馃嚙馃嚞 Magic in Bulgaria
37 entries from Bulgaria, best known first, across 5 places of magic.
Places of magic in Bulgaria
PurposeProtectionHealingSeeing and foretellingLuck and prosperityLove and attractionCursing and harmCleansing and purificationSpeaking with spirits and the deadChange and initiationBinding and oathsPower and authorityWonder and entertainment
WhoShamansFolk healersPriests and ritual specialistsWitches, sorcerers and cunning folkDiviners and readersMediums and the possessedCeremonial magicians and alchemistsHouseholds and ordinary peopleStage magiciansScholars and sceptics
BeliefHindu and TantricBuddhistJainMuslim and SufiJewishChristianSikhZoroastrianShinto and TaoistIndigenous and shamanicAfrican and Afro-diasporicPagan and NeopaganEsoteric and occultFolk and village customSecular and stageOther traditions
馃嚛馃嚜 Germany and 4 moreNeed-fireNotfeuer
A ritual fire lit by friction to protect livestock and people from disease and witchcraftRite 路 Protection 路 Cleansing and purification Historical
馃嚙馃嚞 Bulgaria and 5 moreKukeri泻褍泻械褉懈
A costumed ritual in Bulgaria to chase away evil spirits and welcome springRite 路 Protection 路 Cursing and harm Living
馃嚘馃嚤 Albania and 5 moreDodola袛芯写o谢邪 / 袩械褉锌械褉褍薪邪
A Balkan rainmaking rite performed by youths in greenery to invoke summer showersRite 路 Protection 路 Luck and prosperity Living
馃嚪馃嚧 Romania and 2 moreCaloian
A Romanian clay effigy ritual for rain and fertility, featuring a mock funeralRite 路 Luck and prosperity Fading
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Need-fire: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Kukeri: Nenko Lazarov, CC BY 2.5, source
- Caloian: Costic膬 Acsinte Archive, No restrictions, source
- Dodola: Andrey Shishkin, CC BY 3.0, source