In addition to Christian saints, Bulgarians continue to revere many fantastic creatures, symbols of the visible and invisible world. Some of them are benevolent, others dangerous and evil. According to the old Bulgarians, all natural bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, springs, swamps, have their own supernatural patrons - villas, samodives... That is why people avoided passing by such places when it was dark, so as not to anger the guardians. If the lone diva becomes angry that people bother her with their presence, she can cause death by drowning. To appease them, the people named them a day to honor them. This day is Seknovenia. After that day, the water is cut off and the reservoirs are not suitable for bathing. Whoever enters, the water crosses him and makes him sick, he can even die. On this day, they also believed that all wolves and supernatural beings come home.

On this day, according to church scriptures, St. John the Baptist and connecting the day with his blood, on Seknovene one does not eat fruits and vegetables with a red color such as grapes, watermelons, and does not drink red wine. The day is considered bad and no work is done. With Seknovenie, the spring-summer calendar ends, summer ends and autumn begins.

Folklore collection "Once upon a time - manners and worldview of the Bulgarians"

© 2024 Iliana Dechkova