Purpose and Meaning of Signs on the Faces of Children, Made with Blood of Lamb on St. George’s Day

Based on field materials from the villages Medkovets and Rasovo, district Montana

Abstract

The celebration of St. George’s Day (May 6) is central to Bulgaria’s cultural calendar. The celebration is associated with spring and fertility, and the cyclic recurrence of nature and life. This is why St. George is considered not only a patron of shepherds and flocks but also farmers in general. Furthermore, the days prior and following the holiday are associated with the awakening of nature. May 6, however, is considered as the exact beginning of the agricultural year with many member of society becoming involved in the celebration. The primary goal of this article is to introduce and interpret this traditional Bulgarian holiday and the associated ritual8. The methods that have been used are from the fields of ethnology and semiotics. The author analyzes various ethnographic descriptions, opinions of anthropologists, and interviews with people from the villages of Medkovets and Rasovo. The research was conducted in 2015.

References:

Arnaudov & Vakarelski 2004: Arnaudov, M & Vakarelski, Hr. Balgarsko narodno tvorchestvo v dvanadeset toma. Tom 5: Obredni pesni, 2004. - http://liternet.bg/folklor/sbornici/bnt/5/index.html

Biderman 2003: Biderman, H. Rechnik na simvolite. Sofia. Riva, 2003.

Vakarelski 1974: Vakarelski, Hr. Etnografia na Bulgaria. Sofia. Nauka i izkustvo, 1974.

Genchev 1885: Genchev, St (otg. red.) & dr. Etnografia na Bulgaria T3: Duhovna kultura. BAN, 1885.

Georgiev 2008: Georgiev, M. Mitologia na choveshkoto tyalo. Antropologichen rechnik. Sofia. Prof. Marin Drinov, 2008.

Drazheva 1982: Drazheva, R. Gergyovden. Sofia: Septemvri, 1982.

Zhivkov 1988: Zhivkov, Iv., T. Vaprosnik za opisanie na Gergyovden ot Tanya A. Koleva – V – Balgarski folklor, 1988, 3. 92 - 94

Kacheshmarov 1993: Kacheshmarov, P. Za zhertvoprinoshenieto na Gergyovden. – V – Izvestia na muzeite ot Yugoiztochna Bulgaria, tom 16,1993, 155 – 163

Koev 1993: Koev, T. Kratka bogoslovska entsiklopedia. Sofia. Bulvest 2000

Koleva 1981: Koleva,T. Gergyovden u yuzhnite slavyani. Sofia. BAN, 1981.

Kupar 1993: Kupar, Dzh. K. Entsiklopedia na traditsionnite simvoli. Sofia. Petar Beron, 1993.

Marinov 1994: Marinov, D. Narodni vyarvania i religiozni narodni obichai. Sofia. BAN, 1994.

Raynov 1993: Raynov, V. Simvolnoto povedenie na choveka. Sofia. BAN, 1993.

Slaveykov 2006: Slaveykov, R. Balgarski narodni obichai i vyarvania. Veliko Tarnovo. Asenevtsi, 2006.

Stoynev 2006: Stoynev, Anani. „Balgarska mitologia, entsiklopedichen rechnik“. Sofia. Zahari Stoyanov, 2006.

Todorova, Atanasova 2006: Todorova, K & Atanasova, B. Gergyovden vav Vrachansko: Kraya na XIX i parvata polovina na XX vek. Ral-Kolobar. Vratsa, 2006.

Freyzar 1984: Freyzar, Dzh. Zlatnata klonka. Sofia. Otechstven front, 1984.

Sharlanova 2010: Sharlanova, V. Balgarski traditsionni praznitsi i obichai. Sofia. Entusiast, 2010.