BULGARIA AS IT IS!

Rusalii and Kalushari — Ritual Dancers

Rusalii groups perform ritual dances with a leader and strict rules. Folk beliefs associate their performance with health and fertility.

3 chapters2 sources

Rusalii and Kalushari — Ritual Dancers — paper-cutout illustration

A ritual group

In different Bulgarian regions, ritual dancers are called rusalii or kalushari. Their leader is called the vatafin, and participants prepare for dancing together. Local varieties should not be presented as the same dance everywhere.

Dancing for health

Men visit settlements and perform ritual dances associated with wishes for health and fertility. Folk beliefs also attribute power against “rusalska illness” to the group. This belongs to the ritual’s historical meaning, rather than a modern medical claim.

Memory and reenactment

Bulgarian National Radio describes reenactments and local memory of the kalushari custom in northern Bulgaria. Presentations today help preserve steps, roles and stories, but should be distinguished from historical practice. Viewers can then understand both the dance and its context.

NEXT TRADITIONNestinarstvo — Fire Dancing

Sources and credits

Publications

Historical information, local examples and current practices were checked against these publications.

Illustration

Created with ImageGen for СБОРЪ.БГ. An artistic interpretation of the custom, rather than a documentary photograph.

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