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Summer is in full swing. The cereals in the fields are turning golden. It is time for harvest. The contemporary harvesting machines have replaced the view of fields full of harvesters. But the songs dedicated to the time of harvest in Bulgarian folklore have preserved the ambiance of days long gone by. In Folk Studio we bring more about harvest times and St. Peter’s Day, June 29th A folk song tells the story of little Grozdanka, the youngest daughter-in-law of a rich farmer, and also the hardest working among his children. This young girl managed in a single day to reap 12 carts of harvested wheat ears with the use of an iron sickle and a wisp. In awe with her work the father-in-law gave her opulent gifts in recompense. Other songs also treat the same subject. But usually the departing point is a bet between a girl and young men harvesting the fields. In principle the girl wins the bet and together with this the chance to marry the ‘beaten’ lad. This theme refers to the times when parents used to choose the perfect match for their children not only for their looks but also for their hard work. Of course, other songs treat the same subject matter by making the young man the laughing stock of women. And yet, although indirectly, these songs are above all a praise to the rich crops. The harvest is the culmination of the farming season. The long coveted fertility by means of various rituals is at last a fact. Another song tells of a young and wealthy family. The husband, Todor, walked his fields and came home obviously proud of what he had observed. But he is worried that they would not be able to gather all the crops. To which his wife assuages his frown by replying that they will do as in previous years and hire seasonal workers to do the job for them. This used to be pretty much the pattern in the old days, when people form far-away regions offered their labour to farmers in exchange of a seasonal job.
An old legend has it that St. Peter, the Keeper of the keys to Paradise, was walking on Earth in the peak of the harvest season. When he saw how the mortals were toiling he grabbed a sickle and lent them a hand. That is why harvesters don’t make a break on St. Peter’s Day. But on that day they finish working in the fields at noon. And then everyone gathers at the village fair to revere the saint. The rest of the time however harvest starts at dawn and does not end before dusk sets in. The scorching heat is the subject of many folk songs. The people in the fields beg the wind to give them a gust of fresh air. Everyone is looking forward to the early afternoon break, and the gulps of cold water.
The shaved beard is a simile used to represent the completion of the harvest. It is also called god’s beard and is made up several ears interwoven in a special way. It symbolizes fertility. Upon completion of the harvest the ‘god’s beard’ was carried into the barns, where the grains used to be mixed with the seeds that would be used in the spring for the new crops.
