Съвременната литературна вещица: Наблюдения върху медийни, попкултурни и литературни превъплъщения на вещерския образ от XXI в.
The Modern Literary Witch: Observations on Medial, Pop-Cultural, and Literary Reincarnations of the Witch Image in the 21st Century

Summary/Abstract: The study aims to trace the development and transformation of the image of the witch in 21st-century Bulgarian literature. By analyzing contemporary representations of the “witch” archetype, the research draws comparisons between modern interpretations of witch-like women in Bulgarian literature and their counterparts from the classical literary canon. The study highlights key similarities and differences, focusing on characters from Yordan Yovkov’s “The Reaper” (1920), Dimitar Talev’s “The Bells of Prespa” (1954), and Vasil Popov’s “The Roots” (1967). To achieve this, the research examines female characters from contemporary popular works that fit into the witch paradigm, such as baba Zhiva from Ivynela Samuilova’s “Baba, Tell Me a Memory” (2016) and “Thus Spoke Baba Ega” (2019); baba Stoyka from Ina Yasipova’s “Alive” (2022) and “Dedicated” (2023); Velika Nyamata from Galina Taneva’s “The Silent Spoke” series (2022, 2023); Zevna and Zhara from Viktoriya Beshlijska’s “Clay” (2020); and Ermena from Kiril Kambarev’s historical trilogy “The Boyar from Pannonia” (2013, 2017, 2020). The study will explore how these characters are classified as “witches” and how the traditional image of the witch influences their portrayal. Furthermore, it will analyze how central characteristics of the literary witch, such as her connection to folklore, her isolation from society, and her anti-female essence, manifest in these contemporary figures. By comparing the classical and modern literary witches, this study sheds light on the evolving role of the witch in Bulgarian literature, revealing shifts in cultural perceptions of femininity, power, and otherness.

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