Loved by a dragon
In Pirin village mythical monsters come out from the legends to live among the people and to kidnap their girls
For most people dragons, fairies, vampires,
and ogres are fantasy creatures born of the popular imagination who inhabit only the
books of tales and legends. Not quite the case of Pirin village, near Sandanski. For the local people, the dragon
is an actual being, well known and close acording of their mothers'stories. When there is a storm, people still
hear the dragon voices. Some say they have seen with their own eyes the last beloved by
dragon girl who lived in the village twenty years ago.
Hidden at the foot of Mount Orelyak as if
perched on the banks of the river Pirinska Bistrica the village looks like frozen in the past.
Perhaps this unique atmosphere has attracted the filmmakers of "Letter to America", part of which is shot here and thus btought Pirin village international fame. The spirit of the past is felt in
the houses, kept their old appearance, in the ringing of the herds that raises the village
at dawn, in the clothing of women with their headscarves and aprons of saturated dark red color; it is felt in the smiles of people who gladly welcome us like old friends and generously share
stories of ancient and modern times .
We meet a lot of old ladies. Their stories flow easily and sweet in the mild local dialect that sounds like a song and enchants us with its euphony. One after another they share their stories of dragons with their extraordinary strength and their wonderful deeds, their fights and love.
THE KEG IN THE SKY
Apart from the Pirin dragon and his son called Ginchoviya dragon (because his mother was from Ginchoviya clan) the local mention the Taskov dragon who used to protect the lower quarter of the village; and dragons of the neighboring villages - Upper Spanchevo and Belasitza. Typically for the folklore way of speaking, there appear different variantions of the stories and the characters are mixed and intertwined as if in a colorful rug.
Pirin has preserved the ancient belief that dragons are masters
of thunder and storms. "Whenever rain came my grandmother started crying:"
Ginchooo! Where are you, Guincho, do you hear the village?. "then I
asked," Grandma, where's the dragon? ". "Here, roll
kegs. So it rumbles."
We are told that the different thunders are the voices of different dragons.
"When it rumbles thick, says mother - that's a Gincho's dragon. When it rumbles thin, it's the voice of Tasko's dragon. Well, the firstwas an adult, with a deep voice, the latter is younger that's why his voice is thinner."
We are told that the different thunders are the voices of different dragons.
"When it rumbles thick, says mother - that's a Gincho's dragon. When it rumbles thin, it's the voice of Tasko's dragon. Well, the firstwas an adult, with a deep voice, the latter is younger that's why his voice is thinner."
Kalya (Kalina) of Gincho's clan was the best girl in the village. Once she went down to the river for water. A storm was approaching and all the girls hurried to pour water before the rain. Kalya was late: she has just leaned over the river when the water flooded and dragged her. Between the wild spurts loomed a large pine, which sailed right along. The girl managed to grasp it, still clutching her copper pots and quickly disappeared from the eyes of his neighbors.
More for the dragons in Pirin village and the story of the last beloved by dragon, read only in issue 2/2014 of Magazine Ossem!
Stay tuned for more! In March a dragon heir tells the story of his kin.
