Бона Велинова, едно предизвикателство пред българската етнология
The Prophetess Bona Velinova: A Challenge for Balkan Ethnology

Summary/Abstract: Bona Velinova (1885-1960) from Grigorevo was known as prophetess during all the interwar period; already in the midst of her life course she was reputed as a ‘living saint’. Developing some if the issues related to this colourful figure, I try to step further in the anthropological study of Christian-Orthodox religiosity. The article provides an overview of biography and the life conditions which help to understand the ‘birth’ of a profetess as a social process. Then I turn to the functioning of Bona Velinova as ‘prophetess’: the specific ways of communication with the supranatural world, the visionary techniques she used, and the social impact of ‘revelations’ received through dream. In the third and final section I deal with The Good Samaritan’ Orthodox society, arguing about its relevance – as well as the relevans of Bona’s visions – to the specific social and political atmosphere of despair and crisis in interwar Bulgaria, which also explains the efforts of the society’s leader in the social construction of the ‘prophet’ Bona Velinova. The conclusion is that Bona Velinova’s visionary experience is a challenge to both history (history of mentalities and history of ideas) and anthropology of religion.

• Details
• Contents