Elbetitsa

Every single embroidery is in a certain composition. Elbetitsa, on the other hand, is one of the main compositions.

Cultural heritage is the embodiment of Bulgarian strength, and one of these symbols is the Elbetitsa . This is a type of composition that is widely found in the Bulgarian embroidery art.

It is found in different variants, examples of which are plant and animal motifs. Elbetitsa is most easily recognized by the two crossed crosses, placed one on top of the other. There are various theories about the symbolism woven into this symbol. Generally speaking, Elbetitsa symbolizes harmony. The two crosses conventionally depict the four main and four additional directions of the world (north, south, west, east, northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast), joining in a common stable center that keeps them in sync. In this way, the idea of ​​the cycle of nature is also interpreted - winter - north, summer - south, spring - east, autumn - west. In the different ways of making the Elbetitsa, four heads are arranged around a central image, separated by four plant forms. In some variants of the ornament, the personification of the seasons can be seen very clearly. So, for example, in the embroidery we call "Fertility", the yellow leaves around the upper tulip represent the idea of ​​the harvest season, the red leaves the idea of ​​the intermediate seasons, and the blue ones below, winter.

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The Elbetitsa represents the "circle of life and destiny" and appears in the Middle East, Anatolia and the Balkans as early as the Neolithic age. They are also found in the art of Ancient China, Ancient Egypt, Ancient India, and Japan.

Elbetitsa is the basis of many Bulgarian embroideries and ornaments, depicted on the sleeves and collars of clothes, as well as in the lower part of women's skirts. These are the places where the clothes ended and it was believed that a person was most vulnerable there. Therefore, all embroidery and ornaments are believed to have magical power to protect their wearer from evil forces.

The animal symbols in Elbetitsa are associated with protection, and the plant symbols with man's relationship with nature.

The Elbetitsacan also be found in the constructions of the old capitals of Pliska and Preslav, as well as in other architecture from this and earlier eras.

Over time, the protective character of the Elbetitsa intertwines with the aesthetic one, and so this tapestry becomes an invariable part of the decoration of Bulgarian folk costumes from all folklore regions.

Similar is the original purpose of the ornaments, and in particular of the metal cuffs of the belts from the women's Bulgarian folk costume. They were worn as protection precisely in the places of the human body through which it was believed that unclean forces and spirits could penetrate. These are almost the same places called chakras by Eastern peoples, and through which, according to them, the exchange between human and cosmic energy takes place.

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