Чудесата: проблеми на генезиса
Miracles: Problems Connected with Their Origins

Summary/Abstract: This work is the first part of a longer text investigating beliefs in miracles with their verbal and local specifics. The author defines miracle as a supernatural action achieved by a saint with God’s help and mediated by miraculous helpers or objects. Miracle is advocated to be univers mental of the mediaeval times. Their archetypes are advocated to be the Holly Christian Books and their representations are characterized as abundant mainly in hagiography. Special accent is put in the article on the analysis of miracles as a specific aspect of the local culture with the monastery as its cult centre. Interpreting written and oral legends about South Slav saints (such as St. Naum of Ohrid, St John of Rila, as well as his followers), the author comes to the conclusion that miracles are an integral part of the concept of sainthood. They are understood as building up a verbal (written and oral) iconography of the saint. The mechanism of miracle production is thus related to the belief in the magical power of the saint as a patron.

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