Ritualul de naştere la bulgarii din Moldova
The childbirth rites among the Bulgarians of Moldova

Summary/Abstract: The childbirth rites is one of the most archaic and stable elements of traditional culture among the Bulgarians of Moldova as well as of their motherland. This cycle of rites conserved some archaic representations of Bulgarians in a quite complete form. According to this archaic picture of the world, the man was part of the nature and suffered from the influence of different natural and supernatural powers on his life and health. Therefore, these rites had to protect himself and his relatives from the maleficent influences of different natural and supernatural powers. Besides, these rites realize the transition of the mother and her child from one social position to another. The great part of childbirth rites was performed during the first forty days after the birth because namely this period was considered as the most dangerous for both the child and mother. In this period, the mother and her child were most helpless against the supernatural powers. The article considers different childbirth rites among the Bulgarians who migrated to Moldova in the XIX century. There are described and explained such notions and concepts as баба ‘midwife’, пита ‘wheat tortilla’, лехуса, нави, орисници, кръштене,and some others. Many rites of the childbirth cycle have largely been preserved in Moldovan villages and, in most cases, are strictly enforcedeven nowadays.

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