The Vlachs and Vlach magic are still surrounded by a veil of mystery. When you think about witches you would probably go back somewhere to 1600-1700s. However, they are very much existent in some distant but very potent part of modern Serbia. This kind of magic is next to notorious Voodoo. The basics are remains of pagan mythology in which two dual principles dominate. There are always two opposites, and there is no creation without the two of them clashing.
Vlach magic is one of the most exotic and most intriguing questions of thecultural heritage of Eastern Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania where many scary stories originate.
They have their own laws and rules, and always stick together. Women are viewed as the most important bearers of the ideology, as they are passing on the magic, beliefs, magical practices, cults etc. to their daughters. Unlike the nationalities they are surrounded by, where the oldest man is the head of the family, here women have the most important role in their communities. Also, until recently, female shamanism was practiced among the Vlach women.
When ladies single out a man they desire, they do more than what you might expect. They go to a witch who will tell them to take some of their menstrual blood and serve it with a coffee for the desired one. But now, if the woman is no longer happy with this man and wants to fool around a bit, she will be instructed to give him a drink made of water in which blind kittens were bathed.
This is supposed to make her man blind to her cheating behavior.
For some of the most gruesome magic practices, these women use "ghastly water," used for washing a dead body. And it only works if the person drinks it. This would mean that the women wait for someone to die, then get in touch with the woman who cleans the bodyand have her give them some of the "ghastly water" so they could perform a ritual.
These are the most dangerous rituals, as this is considered to be pure black magic. It is one of those magic rituals that could be seen in graveyards at night. However, some say that it cannot do you harm if you don’t believe in magic. For these spells with "ghastly water" a woman needs at least five years in the witch education.
When a young person dies, they are usually buried in wedding clothes, as the real ceremony of marriage could not be performed due to premature death. The ritual of a posthumous wedding is somewhat bizarre. Among the Vlachs, it contains almost all the wedding and funeral elements united in a unique ritual. Besides those elements of the wedding ritual, music and shooting of firearms also are part of the rite of the posthumous wedding as it is always done during the real, traditional weddings. The "singers" also take part in the ritual of the posthumous wedding. But on that occasion, only sad songs are sung. The posthumous wedding or "black wedding" is, even today, a vivid ritual among the Vlachs of the northeastern Serbia, thanks to their fundamental belief in life after death.
They believe that a wedding ceremony has to be completed during life, or even after, so the soul of the deceased can belong somewhere.
Children play an important role in various rituals. In many cultures, a child with no father would be considered a bastard, but the Vlachs appreciate these childrenand even use their nails and hair for their rites. They are also viewed as demigods. Some very potent amulets and talismans are made out of their hair and nails and those items kept in one’s pocket in order to protect from evil forces.
The Vlachs are still very mysterious and people know little about them, or are too afraid to ask. There is very little evidence online in other languages, other than Serbian (which they use as a formal written language).
Whether you believe in magic or not, these powerful women of the Vlachs should be respected. Not only for their magical skills and ritualsbut for conserving a tradition that is still so interesting and vivid.
