Gruža

Gruža

Smiljevac - Even Vuk Stefanovič Karadžić noted down that in Bukovica, a village in Podrinje, female hat were decorated with coins, in the small wreaths at the front so that "when women walked the coins kept swinging and rattling". At the front, the hat had fringes which were also adorned with fringes. Some women wore round hats - "just like pumpkins with flowers and peacock's feathers sticking out of them. This hat was also decorated with coins which were swinging and rattling as the women walked. Women also wore necklaces, long embroidered shirts, multi-coloured sashes, one or two embroidered pinafores, brightly coloured socks, opanaks with straps etc."

The smiljevac or cmiljevac was made in the following way: a hazel twig was hewn, bent and tied. Then, a circular piece of cloth was cut, and fastened to the bent twig so that it formed a dent which made it posible for the bride to put on a fez. That part was called potsmiljka. The other part was trmčica. It was made of strands of dried basil sewn together with the bent twig  using lime bast (bark). A piece of manufactured  red fabric or cloth dyed with madder was sewn on it. Two or more ribbons cascading  down the bride's back, all the way to her waist , were sewn on the tip of the smiljevac. Cascables were fastened to the end of the ribbons. Smiljevac was kept in place with a chin strap (podbradnik). At the end, it was adorned with dried corn flower (smilje). The hat was named after this light yellow flower. The front part of it was adorned with rooster's or peacock's feathers which were bent at the back. In the middle, just above the forehead, was a small mirror surrounded by a string of silver coins. The chin strap was also decorated with silver coins and it was called oglavlje. This money was given to the bride to be by her future  husband and it could not be given away without her consent. Smiljevac was usually made by the groom's relatives and it was sent to the bride by her mother-in-law on the wedding day. That was the first time the bride wore it on her head. At the bottom, around it, the hair was plaited into thin braids which were fastened with hairpins. People say that the bride had to show great respect for other people while she was  wearing a smiljevac. If she saw someone, even from a distance, she had to bow to them a few times. Brides had to bow even to children. The smiljevac went out of use during the 1870-ies. Legend has it that the reason fot this was an accident which happened when a bride met a horseman and, according to the custom, bowed to him a few times. The horse got frightened and unsaddled the horseman who died in the accident. Since then, the smiljevac has never been worn again.

Male socks (pletivare) - were knitted of red and black yarn and had unique geometrical ornaments. They reached the knees and their border was knitted by one needle only. That was called poplet or memica. Later on, poplet was replaced by ramfla (looped knitting) below the needle (klot) and above the needle (frket).