Balkan Witch

Romanian folklore Witchcraft Whispering Ruins

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In old practices, women used to enchant their man by throwing into the fire the items listed in this incantation, then placing the ashes left from the fire under the bed in which they slept with their partner:

“Twigs from the fence,

With hair from a rabid dog,

With soil from beneath the bed,

Soil taken from a grave,

Sprinkled into the bedding,

So that he may rise deaf and mute.”

“Deaf and mute” were terms used symbolically, meaning that the man would no longer listen to or speak with other women, remaining faithful and bound only to his partner.

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I went back into the old family photos again and played around with them a bit. My great-aunts, Arhonda and Caliopi. They were from a Greek and Romanian heritage. My great grandfather was Greek and my great grandmother was Romanian.

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In Romanian folklore, cracks in walls or floors were believed to be entry points for spirits, restless souls, or wandering influences. Such openings were not seen as simple damage, but as weak spots in the home’s protection. People would stuff them with herbs, ash from the hearth, old cloth, or even soil taken from a clean place, believing these materials could block what tried to slip through unseen. Leaving cracks open was thought to invite sickness, quarrels, bad dreams, or a lingering sense that something in the house was never truly alone.

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Amber was considered an absorber of negative energies, especially for children or pregnant women. A traditional practice, especially in areas rich in amber, such as the Buzău region, was to place amber in the attic or under the bed to keep away evil spirits and illnesses. It was believed that the stone “weeps” if it senses negativity around it, so it had to be cleansed in running water as often as possible.

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The Church of the “Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple” and “Saint John the Baptist” in Târgu Horezu (also known as the Market Church) is a historical monument built at the beginning of the 19th century. It was constructed between 1800 and 1804 under the guidance of its main founders, among whom were the high treasurer Ion Urșanu, Constantin Covrea, and Lady Stana.

The original mural painting was completed a few years later, in 1807, by church painters from Craiova — Dinu and Manole — assisted by their apprentices.

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Silent stone, weathered by time, holding stories the living no longer hear.

Tomb statues from Bellu cemetery.

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​Human bones were sold in European pharmacies until the 19th century — powdered skull (“mumia”) was believed to cure headaches and bleeding and it was called corpse medicine. Also dried human heart was powdered for emotional disorders and “weak spirit.” Also a practice from corpse medicine.

Photo from Buda castle museum from Budapest

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Postcard from Bellu cemetery, Bucharest

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George G. Angelescu Monument (1885–1902), created by W. Hegel.

The truncated column symbolizes youth and a life taken too soon from among the living.

Bellu Cemetery.

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In some regions of Romania long ago, burning embers were used for calling someone in.

You take out three glowing coals.

On each one, you speak the name of the person you want to “call.”

Then: one coal is left to burn completely,one is extinguished by blowing on it and one is thrown into cold water.

After that, you say:

“What I burn is his longing, what I dull is his thoughts, what I break is his will — let him come.”

It was a way of controlling the intensity of his emotion: longing, love, restlessness without you.

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In old Romanian folk practices, people didn’t use sage in the villages, but they did use dried walnut leaves, which were sometimes used in love rituals.

You burn them just a little and whisper the person’s name into the smoke.

Legend says that walnut smoke “slides under the skin,” meaning it sinks into the person.

That’s how they believed you could stir someone’s thoughts toward you… especially erotic ones. 👀

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An old Romanian practice said that when a girl wanted to ‘bind’ her luck in love, she wore a red thread around her little finger and kept a small sprig of basil hidden in the hem of her skirt. (now you can keep the basil in your wallet or pocket).

It was believed that in this way ‘the heart of the beloved would be bound not to forget.’

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In some Romanian villages, in old times, people used to sprinkle salt beneath the doorstep whenever a woman felt ‘wrapped’ in ill words or foreign thoughts. It was said that salt absorbs the malice before it enters.

You can sprinkle a bit of coarse salt at your doorstep or in the corners of your room after an argument or a tense visit. Leave it overnight, then throw it into running water or down the drain in the morning, saying:

‘Let what is bitter go, and let what is good remain.’

[balkan23witch]

In some Romanian villages, in old times, people used to sprinkle salt beneath the doorstep whenever a woman felt ‘wrapped’ in ill words or foreign thoughts. It was said that salt absorbs the malice before it enters.

You can sprinkle a bit of coarse salt at your doorstep or in the corners of your room after an argument or a tense visit. Leave it overnight, then throw it into running water or down the drain in the morning, saying:

‘Let what is bitter go, and let what is good remain.’

[balkan23witch]

Autumn Garlic and the Charm Against the “Evil Hour”

In old Romanian villages, autumn garlic was believed to be not only a strong healing remedy, but also a weapon against the “evil hour” — a moment of unseen danger or cursed time when misfortune struck and dark spirits could harm a person.

People believed the “evil hour” brought sickness, fear, or weakness of body and soul, and that consecrated, enchanted garlic could drive it away.

The charm-singer (descântătoare) would take a clove of garlic, touch the sick person’s body with it, and recite:

Nine brave men unwed,

On nine wild horses led,

They mounted high and rode away,

With golden spurs that shone and swayed,

Riding straight upon the way,

Cutting through and seeking still,

The heavy hour, the evil will,

From face and brow,

From head and mind,

From heart, from under heart,

From bones, from under bones,

From liver, from under liver,

From flesh, from under flesh,

From every joint and limb.

Two maidens with their hair unbound,

With filled goblets they are found,

Leave N. now, depart this hour!

Go your way, break your power!

There to dwell, there to abide,

To barren mountains take your flight,

There to live, and there to hide!

After these words, the charm-singer would anoint the sick person’s body with the enchanted garlic, gently touching the painful spots.

It was said that as soon as the garlic touched the skin, the evil began to fade, and the person felt lighter, clearer, and alive once more.