bosnian illyrians - bosniaks

BOSNIANWOR(L)D BOSNIAKS - ILLYRIANS

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osnian historian prof.dr.EnverImamović, believes than the modern-day Bosniaks do not continue the

lineage of any Slavic tribe, but rather of anancient Illyrian tribe called Posen. He gives aserious reference to support his statementand adduces the ancient Greek historianAppain of Alexandria (c. 95 – 165 C.E) whomentions an Illyrian tribe named Posen asliving on the territories of modern-day Bosniaand Hercegovina. Mr.Imamović corroboratesthat the term Posen is nothing else but acorrupted form of the Illyrian term Bosen.Thus, mr. Imamović concludes that whentalking about modern-day Bosniaks and theancient Illyrian Posens we are talking about

„one and the same people with the samename and a historic continuity of 2,000 years“.To support his theory of the Illyrian ancestryof the Bosniaks, Imamović mentions that thevery name Bosnia is pre-Slavic and that it wasexistent long before the Serb and Croat tribesmoved to the Balkan. Thus, he mentions that„already in the Roman time Bosnia was calledapproximately Bassania“.

Prof. dr. Enver Imamović in his book “Historijabosanske vojske” ("The history of the Bosnianarmy") describes at length the BosnianIllyrians, their military and social system. Forthis text the most important part of the bookis the one that describes the vast density ofIllyrians in Bosnia before the advent of theRomans and the Slavs:

After they had conquered the coastal tribesthe Romans headed inland. At that timeBosnia was inhabited by numerous Illyriantribes. They were considered as particularlybrave and warlike by the surrounding tribes.The north-western part of Bosnia wasinhabited by Japodi, east of them, betweenthe rivers Vrbas and Bosna, were the Mezejiand in the central Podrinje there were Dindari.Desetijati inhabited central Bosnia, Dalmatiwestern Bosnia and Ardijejci southernHerzegovina and the Adriatic coast.

Nakon što su pokorili obalna plemena Rimljani su krenuli uunutrašnjost zemlje. U to doba Bosna i Hercegovina je bilanaseljena brojnim ilirskim plemenima. Ona su od okolnihplemena smatrana izuzetno hrabrim i ratobornim.Sjeverozapadnu Bosnu naseljavali su Japodi. Istočno do njih,između rijeka Vrbasa i Bosne, živjeli su Mezeji a u srednjemPodrinju Dindari. Desitijati su naseljavali srednju Bosnu, Dalmatizapadnu, a Ardijejci južnu Hercegovinu i primorje.

According to prof. dr. Enver Imamović andacademician Muhamed Filipović, the Bosniakpeople are direct descendants of Illyrianswhich can be easily confirmed through variousanalyses especially historical but also religious.

It has long been regarded that the Albaniansare the only direct descendants of theIllyrians, however the things that mr.Imamović and mr. Filipović have brought forthin their historical analysis's and papers

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confirmed the findings of the Swiss instituteIGENEA. Namely, the experts of the institutecame to a conclusion that only 20% of theAlbanians have the Illyrian gene on the otherhand 40% of the Bosnians have the gene aswell.

When the Slavs arrived in the Balkans theyperformed genocide over the Illyrians, it isbelieved that 4 million of them were killed,and the survivors had to forcefully assimilateinto the community of the Slavs. However theproud spirit of the Bosnian Illyrians has neverdisappeared nor did it cease to resist theSlavs.

Illyrians worshiped a God of sun and a goddessof moon and also kept the cult of the snake.There is a sizable amount of ethnological dataabout those beliefs in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Snake cult

In Bosnia to date the ancient Illyrian snake culthas been preserved, the cult rests on thebelief that every house has its own snake.That snake is the keeper of the house.Sometimes the snake can be seen in front ofthe house, and sometimes it can't. Eventhough the snake has never been sighted infront of a house, it was still believed that it isthere. Sometimes the owners of the housesaw the snake and they would leave food for itin front of the house. They cared for it so thatnothing bad would happen to it. If somethingwere to happen to the snake or if it was killed,

then people would expect the worse things forthat household.

The name Illyrian has a root "Illur" which means a snake. Eventhe mythical forefather of the Illyrians was depicted in theshape of a snake. Because all of that in the mythological andreligious system of the Illyrians the snake has been confirmed asan old cult animal which played a central role. In it they sawtheir heavenly protector but also a national symbol. The snakewas considered to be the protector of the household and thatbelief has been retained in Bosnia throughout many centuriesuntil today. It is interesting to mention that today among theolder inhabitants a dragon is described as a huge wingedserpent, and the folk myths mention mysterious dragon birthsand snake invading human bodies. All of the above mentionedpoint to a deep connection of the Bosnians of today with theirIllyrian roots.

Lunar cult

The big mother (Terra Mater, Magna Mater,Mater Deorum) is one of the oldest and mostwidespread cults in the world, the origins ofthis cult can be traced to the old matriarchalage and the stone age. The big mother isconsidered as the mother of gods and people,but also of the whole universe during life. Shewas celebrated along the Mediterranean basinunder various names such as Rea, Gea,Demetra (Greece), Izida (Egypt), Ishtar(Babylon), Astarta (Syria) and the mostwidespread name Kibela (Asia minor and partsof the middle east). The rudiments of theancient history and the big mother cult of theMiddle Ages remained vivid and present in thespiritual world of the modern times, also it hasbeen accepted by the religions of today. Inthat sense it is important to pay attention tothe Madonna, Eve or Hava and in the end tothe Kaaba in Makkah in whose centre theblack meteorite is still situated, which is in factthe symbol of the big mother. The cult ofMarry "virgin and Madonna" is a directdescendant of the cult of the big mother,because after the disappearance of the pagancult of the mother-god there was a need toinsert a new cult into this empty magical andreligious void, this new cult would need tocushion the human need for a motherlymediator between the human and the divine,a mediator who is always gentle, tolerant andopen to the demands of the humans and fromwhom one could always seek comfort indifficult times. Therefore we shouldn't be


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surprised that the famous holiday in the nameof Artemide Efesia (which contained theelements of the cult of the big mother) whichwas held during 15th of August is now onlytranscribed by the Christians into the feast ofour lady of assumption.

From its beginnings the cult of the big mother,the protector of fertility, was connected toagriculture. That's why the myths and legendsare connected to agriculture, and thepatriarchal communities claimed that the bigmother thought people how to farm. From allof the above it is easy to conclude that hercult had the primary purpose of securing twokey segments for the humans - food andoffspring.

The big mother always manifested in twoforms, she was the goddess of earth and thesky and in each form she had her uniquepowers. Observing the lunar cycle the humanscreated a calendar which followed the moonphases, they noticed that women's menstrualcycle corresponded to it, but most of all theywere most impressed by the lunar phases ofthe appearance of the new moon (birth) and

the disappearance of the moon (death) whichincited a belief that the moon is he ruler of lifeand death. During the 28 lunar days the skyreflected a vivid description of a human lifethrough the lunar phases - birth, growth,maturity which enables fertility andreproduction then the loss of vitality, old ageand disappearance or death. In that sense theentire nature, water and earth, representedthe creative powers of the big mother whichfeeds humans, her children, and providesthem life.

In accordance with the Old Bosnian believesthe Moon Goddess manifested in two forms.The first form was celestial and the secondone was a tellurian. In her celestial form theGoddess had the power of magic and healingwhilst in its tellurian form she was thegoddess of fertility and well being. The text ofthe old Bosnian Love Chant alludes on hertellurian form, noticeable already in thebeginning of the formula “Black Earth Mother,please help me, nor is this charm related toyou neither to me, but to my dear…” WhenChristianity came into Bosnia and after thatthe Islam, the old cult of Mother Goddess waspreserved, thanks to Bogumils, but with timethe people forgot the meaning of most of therituals and customs.

The belief in fairies is the best preserved partof the cult of Mother Goddess, which was keptin the mind of people. It is obvious that thecult could continue to exist only by loosing itsreligious significance and get a mark of locallegends and superstitions. As such, it did notpresent any threat to monotheism but couldhave been forwarded from generation togeneration. Based upon it, even the titles ofMoon Goddess and Mother Earth had beenchanged into Zlatna (Golden Fairy) and Gorskavila (Forest Fairy). Both of them have beenmentioned in the mythology of Bosnia andHerzegovina. The title Zlatna comes from theword gold which reminds of shinning, gloss orbetter to say the moonlight. The Gorska vila isthe same as the Forest Fairy and the late titlealso refers to earth.


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Legend of The Moon Goddess

According to a local legend that we come across in north-western part of Bosnia (Velika Kladuša and Cazin), a son thatraised an axe to kill his own mother was instantly punished byGod and his dead body was placed on the moon to remindothers what will happen to them if they try to kill their ownmother. Even today the people believe that they can see theman's shadow holding an axe when the moon is full. In thislegend we come across key elements of the old Bosnian lunarcult in which God (in the original version a Goddess) saved themother which suggested that the Goddess (moon) protectedpregnant women and mothers, i.e. women.

BOSNIAN CULT OF THE SUN GOD

While the moon symbolised a goddess, thesun symbolised a god i.e. the male principlewithout which life could also not be possible.According to the description of some folkbeliefs and customs about the sun we canassume that he was called god Trzan, Trzanceor Tir.

Every large or small place in Bosnia andHerzegovina practiced a cult ritual dedicatedto the sun. On the eastern side of a certainplace there was always a holly place wherepeople would gather to celebrate the solardeity. There they practiced the ritualsdedicated to sun and also ritual games, which

imitated the trajectory of the sun, competitionand general fun. Such a place was usuallycalled Igrište (a playground) or Trzan. Onewould always come to the holly place barefootand one would also travel on foot whichcorresponded to the ritual reverence of theholly place. What is especially characteristicfor the cult of the sun is playing rounds.Rounds is a game where everyone holds handsand makes a circle which symbolises the sun,its eternal cycle but also vivacity andcheerfulness. There are data that claim thatuntil the middle of the last century, theBosnians went to a place called Vrbanja incentral Bosnia to practice Trzan and toorganise various games and festivities.

We shouldn't disregard an interesting analysisof folk belief according to which the sun deityhad a dualistic nature. We need to enumeratea few examples to make it a bit clearer. Forstarters we need to mention the belief fromnorth-western part of Bosnia where womenwould cover the bowl that contained cow milkwhen they would carry it from one house tothe other. They did it out of precaution so thatthe milk "doesn't see" the sun since it canharm the milk with its spellbound eyes, i.e. thecow that gives milk would lose its capability toproduce milk. Milk is a classical woman'ssymbol of fertility and food which is acharacteristic of the goddess. Is there a smallpart of a larger myth in this belief, a myth thatspeaks of the possessive nature of a godtowards a goddess or is there a small dose ofancient patriarchy, it's hard to conclude.

Besides that people still believe that the sun ismalicious and poisonous until 6th of Maypasses (Hidirlez) and that's why people don'trecommend being exposed to the sun for longperiods. A similar taboo is connected with theearth for which it is believed that it's not goodto sit on it until a certain date passes or betteryet the cold part of the year. So we come to aconclusion that everything in nature is harmfulto humans until May because after that thedanger recedes. Hidirlez or Jurjevo is alsocalled among the folk Mijena, which literallymeans change, since it symbolised a change ofseasons - the end of winter and the cold part


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of the year and the arrival of summer and thefruitful part of the year. In the past thecalendar in Bosnia was divided into twoseasons and not four. Therefore it is easy toassume that the cult of the sun god could becelebrated only in the second part of the yearwhich perfectly corresponds to the old pagandivision of the calendar year to the light andthe dark part. It is necessary to mention that6th of May is not the original holiday of thesun god that is depicted as returning strengthand fertility to nature with his warmth, butthe beginning of the month of May. Howeverbecause of the strong influence of Christianity,which in fact couldn't fully ban the old paganrituals, the holiday was moved from the 1stMay to the 6th and was thus transformed intothe holiday of Jurja who slays a dragon. ADragon or a snake was always the symbols ofpaganism for the Christian clergy andtherefore the symbolic slaying of the dragonshould represent the destruction of the oldreligion. But, this Christian myth was alsotaken from a much older myth from theIranian religion and myth about god Mithraswho according to legend slays a bull out ofwhose dead body nature sprouts, especiallygrain which is necessary for the human race.However, for this text it is more importantthat Mithras was the sun god. The continuityof sun worship according to some availabledata never lost its basics but was onlysupplemented with new beliefs which camealong with the Slavs but also with themembers of the Persian religion. How strongwas their influence is best depicted by theshrine of Mithras in Jajce which was built in3rd century AD.

Of the other folk belief about the sun we needto mention those that can be classified asimitative magic based on the invocation andpleas for help and blessings from the sun.Today also Stravarke in Bosnia turn theirhands clockwise while doing the melting oflead ritual, it is said that they are "followingthe sun". Also when they need to throw threeembers into the bowl with water the Stravarkadoes it by first encircling the ember threetimes also in a clockwise direction. The abovementioned rule clearly shows the folk belief

about the beneficial power of the sun when itcomes to healing and annulling negativeinfluences. However this isn't only practicedduring the lead ritual, every time when onewants to do a magical step which needs tohave a positive outcome or some benefit likegiving to the poor, turning the beans whenfortunetelling, kneading bread, etc. the rule ofmaking three circles clockwise is alwaysadhered.

In the past every wedding procession followedthis holy rule which was understood as beingbeneficial for the wedded couple. That's whythe wedding procession always went from thebride's house towards the groom's followingthe "sun route".

With a chronological analysis it is easy to notice that Trzan lostits religious importance throughout the ages, which isunderstandable due to the strong influence of Islam, however itkept its sociological value. In ethnological notes whichencompass a wider area (Sarajevo, Visoko, Žepče, Zenica,Kiseljak, Sutjeska) Trzan became a synonym for green pasturesthat are found in the centre of the village or on its outer side.Children and the young gathered on Trzan for fun and theelderly met there to discuss village jobs of common interests.

Even though the original belief about Trzan (Trzni) has beensuppressed during the ages its sacred importance has neverbeen forgotten which can be perceived in a couple of examples.In the village Vardišće there is a place called Trzan in whosevicinity there are a few Stećci (Tombs) and there is a Muslimcemetery on Trzan. In another description there is mention of aTrzan in a village called Jelići which is located above the villagehouses but in front of the cemetery. On that particular Trzanthe deceased person was usually laid there before being buried.In the village Bučići the Trzan is located on a crossroad, howeversuch examples are rare.

Although these examples could be connected with the old cultof the dead, however such an assumption would be erroneousfor several reasons. From the Illyrian and the Bogomil times, theBosnian people managed to save only a small fraction of theancient sun cult through various beliefs and relationships withspecific places. They knew that those places had sacred featureswhich were pagan and therefore forbidden. Hence, in order tosave that ancient connection they continued the tradition butspecifically through get-togethers, games and competitions, andin some cases by burying the dead in holly places. In such a waythey kept their relationship with the ancient cult.

In the end we need to mention an interesting fact that supportsthe theory about Trzan as an old solar deity in Bosnia. Namely,it is known that the Illyrians didn't build temples but that theydedicated specific places in nature to their deities, for example,to the god Bindu, streams were dedicated, Vidasusu and Thanithe forest, etc. The same tradition resumes during theBogomil's ages which refused to build churches and insteadthey gathered in nature in order to pray and hold counsel. Ifweather conditions (snow or rain) didn't allow for this then theychose a house as a gathering place.


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Cult of the god Bindu

Ancient beliefs of the Illyrian tribes whichinhabited Bosnia and Herzegovina remainedpresent in folk beliefs, mostly connected tothe cult of water healing, in which the godBindu is clearly manifested. When oneanalyses the folk cult of healing and thepractice of it, which is essentially pagan innature, then it is difficult to explain how thatancient system managed to survive in Bosniaespecially in the midst of a strong expansionof Christianity and later Islam?! However, theanswer should be sought in the fact thatChristianity, especially after the appearance ofBogomils, or Islam had enough influence tofully assimilate the Bosnian people and to fullydisengage them from the ancient Illyrianreligion. And that it is true is perhaps bestshown by the cult of god Bindu.

As it is known god Bindu was the god ofsprings of the Bosnian Illyrians whose spring-temples were found all over modern Bosniaand Herzegovina and the neighbouringCroatia. One of the best preserved holly placeswas found in Privilice near Bihać which islocated in nature, next to a spring. At thatlocation dozens of dedicated sacrifices toBinud were excavated, as well as a chapel withnumerous animal bones sacrificed in hishonour.

In the ritual practice of pilgrimage towardssprings one can notice the influence of threereligious cults of the Bosnian Illyrians: cult ofthe sun, cult of the moon and cult of Bindu.

Cult of the sun: the largest number of hollyand salutary springs are located on the eastside of the settlement. One would visit itexclusively at dawn, before sunrise, in order topray, wash one's face and drink water. In sucha way the diseased would expect the blessingof the sun which would shine the light andwarmness on the person once it rose from theeast.

Cult of the moon: the holly springs werevisited in the first week of the new moon,

precisely on odd days i.e. Monday,Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Cult of Bindu: after washing their faces anddrinking water or placing it into vessels andcarrying it home, the diseased would leavesome money next to the streams, usuallycoins, food, eggs or they would hang some oftheir clothes on the nearby branches.

In the mentioned descriptions of rituals onecan notice influences of three deities, whichcould point to the fact that Bindu was the sonof the sun god and moon goddess and as theirson he represented the perfect example ofvitality and health which gives life and defeatsevil, in this case over diseases. The sun thatwould appear in the east in the morning,according to folk belief the sun was "born",and the first seven days after the appearanceof the new moon undoubtedly point to theidea of renewal of life energy, health andgenerally luck and prosperity. The sick wouldask for blessings from the heavenly deitieswho again resurrected in their eternal cyclesand the manifestation of their divine powerwas exactly the water over which Bindu hadpatronage and power.

During the beginning of the 20thcentury,Emilian Lilek, a professor from Sarajevo,recorded a dozen examples of springworshiping in Bosnia, the springs wereequated with healing powers. His ethnologicalwork has been published in the NationalMuseum BIH under the title "Religiousantiquities from Bosnia and Herzegovina" inthe chapter "Water worship". Examples thatprofessor Lilek gathered and recorded have,besides their ethnological value, a historicsignificance because they confirm the longpractice of worshiping the cult of god Bindu,deity of the Bosnian Illyrians to whom springwere dedicated i.e. natural temples.

It is clear that the Bosnian people haven'tforgotten about the religious practice of their


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ancestors which survived despite numerousrestless decades which were characterised bythe arrival of the Slavs and monotheism. In allof the descriptions one can clearly see thepractice of pilgrimage towards the streamswhose water was considered to have healingproperties as well as the practice of leavingmoney as a gift, food or a piece of clothingwhich was a substitute for human or animalsacrifice. Behind such a ritual there existed abelief in a supernatural being, whose namewas forgotten by the people, and to whom asacrificial offering had to be made in order toget help i.e. help from disease.

The following are only some of the examplesgiven by professor Lilek:

On the left side of the river Miljacka there is aspring Pišće-water, from which you mustn'tdrink until you leave some money next to thestream or a piece of one's clothing. Bosnianwomen visit Pišće-water before sunrise,leaving money next to the spring, and tyingpieces of clothing onto the branches of thewillow next to the stream.

Catholic women visit the stream aboveKovačević before sunrise and leave somemoney there.

In Tešanj there is a stream outside the citywhere the Bosnian women bring their sickchildren, and bathe them in that water. Whenthey head home they leave some money nextto the stream, or they take off a piece ofclothing from the child and leave it next to thespring.

In Travnik there is a spring called Safa's sourceand it is visited by Muslim's and Christian'salike, especially around May 6th, in particularthose that have headaches or fever. Theybathe themselves at the spring. When theyhead home they throw some money in thewater or leave a piece of clothing there.

In Pritoka next to Bihać there is a spring whichis visited by sick people in order to bathe in it.If a diseased arrives who is also a sinner, thewater from the spring disappears

immediately, but if a man without large sinscomes the water appears in order for him tobathe in it. The spring is gifted with money,clothes, etc.

Next to Modriča there is a spring called Šičara.When someone has a fever, one visits thespring in the first week of the new moon'sappearance, Wednesday or Friday, and itbathes in its waters before sunrise. One leavessome money next to the spring or hangs apiece of its clothing onto a tree next to thespring.

In Tuzla there is a spring called Istočnik,Christians visit it during Friday or Wednesday,in the first week of the new moon'sappearance. They bathe at the spring andleave some money or some food.


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Illyrians legend from Velika Kladuša

Based upon the Greek legend Illyrius,progenitor of the Illyrians was a son ofPolyphemus and Galatea and the brother ofCeltus and Galas. Illyrius children, Auterius,Enchelus, Perrhaebus, Taulus, Daortho,Dissaro and Partho are the heroes of the epicpoetry of Illyrian tribes. In this legend Illyrius isclosely associated with a snake; she wrappedaround him after being born and thus gavehim all its magical powers. Modern philologyaims to prove that etymologically names ofIllyrians and the mentioned animal, plying theimportant role in the Illyrian religion, areconnected.

As Japods occupied the entire territory ofpresent-day Northwestern Bosnia, andelsewhere, it is logical to assume that theypreserved and passed, on each generationalshift, some of the old Illyrian legends. Such is alegend form Velika Kladusa about a fatherwith seven sons which reassemble the Greekone. That legend describes the giant snakethat guards the Gods treasure. She was livingin a deep den near Velika Kladusa, in a suburbcalled a Rudnik. At a time when Romansachieve military superiority over the Bosnianland, there was an Illyrian family – father ofseven sons and one daughter. Life was modestbut nice until the day when children, out ofsheer wantonness and youthful exuberanceplaced the flatbread on the stone and hit itwith a spear. Horrified with this sacrilege ofwheat, a gift of the Gods that feeds people,the father tried to reason the children andprevent them of throwing the spear to theflatbread, but in vain.

Suddenly something strange happened andforced the young man to stop their game – theflatbread started to bleed?! Seeing thisstrange omen, the father grabbed his headwith his hands and wept because at thatmoment he realized that the Gods will punishthem for blasphemy.

Shortly after this event, all seven sons losttheir sanity and scattered to all four corners of

the World and any track of them got lost. Thefather died from deep sorrow for his sons. Theonly one that remained in the deserted housewas the daughter, drowned in grief for herlate father and lost brothers, but even she wasspared of Gods’ punishment, because she wasthe one who baked the flatbread. They turnedher into a huge snake and decided that shewould guard their gold and gems until themoment when young man comes, enoughbrave to let the snake kiss his forehead.

Many centuries passed since then, the storyabout the snake-girl slowly became a legend,which is told in the long winter nights. Eachspring, on the Hidrelez holiday, the girl wouldcome out from the hole in her new shaperepeating the same plea: “Help me! Is thereany man, of any faith to let me kiss hisforehead, so I would become his wife orsister?” Many knew about her said words butthere was no one brave enough to liberate herfrom the curse and become rich.

But, one spring before the arrival of Hidrelez,a poor young man decided, persuaded by anold woman from the village, to go and let thesnake kiss him. – Anyway, as poor as I am, Ihave nothing to loose, he was encouraginghimself. He arrived at down to the hole in theground, where the snake lived for centuriesand waited on her. Soon, from the darkness ofthe large hole appeared the snake’s hugehead followed by her long body. Seeing hugesnake before him, the young man gotparalyzed with fear. He could not move. Butthe moment the snake approached him togive him a kiss the young man pushed her andrun away. The young man was runningthinking that snake would go after him, butsomething quite different happened. She justlooked after him sadly and said: - Let Godgives you my sadness and loneliness, andmakes you die since I can not!” After that shereturned back into her hole. Shortly after thisevent, the unfortunate young man turnedseriously ill and after great pain and sufferinghe died.

bosnian illyrians - bosniaks

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