The exhibition “I Weave and Entangle Threads, I Intertwine Joy and Sorrow” (Magic and the Magical in Bulgarian Folk Culture) was opened on May 13 at the Regional History Museum – Tryavna.

The exhibition is curated by the Regional Ethnographic Museum – Plovdiv and will transport you into a lesser-known and mysterious world. It presents the various types of magic practiced by our ancestors. Magic accompanied both the everyday life and the festive rituals of people, helping them feel more secure about the future. It is a set of actions and rituals performed with the belief that, through specific means and methods, a person can influence others, animals, and nature. It is mastered by individuals connected to supernatural forces: the herbal healer, the diviner, the midwife, the sorceress. The shepherd, too, is among them. They each influence life and death in different ways. These wise folk use their knowledge either to help and do good or, driven by dark forces, to cause harm.

The exhibition by REM – Plovdiv intertwines joy and sorrow with wishes for luck, prosperity, and health. Our magical path of ancestral beliefs is colorful and acts as an amulet, protecting from all evil. The folk beliefs about different kinds of magic are truly wondrous — how to bring down the moon, turn a person into an animal, protect oneself from a dragon, or make a loved one fall in love… The magic of the Bulgarian lies in the strength of their spirit, which has withstood centuries of trials, and in their beliefs, which have endured through time.

The exhibition can be visited until July 31, 2025, in Tryavna.