Reflections on a New Anthropological Study of Bulgarian Kinship Cover Image

Някои мисли върху нова антропологична книга за българското родство
Reflections on a New Anthropological Study of Bulgarian Kinship

Author(s): Rayna Gavrilova
Subject(s): Anthropology, Social Sciences, Customs / Folklore, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Culture and social structure
Published by: БАЛКАНИСТИЧЕН ФОРУМ - МЕЖДУНАРОДЕН УНИВЕРСИТЕТСКИ СЕМИНАР ЗА ПРОУЧВАНИЯ И СПЕЦИАЛИЗАЦИИ
Keywords: kinship; Bulgarian kinship; blood kinship; ritual kinship; fictive kinship; family structure; social organization

Summary/Abstract: This review presents a two-volume study devoted to kinship and its institutions in Bulgarian pre-industrial culture. Bringing together extensive ethnographic, histor-ical, and ethnological material, the work offers a comprehensive analysis of one of the central themes of anthropology – kinship and its social organization. The au-thors examine the structures of blood and marital kinship (Vol. 1), as well as fictive and ritual kinship, including adoption, ritual brotherhood, and godparenthood (Vol. 2). Covering the period from the late eighteenth century to the early decades of the twentieth century, the study synthesizes decades of research on Bulgarian kinship and provides a valuable contribution to the anthropology and ethnology of Southeast Europe. Particular attention is paid to the typology, functions, and sociocultural significance of kinship relations, revealing both their historical con-tinuity and their role in structuring community life.

  • Issue Year: 2/2026
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 282-285
  • Page Count: 4
  • Language: English, Bulgarian
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