The symbolic meaning of numbers in Bulgarian folklore

published on 2/16/10 8:45 AM

The symbolic meaning of numbers in Bulgarian folklore

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A specific understanding of numbers that may seem strange in modern days exists in the Bulgarian folklore. Rumyana Panayotovа presents some interesting examples in today’s folk studio of Radio Bulgaria.
A wish exists in Bulgarian folklore counting the years one would enjoy health and happiness. The counting starts from 1 and goes on to 10, and then suddenly jumps to 150.
It is unrealistic for a man to live 150 years but the wish does not measure a definite period of time. The numbers lose their actual meaning. The counting of the first years of people’s lives is followed by a vast gap in time, symbolizing longevity. Similar symbolic counting of time is seen in the proverb “Be patient for an hour, live a century,” which encourages people to be patient and overcome the temporary difficulties in order to enjoy a happy and calm life.

A Bulgarian riddle reads: “A mother gave birth to five sons in one night, each one different from the other. How come?” The answer to the riddle is obvious when one looks at his hands – the sons are the five fingers. “They are five friends, always inseparable,” says another riddle with the same answer. It is a traditional belief that these five brothers are all-powerful. That is why people say: “Labor does it all.” This can be the explanation to the saying: “Five fingers out power God,” which means with their working hands people can overcome even disasters sent by God. But why was this folk saying stigmatized as heretical during the Middle Ages? Theologians say it is a heresy for people to place themselves above God but a contemporary folklore expert, Ancho Kaloyanov, thinks the saying has a different symbolic meaning.
A hand with outspread fingers is a common symbol in Bulgarian folklore. It is seen on ritual bread, embroideries, and amulets for brides and children. Stone carvings of the same symbol are often found in a number of archaeological monuments, marking ancient cult centers. Besides, there is a herb that has two names in the folk medicine – “Five Fingers” or “Virgin Mary’s Hand.” These examples show that a hand with five fingers has a sacred symbolic meaning. It points to an ancient pre-Christian religion with five supreme gods. This pantheon is related to a constellation known as “The Hen with Chickens.” According to ethnologist Ancho Kaloyanov, the saying about the five fingers outpowering God had a different meaning in the past. It told the story of these mighty gods that opposed the evil god Ubog, who tried to destroy the cosmic order. Because of this pagan meaning, the saying was stigmatized in the Middle Ages.

The ancient pantheon of five gods was remembered a long time after the official adoption of Christianity in Bulgaria during the 9th century. A folk legend about the creation of the world tells the story of five men, who went to the end of the world and took some dirt that turned into gold. In an alternative version of the story, the five friends are guests of God, who turns them into donkeys for a period of 40 days, as a punishment for meddling into his affairs. The meaning of the godlike five is encoded in the widespread Bulgarian name of Petko and its female equivalent Petkana. A father named Peyo (a derivative of the name Petko) and his five warrior sons are characters in a Bulgarian Christmas folk song. The group is so mighty that they destroy a king’s army of 5000 people. The saying: “Five don’t wait for Petko” is also possibly related to the mighty five. Nowadays the meaning of the saying, however, is understood in a more practical way. It highlights the decisive power of the group in unity and the fact that those who stay away from it cannot be part of the common success.

English: Alexander Markov

По публикацията работи: Rumyana Panyotova

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The symbolic meaning of numbers in Bulgarian folklore

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