Cult of fertility among the Bosnian People

people was avoided and they tried
to limit visits to the closest
family members only. Reason for
such a behaviour was manifold, but
the most important one is for the
mother and child to rest and
gather strength, since in such a
state they are more prone to
negative effects or disease.
Time after birth, usually during
the following 40 days, though not
limited by time, babine take place,
ritual of gifting the new-born,
but also his mother and even the
whole family. Babine are primarily
a reflection of female solidarity
and it needs to be characterised
as a socio-humane gesture, with
which one is showing concern of
the community for their new member.
Besides, according to folk belief,
this is the period when every day,
during the 40 days, out of the
womb of the young mother one by
one a postekija is being removed.
It is believed that after a woman
has given birth in her womb 40
postekija are being laid, from
which each day one of them is
being raised and removed. As
postekija is a prayer mat we're
probably talking about angels
praying for the young mother and
protecting her from attacks from
all those evil creatures which are
trying to harm her in this most
delicate moment.
Women went to babine on Monday and
Thursday, usually before noon,
while the sun is rising in the sky,
wanting to bring positive
influences besides the gift so
that the child will develop in a
healthy manner. Monday and
Thursday are usually considered in
Bosnian tradition as blessed days,
since they are located in front of
two holly days - Tuesday and
Friday. While Tuesday was the
holly day of the Bogomils, Friday
is a holly day in Islam.
In Sandžak there is a custom that
people perform babine right after
birth out of practical reasons, to
offer help, if there is a need to
do so, and check what the mother
and the child need and they bring
it as gifts. As pregnancy, birth
and time after it, were reserved
exclusively for women and their
activities since the old days, men
were completely distanced from all
activities, which is a rule forced
by patriarchy. However, there were
certain situations when they did
get involved, at least during this
last stage of fascinating ritual
of new life, which could be
characterised as "male babine",
though there is another name for
it - jedvoček. As the name itself
reveals we're talking about a
situation where a married couple
is awaiting birth of a son or
child generally for a long time.
Raif Esmerović
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Cult of fertility among the Bosnian People