THE LEGENTD OF MADARA HORSEMAN 

The village of Kyulevcha is situated in the southern foot of the plateau by the same name, 500 metres above sea level, 3 km from the Madara Horseman and 20 km from the city of Shoumen.It has 1052 residents in 520 houses. According to linguists its name is connected with ashes, while according to archaeologists with a tower. There have not been any systematic archaeological excavations, however findings of old coins from the time of Alexander the Great, Byzantine emperor Theodosius, as well as the traces of a Roman road speak of the presence of an ancient settlement. There is a locality, which the local residents call the “Greek massacre” which is connected with the battle between Khan Krum and Nikephoros. During feudal times a village by the name of Slavomir (Glory to Peace) existed in the location of today’s Kyulevcha.

THE LEGEND OF THE CHANITE LOCALITY

The Chanite locality is connected with the legend of a Dragon, who lived in the rock caves situated over the village.He fell in love with the best looking girl in Kyulevcha, who had hair like silk and long to the ground. On the day of St George, when the whole village was dancing, the dragon jumped out and snatched the girl. She did not agree to become his wife so he bricked her up into the cold rock and turned her hair into ivy. Every spring water springs out from the same place in the rock. The locals say that that is the girl crying over her lost youth.

MARTENITSA

he tradition is that on the 1st of March and the days after all people give to each other very interesting strips or small wool dalls called Pigo and Penda, or as we call them Martenitzi. They bring the name of March, in Bulgarian Mart. But according to our tradition, behind the name Mart stands an angry old lady who changes her mood very rapidly. Her name is Grandma Marta, in Bulgarian Baba Marta.
The ancient roots of this ritual honor the God Mars, who is the God of the spring and later the God of the war. People in the very beginning of our century were fighting a lot. Usually the wars started at the beginning of March, and most of the warriors had to leave their homes. The women were so unhappy, and afraid about the lives of their men. That is why they decided to give to their husbands red and white tokens, which were either red and white cloth strips for the hand, or small woolen figures of a white girl and a red boy. The colours represent the blood of the warriors, which their wifes didn`t want spilled, and the white colour the pale faces of their women waiting for the warriors to come back home. The exchange of these tokens was made for two reasons: the first one was to remind the men about their families and the second - to please Baba Marta, so she would not change her mood so friquently: in other words, so that the warriors would not have a lot of problems with the weather and die because of frost.
That was remained almost the same today as it began. Today we give the red and white colours only to please Baba Marta, not to make us cold. In doing so, we hope the spring will come as soon as possible. Once we have those tokens, which we put on our cloths or wrist, we wear them until we see a stork. After seeing this bird, we have to take away the tokens, cause the stork is showing us that the spring is already here. In the different parts of the country, however, the process of taking away the token is different. Some ties it on a fruit tree, thus giving the tree the health and luck that we had while having the token. Others are putting it under a stone. The kind of insect we find right next to the token the next day will determine our health for the rest of the year. If it is a worm, it will be a very healthy year, and we`ll have success. It is the same in with an ant; the difference is that we`ll have to work a lot to reach success. If it is a spider, then we are in trouble and we might not have that luck with health and personal success.
The "martenitza" is also an odd artistic image of nature. At that period of the year, nature is full of hopes and expectations. It also symbolized the purity of the white snow going away and the red settings of the sun becoming more and more intensive with the coming spring. These two natural resources are necessary for the life as well as the male and female spirits.

RUPITE

Twelve kilometres northeast of Petrich, RUPITE is famed in Bulgaria as the home village and burial place of the oracle Baba Vanga . Legend has it that at the age of six, she witnessed an angel who offered her the choice between sight and clairvoyance, and she chose the latter. Vangas subsequent prophecies and healing skills gained her a wide following (including Politburo members), and her vision of Varna engulfed by water was vindicated when it was discovered that the city stood upon an underground lake - from which day on, high-rise building was prohibited. In old age she had fewer VIP visitors but her predictions were still heeded - not least by people choosing their Lottery numbers.
After her death in 1996, Vanga was buried in the Sveta Petka Church , a post-modern fusion of Slav and Byzantine
design, decorated with expressionist murals and icons by the contemporary artist Svetlin Rusev, and surrounded by an
unusually well-watered and manicured park. Its location in the crater of an extinct volcano makes the place even more special for Bulgarian New Agers, who believe its a powerful energy node - although the scruffy car park and grill-bars at the entrance to the site are unlikely to place you in a meditative frame of mind.
Getting to Rupite (and back) by bus from Petrich or Blagoevgrad is fraught with uncertainty, with only one or two services a day. A taxi here and back from Petrich shouldnt cost more than US$10

LEGEND OF ORPHEUS AND EURIDICA

The most famous story in which he figures is that of his wife Eurydice (also known as Agriope). While fleeing from Aristaeus (son of Apollo), she strode on a serpent and was bitten, which brought her to her death. Distraught, Orpheus played such sad songs and sang so mournfully that all the nymphs and gods wept and gave him advice. Orpheus went down to the lower world and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone (the only person to ever do so), who agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth.But the condition was attached that he should walk in front of her and not look back until he had reached the upper world. In his anxiety he broke his promise, and Eurydice vanished again from his sight. The story in this form belongs to the time of Virgil, who first introduces the name of Aristaeus. Other ancient writers, however, speak of Orpheus` visit to the underworld; according to Plato, the infernal gods only “presented an apparition” of Eurydice to him. Ovid says that Eurydice`s death was not caused by fleeing from Aristaeus but by dancing with Naiads on her wedding day.

THE TEMPLE OF DIONYSOS

For more than a century already, archaeologists have searched for the remains of the famous temple where Dionysus had an oracle. It is believed that, when made, the discovery will be as important as that of Troy and Mycenae. Very little is known about the temple today and the only thing which is know for sure is that it was in the Holy Rhodope mountains.
Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, a Roman biographer of the late 1st and early 2nd century AD, wrote about a visit to Dionysus’ Oracle in the Holy Mount by the father of the first Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus. The Oracle prophesied the son’s rise to empyreal power. Another Roman historian, Dion Cassius, described in his Romaika the march of Marcus Licinius Crassus, a Roman General in Augustus’ service, in 29-28 BC, when he captured the famous Temple from the Bessians (Bessoi) and gave it to the Odrysae, a rival Thracian tribe. In 11 BC, a fierce war for the Temple broke out between the two tribes, in which the Bessians were led by the Oracle’s High Priest.
According to latest historical research, the boundary between the Odrysae and the Bessians lay in the eastern Rhodope range, east of present-day Kurdzhali. And this is exactly where the holy city of Perperikon is located! Moreover, Dion Cassius suggests that the Temple of Dionysus was on the border between the two Thracian Kingdoms. Recent archaeological finds tend to confirm the hypothesis that the Temple was indeed at Perperikon.

 THE LEGEND OF SOFIA

The Byzantium emperor Justinian the Great was rich and famous. He received expensive presents from close and distant countries. Constantinople – his capital - was one of the most beautiful in the world. His glory spread everywhere. However, wealth and glory had not made him happy. Justinian had only one daughter named Sophia, who was sick from a long time ago. Every day she drooped like a gentle flower and no one could save her. Her father called out doctors from all over the world. They brought life-giving herbs. They cured her with “invigorating water”. They hanged on her white neck a bone of fish, know as long-living, a feather of a bird, which flied up in the sky, a root of a tree, which grows the sweetest fruits; but nothing was able to save her life.
Then one of the men of wisdom gave advice: Sophia had to leave the imperial palace. She would recover, if she lived in Mother Nature, next to the field grass and the fresh air of the forest. Only the pure air, the sun and the clear water could save her. Justinian the Great sent cavalry into all directions of his huge country. They searched long for a place like that. They found it near to a mountain, which is called today Vitosha. Here gushed warm, mineral springs. The South wind was bringing flavor of fruits and the North – coolness from the forests of Stara Planina mountain. The meadows were softer than the Persian rugs in the Palace. Wonderful flowers grew under the sunrays. The wind swung the grass, which like silver cords produced gentle melodies. There was a small stone town – Serdika.
Sophia remained there. The beautiful smile came back on her lips. She started singing with her melodious voice. Soon she recovered.
Sophia never left this place again. She ordered a church to be built as an expression of her gratitude. It was called after her name. The town enlarged. There were also many palaces, theatres, baths and monuments build in it. There were stonewalls built all over the city. Its old name - Serdika - was forgotten and the city received the name of Justinian’s daughter – Sophia - that meant “wisdom”. Nowadays it bears the same name, and it has become capital of Bulgaria

RODOPHA AND ORPHEUS

The Thracians, who once inhabited our lands, knew that the mountain Rhodopa was once a famous with a beautiful lady, liked by gods. They hoped to seduce the beauty; everyone wanted her for a wife. God Hemus was very jealous with her, and he was throwing huge stones at her in order to hide her from the other gods. When he failed, he turned her into a stone and she became a mountain. In her mountainous recesses strayed the most famous singer – Orpheus - whose lovely songs filled Rhodopa’s snowy slopes and peaks, and enchanted birds and animals.
Then, something happened… something never heard and seen before. Orpheus had been roaming all day through the mountain and sat on a hill to rest and to enjoy the view in front of him. Absorbed by the beauty of the mountain, he did not notice that from a rock came out a large snake. When it saw the young man, it approached him, lolling her poisonous tongues out. Some rocks rolled and awoke Orpheus from his deep trance. He looked the snake with terror and trembled, he understood that his end is close. There was no way to run, because there were only rocks around him. Frozen from fear, he started singing. The song was so beautiful, that the snake stopped and started listening. Orpheus continued singing song after song. The story goes that he sang as long as three days and three nights. The monster-snake, enchanted from his song hid its poisonous tongue and laid on the ground listening. On the third night, she fell asleep… a long and deep sleep. When Orpheus had noticed that, he jumped and quickly descended from the slopes of mountain Rhodopa. No one understood either where he went, or where he lived afterwards. However, people from Rhodopa-mountain kept in their memory his beautiful melodies. Whoever wants to find out what his songs were like, let he goes to Rhodopa-mountain and listen to the songs of people there.

THE LEGEND OF KRALI MARKO

Krali Marko has lived in Padish countryside and his sister Mara - at Maragidik peak. They have respected each other and have cut wood with an axe and have cooked in a copper. Krali Marko has thrown his sister`s axe and when he has cooked he has thrown the copper too. Once they have thrown stones further than each other. Krali Marko has thrown a big stone further than his sister. The countryside where his stone has fallen down is called Padish and where his sister`s stone - Marininiyat stone. Krali Marko`s sister has kept the passage near the peak called Mara Gidiya and her brother has kept Troyan passage. She has dreamed a nightmare and she called for his brother to complain. When she had been telling him about her nightmare Ottomans rushed in south Bulgaria. Krali Marko has begun to kiil them. The hill called Turski hill has been covered with corpses and tons of blood but the Ottomans didn`t end and the powers weakened. Then Krali Marko has thrown his mace on the Ottomans in moment of anger. It has flown over the Turski hill and has fallen down far behind it in Padish countryside. That`s how Markovata hole has formed. Mara has had many goats. In March she has kicked out them on pasture and then it has been snowing and the snow covered the goats. Trere were also kids with the goats. Nowadays there are many mounds where the goats and the kids have been buried. Near each big mound there is a small one. The countryside is called Marinite goats. Krali Marko has lived on Iumrukchal (called Botev peak nowadays). Above the iumrukchal walls of Malkiya Iumruk there was Marko`s throne. Krali Marko has had fields on the level places of Iumrukchal and Diuzchal. He has sowed leg of mutton on them. He has harvested the ripe mutton, tied it in sheaves and heaped it up on Malkiya Krastets and Golemiya Krastets. The dried up sheaves he has stacked up on Golemiya Kupen and Malkiya Kupen. The sheaves and the mutton have petrified and that`s how the hills have formed.

THE LEGEND ABOUT THE WELL WITH THE CURATIVE WATER

Between the villages of Dobrolevo, Tarnava and Borovan there was a spring and its water was curative, but nobody knew that. A legend tells a story about its waters: many, many years ago a blind buffalo - cow used the deep puddle formed by the water to cool itself down in the summer`s hottest days. It used to spend the whole day in the water and was taken to the barn only for the night. A couple of months passed and then the people she belonged to noticed some really strange events. For instance, it would react to changes of the light, to objects approaching her, to a bundle of green grass with which they tried to attract it, etc. The blind buffalo - cow was cured! It found the cure in the water of the puddle.Since then the locals started taking care of the little spring. They cleaned it up and built a little well for it out of stones. On top of it they put a lid so that it`s water would be clean from then on for everyone who wishes to take from its water. And people started coming to it. The spring then got a name - "The curative well", and the local people started a special prayer for it that they did on Saint Georgi`s day - the sixth of May. They sacrificed a young cow and a white ox and had a little celebration in honor of the spirits they believed protected the water. They did that because they believed that if they did not, the spirits may stop the water in the well or take away its curing properties.That is why the people of the village never missed to do the "ceremonies" necessary. That is how year after year these ceremonies turned into bigger and bigger celebrations for the fame of the curative water was spreading farther and farther. Every Saint Georgi`s day people arrived, and not only from the villages around - Altimir, Dobrolevo, Tarnava, Borovan and Byala Slatina, but from places much farther away, even from Romania. They came however they could - by foot or by carriage. The number of people grew so much that, as the locals say, "even the Earth could feel their weight."People with all kinds of problems were coming to the well even on the previous day so they can sleep next to it, meet the sunrise there the next morning, wash their faces with its curative water and drink from its abundant water with the hope that it will cure them too.The custom was that after that people should throw in it or around it red threads from their own clothes. The old people say that some years there were so many red threads that the bushes and meadows around were all in red.The whole day was filled with lively celebrations around the well. The young girls and maidens made the decorations and the men prepared everything for the sacrifice for the spirit and the feast for the people. After these were all over, the dances and singings were going until dark. There were times when up to three players and singers were outperforming each other. The people were dancing and dancing, gathering energy and tonus for the days of hard work that would follow the holiday.

THE TREASURE OF AVGUSTA

In the north part of the village of Hurletz, towards the Danube river are the remnants of the late antique and early Byzantine fortress "Avgusta". It is one kilometer away from the village in the area called Kaleto. The sun comes and goes... The brisk waters of the river wash away the last rays of light.The old shepherd Petko can hardly take his eyes off the golden waves, as he gets up and goes to gather his sheep. He still thinks about the amazing beauty of the world around. "What wonders there are for us to enjoy on this earth, what magical creations of mother nature. You just can`t take your eyes of them - you gaze and gaze until your eyes go tired, and you feel inside you sweetness like honey upon your heart" - he thinks. As he turns to see the golden waters again he sees that the other shepherds are already taking their herds to the village, and hurries to gather his before it gets dark.The Garbliovtzi and Neshkovtzi families have countless sheep, but there was enough food for them, and it as all here, right next to the river Ogosta, a good location. All the shepherds working for them were just like Petko - simple local folks that new the area well. They get the sheep out before sunrise and get them back at dusk - they dodn`t stay sit all day, and the sheep are very well fed.That`s how that day was passing by. It got dark. Shepherds were hurrying to get home. As Petko walks along with the others, he is startled by sudden thunder - like roar, feels like a lightning is splitting the earth apart! His dog turns back and starts barking loudly. When Petko turns around he sees a bright white light around the fortress and up to the sky. Until he just looks at it, there`s another roar, only louder. Amazed, he sees how the heavy iron fortress door, locked since he can remember, is opening and an unbearable bright light shines out of it.Not taking his eyes off the fortress he takes off his clothes, ties them up into a bundle and steps into the river, forgetting everything around him. Like in a dream, he crosses the river and walks through the iron doors of the Avgusta fortress. What a sight reveals itself before him! In the end of a narrow corridor in a hallway lies and shines like the sun an amazing treasure. Led by curiosity and forgotten all fears, he walks in the hall only to see that it is filled with big and small jars of clay, all full of golden and silver coins. The coins are so many that they are spread all over the floor. Besides the piles of treasure the old man sees that the hallway ends not with a wall but with a corridor leading to another hallway! Although he is already scared, his curiosity leads him through it, followed by his silent dog. The other hallway is shining even more, and even its walls are covered with gold, diamonds and decorations of unseen beauty. Golden and silver dishes, jewels and other priceless objects are lying in front of him on the floor-a miracle he hasn`t even dreamed of!
One can imagine his amazement when he sees that this hall is not even the last one - he was being led more and more into the fortress. Although very frightened, he walks forward led by his growing curiosity. The more he walks in, the colder and darker it becomes and when the light is completely gone, he hears a noise, like a slow sad song. He turns around and sees the most unexpected thing - in a little chamber upon a golden chair sits a stunning girl with hair like gold, holding a thread of wool like gold and making a fine textile, like no man has seen before. As the shepherd approaches her and as just about to speak, the fortress trembles from a roaring voice:
- You, mortal man, do not push your luck too much! Take whatever you are able to carry and go! One these doors close, they will open again in a thousand years!
Petko doesn`t wait to be asked again - he rushes out of the fortress and as he steps out, the doors slam right behind him. He sits down on the first stone he sees and petting his dog, starts to come to himself:
- What was that - a dream, a vision, or was it real?!
He opens his palm and several shiny coins drop down from it. As he looks back at the fortress, seeing that the white bright light around the Avgusta fortress has disappeared.
- No, it was not a dream. It was a miracle!
And with his heart pounding, he rushes running towards the village to tell the other shepherds about one of he wonders of this world, about his luck that led him to go in and see the uncountable treasures through a door that is only open once in a thousand years.
- Will anyone even believe me? - Petko wonders, until he crosses the river back