One of the main elements of Bulgarian folklore is oral creativity. We most often associate it with folk songs, proverbs and riddles, but we often forget that fairy tales are in the same category.
Although they are aimed at children, over the centuries they have also entertained adults. However, their most important function has always been one - to teach the generations virtues and build their value system. However, Bulgarian fairy tales and their characters are inextricably linked to the spirit of our people and therefore we must not allow them to sink into oblivion.
Therefore, from Vezba, we decided to remind you of five of the most popular characters from Bulgarian folk tales and their adventures.
The little brother
We begin with the most popular collective image in Bulgarian folk art. He is the personification of kindness, courage and resourcefulness. They apparently aren't passed down genetically, because his older brothers never manage to perform the feats he's capable of. He often incurs their anger and envy, but never reciprocates.
The little brother, who always remains nameless, has behind him dozens of adventures told in various tales, but the most significant and memorable is the battle for the Golden Apple against the evil Lamia. The heroic hero succeeds in defeating her and in the process acquires a beautiful bride, a kingdom and immense wealth. And all this just because his brothers can't stay up all night...
Hitar Petar
This is our favorite character, simply because there is no other like him. Cunning Peter possesses cunning, wisdom and resourcefulness, which, however, he uses only in the name of justice. Many of his stories are not classic fairy tales, as he has no magical abilities and relies solely on his quick wits to get out of an unpleasant situation. In practice, the adventures of Cunning Peter are rather humorous anecdotes revealing the manners, life and problems of our ancestors.
In the image of many Bulgarians, the word "cunning" has a negative meaning. However, in the dictionary of Bulgarians from the XV-XVI centuries (when the image first appears), it is a virtue, and this is exactly what turns Cunning Peter into a hero for the unjust. We can compare him to Robin Hood, but in a much more humorous version, which aimed to make Bulgarians laugh in one of their darkest periods - the Ottoman slavery.
No less interesting is the other character associated with Sly Peter - Nastradin Khoja. He is a real Turkish humorist, who lived and worked in the 12th century, who became a literary hero and the biggest rival of Hitter Peter. In their common stories, in addition to being opponents, the two are also good friends. Their competitions usually boil down to who can come up with the biggest lie, but they are little more than innocent fun.
This is what makes Hitter Peter so likable for generations of Bulgarians - he is a joker, kind and always takes the side of justice. How can you not like it?
If you want to find out what's in Sly Peter's bag, sign up here and you'll receive our e-book with his
funny stories.
Golden girl
In effect, it's the female equivalent of Little Brother. She is a collective image of all young, beautiful, smart and above all good girls, which in Western literature we can associate with Cinderella, for example. Mostly, in typical fairy tale style, she has a hard life, being an orphan and often the victim of attacks by her stepmother and stepsisters. Fate or some fairy-tale hero, however, always manage to repay her - sometimes with unprecedented wealth, other times with a noble groom.
In the famous fairy tale that bears her name, the Golden Girl encounters an old grandmother who turns out to be a witch and reveals to her the secret of the wondrous multicolored river. Of course, in the end, the bad guys get their due, and the Golden Girl marries the king's son. A real Bulgarian Cinderella!
The Youthful Rooster
This is the first character on our list to come from the animal kingdom. However, he also has some human features - he wears yellow boots and can talk. But that's not all: he can drink a whole river, swallow a lion and put out a devastating fire. His great enemy is the bad and tight-lipped king.
If all this reminds you of someone, don't worry, the rooster is strikingly similar to us in its behavior as Puss in Boots. There is nothing surprising in this, because all over the world fairy tales and their characters embody universal human virtues and values.
The adventure of the Heroic Rooster is as funny as it is instructive, because he goes through all these vicissitudes only to return the horseshoe that was unjustly taken to his friend Marco the donkey.
Unborn Petko
This is the strangest character in Bulgarian fairy tales, since he practically does not exist and is not even the main character in the fairy tale with his name. Instead, it follows the adventures of his would-be grandfather. He marvels at the madness of his wife and daughter, who mourn the child before it is born.
This led him to visit several villages to see for himself that "there are even crazier people". What follows is a series of adventures that include a pig going to a wedding, a stranded grandmother and a sack of sunshine. Thus, the fairy tale turns into a humorous narrative in which several folk anecdotes are used. After them, Neroden Petko's grandfather concludes with relief: "My wives are good to me."
If other forgotten heroes popped into your head, remember their adventures, share them with your loved ones and be a #Keeper of Tradition.
If you want to know what is hidden in Sly Peter's bag, sign up here and you'll get our e-book with his
funny stories.
*book illustration: Sava Komitski