The exhibition “THREADS I WEAVE AND THREADS I TWINE, JOY AND SORROW INTERTWINE…” (The magic and the magical in the Bulgarian folk culture) was opened in the Regional History Museum – Targovishte.

This original exposition of the Regional Ethnographic Museum – Plovdiv will take you to a less-known and mysterious world. It presents the different types of magic practiced by our ancestors. Magic is a combination of actions and rituals, all done in the belief that through some specific means and ways, one can influence fellow men, animals, and nature. It accompanies people’s weekdays and holidays and makes them feel more secure in tomorrow. Only humans, who are associated with having supernatural abilities: herbalists, witches, and sorceresses, can possess magic. The shepherd is also one of them. They affect life and death in different ways. These adept people either use the knowledge for good and help or, ruled by the dark forces, can harm.

The exhibition of REM – Plovdiv intertwines joy and sadness with a wish for luck, prosperity, and health. Our magical path through the knowledge of our ancestors’ beliefs is colorful and is an amulet protecting us from all evil. Miraculous are all legends about the different spells: how to bring down the moon, turn a person into an animal, shelter yourself from a dragon (zmei), or make a love interest smitten by you… The magic of the Bulgarian is in the strength of his spirit, which has overcome centuries of hardships, and in his beliefs, which have withstood time.

The exposition can be visited until 30 September 2024 at the Slaveykovo School in Targovishte.