I heard many stories. My mother-in-law said she saw svečari, glowing figures in the field that people called souls. On St. George’s Day, my husband met a woman with a broom on his motorbike. They said she was a witch (coprnica). Such customs were respected. Branches of wild rose hip were placed on fences to protect against witches. I also used to hear my late mother’s voice as if she were calling me from the grave. Sometimes I experienced doors opening by themselves or being unable to move my hand. I felt as if a soul was approaching me. These are scary, but also sacred things. The elders taught us that nature has its power and that the dead are not far away. Stories about fairies, glowing souls, and witches were present everywhere and were preserved for generations. Today they are told less, but in me, they remain as a living memory.