Washing Rituals from Bulgaria by Georgi Mishev, PhD
WASHING RITUALS FROM BULGARIA
By Georgi Mishev, PhD
Washing Rituals from Bulgaria by Georgi Mishev explores the power of water and magical plants in traditional washing rituals used in Bulgaria. Traditional healers in Bulgaria still use these rituals today, combining the waters gathered from powerful natural sources with the magical properties of herbs (and some other objects) attested as bringing healing and relief to their clients’ ailments. Ailments treated by such healers with washing rituals are varied but include known and unknown diseases, such as fever, infertility, epilepsy and childhood illnesses. Rituals are also used to deal with fear, calm a child, break magic and avertthe evil eye. Some illnesses are attributed to the zmey and samodivas, nature spirits who were once venerated in the region but whose importance has now mostly been diminished to folklore and songs, and washing rituals are employed by healers to address these illnesses too.
Inspired by stories his grandmother told him as a child of these rituals, author and anthropologist Georgi Mishev set about investigating these fascinating rituals in Bulgaria today. This small volume brings together his personal observations and transcripts of conversations with magicians and healers in the Balkans (focusing on Bulgaria) and related ethnographical records.
Essential reading if you are interested in Bulgarian or Balkan folkloric practices, healing traditions and/or traditional magic and witchcraft in Europe.
2022, 70 pages.Paperback & Kindle editions are available. ISBN 978-1-905297-72-6
B&W 6.14 x 9.21 in or 234 x 156 mm (Royal 8vo) Perfect Bound on Creme w/Gloss Lam
Table of Contents
Foreword by Irina Sedakova, Dr. Sc. 10
Introduction. 13
Washings For Diseases Caused by Zmey And Samodiva. 26About the Days Suitable for Washings. 34
Washings For Unknown Diseases, The Evil Eye And Magic. 45
Washings for Different Diseases. 55
Conclusion. 62Bibliography 65
From the Introduction
Georgi Mishev writes:
"Washing, as a method of healing, was used in precisely-specified ways for certain illnesses and conditions. Primarily these were the so-called diseases that people believed were caused by supernatural creatures such as the forest nymphs, known in Bulgaria as the samodiva, or the Bulgarian dragon-like mythological creatures, the zmey. These were called “illnesses from outside”. There were also illnesses without a determined reason described as unknown diseases. Likewise, the diseases or conditions thought to have been caused by magic or the evil eye, which did not have physiological causes. Finally, in some cases, ritual washing was used as a means of treatment for issues usually treated by other methods, such as infertility, fear, fever, etc. Such separation of types of washings is conditional and - as will become obvious in some of the examples discussed - in many cases, it is possible to see common elements and the interaction of ritual patterns from one field of treatment into another.I will begin with the most widespread washing rituals celebrated even in songs, namely the treatment with washing for releasing from the influence of a zmey or samodiva."
About the Author
Georgi Mishev holds a bachelor’s degree in German and Russian language, specialising in "Applied Linguistics". He also studied “Ancient magical formulae” with Prof. Johann Tischler at the Dresden University of Technology in Germany, and holds a masters degree in “Preservation of the cultural-historical heritage in the Republic of Bulgaria” having presented his thesis on “Thracian material and immaterial cultural-historical heritage in the region of Thracian cult centre Starosel”. Doctoral degree in the field of cultural-historical heritage with PhD thesis on the subject “Bulgarian traditional culture as an information resource about the magika in ancient Southeastern Europe”.
Mishev's scholarly knowledge is enriched by his personal observations and conversations with magical practitioners in Bulgaria today.
Previous published works include:
Mishev, G., Nedyalkova, E. 77 and a half magiferous plants. Sofia, 2021, 252 p. (in Bulgarian)
Mishev, G. Wasing rituals – POLIVKI. Sofia, 2020, 123 p. (in Bulgarian)
Mishev, G. Magical rituals for gathering plants. In: Mirabilia: wonders and monsters. Sofia, 2018 // Mirabilia: miraculous and magical. Studia Balcanica 33. Sofia, 2020, 281-299. (in Bulgarian).
Mishev, G. Insomnia in the folk belief – image and ritual. –In: Mirabilia: wonders and monsters. Studia Balcanica 31. Sofia, 2016, 320-335. (in Bulgarian)
Mishev, G. The stone – faith and beliefs from Bratsigovo. -In: Megalithic Monuments and Cult Practices. PROCEEDINGS of the Second International Symposium Blagoevgrad, 12-15 October 2016. Blagoevgrad, 2016, 315-322.
Mishev, G. The beginning of the path of the witch in the Bulgarian traditional culture. // Balkan thesaurus: The Beginning. Balkan Readings 13. Theses and papers. Moscow, 7-9 of April 2015. Moscow, 2015, 179–188. (in Bulgarian)
Mishev, G. The hierarchy as foundation of the ritual. // The leaders of masquerade. Papers from the conference for the XXIIIth international festival of the masquerade games „Surva – Pernik 2014. Pernik, 2015, 94–101. (in Bulgarian)
Mishev, G. Where Do You Come From, Ash? – I Come From a Pure Place. Magical Healing Practices from the Region of the Thracian Cult Centre of Starosel, Plovdiv region, Bulgaria. // THE RITUAL YEAR 10 Magic in Rituals and Rituals in Magic. The Yearbook of the SIEF Working Group on the Ritual Year. Innsbruck 2015, 246–256. (in English)
Mishev, G. The mask of the divine multiplicity. // „Masquerade Games – visual tale“. Papers from the conference for the XXIIth international festival of the masquerade games „Surva – Pernik 2013. Pernik, 2014, 127–133. (in Bulgarian)
Mishev, G. White, red and black: Bulgarian healing ritual. // The Cauldron. No 149. London, 2013, 33–36. (in English)
Mishev, G. Thracian magic: past & present. London, 2012, 338 pages. (in English)
Mishev, G. Cultural Memory in the Region of the Cult Center Starosel. // Bulletin of the National History Museum, XXII. Veliko Turnovo, 2010, 185–197. (in Bulgarian)
Online publications:
Mishev, G. Тhe regulations of the Iobacchoi online: http://www.thracica.com/library/epublication/14 (in Bulgarian)
Mishev, G. Solar disk on peak Eldermen, region of Starosel online: http://godsun.thracica.com/library/publication/13 (in Bulgarian)
Lectures and Conferences
2012. „Ritual - Cultural tourism – Buffoonery“ - during the 10th National anniversary scientific conference with international participation "The society of knowledge and the humanism of 21st century" at the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies, Sofia
2011. “Nymphs – Image/Symbol of the Magical Femininity in Traditional Bulgarian Beliefs” – during the 3rd National Conference of Analytical Psychology in Sofia, Bulgaria.
2010. “Water – Deities, Beliefs and Rituals from Antiquity to Modern Times” – at the Night of the Museums in the city of Kazanlak, Bulgaria.
Consulted and took part in the filming of some documentaries:
2012. „Fire relicts” – a documentary dedicated to the cult and the pre-Christian origin of the so-called fiery Saints – St. Elijas and St. Marina, a production of the Bulgarian national television – Plovdiv (online: http://bntplovdiv.com/all-movies/movies-online/7081-ogneni-relikti.html)
2011. „She” – a documentary dedicated to the cult of the Goddess, a production of the Bulgarian national television – Plovdiv (online: http://bntplovdiv.com/all-movies/movies-online/3641-tya.html).
2010. “Rhodope magic” – documentary trilogy, co-production of the Czech Republic Television and Golden Archer Productions, in collaboration with the Bulgarian National Television.
