#pagan ritual
Men dressed as babugeri mummers for the pagan inspired annual mummer carnival in Bansko, Bulgaria.
Photo by Charles Freger from his Wilder Mannseries.
FromBulgaria Travel:
The custom of “Mummers” (“Kukeri”) in the Bulgarian lands was originated thousands of years ago. It was celebrated by the Thracian tribes when meeting their new year and the beginning of the new planting season associated with tilling the fields. With their rituals the Kukeri dance the winter away and welcome the coming summer fertility. In different parts of Bulgaria the mummers go out at different times - right after the New Year or in March after Shrove (these celebrations correspond to the Western Christian Carnival). Mummers have different names: babugeri, pesyatsi, bear-leaders, elders, Kukove. They dress in leather or with a mixture of male and female clothes and put on scary masks, hang bells and carry swords or sticks to frighten away the frigid and fruitless winter. Then they dance in the streets to scare the evil forces and to banish the cold and perform rituals for fertility and health such as plowing, sowing, and others.
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A blog that describes my morning on yule.
I woke up at 5:55 am, before my 6:00 am alarm. I was so excited, I woke up several times in the night to look at the clock and make sure I didn’t wake up late.
I layered on four skirts, black leggings, two sweaters and my winter coat. When I finally made it outside, it was still dark. I gathered all my magical items on my altar table and set up the candles by the light of my flashlight. Next, the fire was built so that I could light it as soon as the sun rose.
I cast a protective circle, called the elements and sat down to watch the sunrise. My coffee warmed my hands and the steam brushed my face. A plate of cookies sat nearby. Blankets were piled around my shoulders.
The sun touched the tree tops around me. They blazed like a torch. A signal that it was time to light the fire. I lit my yule log that had my hopes and wishes drawn in chalk.
I chanted a passage from my book of shadows. It spoke of the lengthening days and the end of the longest night.
Watching the sunrise was one of the most special moments of my life. I watched the sky turn from light blue, to pink, to orange, to blazing yellow. I felt the power of the rising sun run through my body. It left me feeling tingly and warm.
I cast a future happiness spell and filed my cauldron with pine branches and clear quartz.
I sat, covered in blankets, and watched the world brighten little by little. The fire continued to burn happily. All was beautiful and peaceful. The birds sang. I heard a roosters call in the distance. The cold wind bit at my nose. My outstretched fingers warmed by the fire. The sweet taste of jam cookies lingered in my mouth.
I felt happy and alive. The wheel of the year continued to turn.
Blessed Solstice.
