Курт баба от село Екзарх Йосиф, Русенско
Kurt baba from Ekzarh Yosif village, Rousse region

Summary/Abstract: Ekzarh Yosif village (up to 1934 under the name of Karakodzhalii) is part of Borovo municipality, Ruse region. The present paper is a summary of all possible data concerning Kurt Baba, the local folklore character. Kurt baba is a character from the incompletely preserved Islamic religious cults in Ekzarh Yosif village after the abandonment of the Turkish inhabitants about 1880. He is included in the system of rain summoning rituals. According to the oral accounts of the people (part of which are enclosed herewith), Kurt Baba was a respected Turk who lived in the village. Before his death he asked the people to go to his grave and water it if it had not rained for a long time. In case there was prolonged drizzly weather the people should light a fi re. This belief was kept among the Christians in the village of Ekzarh Yosif and the Muslims in the neighbouring village of Obretenik for a long time.

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