Прабългарски елементи в обреди, обичаи и вярвания на населението в Североизточна България
Proto-Bulgarian Elements in the Rites, Customs and Beliefs of the Population of North Eastern Bulgaria

Summary/Abstract: Some rites, customs and beliefs among the “kazalbashi” of North-Eastern Bulgaria have preserved elements of the spiritual culture of the proto-Bulgarians. The “kazalbashi” are a Turkish-speaking group defined as “aliani” in terms of their religious characteristic. Their stories and legends have been the subject of another work of the author – “Remnants of proto-Bulgarian folklore in North-Eastern Bulgaria” (In: “Bulgarian folklore”, 1980, vol. 1, p. 25-39). In the present article he analyzes some customs and rites on St. George’s Day, the “Feast of the Earth” (typical of the “aliani” and with parallels among the Chuvash people), the celebration of St. Elija’s Day, some customs pointing to a cult of the fire, the sun, the iron, etc. There is a proto-Bulgarian and Bulgarian basis in the “aliani’s” belief in a patron spirit of the house and the village, in sacred places located by rocks and trees, in magic and in medicinal herbs, in the worship of the wolf, etc. Isolated proto-Bulgarian groups, which were not assimilated by the Slavs, are presumed to have survived until a later period among the old population of North-Eastern Bulgaria.

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