With Bosnian people since the old days the custom was for beautiful and kind children to be protected from spells - because of the gaze. Before she goes into the street with her child, the mother performed one of the prophylactic rituals to protect the child: she would draw a short line with charcoal on the child's forehead, she would clad him with an upturned piece of clothing, such as socks, she would utter a magical formula, she would spit on him, she would turn the child's face towards the stove alluding that no one can harm the old, dark stove with the gaze and with that her child, she would pull him by the nose, etc. She would do all of that in fear that someone wouldn't gaze at her child for long or in enthusiasm or even envy would hurt the child with the gaze or words.
If someone would hurt him in this manner according to the thinking of local grandmothers the only ritual that would help is extinguishing charcoal in a bowl of water. But, In order to avoid it, as soon as she would return home with the child the mother would wash its face with water over which she would utter a prayer, or she would hold him over a well so that the child can see his reflection on the water, or she would place a leaf of rue under the pillow or some other plant.
Often it happened that out of precaution the mother repeats three times above the child a magical formula such as this:
Not even on a sea bridge,
nor brain stone,
nor a white feathered crow,
nor a saddle on a cat,
nor a bell on a cat,
nor a horn on a dog,
nor on my N a spell!
Go ye spellbound eyes on an army!
Nine leave, eight arrive,
eight leave, seven comes,
seven leaves, six arrives,
six leaves, five arrives,
five leaves, four arrives,
four leaves, three arrives,
three leaves, two arrives,
two leaves, one arrives,
the one also leaves for health and happiness!
