witch

Witches have a significant role in traditional Croatian beliefs. Witches could be recognized by their looks and behavior which was not usually considered "normal," so witches were usually "ugly," "old" or "extremely beautiful" women, as were those who didn't follow preset behavioral norms. Witches were always women, while warlocks are rarely even mentioned.

Witches have extraordinary power, which they use to hurt people and animals, they are usually active by night, and they gather by flying to their meetings by using a magical formula to help them fly without disturbance. It is believed that witches have a small pot of grease made from unique plants and hidden in their hearth, as well as a special stick or hoe they use to beat hearth to make the pot appear. That grease and magical words are used to make witches fly without any accidents. Witches are also able to transform into birds or other animals or objects. There are examples of a witch being transformed to a fly that flies out the mouth and comes to do evil. Besides transformation, flying, and gatherings one of the most significant powers of witches is "evil eye." It is believed that witches can cause harm or even death with their evil eye, so people did everything they could to avoid evil eye and they even avoided any contact with the person who was considered to have it.