Обреди, свързани с водата и среброто
Rituals connected with water and silver

Summary/Abstract: This article traces the joint use of water and silver in the Bulgarian system of customs and rituals. On the basis of rich source material in which the traditional conceptions and beliefs about them are shown an attempt has been made to discern the ritual essence of the customs which include both water and silver in their structure. On the foundation of the traditional motives underlying the performance of these customs and with the aid of contemporary studies on the properties and manifestations of silver in water, the author reaches the conclusion that in remotest Antiquity to which they are traced as manifestations of the traditional spiritual culture the simultaneous use of the two chemical elements was not accidental. It is due to centuries of observations on th<e action of silver objects in water, on the accumulated empirical experience and knowledge of their real antibacterial action used in practice as a bactericidal means of disinfecting drinking water.

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