Oт кукуруза към астрала (Поглед към културата на власите в сьвременността)
From Maze Fortune Telling to an Astral One (Contribution to the Contemporary Culture of the Vlahs Living in Bulgaria)

Summary/Abstract: The article interprets the mantic in the region of the river Timok and is based on fieldwork investigation among the Vlahs living there, accomplished by the author of the article between 1994 and 1997. There are presented two mantic models named respectively “maze” (traditional fortune telling with maze seeds) and “astral” (the astral concepts of the local mediums). The analysis shows the process of development undergone by the local community culture and especially the change in concepts of death and outer world. The author concludes that the mantic as a fragment of community’s culture has undergone serious changes and thus it could exemplify changes accompanying the processes of evolution from traditional way of life to modernity.

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