rdles weighing
several pounds, in one hand a strong stick, in the other a bag of ashes.
They dance, jest, fight with other bands, and throw ashes over the women
and children who run away. One of them generally carries a clothed
figure like a man--the "Pust"--which next day, or on Ash Wednesday, is
burnt or buried. This is a relic of the heathen custom of destroying
Morana or Mora, the goddess of night, of darkness, winter, and death,
who, the country-folk say, sits on men at night and drinks their blood,
and of Mrak (twilight), her helper, who brings little children to her by
twilight. The priest, who used to be an oracle to his flock, was asked
first to every festivity, and consulted in every difficulty. "The priest
says so" put an end to all questioning. With their religious feeling,
superstition goes hand in hand. They believe in vampires, nightmares,
witches, and "Vilen." The vampire is an evil spirit which appears by
night to frighten men, in the guise of a lately dead man or woman "who
had not lived piously." It is a human skin filled with blood, covered
with a shroud, and shows itself at crossways and on bridges, in caves
and graveyards, but also rattles window-shutters and throws down tiles
from the roof. It is not safe to call to it; if it reaches out to any
one three times that is taken as a sign that it is a good spirit from
purgatory asking for help. For protection a thorn-stick is carried, with
which the vampire is thrust through. The "Alp" (the nightmare) is an
evil old maid who sits on the back or breast of sleepers, holds their
hands and feet, and stops their mouth so that they cannot cry for help;
therefore they never sleep on the back, but on the right side, and keep
near the bed an open bottle-gourd, of which the "Alp" or "Mora" is
afraid. It generally wears a white dress and black bodice, with a white
veil over loose hair. Witches only appear in bad weather, and hold their
assemblies under walnut-trees or on certain hills. Excessive hail is
supposed to be their work. They can be killed by firing with three
grains of corn and the Paschal wax-candle at the lightning before the
thunder sounds. If this can be done, the witch dies. "Vilen" are maidens
with horses' hoofs. They are found in caves and collect in woods, at the
sources of streams or springs. The name comes from the Slav "bijela,"
the white; they are not regarded as evil spirits. In the neighbourhood
of Spalato they think that new-born children,