
present during birth.
In case the birth takes longer
than expected, various magical
procedures were undertaken with
the goal to ease the procedure for
the woman mentally, and also to
offer her certain support but also
stimulation. She would be given
water which was previously poured
down the cover of the Qur'an into
the glass, all doors were open on
the house and even in the mosque.
The pregnant woman was also
offered water in which the hand of
Hazrat Fatima (Hypericum
perforatum) was submerged, this
was often brought back from Hajj
(pilgrimage to Mecca). On the
chest of the pregnant woman a
vessel with water would be placed
and then the plant, i.e. its root
would be submerged, which swells
up after some time, since the root
takes up water, and in such a way
"opens up" i.e. spreads. As soon
as this would happen the pregnant
woman would be sprinkled with the
rest of the water over her entire
body, they would then let down her
hair, down her back. If the birth
ended successfully the plant was
given as gift so that its roots
are wrapped in silk, golden or
silver threads. In the absence of
such a root the ritual of taking
apart tespih (prayer beads) was
practiced above the vessel with
water which was then drunk by the
pregnant woman. When the birth has
finished, the thread which held
the prayer beads together would be
used to tie the child's belly
button.
According to the belief of the
Bosnian folk, for the child to
even get the opportunity to exit
the mother's stomach, all bones
inside the woman's body need to
separate themselves, besides the
one's in the chin, which after
birth, during the period of 40
days, again join together. Birth
was always considered as
beneficial for the woman and her
health "since it cleanses her from
everything" due to which her
entire body is regenerated and
this is why it is considered that
women have a longer life span than
Raif Esmerović
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Cult of fertility among the Bosnian People