Day of Saint Michael the Archangel – commemoration of the departed

Day of Saint Michael the Archangel – commemoration of the departed

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The Day of Saint Michael the Archangel is related to the belief of soul’s immortality. The rituals performed on this day reflect the strong belief in god and the hope of people for mercy, as well as their belief in the superior wisdom that justly guides our destiny. Orthodox Bulgarians mark the day of Saint Michael the Archangel on November 8. According to folklore traditions, the day is the most important one during autumn after the day of Saint Demetrius.

All members of a family used to get together on the Day of Saint Michael the Archangel (Arhangelovden). Village gatherings and sacrificial offerings are important part of the feast. On Saturday before the feast All Souls Day is marked. According to traditions, on this day families gather for commemorative lunch together. Wheat, bread, and wine are present at the table. According to folklore traditions, the grains of wheat are symbol of the soul’s immortality, as when a grain is put underground, it gets ready for a new beginning. Wine is also a symbol of life and it is mentioned in a number of folk songs. When Bulgarians commemorate the deceased members of their families, wine is poured over the bread and over one’s grave. This shows the permanent transition between life and death.

According to folklore beliefs, the soul has 2 manifestations – the shadow and the breath. They cannot exist alone. If the shadow is gone, then breath is gone too and vice versa. Long time ago people believed that putting one’s shadow into the walls of a building during construction made the building very strong but the man or woman, whose shadow was taken, died soon after that. The shadow is visible when sun is shining, while breath is seen when the weather is cold. The soul never dies. “When a man dies their shadow and breath leave the body and their soul goes to heaven,” an old woman from a small village in Northern Bulgaria told ethnologist Dimitar Marinov in the end of the 19th century. At that time the scientist used to travel around the country and record ancient traditions and rituals. “The soul is situated in one’s heart. When it beats the souls is still their,” Dimitar Marinov has recorded. When one’s time comes, Saint Michael the Archangel takes the soul to the heaven or to hell. There are times when a person does not die but his soul is taken by the Archangel to heaven, where ones speaks with the souls of his dead relatives, before Saint Michael the Archangel brings the soul back to the body. In such cases old people say that one held his soul behind the teeth. In folklore a man on his death bed is referred to as a “traveler” or one who is on his last journey.

According to ancient beliefs, sometimes the soul does not want to leave the body, as it afraid of the unknown. However, Michael the Archangel had his way to deal with this. He showed a golden apple, urging the soul to come out before cutting it down with his sword. He then wiped the sword with the towel left on the deathbed by the relatives. The archangel is merciful. A number of folklore songs tell stories about the saint changing his mind when seeing the grief of the family. Saint Michael is also very patient. Sometimes he stands by the feet of the man in his deathbed, waiting for the relatives to say their last goodbye. Some of the old rituals aim at appeasing the saint, so he takes one’s soul easily.

The idea of the soul’s immortality is also seen in the people’s beliefs about the sacred 40 days after one’s death. People say everyone has their own angel and a devil. When one dies, Saint Michael the Archangel gives the soul to some of the angels and devils and they take it on a journey so one can see for the last time their favorite places. That is why according to legends the souls of those who have traveled a lot during their life time have to go on a long way during these 40 days after death. When someone goes on a long journey, old people used to say that their souls would have to wander a lot. After the 40th day an angel always offered to the soul to return to the previous body but as it had already seen the freedom and beauty of eternity it never accepts to return to its past state.
Ritual types of bread are served on the Day of Saint Michael the Archangel. There are two main types. One is called “Bogovitsa” while the other one is called “Rangelovo blyudo,” or Rangel’s meal. Both types of ritual bread are decorated in a special way, as Rangelovo blyudo usually comes in the form of a cross.

English: Alexander Markov

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Day of Saint Michael the Archangel – commemoration of the departed

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