Mara sits at a table in the shade of a grape pergola, her hands, covered in faded patterns, seeming like an extension of the ancient landscape. She was born in 1935, but her skin holds memories of times far more distant. She calls her tattoos “krizi” – crosses, although these intricate ornaments, resembling fine embroidery, also include fir branches, stars, and crescent moons. For Mara and her generation, “sicanje” (or “bocanje”) – the process of applying patterns with soot and honey – was a common ritual performed by girls after Sunday mass. However, today these symbols have moved far beyond the rural communities of Bosnia, becoming a powerful tool for self-identification and a subject of heated historical debate.