Ethnography

In the late 19^th century, chores were generally separated into two categories – female and male ones. The female presence was at home, where the heart belonged. The women in the family were responsible for the housekeeping activities, which apart from cooking and cleaning, also included the processing of textile raw materials, such as linen, hemp, wool, fur, cotton, and silk. 

They weaved, knitted, and embroidered household items such as clothes, socks, blankets, sheets, etc. both for the practical and decorative needs of the family. The skills were passed on from mothers to their daughters and each family line had its own characteristic embroidery which made their craft unique from everyone else’s. That’s how each region in Bulgaria has come to have a distinguished style comprised of different elements and decorations. 

The textile processing in the Pirin region doesn’t go far beyond the domestic utility of the craft. However, it has given life to artistic expressions unique for the region. Each and every weave and embroidery carry social information, depending on the material used, the technique, and the decorations.

The traditional clothing in South-West Bulgaria belongs to the so-called “sayano obeklo” or clothing, typical with the top part of the costume, named “saya.” The saya is completely open on the front and is put over the long white shirt that is the first piece of the costume. It is one of the characteristic pieces in vast regions of south Bulgaria and the Balkans, bordering with the Mediterranean culture area.

Beaded belts were typical for the Blagoevgrad region. People also believed beads helped keep women away from prying eyes. 

The folklore culture portrays not so much the history of events but the history of the perception of the world. The traditional Bulgarian costume, no matter the local ethnographical identity, is comprised of a few main elements put on in the following order:  
First, a long white shirt called koshluya, which is put directly on the body.
Second,  top clothes,  typical for the region and distinguishing the nosiya.
Third,  a belt or pafti.
Forth, an apron.
Finally, outerwear such as vests and mantles. 

Particularly important for the complete look of the costume was also the hairstyle, the veil, and the shoes, as well as the accessories as an artistic touch for the holidays and ritual practices. All married women had to wear a kerchief even when working on the field because the hair was associated with witchcraft. Chumber is a delicate type of kerchief that was tied underneath a bigger kerchief, and only the decorated part was visible on the forehead. Chumber was worn only by new brides until the first year of marriage. 

The best representation of Bulgarians’ artistic expression and their perceptions of the beauty of man and nature can be found in the festive women’s costumes. They consist of multiple elements, details, and motifs in a harmonic balance, imposed by centuries-long traditions.  

Jewelry, for example, was very special and girls couldn’t wear it whenever they pleased. Once a girl turned the appropriate age for marriage, which was 17-18 years old back then, she would get a gift from her future parents-in-law. Throughout the engagement period, the girl had to wear the jewelry outside in public to signify that she was “taken” or engaged, as they were saying “promised to someone”. For the wedding day, the girl received more adornments which she had to wear to show the financial status of the family. After the wedding and the birth of her first child, the girl is considered a woman. From that point on she would wear adornments only on special occasions. 

Pafta is a Persian-Turkish word and means belt buckle. Despite originating from the East, pafti was a traditional Bulgarian adornment worn by Bulgarian women between the end of the 19th and the start of the 20th century. Pafti have three components – two identical and symmetrical plates and a smaller middle plate called a shield, which hides the hook (locking mechanism). Most often the depicted elements are floral, but sometimes there are other symbols such as churches or birds, which represent purity and good news. Regardless of the decoration, the main function of pafti and other adornments until the early 20th century was to protect women from evil spirits.

Pottery making is a century-old tradition that always stood between the craft and the art. Pottery craftsmen chose the color, shape, and style of the clay pot based on its future functions and the local aesthetic norms. For example, the items that were used in festivities and rituals were heavily decorated and very different from the plain pots used for daily meals. Typical for the Pirin region is the mixture of ornamental techniques, such as paintings, plastics, scratch work, etc. An important celebration was the wedding and the bridal jugs and teapots are a beautiful representation of the art of pottery. Often the pots had mythical creatures, birds, flowers, and embossed rosettes or concave intricate braid as decoration.  

In the past, wood was the primary material for building. According to traditions in pre-modern society, wooden objects connected humans to nature and created rhythm and harmony with the surrounding world. Over the centuries, Bulgarians learnt more about the qualities of wood. Depending on the density, color, plasticity and water-resistance of the material, the master carvers turned this nature’s gift into art.  

The instrumental music traditions of the Pirin region carry within themselves a variety of vocal performances but the accompanying function of the music, especially during holidays and rituals remains. The specific melody, rhythm and metrics of the musical forms have created a distinguished instrumental style.  

The tambourine is a famous instrument for the West Rhodopes, around Razlog and Goce Delchev. The zurna, a double-reed wind instrument has an ancient history and the best zurna players are from Southwest Bulgaria. Other instruments, often accompanying those two are the drum, the flute, the bagpipe and ‘svorche’ and ‘dvoyanka’ – whistle-like instruments played by young men.