Slovenian Charms Between South Slavic and Central European Tradition

Abstract

As the title of this chapter suggests, parallels to Slovene charms can be found in the South Slavic oral tradition, and in the cultures of Central Europe, especially in the Friuli, Romanic, Austrian, and Swiss Alpine heritages. In Slovenia, charming typically consists of several elements, all of which aim at restoring an original state of order. Incantation procedures are a system of communication between the conjurer and impure forces, representing a fight between the good and the evil. It is necessary to know folk magic and symbolism as well as a specific model of the world, because these are namely the elements that provide the key to correct understanding of the act of charming. Of special importance is the right time of performing the ritual of incantation: the phases of the moon can greatly affect the outcome of the ritual, hastening or impeding the healing process. Friday, for instance, is the day most suited for this kind of work. Night is an especially appropriate time, but so are noon, early morning before sunrise, and early evening after sunset. People also believed that magic was potent on St. George’s Day, on the night before Pentecost Sunday, on Midsummer Day, or during Ember Week. Of equal importance is also the right — the sacred — location. Sacral incantational rites could take place by a hearth; at a threshold; in a courtyard; by a well (in myths the well represents the boundary between that which belongs to oneself and the foreign, between this world and the one beyond); at crossroads; by a fence or a brook, etc. Nowadays incantation rites are usually performed at home.