Към изучаването на българската обредна терминология (словосъчетания от основите баб-, дед-, и стар- в терминологията на коледно-новогодишната...
To the Study of Bulgarian Folk Ritual Terminology (Word Combinations from the Stems bab-, ded and star- in the Terminology of Bulgarian Folk Rites...

Summary/Abstract: The article provides an analysis of the derivatives from the stems bab-, ded and star-. The terms are closely linked to the pagan symbolism of Christmas and New Year rites revealing archaic beliefs and notions of the ancient Slavs. The semantics of the stems mentioned above (and of their numerous derivatives) should be considered in connection with the cult to the ancestors, as it was one of the basic cults in Slavic paganism. It is characteristic also of the Bulgarians’ calendrical winter rites. The analysis of these words is carried out within the context of folk beliefs, cults and mythological ideas. The derivatives from the stems bab- and ded- have a wide range of meanings in Slavic languages; they reflect Slavic pagan ideas about old age and kinship, or, speaking in a broader sense, ancestry. The cult to the ancestors in Slavic paganism is a complex and polysemantic phenomenon. It formed the basis for the development of other cults and was reflected in ritual terminology. The analysis of the above-mentioned words and the corresponding facts in folk spiritual culture give evidence as to the archaic nature of the terminology connected with rites. They also affirm the extremely important role of the cult to the ancestors in Bulgarian calendrical winter folk rites.

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