Charmers on the folk practise of charming of charming in Serbia

Pp. 132-160

Abstract

Based on field interviews and written sources on charming in Serbia, this paper examines the social, cultural and symbolic roles of traditional charmers. Charmers speak of their practice, receiving, passing on and protecting magical knowledge, their relation towards patients and official medicine, and their relation towards the tradition of charming. Charmers perceive their role as being very important and fear that charming will become lost in the modern world.