За „дръвцето" на коледарския цар
The Carol Singers' Leader's "Little Tree"

Summary/Abstract: The author studies the carol singers' "little tree" first registered in North Eastern Bulgaria in the early years of the 20 th century within the period of the so-called "Dirty Days" (25 December — 6 January). This is sacral time, when the destructive, unreal, chthonic forces are overwhelming. At a ritual level, the "Dirty Days" establish the transition to the new cyclic development in nature, the social sphere and labour activity. In this sense they are interpreted as a ritual projection of the primeval creation of an organized cosmos out of world chaos. This is a key position from which the carol singers' attribute is considered an image of the world tree. Through the little tree the carol singers' leader implements his social-ritual function. Cenerally speaking, his function is to overcome the chaos which has set in the social and the natural cosmos, i.e. to restore the former old structure of the community. The attribute is composed of seven basic elements: a small tree, an apple, red decoration, gold leaf, a coin, a bread ring and greenery which are all independently symbolical in the ritual practice. In this case they are subordinated to a general idea and supplement each other, showing the mythological basis of carol singing. As a whole, the little tree is a symbol and a means of contact between the leader of the carol singers and the world of the dead. At the same time it is a model of the cosmos and therefore opposes chaos. At the end of the "Dirty Days" the function of the carol singers' leader ceases to exist as it repeats the microcosmos also represented by the little tree: his function comes into being again the following year. What is more, his position as a "king", as the leader is called, and his attribute find a place in the annual cycle and the crucial moment of transition with its mythological conceptual scheme of "death — rebirth".

• Details
• Contents