The Shepherds from Gramos
Пастирите от Грамос

Summary/Abstract: The publication has for the first time introduced to scientific circulation the field research material about the Wallachians (Aromanias) living in Bulgaria. An attempt has been made to sum up their model of traditional stock-breeding and way of life typical for them until the middle of the current century. All accessible materials on traditional stock-breeding from the late 19th century to the early 20th century have been systematized. The first part of the publication presents the object of study — the population group, known to the Bulgarian people as "Wallachians", "Koutso-Wallachians" or "Tsintsars". The roads and stages of their migration have been followed from the Gramos and Pind mountains in northeastern direction. The region in which the Aromanias-Gramostyani (i.e. coming from Gramos) settled and lived in Bulgaria from the late 19th the mid-20th century has been outlined. The zones of summer and winter migration, as well as the places of lasting settlement have been indicated and the organization of their seasonal camps in the mountains and in the plains has been described. The routes they followed during their migration in the search of pastures have been followed as well as the specific rites and rituals associated with them. The organization of their stock-breeding economy, the structure and functioning of their basic economic unit — the fulkare — have been described in detail. The material covers quite a long chronological period — from the last quarter of the 19th century to the end of the 1950s. The changes and trends have been noted in the development of the stock-breeding economy and settlement during the transition period from nomadic and description of the settlements, migrations and traditional organization of stock-breeding has aimed at specifying their typological characteristics and determining the transitional forms at the stage of permanent settlement.

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