Prethodno priopćenje
PREDICTION OF ILLNESS AND DEATH, SUPERNATURAL METHOD OF PREVENTING ILLNESS AND DEATH AND MEDICINE IN THE LOVINAC REGION
Karla Hustić
Sažetak
This work describes the customs which the population of the Lovinac region used to alleviate the unpleasant, but unavoidable, effects moments in everyone's life - disease and death. The framework of the study was the profusion of supernatural customs, which manifested themselves in the forms of Christian and non-Christian (though mostly Christianised) elements. Field research showed that some of these customs are still very present in the lives of the people today, although the narrators mostly placed them in the past. The first of them relates to the prediction of illness and death. Illness and death could be foretold through dreams or animal behaviour, domestic and wild. Other predictions were connected to the annual calendar – the prediction of death was made with the help of daisies on St. John's Day and the smoke of candles during the Christmas holidays. Observing shoulder joints according to some narrators belongs to daily predictions, whilst others related it to a specific date. The customs with the daisies and smoke are interesting in this respect that only one person foresees an accident so the rest of the community can breath more easily (at least for one year). When sickness and death are foreseen, although in the words of the informants they cannot be prevented, there are a number of preventive measures mainly related to Christianity. There are, first of all, making vows to the saints, of vowing making with various objects to children, and the most often person who conducted such rituals were female. In addition there are blessings with holy water, as well as the blessings of material goods (houses, fields) to the blessing of people. The custom of wearing ashes is determined by the Catholic calendar, but in it are manifested the non-Christian protective properties of ash. When the sudden onset of illness happens which is manifested by general weakness, it is obviously a matter of spells which means that the person was not protected properly (for example with red stripes) or that someone has broken a taboo (praising some young person). This is the act of the evil-eye or that caused by wonderment and salvation is sought in the magical process of healing – answers which are only known to be performed by specialised people (who were still within reach, at least one per village). They knew and practiced supernatural treatment for illnesses that were not only caused by supernatural forces. Some other misfortunes, however, would have needed to be dealt with by going to far away regions, such as a hodža (Muslim priest) in Bosnia or a special vračar (sorcerer) in Dalmatia.
One special theme was the role of snakes in this region. The zmijara (snake charmer) who managed snakes and who through speech they could stop snakes from biting, and eventually cure snake bites. The described procedures in prevention, protection and treatment were practiced up until WWII and narrators made it clear that today these are only memories, although some examples of practices which are still carried out to the present day have been confirmed.
Ključne riječi
Lovinac region; folk medicine; treatment; supernatural; magic
Hrčak ID:
70375
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.12.2010.
Posjeta: 9.979 *