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Lead's melting has been a very much spread practice of treating fear and other negative
impact; in the past of BIH. The original method was brought by Turkish people who
brought it over, amongst other magic beliefs, after they conquered Balkan countries.
That ritual can be performed by man or woman, but women perform it more often, as
they used to, traditionally, care about their family's health. Women who does that ritual
in Bosnia is called ƢstravarkaƠ (in turkish ocakli kadin), and she is usually older lady who
has been passed through menopause. Stravarka, in the process, uses a few props; metal
spoon, bowl for water, 3 or 4 pieces of lead and red towel or scarf. Ritual follows the
strict religious pattern and therefore Stravarka, before she starts perfo rms abdest
(muslim religious washing). Stravarka, over the lead and bowl filled with water,
pronounces some individual Quranic prayers, with El -Fatiha first Quranic chapter and El -
ihlas 111 chapter dominating. c
When treating a frightened child, Stravarka fi rst put little pieces of led through the gun
barrel and then puts them in a spoon and melt in the fire. However, when treating her
adult patients she holds a larger or several small pieces of lead in her hand and rotates
them 3 times clockwise round around the patients head saying: Euzubilahir rahmanir
rahim. While the lead is melting in fire, Stravarka, over the bowl with water, quietly
speaks prayers and basmas magic words that seek the salvation of God and the health
for a patient. c
Between the prayers she repeats the following words:"Dear Hazart Fatima, my dear
mother tell your father Mohammed that the patient needs help day and night. When she
pronounces all the words and prayers due to which she normally experiences some
harmless sensations like uncontr olled yawning or tearing eyes stravarka covers patientƞs
head with a cloth or red scarf (patient sits on a chair). Then, while holding the bowl of
water in her left hand over the patientƞs head she takes a right handed spoon with
melted lead and quickly po urs it into the water. On this occasion stravarka says; Ơlead to
break and all evil to bounce from (name of patient)ơ. When pronouncing the magic
words she looks out into a high mountain intending, in such a way, to positively affect
the recovery of a patient.