Баене за страх в българската народна медицина
Spells against Fear in Bulgarian Folk Medicine

Summary/Abstract: This article studies the various spells cast 'against fear', as a way of treating fright in Bulgarian folk medicine. The study is based on general Bulgarian materials covering the period from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. The author describes and analyses spells cast with flour, wood" ash, 'left', 'returned' and 'silent' water. A special place is given to treatment with fire and also to the combined use of fire and water. Depending on the way in which the spells are cast, they are divided into two groups: 1) removal of fear by dissipating it with a figural image; 2) driving fear out with apotropaic objects. This folk psychotherapy is defined as curative magic of the type of catharsis, accomplished by imitative and apotropaic means.

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