Some Aspects of the Love Magic Beliefs in Eastern Serbia
Some Aspects of the Love Magic Beliefs in Eastern Serbia

Author(s): Danijela Đurišič
Subject(s): History, Cultural history, Customs / Folklore, Culture and social structure
Published by: Historický ústav SAV
Keywords: magic; love magic; magic beliefs; Serbia; Walachian magic; witchcraft; vampirism;
Summary/Abstract: In my paper I would like to point out some aspects of love magic using eastern Serbian examples. I am not a historian and I mostly work with the contemporary material from my own fieldwork. The paper focuses on the traditional form of love magic in eastern Serbia and tries to put it in an anthropological context. Eastern Serbia is an ethnically heterogeneous region, settled mostly by Serbs and Walachs. The Walachs are citizens of Roman origin, who migrated there from Romania (mainly from Transylvania, Moldavia and Walachia). Both Serbs and Walachs are orthodox. This area has always been known for strong beliefs in magic and witchcraft and Walachian magic has been regarded among the Serbs as one of the strongest varieties and one by which it was possible to make a (magical) attack on somebody from a distance. Strong fear of the dead and belief in vampirism characterized this area as well.

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