Alekseev S.V. Medieval Sources about Slavic Paganism: the Bulgarian-Macedonian Region
DOI:10.22394/2225-8272-2024-13-2-48-59 EDN:
Keywords:
source studies, history of religion, Slavic paganism, Middle Ages, history of the South Slavs, medieval Bulgaria, First Bulgarian Kingdom, Second Bulgarian Kingdom, apocrypha, livesAbstract
The purpose of the article is to analyze medieval sources about the pre-Christian beliefs of
the Slavs of the Bulgarian-Macedonian group. The author notes that the historical, cultural and religious
context of the era should be clarified. The analysis helps to understand the political and sociocultural
factors that influenced the formation of ideas about Slavic paganism.
The methodology is based on several approaches. An extensive analysis of medieval sources about
Slavic paganism in the Bulgarian-Macedonian region is conducted. Some written sources, archaeological
finds, icons, manuscripts and other materials that can reveal the nature and characteristics of the pagan
beliefs of the Slavs in a given region are studied. A linguistic analysis of medieval sources related to pagan practices in the Bulgarian-Macedonian region is made. The author emphasized that the study of language and rituals can provide insight into the worldview and ideas of the Slavs during this period. The
historical, cultural and religious context of that time should also be taken into account in order to interpret
correctly the sources about Slavic paganism. The relationship with other pagan beliefs, Christianity and
political processes play an important role in the research. The analysis of the sources is carried out critically, taking into account possible distortions, bias of the authors and other factors that may affect their
accuracy and reliability. A comparative analysis with other regions and periods in order to identify common features and differences in the pagan practices of the Slavs is worth conducting for a deeper understanding of the problem. The combination of these methodological approaches helps to create a valid
study and enrich the knowledge about the pagan beliefs of the Slavs.
The author notes that traditionally, attention is drawn to the lack of information about the pagan religion of the South Slavs in general and the Bulgarian-Macedonian Slavs in particular. However, the article
shows that Slavic paganism of the Eastern Balkan region is provided with a significant number of written
sources, which to a greater or lesser extent cover all areas of religious and mythological ideas: high and
low mythology, historical-epic tradition, cult, ritual and folk magic.
A characteristic feature is the reflection of ancient beliefs through the prism of Christianized culture,
primarily in the form of apocryphal tales and «non-canonical prayers»-conspiracies. On the other hand,
there are also sources typical of the entire Slavic world, which are polemical in relation to paganism, as
well as foreign evidence.
Information about Bulgarian-Macedonian pre-Christian beliefs is sufficiently detailed to provide an
overall picture of religious ideas, especially close to East Slavic ones within the Slavic world. They also
allow to expand understanding of a number of general issues, including the interaction of Christianity with
pre-Christian culture.
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