Родовата памет в българската култура – традиция и съвременност

Abstract

The topic chosen for the article concerns the aspect of ancestral memory and its function in traditional and modern Bulgarian culture. The aim of the article is to define the role of ancestral memory in the life of contemporary Bulgarian society. The author tries to answer this question by analysing the source material such as ethnographic research focused on the traditional model of family and ancestral memory. To achieve a larger overview of the topic, some well-known literature texts have been taken into account, such as ‘The Gerak Family’ (1911) by Elin Pelin, which shows the process of modernization of the Bulgarian society and the disappearance of the patriarchal family model, and ‘The Iron Oil Lamp’ by Dimitar Talev (1952). These texts form the basis of the research on the modern approach to ancestral memory. To find out what proportion of contemporary Bulgarian society has ancestral memory, the author has been looking at Internet forums and TV programmes. Due to the fact that ancestral memory is a broad concept, the starting point for all sources was traditional family, which is treated as a fortress with exceptionally deep and strong roots. It is a place where people care about and protect moral and spiritual values as well as transmit them to the future generation. The information about the creation of a village or even the history of Bulgaria are often included in these stories. The analysis of the sources shows that ancestral memory is very important for modern Bulgarian citizens and the history and tradition connects them regardless of where they live. The preservation of the memory of ancestors is a kind of spiritual nourishment and this knowledge can be a starting point for the search of identity and self-discovery.