Overview

Within the fragrant forests and beautiful mountains of Bulgaria lies a land of gold, a hidden world of ancient myth and folklore, of shape-shifting dragons, wild women, giant-hearted heroes, vampires and demons of the night. Beyond Nine Forests is a fabulous collection of Bulgarian traditional tales that range from the magical to the macabre, from fairy tale to heroic epic. In addition, the author delves into Bulgaria's folklore and ancestral mythologies going back to ancient Thracian times, to explore the roots of these stunning stories and their deeper meanings. Acclaimed British-Bulgarian oral storyteller Moni Georgieva Sheehan has retold the tales in a way that is true to the heart of the original narratives in this trailblazing work. Translated from authentic sources and little known in the West, they cross the boundaries of time and space to speak to the heart, mind and soul. With a foreword by Professor Ronald Hutton, the book features artwork from some of Bulgaria's finest artists.

Full Product Details

Author:   Moni Georgieva Sheehan
Publisher:   Paraskeva Publishing
Imprint:   Paraskeva Publishing
ISBN:  

9781919509808

ISBN 10:   1919509801
Pages:   326
Publication Date:   20 April 2026
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

ABOUT THE AUTHOR FOREWORD BY PROFESSOR RONALD HUTTON PREFACE Artwork INTRODUCTION Bulgaria Through Myth And History Prehistory The Thracians The Slavs The Bulgars The Establishment of the Bulgarian State Ottoman Rule Bulgarian Myth and Folklore The Bulgarian Oral Tradition Myths Sung Narratives Spoken Narratives WONDROUS WEDDINGS The Traditional Bulgarian Wedding A Dragon Speaks to a Fir Tree The Uninvited Guest Little Stag Brother SHAPE SHIFTERS AND MAGICAL ANIMALS Bears in Bulgarian Myth and Folklore The Bear Was Once a Woman The Bear's Son Deer in Bulgarian Myth and Folklore The Stag Son Lyulyana Found in the Forest The Doe Bride Doichin and the Stag A Young Madcap Races a Deer Snakes in Bulgarian Myth and Folklore The Snake Bride The Good Deeds of the Woodcutter, Dobri Dimcho's Wedding BULGARIAN DRAGONS The Zmey Gyurgeliya and the Zmey The Cave Roussin Kamuk The Zmey's Bride Magic to Banish a Zmey Lamya, Demon of Drought Hala, Demon of Hail A Dark Fog Fell The Three Brothers and the Lamya The Dragon's Black-Dressed Daughter The Stone Child SAMODIVI, THE WILD ONES Stoyan and the Three Samodivi The Boy and the Blind Man Ivan Choban and the Samodiva The Samodiva Bride Yovan Popov and the Samovila The Head Shepherd and the Samodivi THE GOLDEN SUN Why the Sun Doesn't Marry The Sun and Immortal Gold What Honey Is Made of, and Why the Sun Can't Marry The Sun's Wedding The Wondrous Oxen EPIC HEROES AND HORSES Krali Marko The Arvatska Maiden Horses in Bulgarian Myth and Folklore Krali Marko, Yv-e and Vida Bazdarzhikya Krali Marko Loses His Strength Child Sekula and the Three-Headed Serpent DEMONS, SPIRITS AND ANGELS Vampires and their Relatives The Vampire Fiance Karakondzho The Girl in the Watermill The Chuma The Chuma, the Man and the Frog The Talasum The Legend of Kadin Most The Angel of Death Archangel Michael and the Golden Apple HOW THINGS CAME TO BE The War between Wild and Domestic Animals Wolves in Bulgarian Myth and Folklore God and the Devil Why Summer isn't the Only Season God and the Devil Create the Earth and People God's Contract with the Devil TRICKSTERS AND TROUBLE-MAKERS Nastraddin Hodja Explains the World Hitur Petur and the Rich Man Hitur Petur, Nastraddin Hodja and the Roast Lamb Baba Marta Helps a Poor Man Tortoise Went Ploughing The Greedy Priest and His Wife THE RITUAL YEAR 25 December: Christmas, Koleda Vida the Maiden 25 December-5 January: The Dirty Days New Year: Survakari and Kukeri 8 January: Midwives' Day, Babinden 1 February: St Trifon the Pruner, Trifon Zarezan Trifon and the Mother of God 1-3 February: Wolf Holidays 10 February: St Haramlampus Day, Plague Day 11 February: St Blaise's Day, Vlasovden, Mooing Day 1 March: Grandmother March, Baba Marta Baba Marta and the Goatherd 25 March: Annunciation, Blagovets Horses' Easter: Konski Velikden, Todorovden St Lazarus Day and Palm Sunday Orthodox Easter 1 May: Snake Day, Zumski Den 6 May: St George's Day, Gergyovden May or June: Ascension Day, Spasovden May or June: Fairy Week, Rusalska Sedmitsa May or June: Rain-making Rituals - Gherman and Peperuda 21 May: Sacred Fire-dancing, Nestinarstvo 24 June: Midsummer's Day, Enyovden 15-17 July: The Hot Ones, Goreshtnitsi 20 July: St Ilya's Day, Ilinden 14 October: St Petka's Day, Petkovden 26 October: St Dimitur's Day, Dimitrovden 8 November: Archangel Michael's Day, Arhangelovden 11-21 November: Wolf Holidays 30 November: St Andrew's Day, Bears' Day, Mechkinden BIBLIOGRAPHY AND ABBREVIATIONS

Reviews

""I thoroughly enjoyed reading this marvellous book. It immerses you in the fascinating world of Bulgarian folklore, travelling back in time to a distant and captivating past. Through the author's in-depth knowledge of Bulgarian traditional customs, tales, songs and legends, it reveals a universe of weird characters (intriguing heroes, dragons, demons, nature nymphs and magical animals) in extraordinary situations that capture the imagination. Elegantly written and accompanied by evocative artwork, the book alternates dark and deeply-poignant stories with humorous and light-hearted episodes. At a time when there is a growing thirst for esoteric knowledge and curious traditions, diving into this book will be an unforgettable adventure for all readers."" Nikolai Vukov, Associate Professor, Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

Author Information

Moni Georgieva Sheehan inherited her love of Bulgaria from her mother, and is inspired by Bulgaria's rich traditional culture and its roots in the past. She trained in Bulgarian folk dance in Plovdiv, formed the ground-breaking British-Bulgarian storytelling company A Spell In Time in 1995, and has featured on the BBC World Service, Bulgarian national TV and radio, and in Newsweek magazine. She is also a founder member of the award-winning London Bulgarian Choir, and has established a thriving oral storytelling group in Bulgaria to help preserve the country's rich oral heritage. She lives in London with her husband.

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