ЉУБАВНЕ ЧИНИ И ЉУБАВНЕ ЧИНИ БИЉЕМ У СРПСКОЈ НАРОДНОЈ ПОЕЗИЈИ, РЕФЛЕКС МАГИЈЕ
LOVE SPELLS AND LOVE SPELLS WITH HERBS IN SERBIAN FOLK POETRY, A REFLECTION OF MAGIC

Summary/Abstract: Research in this paper has shown that folk songs with motives of love magic have been recorded in the Serbian historical, cultural, and spatial context for almost five centuries. They incorporate various knowledge about magic, especially herbal magic. They enchanted and bewitched mainly women, who sang about it. Knowledge of magic belonged to beings of demonic and human nature, passed down from older to younger individuals (usually along the female line), and their secrecy guaranteed the success of their actions, which was also reflected in the examined songs. The consequences of casting spells, both in practice and in songs, were analogous and usually severe – they caused love sickness, madness, and even death. There were also predictions and songs about “herbs from the in-law,” brought by a newlywed bride to win over her husband’s family or to enhance herself. Like in magical practice, in songs, along with plants, earth, water, fire, picking and counting traces were used during bewitchment. Songs were sung about herbs that were sown, burned, thrown into water, added to food and drink... In the reviewed poetic material, analogous to magic, herbs are attributed in various ways: They are described as “dark”, “secret”, “various”, “hateful”, “from the in-law”... And all of this is illustrated with examples of verses.

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