Podcast in English
Audio Player
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

In Bulgarian folklore St. Elijah is master of hail and storms

Photo: pravoslavie.bg

On July 20, Orthodox Christians mark the day of St. Elijah. Bulgarians call this holiday Ilinden and in folklore traditions St. Elijah is seen as a saints who is master of hail, thunder, and lightning.

In folk tales the saint has a chariot of fire and as he rides in it he chases a dragon (“lamya”) that feeds on the wheat in the fields. Perhaps, this notion is connected with the miracle of his departure from the earthly world as it is said that St. Elijah was taken in a chariot of fire and brought alive to heaven.

A beautiful song from the repertoire of Daniel Spasov and Milen Ivanov tells about the supernatural powers of "Old Saint Elijah".


Editor: Albena Bezovska



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

The relics of St. George the Victorious are on display at the Church of St. Athanasius the Great in Gorni Lozen

"You must have strong faith and pray - then the saint will help you and carry your prayer to God," says Father Georgi Markov of the Church of St. Athanasius the Great in Gorni Lozen near Sofia. He adds that he has often witnessed the miracles of St..

published on 5/1/25 7:47 PM
The baptism of Tsar Boris I (painter Nikolai Pavlovich)

Celebrations of the 1160th anniversary of the adoption of Christianity in Bulgaria

This year, 2025, marks 1160 years since the baptism of our Bulgarian people into the Orthodox faith and 1170 years since the creation of the Bulgarian alphabet and Slavic literature. On this occasion, the Varna and Veliki Preslav Bishopric Metropolis..

published on 5/1/25 7:05 AM
Monument to Pavel Bobekov in the centre of Panagyurishte

Pavel Bobekov and the grammar of the April Uprising

Bulgaria celebrates 149 years since the April Uprising – an event that led to the liberation of Bulgaria after almost five centuries of Ottoman rule. Today, nearly a century and a half later, we must not forget that every participant in the April..

published on 5/1/25 6:25 AM