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The objective of this paper is to present an interesting example from Bulgaria – the Rhodope Mountains, which abound in visible and invisible boundaries. The paper focuses on the cultural elements which are selected by the communities as identifiers to distinguish themselves from others. The three basic ethno-religious groups inhabiting the mountains (Turks, Muslim Bulgarians, and Christian Bulgarians) possess a complex of cultural characteristics including language, names, self-identification, marriage patterns, traditional and ritual systems, religious affiliation, clothing, and so on, which are instrumentalized with the objective of achieving closer relations or drawing dividing lines between different communities. The process of the eradication and establishment of new boundaries is especially dynamic with regard to Muslim Bulgarians. They perceive themselves as a boundary community, and in fact they are regarded as such by both Christian Bulgarians and Turks. In their attempts to overcome that border situation, the middle and younger generations of Muslim Bulgarians in the Middle and Eastern Rhodopes have started to express a Bulgarian identity more frequently. The elder Muslim Bulgarians in the regions of Gotse Delchev, Madan, and Rudozem, as well as the younger ones, place their Muslim belonging more frequently at the center of their personal and group identity, which finds expression in the drawing of cultural boundaries to distinguish themselves from members of the other groups.
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The focus of the article lies on the interpretations of folklore elements in the Bulgarian animated cinema as well as on the rationalization of main features of the Bulgarian national character in the period from the late 1940s to the present days. In the 1960s, the process which has begun with the ideological censorship of the Bulgarian folklore tradition quickly transformed into satirical film model directing its criticism on the national character of the Bulgarian. This model was also based on the nontraditional visual representation of the folklore through the modern black and white drawing and caricature, through the grotesque and the decorative drawing. The next stage of the transformation of fairy and mythological subjects was related to the radical neo-vanguard practices in our animated cinema which compared our tradition to foreign cultures and ideas on a global scale and in wide range – from the direct parallels in art to the psychoanalytical interpretations visualized in surrealistic stylistics. The last 25 years marked a peculiar identity crisis of the Bulgarian artists. The changes after the fall of the Berlin Wall created certain fear in the artists to turn to the rationalization of the national origin and character.
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This paper examines Corsican and Romanian traditions of mountainous shepherds in the context of the magic quest for milk. This quest is narrated in the tales and in the legends and it is embodied by the magic traditional characters as Corsican Salamone and Romanian Solomonar. Corsican Salamone would like to be the magic specialist of the brocciu’s creation and fabrication. But he can’t. Why? We will try to answer to this question. The brocciu is Corsican typical cheese. Solomonar is a Romanian weatherman who requests for the eggs and for the milk in his village. Why? We will try to answer to this second question. Finally, both characters Salamone and Solomonar are a re-appropriation of the famous mythical character in the Grimoires books, Solomon. This comparative research aims to understand his symbolical role in this ritual quest transformed in the popular narrative tradition.
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One of the biggest challenges in Poland (1918-1939) was the establishment of a new Polishschool. The main goal of the newly created Polish school was to educate a generation aspatriots and responsible citizens, and unite compatriots from three ex-partitions. The first school curriculum in the independent Poland focused on teaching social knowledge, Polish and European cultures, and, above all, providing pupils with moral and aesthetic experience. Music education played a key role in bringing various ideological objectives to fruition. Music compositions with national themes – both from concert and folk traditions – were worshipped and seen as the rebirth of the national culture. The goal of music instruction was to educate the young generation, bring it closer to the ideas embedded in the masterpieces of art, and deepen their love of music.
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The Baptizing of Bulgarians is a widely interpret subject in Bulgarian and in foreign medieval texts. The first part of the article is focused at the appearance of that subject in “Slavonic-Bulgarian History“ by Paisius of Hilendar, furthermore – the ethno-saving function of the story of St. Cyril and St. Methodius in the chapter called “For the Slavic Teachers“. This function is linked with the subject of the direct participation of St. Cyril and St. Methodius in the Baptizing of Bulgarians. The truth or the inveracities are defined according to the real facts which today’s science possesses. Then an analysis is given of their later 100-year projection in the works of some Bulgarian Renaissance writers and publishers. Again, the aim of this projection is ethno-saving, but there is a spiritually unifying power which transforms into a political support in the years before the Liberation. That’s why in the second part of the article the focus is at the “Speech of St. Cyril and St. Methodius“ given by Kuzman Shapkarev in the city of Kukush on 11th May 1866.
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The author of the article notices that discussions on the essence of totalitarianism revolve mostly around: the sphere of distorted political relations, replacing the authority with the dictate of the authorities, monopoly of one party in all spheres of life controlled by such a party. Alternatively, they focus on economic relations, which makes them particularly expressive, yet easily falsifiable. Referring to the reflections of John Paul II, the author notes that the Pope’s diagnosis of the current state of affairs concerning the Copernican revolution in philosophy is immensely interesting and extremely inspiring. It was a revolution in the cognitive sphere but, consequently, it led to the ‘exile’ of God from the real world and rendered Him be perceived as being existing in some other world. The aforementioned exile of God was meant to end with the death of God but this process led, in fact, to the destruction of man. The author states that without reference to the anthropological error it is impossible to understand the essence of moral evil of totalitarianism.
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The article presents the causes and spatial differences of infant mortality in eastern Prussia densely populated by the Polish, and the changes that phenomenon was subject to. The research has been carried out mainly on the numeric data juxtaposed and published by Dr Behr-Pinnow, on official statistical material (Preußische Statistik, Statistikdes Deutschen Reichs, Veröffentlichungen des Kaiserlichen Gesundheitsamts) and on unpublished archival material, first of all reports of Regierungsbezirk presidents. Infant mortality has been analysed at three levels of data aggregation: provinces, Regierungsbezirke, counties (Kreise). In the research the following devices have been used: coefficients, averaging of several years, (dis)similarity rates of structures (the reference standard – Regierungsbezirk Aurich), weighted linear regression, cartograms (grouping based on median absolute deviation). The article depicts the tendency for infant mortality in the ‘Polish’ Regierungsbezirke of Prussia, which deteriorated at the beginning of the 20th century, and a significant spatial diversification of the phenomenon in question, which was related to the way of farming (especially in the region of Żuławy Wiślane and the Vistula valley); however, the research has not provided any conclusive evidence of a link between a high infant mortality rate in the area in question and the socio-professional structure, the level of affluence or the infrastructure. On the other hand, thanks to linear regression models it has been proved that the intensity of infant mortality in counties depended on the ethnic composition to a significant degree (the faith did notplay any role). Parallel to an increase of the Polish- and Kashubian-speaking populations (those populations – it is worth mentioning – usually enjoyed lower socio-economic status compared to their German-speaking neighbours) the infant mortality rate was generally decreasing. It was at the lowest level in Greater Poland, in the counties of Kościan, Gostyn and Śmigiel (where the dominant population was Polish, Catholic and rural). All in all, it is justified to say that the Polish- and Kashubian-speaking populations that were less advanced in demographic transformation compared to their German-speaking neighbours, even before institutionalising social welfare, provided better care for babies and guaranteed a lower infant mortality rate, first of all thanks to the general and longer breastfeeding.
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The paper addresses the question of the origin of the nation, its genesis and development. There are two alternative perspectives on the origin of the nation: а) the nation is somebody’s construct or б) the nation appears naturally. Thus, in general, the ethnologists are divided into a) „construc¬tivists“, who believe that the nations were created, constructed by some¬one, for example by the elites, and b) „primordialists“, who believe that the nations appeared by themselves if there are beneficial circumstances, such as the developed technological and public structures. According to the author of this paper, the nation is one of the stages of the life of the ethnos and the nation may be outlived by the ethnos, while the ethnos will continue its existence in a „postnational constellation“. The analysis 39 of the statistical data from the census of Bulgarian citizens from 1992, 2001 and 2011 show numerous groups that identify themselves as other from the main „ethnic groups“, but they were denied the provision of eth¬nic self-identification. According to data of the Director of the National Statistical Institute, 9% of the Bulgarian citizens did not answer volun¬tarily the question of self-determination on ethnicity. According to the census of 2011, these people were 102 695 or 1.46% and were therefore denied „ethnic self-identification“. Thus, at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the dominance of the constructivist theory leads to the destruction of the notion of „ethnos“ and its arbitrary and chaotic replacement with „nation“ takes place. This situation leads to terminological confusion and theoretical frustration. And accordingly, the complete bankruptcy of the doctrine of „ethnic self-identification“ is predetermined: it appears to be useless both for academic analysis and for the needs of the state government. In appendices I, II and III are presented three “primordialists’” concepts ofthe nation: by Joseph Stalin, Lev Gu-milev, and Todor I. Zhivkov.The paper addresses the question of the origin of the nation, its genesis and development. There are two alternative perspectives on the origin of the nation: а) the nation is somebody’s construct or б) the nation appears naturally. Thus, in general, the ethnologists are divided into a) „construc¬tivists“, who believe that the nations were created, constructed by some¬one, for example by the elites, and b) „primordialists“, who believe that the nations appeared by themselves if there are beneficial circumstances, such as the developed technological and public structures. According to the author of this paper, the nation is one of the stages of the life of the ethnos and the nation may be outlived by the ethnos, while the ethnos will continue its existence in a „postnational constellation“. The analysis of the statistical data from the census of Bulgarian citizens from 1992, 2001 and 2011 show numerous groups that identify themselves as other from the main „ethnic groups“, but they were denied the provision of ethnic self-identification. According to data of the Director of the National Statistical Institute, 9% of the Bulgarian citizens did not answer voluntarily the question of self-determination on ethnicity. According to the census of 2011, these people were 102 695 or 1.46% and were therefore denied „ethnic self-identification“. Thus, at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the dominance of the constructivist theory leads to the destruction of the notion of „ethnos“ and its arbitrary and chaotic replacement with „nation“ takes place. This situation leads to terminological confusion and theoretical frustration. And accordingly, the complete bankruptcy of the doctrine of „ethnic self-identification“ is predetermined: it appears to be useless both for academic analysis and for the needs of the state government. In appendices I, II and III are presented three “primordialists’” concepts ofthe nation: by Joseph Stalin, Lev Gumilev, and Todor I. Zhivkov.
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The text raises the important question about the authenticity of the folklore legends about Tsar Ivan Shishman in the Samokov region.
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The poem “Cyril and Methodius”, more commonly known as “Varvi, Narode Vazrodeni…” was written in 1892 by Stoyan Mihaylovsky in Ruse. Before starting work as an Associate Professor of Literature at Sofia University “St. Clement of Ohrid”, he used to teach at the high school in Ruse, which is exactly where, on 15 April he wrote the fourteen verses and sent them to Dr. Krastev. The latter then published them in book no. 9–10 of the “Misal” magazine. The text of the hymn may seem pretty familiar to us, and maybe exactly because of this, we do not pay enough attention to the cultural connotation of the images of St. Cyril and St. Methodius in it. And the connotation is rich and intentional. The current research aims at trying to decode it and find out why exactly the images of the two first teachers are always a support in Bulgarian mentality.
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In a critical situation the hero is in an arid mountain and wants to cut the head of his horse and drink its blood. The historical roots of the song represent fragments of the New Year‘s mythological complex associated with the rituals of killing a holy horse and initiation and marriage of the shaman-like priest. The calendric-astronomical basis of the motif is associated with two New Year‘s transitions – in the beginning of March (by the course of the Moon) and at the end of April and the beginning of May (by the course of the Pleiades).
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A variant of interpretation of the folklore biography of the place Zhelyovi kamani near the village of Orizari in the region of Tvarditsa is submitted with a view to the opinion about the folklore biography of the place as a main topos with centre-organizing functions in the settlement space and an active participant in the construction of the settlement biography. The affair in question is the attitude to this biography, motivated through myths, legends, traditional ritualism in the local knowledge. It is expressed in the active appreciation towards the inherited knowledge and its own interpretation of its aspects even “faking” of the contents through the view of a local resident.
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The instrumental Macedonian ethnopop music is particularly interesting phenomenon because of its development and prolonged existence in conditions with persistent internal influences of the social and economic environment, but also external influences from the neighboring and distant music cultures. These influences have determined the way of the creation of this music and its final musical products. Regarding the fact that the instrumental Macedonian ethnopop music had its peak especially in the 1980ties, the subject of interest in this paper will be the musical pieces from the mentioned period. Also, a special at¬tention will be dedicated to the creativity, in other words to the process of creation of the instrumental Macedonian ethnopop music and the reproductive process of this music. The conclusions will be based on the analysis of the music characteristics of the recorded material which forms the database of the sample of 100 music pieces.
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The folklore narratives for the water bull from Kyustendil region occupy an important place in the Bulgarian folklore faith. They represent a connection between historical Bulgarian communities on both sides of the Bulgarian-Serbian and Bulgarian-Macedonian state borders.
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In this paper you can examine and compare the lives of the two saints and the images of holiness in the texts; the historical context of the creation of the works, the influence that both lives have into their national cultures, and also how the two hagiographies correspond to each other.
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The topic of discussion of the following research is the "Jerusalemes" brought to Bulgaria by pilgrims during the Bulgarian Renaissance. These picturesque paintings (defined as such because of their difference from typical icons) pre sent the Bible and give an insight into the objects along the pilgrim road. The central image of each painting is always Christ's grave in the Church of Resurrection built by St. Constantine and St. Helena in Jerusalem.
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Reviews of: 1. LADISLAV LENOVSKÝ: Naši vo svete – Slováci južne od hranice Slovenska I.–III. [Our People in the World – Slovaks South of Slovakia’s Border I–III] Vydavateľstvo – Editura Ivan Krasko, Nadlak (Rumunsko), 2016, 166 s.; 2017, 147 s. 2018, 201 s. Review by: MICHAL BABIAK; 2. JÁN BOTÍK: Slováci vo Vojvodine: premeny svojbytnosti enklávneho spoločenstva [Slovaks in Vojvodina: The Transformations of the Enclave Community’s Autonomy] Nový Sad: Ústav pre kultúru vojvodinských Slovákov, 2016, 272 s. Review by: NATÁLIA BLAHOVÁ; 3. ADÉLA SOURALOVÁ a kolektiv: Péče na prodej: Jak se práce z lásky stává placenou službou [Care for Sale: How Work out of Love Turns into Paid Service] Brno: Munipress, 2017, 249 s. Review by: ZUZANA SEKERÁKOVÁ BÚRIKOVÁ; 4. Nielen obete, aj páchatelia majú potomkov... (Úvaha inšpirovaná knihou Bolestivé mlčanie) Not Only Victims, Criminals Also Have Offspring... (An Essay Inspired by the Book Painful Silence) ALEXANDRA SENFFT: Bolestivé mlčanie [Painful Silence] Premedia, 2019, 272 s. Review by: PETER SALNER
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