In memory of Balunče and other Konavle snake whisperers
- 2 days ago
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Along with Easter, there are two important days that mark spring in Konavle. Annunciation Day on March 25th, which is closest to the spring equinox, and St. George's Day on April 23rd, after which we know winter is gone. With this date, called Pramajeće, the warm half of spring starts and introduces us to summer time. Between these two dates, nature turns completely green, and with it the rest of life. The bird songs get louder, and snakes, lizards, and other reptiles that do not like winter come out of their winter hiding places.
The fear of snakes is widespread in Konavle and (in my opinion) exaggerated. The villagers used various customs to drive snakes away from the house. Every March 25th, white cloths would be collected and burned around the house to drive them away. A plant called mlječar would be placed on the barn door to drive them from the barn. However, it was known that every house had its own snake, and that harmless house snakes always lived alongside humans.
St. George's Day brings lush grass, so even the inhabitants of the coldest parts of Konavle drive all their livestock to pasture on this day with the intercession of St. George, who is considered the patron saint of herdsmen and farmers. In addition, he is the patron saint of soldiers and protects against snakes; a legend says that he drank snake poison, but it did not harm him because he crossed himself.
This saint is always shown slaying the dragon. Saint George slaying the dragon would usually stand on the wall in the living rooms of old houses in Konavle, next to the image of Our Lady and Jesus. And it would be obligatory in houses for which St. George's Day was a baptismal name (Močići, Mikulići) or a servant (Stravča). No matter how many different meanings there are in this depiction, the children of Konavle were brought up to believe that this saint is a great protector against snakes.
This year on St. George's Day, a lecture on snakes in Konavle tradition was held at the Konavle Heritage Museum in Čilipi. The lecture was given by historian Ivan Timon Kus, who got his degree in Historical Studies from Catholic University in Zagreb in 2025 with a thesis on folk medicine in Konavle in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A truly large number of people gathered at the lecture, which testifies to the popularity of this topic, which is not waning in Konavle.
The oral tradition recorded so far in Konavle on the subject of snakes and dragons is truly vast: from Cadmus and Harmonia who turned into snakes and retreated into the Konavle underworld, to St. Hilary who killed the dragon in Šipun cave, then on to the tradition of protection from snakes, testimonies of encounters with snakes, to the holy man Baldo “Balunče” Radović, who is known in every Konavle house because he saved many people and animals from deadly snake bites. It was enough to just get to him and he would already know what had happened and act. He was active before and after World War II, so everyone in Konavle remembers or has been told some of the anecdotes related to this man. People were amazed by his clairvoyance and his ability to communicate with snakes, and they both respected and feared him.
In addition, he knew herbs and made medicines for various afflictions. He knew when someone was sick, but he would not help unless asked. Balunče did not curse, was extremely pious, and taught people that snakes were timid and kind creatures. He said that in the Konavle underground there lived three huge snakes that he did not dare to summon without someone else who had such powers. And he summoned the other snakes with a whistle, and returned them to their places with a whisper.
Twenty years ago, Miljenko Jergović wrote an article about Balunče which you can read here: https://www.jergovic.com/ajfelov-most/balunce/. Text in English and the story of his grandson Baldo Radović can be found here: http://www.croatia-in-english.com/balunce/.
In addition to Balunče, another man is mentioned in Konavle who treated people and animals for snake bites. He was Frano Vrtović in Vitaljina during World War II. It is said about him, as well as about Balunče, that he would draw a circle on the floor to which snakes would come when he called them.
What is it about snake circles and whispering that we do not know and to which science has never given us answers. These remarkable individuals, protectors of snakes and people, have remained insufficiently presented to our public. Although this is a very attractive topic in today’s academic system, it is too often avoided. Few scientists and professionals are working on this topic today.
As the years pass, Konavle oral tradition keeps on carrying stories of Balunče and snakes. This lecture in the museum reminded us of how important it is to occasionally remember these traditions and thereby keep them alive.
