Определяне и защита на границите на недвижимите имоти съобразно нормите на българското обичайно право
Establishment and Protection of Real Property Boundaries in Bulgarian Customary Law

Summary/Abstract: The regulation of the establishment and protection of boundaries of agricultural properties occupies an important place in Bulgarian common law. Land, as the primary means of subsistence, necessitated its clear delimitation and effective safeguarding. This study examines customary practices related to the demarcation and protection of property boundaries during the Ottoman period and the years immediately following the Liberation. The Bulgarian customary legal order developed a rich system of terms, markers, and rituals through which fields, meadows, pastures, and forests were delineated and protected. These norms were not only legal in character but also carried moral and religious significance, with their violation being perceived as a serious offense and sin. For the purposes of this publication, a substantial corpus of ethnographic, historical-legal, and folklore materials has been analyzed.Bulgarian customs related to the establishment and protection of boundaries have been systematically examined, demonstrating that they are neither random nor isolated phenomena but constitute part of a durable legal and social tradition. The study further highlights the central role of customary law for the Bulgarian people, for whom the violation of boundaries was perceived as both a legal transgression and a moral offense, affecting the community as well as divine justice. Additionally, regional variations and similarities have been traced, showing that these customs were adapted to specific local conditions and the social structure of Bulgarian society.

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