Bulgaria – Myths and Legends

Culture 2
Bulgarian folklore tradition keeps its beliefs into supernatural creatures towards which people have
more poetic or generally pagan attitude. These are mythic creatures related almost wholly to
the nature. When the humans draw them nearer, they are presented either as friendly or as ill
meaning. In the latter case, they are equalized with demons and provoke human resentment.
Such creatures are the  samodivas (wood
nymphs). These are most often beautiful girls with
blonde hair, sometimes with wings. Their power is in
their clothes. If they are taken away, the girls obey the
humans. Their clothes resemble those of birds, as they
are covered with feathers. According to folklore beliefs,
samodivas inhabit woods, wild mountain areas –
mostly Pirin, Vitosha, Rila and Stara
Planina Mountains. Those creatures rule over the wells,
rivers, lakes and can stop waters, i.e. to cause drought.
They are guarding their areas zealously – those who
enter, disappear without trace or catch a fatal disease.
Usually samodivas appear during spring and summer.
They love holidays and especially Easter. If somebody
does not honor the holidays, they punish him – kill or
make him blind.

The lamia (dragon) is a female creature with

iconography appearance of an enormous reptile with
sharp-nailed legs, dog’s head and sharp teeth. Its mouth
is so large that it can swallow a human or cattle. Its body
is covered with yellow scales. Lamia is often pictured
with three or nine identical heads. It is often a motive in
the folklore songs and fairy tales. It lives at the sea
bottom or in desert woods and stops the water in the
wells, rivers and lakes just like the samodivas. In this
way it forces people to sacrifice someone for it to eat.
Despite its frightful appearance, brave men fight it and
win by cutting off its heads.
The zmeys (male dragons) are enemies of the
lamia, young male creatures with human appearance, a
tale and wings in the armpits. The lower part of their
bodies is covered with scales shining like gold. They
inhabit faraway woods and caves. Places in Bulgaria are
often named Zmeyova dupka (Zmey’s hole), Zmeyov
kladenetz (Zmey’s well). Zmeys consume mainly milk, eat
a lot of white bread and drink heavy wine. Zmeys
are friendly towards people.
Orisnizi (weird sisters) are three female creatures who
go together around the world, visit the homes of the new-
borns and predict their fate. This is done on the third night
after they are born. They inhabit the end of the world,
close to the sun. The appearance of the orisnizi is not clear in people’s beliefs. They are mostly dark-
eyed, slim and tall, one is around 18 years old, second is between 25 and 30 and the third between
30 and 35 years of age. They wear the nicest folklore adornments and, by their nature, they are
typical relics of the matriarchal culture.
Diseases are seen as demonic creatures sent by God to punish people for their sins. Their total
number is undefined – 7, 12, 77. Usually these are female creatures, ugly, frightful, filthy and shabby.
Here are some of the individualised diseases:

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The witches (veshtitsi) occupy the lowest level of folklore mythology.

They are seen as women from the village, who, after many contacts
with spirits, turn into semi-demonic creatures dealing with evil magic.
Ministers persecute witches. The belief in witches is very old among the
Bulgarians.
Bulgarians have also many other mythic creatures. They scare people
and are seen as reason for many misfortunes.

Баба Яга – Нечестивата вещица от

славянския фолклор
Баба Яга е аномалия – едновременно майка, майка-природа и зъл злодей, който обича
да яде тези, които не успяват да изпълнят задачите й. Въпреки че произходът на името
й е толкова неясен, колкото е и целта на съществуването й, смята се, че баба означава
„стара жена“ или „баба“, докато за  значението на Яга има противоречиви теории,
вариращи от „змия“ до „зла“. Независимо от това, дори името на Баба Яга подчертава
странността на личността й, което я интересен обект за разгадаване.

Баба Яга обикновено се придвижва в хаван, а не с метла, като използва чукалото и за

летене и като магическа пръчка. Приказките с нея обикновено се случват в колибата й.
Тя се намира дълбоко в гората, стои на кокоши крака и има глава на петел, с ограда от
човешки кости.

Тя лежи на печката, а огромната печка се простира от единия край на колибата до

другия, което подчертава нейната големина и магия. Печката е друг общ детайл в
приказките за Баба Яга, тъй като наказанието за неизпълнена задача е било да бъдеш
сготвен и изяден. Въпреки нейния апетит за хора, Баба Яга винаги е изобразявана като
слаба и кокалеста старица.
Основните характеристики на Баба Яга пораждат несигурността около нея. Тя варира
от това да действа като благодетел или като злодей – помага на героя на славянския
мит или му пречи. Тя не преследва никого, без да бъде провокирана, без човекът да
дойде поне до вратата на колибата й, а това навежда на мисълта, че все пак тя
притежава някакъв морал. Независимо от това, каквото обещание дава на героя след
завършването на задачите й, тя държи на думата си.
Повечето известни истории за Баба Яга не са за нея, а за героите, които я срещат.
Баба Яга често се отъждествява и като фигурата на Майката Земя, която оказва
влияние върху естествения свят чрез трима от слугите си, за което свидетелства
Василиса. Два пъти Василиса вижда трима ездачи – бял, червен и черен. Когато
попитала кои са те, Баба Яга й казва, че те са Денят, Слънцето и Нощта, всеки
 контролиран от нея, всеки неин слуга. В този случай читателят може да види силата на
Баба Яга да контролира живота на земята.
Друга приказка за Баба Яга включва селските деца, които са жертви на жестока
мащеха. Тя праща децата при Баба Яга, за да се отърве от тях, но те успяват да
избягат от хижата на вещицата с помощта на всички животни, растения и предмети,
които Баба Яга пренебрегва. Черният котарак им помага, защото те го хранят; една
порта затваря Баба Яга, защото тя никога не я смазва; дори дърветата от гората се
опитват да препречат пътя й, защото тя не ги уважава. Така децата се връщат вкъщи
живи и здрави. Приказката завършва щастливо, мащехата е изгонена и бащата
защитава децата си, а Баба Яга е един от важните фактори – ако не беше тя, нещата
нямаше да се проявят в истинската си светлина. Така, приемайки я за божество, близко
до Майката Природа, естественият свят се обръща към нея, за да положи страданията
си в нейните ръце. Учените все още трудно я поставят в определена категория, тъй
като тя определено принадлежи на много.
Именно поради неуловимостта на характера й Баба Яга остава такъв интригуващ
митичен образ и продължава да бъде обсъждана и изследвана от учените. Тя добавя
мистерия и несигурност към всяка една от приказките, в които участва, тъй като до края
им читателят не е сигурен дали намеренията й ще бъдат злонамерени или спасителни.
Именно тази дилема – добра ли е Баба Яга или е зла вещица, е една от многото, които
полагат основата на проучванията на учените в областта на славянската литература.

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Dragons and Lamias in Bulgarian folklore

Photo: archive

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The image of the dragon, a huge scaly creature with wings that breathes fire, can
be found in the mythology of many nations. According to some ancient myths, the
world arose from the body of a dragon defeated by a god or a hero. That is why
stories telling about the fight against a monster are widespread and date back to
most ancient times. With the coming of Christianity, the role of the hero was
attached to the figure of St. George and acquired a religious character - the power
of faith defeats the beast, which is a symbol of Satan. In Bulgarian folklore the image
of the dragon appears as a creature called “Zmey”. The female Lamia or Hala is also present
in Bulgarian folklore. While the male zmey could have human features and even sometimes
help people, the female Lamia is always dangerous and malicious. Therefore, in Bulgarian
folk legends Saint George slays a Lamia and not a dragon.

It is said that if a serpent or a fish (usually a carp) lived for forty years without being seen
by human eyes, it turned into a dragon. In Bulgarian folklore, the image of the dragon could
combine parts of a snake, fish, bird or human. In some cases, it is presented as a huge
serpent covered with fish scales. The zmey can have 4 legs like a lizard and bird wings. It
can have one eye on the forehead or a few heads. However, the zmey can also look like a
person – a young, handsome, strong man with wings under the arms. The dragon has a
fiery nature and can sometimes be seen as a flash of lightning or a ball of fire. Elsewhere
people even call it "a cloud" and believe that it appears in the sky as a large cloud.

© Photo: archive

Dragons usually inhabit the forests and mountains. That is why people often speak of “Zmey
Gorianin”, which means “forest dragon.” Zmeys are usually believed to live in caves, holes,
or cracks in the rocks. Even today, dragon legends are related to the Rabishka cave and the
cave near the village of Pirin in the region of Sandanski. Dragons can also live in water -
lakes, wells, rivers. At various places in Bulgaria names such as Dragon’s House or Dragon’s
Well still exist.
The dragon looks like a man in many ways: it eats, drinks, gets married, and has offspring.
Despite having their own dragon women, zmeys can often fall in love with human girls and
young brides and begin to secretly visit them at night. Such women gradually begin to stay
away from others and not care much about their appearance as the zmey lover takes all
their powers. Many folk songs, performed mainly on Easter, and St. George’s Day, tell the
story of dragons descending from the sky and snatching their beloved girls. In other stories
the zmey arrives with a whole wedding party of other zmeys riding horses. The dragon’s
relationship with his human wife leads to children who look human but have wings under the
arms and extraordinary power. People even speak about famous rebels as having wings
under the arms and being invulnerable to enemies. In order to protect a young woman from
these unwanted lovers a mixture of herbs is used and the girl bathes in it. 

In folk tales, the Lamia looks like a huge lizard with a dog’s
head. Her mouth is so big that it can swallow a whole man and
her body is covered with yellow scales. The Lamia also has
wings, four legs, sharp claws, and a long tail. Often songs tell
us about three-headed, seven-headed or 9-headed Lamias. The
Lamia often appears in the form of a storm or hail and destroys
crops. Zmeys sometimes fight the Lamias to protect the crops.

Folk tales also tell the stories of famous heroes fighting with
lamias, such as Krali Marko, who released girls and young men
enslaved by the female dragon. One of the most popular
Bulgarian tales, "The Three Brothers and the Golden Apple,"
tells the story of a brave young man who descends to the lower
land and saves the king's daughter, shortly before she is eaten
by the Lamia. The story is also depicted in many of the later
icons of St. George due to the influence of oral traditions on
Christianity.

English version: Alexander Markov

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The Three Brothers and the Golden Apple

A long time ago, three brothers lived in a simple village house. They led an ordinary life in
all aspects but one, they had a magical apple tree in the garden. One golden apple
ripened on it every year. And every year a dragon came and stole it.

One year the eldest brother decided to try to save the apple. He took his sword, lay down
under the tree and waited for the dragon. Unfortunately, he fell asleep. The dragon came,
took the apple and disappeared. Everyone was disappointed with the lad. Next year, the
second brother decided to protect the apple. The same happened to him and he woke up
in the morning only to discover the apple was gone. Finally, it was the youngest brother’s
turn to stay by the tree. As he was the cleverest among the three, he cut his little finger
and put salt in the wound. The pain wouldn’t let him fall asleep and he managed to see
and kill the dragon. The golden apple was never stolen again.

Apple I © Pixabay

Krali Marko Almighty

Krali Marko is a favorite Bulgarian folklore character known for his power and kindness.
He always helps the poor, punishes the evil and kills dragons. There are many folk tales
about his strength, here is one of them.

Krali Marko was so overconfident of his strength, that he said “I’m so strong that if the
Earth had a handle, I would have lifted it”.

God heard his words and thought he was too confident for a human being. So, to
challenge his statement, he sent him a stone weighing as much as the Earth. When Krali
Marko saw the stone on the road, he got angry that there was an obstacle in his way. He
grabbed the stone and threw it away.

When God saw Krali Marko’s reaction he wisely decided to take away half of his power.
Since then Krali Marko could do anything but lift the Earth.

The Stone Wedding

A boy and a girl from a small village fell in love with each other and they wanted to get
married. But their families didn’t approve of their love. The young lovers kept on insisting
and in the end, the wedding was organized. The groom’s mother, however, couldn’t put up
with it and she cast a spell on the couple, when they were about to say their vows, they
would turn into stones. When the couple kissed on the wedding day everything happened
exactly the way she had said. Except that not just the couple but all the guests, including
the parents of the bride and the groom turned into stones.

These stone figures, known as the Stone Wedding, can still be seen today near the village
of Zimzelen in Bulgaria.

The Stone Wedding rock formation, Zimzelen, Bulgaria

The Stone Wedding near Zimzelen Village © Athen Lao/Flickr

Hitar Petar and His Shadow
Another folk character starring in many tales is Hitar Petar (Witty Peter), famous for
making jokes about people.
Once Hitar Petar went to the market without any money. He saw a soup vendor selling
delicious soup. As he didn’t have money with him, Hitar Petar took a piece of bread out of
his pocket and held it in the tasty smelling steam coming out of the soup pot. After a while,
the bread was well flavored and Hitar Petar ate it. Seeing this, the vendor asked Hitar
Petar to pay for the food.

“But I just held my bread over the steam, I won’t pay” said Hitar Petar.

“If you won’t pay, then you deserve to be beaten with a stick” said the vendor.

“No problem. But if I flavored the bread using your steam, then you should beat only my
shadow” said Hitar Petar

Everyone at the market started laughing at the greedy vendor.

A Bulgarian village
Hitar Petar and His Sack of Jokes
Once upon a time Hitar Petar met his long time rival Nastradin Hodja. Knowing that Petar
was funny, Nastradin Hodja asked him to tell him one of his jokes.

“No problem. Just wait for me to go home and get my sack of jokes” said Hitar Petar

Nastradin Hodja stayed there for hours before he finally understood that he had already
taken part in the joke.

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Bulgarian Myths & Legends

 

Trifon Zarezan’s Day

A legend tells that when Trifon was only at the age of 17 he

cured the Roman emperor Gordian’s daughter and this way he
has won recognition and glory.
In several years they tried to make him leave his Christianity
but he refused and was sent to the court. They sentenced him to
death through decapitation. When they took him outside the
city he turned east, prayed and thanked God for giving him
“martyr’s wreath”. While he prayed he put his head down and
died, released from the painful death.
Another legend says that when Trifon cut his vineyard Virgin
Mary passed by him /his sister according to the myth/ with little Jesus Christ. She went to read a prayer for her
40th birthday. Trifon laughed at her. She swallowed the insult and on the road back she passed by his wife and
told her to bring bandages to her husband in the vineyard because he has cut his nose. The woman left
immediately. When Trifon found out why is she there he said “How could I have cut it, I hold the scissors
down, not up!” And in order to show her turned the scissors up and involuntarily cut his nose. This is why they
call him “Zarezan” and on the icons he is depicted with scissors in hand.
On the day of the saint performed is ritual cutting of vines. Rites and rituals carried out on this day are mostly
related to men. The participation of women is only to prepare the festive table. This day prepared is leavened
ritual bread. A chicken is roasted which is filled with rice.
In several regions in the country, mostly in Northern Bulgaria men from certain settlement wake up early and
go to the vineyard where they perform a ritual “cutting”. Immediately after the cutting the vines wine is poured
on them for fertility. In other places a ritual “kicking of a fruitless tree” is performed this means kicking the
trees which gave no fruits. This is made with the purpose of the tree finally to give fruits. After performing
those rituals men put the dishes of their wives on the table. Then a king is selected who is called Trifon at some
places. The elected king is given a wreath of vine sticks. He is carried on hands by the other men. The elected
king performs his obligations for one year. The next year another king is elected.

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 Baba Marta
One of the most highly valued customs in Bulgaria called Baba Marta (literally,
Granny March), staring on the 1st of March and celebrating the beginning of
spring.

Family members, relatives, friends, and collegues give each other white and red
tassels that you normally wear on your wrist. They are only taken off when you see
a stork or a blossoming tree, whichsymbolize the messengers of the arrival of the
warmer season. >>> Create martenici!
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Fire dancing

Fire dancing, more famous in Bulgaria as nestinarstvo, can be seen in villages around the area of Bourgas (a city in
the sea of Bulgaria), mainly on the holiday of St. Konstantin and Elena (May 21st).The dancers, who are most
often women, perform a dance on hot glowing embers whilst in a trance state. The tradition implies that the fire
dancer is chosen and guided by the saint of the holiday, whose icon is being held while dancing on the embers.

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The New Year’s Eve chasing away of evil spirits – survachka

Before New Year’s Eve approaches, children prepare (with the help of their
parents) a survachka, which is a tree branch, decorated with all kinds of
coloured threads, dry fruit, dry peppers and popcorn. The kids also learn a few
verses, which they recite whilst beating the backs of their family and relatives
(lightly of course) with the survachka.
• До амина. Навеки, на вечни времена (да бъде);

 Cornel – дрянови клонки

Quest collect all kind of materials for survachka creation!!!

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Kukeri – starting preparing the mask with the first snow

The participants in this ritual are called kukeri and they are dressed-
up men in handmade costumes and masks, all made of wood,
leather, fur and copper and bronze bells hang off them. They dance,
play games, make jokes, jump, jingle the bells and roll on the floor.

The Kukeri custom on Bulgarian lands originates from

the Thracian’s , where it was celebrated during the days of the
Thracian god of joy Dionysus at the beginning of a new agricultural
year, related to the plowing of the fields. The Kukers celebrate the
passing of winter and the arrival of summer fertility.

In the rest of Europe similar, Kukeri custom is widely spread in

southern and central Europe – and in Romania, Serbia, Greece,
the Republic of Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, etc.
  The dance of the masked men is a mystic unity of rhythm, sound, and color. They move in a special
step. Wearing impressive masks and unique costumes they fill the air of the villages with the sounds
of hundreds of bells and whispered blessings wishes for prosperity. 
  The mask, according to folklore beliefs, protects from the harmful influence of impure powers.
Bulgarian ritual masks are a rich source of information on the country’s various ethnographic regions
(each region has their particular way to create the costumes). 
The sounds of the bells hanging from the belts of the dancers are said to reinforce the protective
properties of the masks. 
There are all kinds of characters in the group of masked people. Traditionally, no women are
allowed to take part as all roles are played by men wearing different masquerade costumes. 

 As the masquerade tradition in Bulgaria is still alive, it is

subject to constant change. It takes on new symbols and
images and the once strict requirements towards the age
and sex of the participants tend to relax.

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Valentine’s Day vs. Winemaker’s Day -  14 февруари
Bulgarians celebrate both holidays: couples normally focus on Valentine’s Day and the single
ones have a tradition of appreciating Bulgarian wine in huge quantities!Jordanov Day or cross-
searching in the cold watersThe tradition entails a priest ritually throwing a cross into a river, lake
or any water basin, and all the men wishing to be healthy over the coming year jumping in the ice
cold waters to look for it. Old beliefs dictate that if the cross freezes whilst in the water, the year
will bring fertile crops
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April Bulgarian Holidays

Ден на хумора и шегата  |  01 Април 2020 –

Practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, enemies, and

neighbors.
Откъде идва този празник - Денят на глупаците, Ден на хумора и шегата (April Fools' Day или
All Fool's Day) - от Франция, Англия, Мексико и Швеция - това е тайната, която, за
съжаление, се покрива в мрака.

Цветница  |  12 Април 2020 Flower Day (Tsvetnitsa)

On this day, every person who carries the name of a flower, plant, tree, or any other
known, and, arguably, unknown, form of vegetation, has a reason to celebrate. Not
surprisingly, the name of the holiday for us is Tsvetnitsa, which means ‘Flower Day’.

Цветница или Връбница се празнува в неделя след Лазаровден. Смята се, че на този ден
Господ Исус Христос дойде на магаре в Ерусалим, посрещнат с радост от хора с палмови
клони в ръцете си.
Великден  |  20 Април 2020 - Orthodox Easter Monday - Sun, Apr 19, 2020

Великден - един от най-големите и най-важните православни празници. На този ден Господ

Бог Иисус Христос е възкръснал от мъртвите. Празникът е свързан по време с първото
пълнолуние след пролетното слънцестоене, и така всяка година Великден се пада на
различни дати.

Holy Thursday is “egg painting day” for people who continue to follow old traditions. The first Easter
egg must be dyed red to
symbolise the blood of Christ,
and it is then often buried in a field
to ensure fertility or stored in
the house till next Easter to bring
good fortune to the family.
Many other eggs may be dyed this
day as well, many of them
also coloured red and
decorated with ornate crosses
and other religious symbols.
On Holy Saturday, people go to a midnight church vigil. The service begins at 11pm and continues
until the stroke of midnight. At that moment, everyone greets each other with “Hristos vozkrese!”
(Christ is risen!) and receives the traditional response “Voistina vozkrese!” (He is risen indeed!). Next,
everyone goes outside and walks thrice around the church building while carrying lit candles.