Legumes in Serbian folklore

Abstract

Legumes such as chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.), pea (Pisum sativum L..) and bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia (L.) Willd.) have been present in the everyday life of both Neanderthal and modern humans. Their primary tole was food, but they were also regarded as plants with both medicine and supernatural properties. There are many records related to faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and other grain legumes in ancient Greece and Rome, as well as to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Aztec, Maya and Inca civilisations. Serbs ate a South Slavic and originally Indo-European ethnic group, located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighbouring countries. The folklore of Serbs resembles those of other Slavic peoples and is intermingled with the one by the Pre-Slavic Balkan tribes. Plants are generally extensively present in the Serbian folklore, comprising cultivated crops, wild plants and numerous trees and shrubs. Like in the popular beliefs of other Indo-European peoples, faba bean had a strong chthonic character, representing a dish that was cooked and dedicated to the dead, especially to the ancestors of a family. It was also used and is still sporadically used in rural areas for divination. Faba bean has also been linked with fertility and was believed powerful enough to make women conceive by simply being consumed. In recent times, the role of faba bean was completely or fully replaced by common beans, following the advance of the latter in the agriculture of the Balkan peoples. Lentil shared certain features with faba bean, especially as a chthonic food, but was mostly regarded as a medicine. Yellow sweet clover (Mehlotas officinalis (L.) Lam.) was regarded as a mighty protection from any disease, especially when held in wreaths above the house door. Red clover (Trifolum pratense L..) was also a talisman, especially the plants with four leaves, against any evil or disease, for ‘unlocking any door’ or finding out any secret, as well as in practical magic acts related to love, that is, to make someone falling in love with its owner. The last century witnessed a rapid degradation of many rural areas in Serbia and neighbouring countries, leading to an irreversible loss of traditional ways of life, including popular beliefs. Recent trends of reviving local communities could contribute to preserving many traditions, such as rich and unique folklore.