Баяния – апокрифно наследство? Апокрифни молитви и традиционни магически практики в съвременен български контекст
Bayania – an Apocryphal Legacy? Apocryphal Prayers and Traditional Magical Practices in the Contemporary Bulgarian Context

Summary/Abstract: Apocryphal prayers in Bulgaria are closely related in content to incantations and were a widespread form of supplication to higher powers for protection against evil, disease, and plague. The expressive devices employed in these texts – rhythm, recurring words, and fixed phrases – reinforce belief in their efficacy. Used outside the official church ritual, they also reflect the spiritual needs of the time and the everyday fears that accompanied people’s lives. In this paper, I aim to explore their application in traditional magical practices known in contemporary Bulgaria as bayania (healing incantations). Framed as “prayers”, these texts draw upon both archetypes from local culture and pre-Christian symbolism, as well as upon saints featured in biblical narratives. In this sense, the prayers recited during the performance of bayania can be seen as a continuation of a centuries-old tradition, exemplified by the apocryphal prayers themselves.

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