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Reviews, Criticisms, Bibliography
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Reviews, Criticisms, Bibliography
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On the basis of on the spot observations and the extensive use of written sources from Antiquity up to the present the author considers one of the few crafts which still exists in the Strandja Mountains — charcoal-burning. The three basic methods of obtaining charcoal in the Bulgarian lands arc characterized while at the same time their specific features in defining ethnographic region, are outlined. The penetration of methods, which were not characteristic of the Strandja region up to the mid-19th century are studied on this basis. Confirmae lion of them is sought not only in the migrational processes, but also in the-changes which set in in the social and economic scene.
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Some similarities in post-funerary rites among the Bulgarians and the Roumanians are investigated. According to author's opinion they may be a result of late cultural influences. They comprise only certain elements of the ritual and do not change its structure and functions. A special attention is paid to the specific for the two peoples ways of satisfying the dead with water. The characteristic for Bulgarian ritual system "pouring over" of water, is not widely spread among the Rumanians — it is known only in some villages in Vallachia and Moldovia. This may be a result from dying-off of the custom. The typical Rumanian rite of "distributing of water", which in its most developed variant concludes with the rite "letting the springs free", south from Danube is recorded only in Vidin region, in several villages on Osam river and in Northeastern Servia. The ritual "burning-round" of the grave is distributed in an area of strong migration floods during XVII-XIX cc. — in Northwestern Bulgaria, in a part of South Rumania (Oltenia and Banat) and in Northeastern Servia. The rite is met also in some neighboring regions, but is not wide-spread. The specific Rumanian way of distributing the gifts "over" the coffin, "over" the grave, in Bulgaria is known only in some villages near Silistra. As a conclusion it is mentioned that some of the similarities of post-funerary rites among Bulgarians and Rumanians may result from late culture interrelations.
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The economic side of marriage is revealed in the wedding by the dowry of the bride and by the gifts and presents, received by the young couple. An important source for the study of this problem is the Condics of Pleven Community. In this documents are mentioned 723 wedding ceremonies, which have taken place from 1834 to 1889. In the marriage contracts are enumerated the objects, comprising the dowry of the bride and the bridegrooms gifts, which are exchanged by their parents. These are mainly clothes, jewelry, household objects, land property and money. The economical, social and cultural changes after the Creamean war didn't influence much the number and variety of objects, given as dowry. It is seen from the documents that in the prevailing part of weddings the dowries are not very rich and this is a sign of social inequality. More changes are observed after the Liberation from Ottoman rule. The reason is the appearance of new kinds of goods in the market, the increase of handicraft production, the decrease of household objects at the expense of real property. As a whole the dowry of Pleven brides is an indicator of working abilities of Bulgarian women and of their economical state. The data reveal also characteristic features of clothes, household objects, the development of certain crafts and reveal the penetration of European influence in Pleven during the Revival period.
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Three main groups of Bulgarian population may be distinguished on the territory of Strandza in the end of XIX and the beginning of XX c: ruppi, tronki and zagorci. It is possible also to use the term regional group (ethnographic group), as each of these groups is concentrated in a definite region. The ruppi in Strandza inhabit the basins of rivers Rezovska, Veleka and Jasnopoljanska. A. great part from the Bulgarian population in the district of Vizen, Bunarhisar and the villages near Lozengrad, situated on the east from the line Malko Turnovo — Lozengrad, up to 1912/13 belongs to the same group. The tronki are the second in number representatives of an ethnographic group of Bulgarian population in Strandza. They live in settlements in the lower reaches of river Fakijska and slowly distribute to the basin of river Veleka and to Lozengrad town. A great part from the Bulgarian population in this town, as well as in the villages to the west of Lozengrad, up to 1912/13 belonged to the same group. The zagorci inhabit the northernmost parts of Strandza and mainly the region, known as Ravna gora or Ravnogorije. Thus they appear to be the northern neighbours of the ruppi group. In Southeast Thracia there was a compact group of Bulgarian villages, inhabited by zagorci in Chataldza region and very near to Istambul itself, who lived there up to the Balkan War.
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The article is consecrated to those norms of folk customary law, which are related to the usage of water-supply sources for drinking, hygiene and agricultural needs. Before the modern water-supply of villages was spread, in many regions of Bulgarian ethnic territory, the water-supply was a serious problem. This lead to the appearance and the strict preservation of severe norms of conduct during the usage and the maintenance of water sources as common property and wealth. This statement is related equally to natural (rivers, springs, etc.) and to artificial sources (wells, etc). The norms are extremely in dry, relatively waterlees regions. The author stresses that these norms regulate the interrelations in the family, in the village and even between several villages, if they use common water sources. Deviation of the traditional norms provokes negative public opinion and public disapprovement, which have great importance for the reglamentation of social conduct in traditional life. In this sense customary law norms are a powerful factor in social life and fulfil a positive role for the regulation of social relations and for the preservation of natural resources.
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The increasing influence of Varna on the near villages life after the Liberation, is due to the fact, that as an industrial, trade and cultural centre it is becoming a leading factor in the development of market economy in the region. Here are revealed the mechanisms of this influence: the state administrative and economical institutions; the free movement from the town to villages of people, investing capitals in agriculture and stock-breeding; the movement from villages to the town of people, who strive to acquire trade and craft abilities; the personal contacts between town and village people. The perception of town mode of life (the attitudes toward hygiene, the arrangement of houses and yards, the changes in personal relations, etc.) differs in degree and time in villages according to their economical state, the distance from the town; it is different also for the different social strata. In the social sphere of everyday-life the influence of the town penetrates more quickly. It is revealed in new planning and organization of public services, in the new arrangement of villages with an accent on villages square. The initiative for all these changes and for the aggregation of village people to main cultural achievements usually belongs to the intellectuals. Here are mentioned also some new elements in the traditional feast system, the appearence of new feasts and celebrations of local or state distribution, which contribute much to the formation of national consciousness. There are some negative tendences in the perception of ready-made models from town life, too.
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CRITIQUE, REFERENCE, BIBLIOGRAPHY
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REVIEWS AND COMMENTS
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The opposition and the equality of the mythological units of river/bridge has been the starting point in an allround analysis of the Danube, which is a unique element of the Balkan model of the world. Uniquely combining the fundamental history and mythology of the Balkans, the Danube has been marked as a road and a boundary implying, at the same time, con¬tinuous movement. The Danube river unites by separating, and separates by uniting; it is the nature in culture or the culture in nature. On the real life and mythological scale, the Danube has been the water way cultural bridge: a condition for the func¬tioning of the Balkan community as a historical and cultural phenomenon.
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The article deals with the spread of the Moslem cult sites — Tekes, turbes, sacred rocks, trees, springs, mountains, on the basis of field study material collected by the authors on the territory of the Eastern Rhodope Mountains. The role of the tekes and turbes has been outlined as the ideological centres of the Islam, which had spread in the region of the Rhodopes. As dervish hermitages in the mountain, they aided the mission of the corps of janissaries in the reaffirmation of Islam and the domination of the Ottoman state and has been ideological bulwarks of the moslem faith. The cult for the saints, whose turbes (tombs) are in the territory of the Eastern Rhodopes, makes up the most important aspect of popular Islam. The article points out the syncretic nature of the Moslem cults and the ele¬ments, which have been handed down to them by the old pagan and Christian be¬liefs, in combination with remnants of shamanism, Zoroastrianism and the Sufic trends in the East. The specific features are discussed of the religious practices and the worship of the saints among the Sunnite and Shiite population. The better preservation of the traditional world outlook has been pointed cut of the Bektashi, the most numerous representatives of Alienism in the Eastern Rhodopes. The more restricted character of the religious practices has been underlined among the Orthodox Sunnite popula¬tion and the leading role of the dogmas of the Koran among them. By this article the beginning is laid of more systematic studies on similar problems, so that their place in the culture of the Moslem population from the Eastern Rhodopes may stand out.
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ETHNOGRAPHIC MATERIALS On the Services, Village Gatherings, and Name Days in the Regions of Gabrovo, Tryavna, Turnovo, Plovdiv, Malko Turnovo, Losengrad, Svishtov and Rousse, According to the Descriptrion of Archimandrite Kessari, from November 24, 1866 За службите, сборовете, именните дни в Габровско, Тревненско, Търновско, Пловдивско, Малкотърновско, Лозенградско, Свищовско, Русенско според описанието на архимандрит Кесарий от 24 ноември 1886 г.
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