1. 1
OUTLINES OF THE GYPSY LIFE IN STARA ZAGORA REGION...
ІІІ. ABOUT THE END OF A TRADITION, ABOUT THE HISTORY
OF AN OCCUPATION
(„They were also Bear-leaders...”)
Evgeniya I. Ivanova Ph.D., Velcho Krastev
In a journalistic publication from the end of ХХ c. we read: “…The dancing
bears were gathered from Sofia, but you still could meet them in the town or in other
touristic places. …A strong pressure was exerted, in order this cruel and humiliating
attitude to the animals to be ceased. A shelter for the dancing bears was made in
Belitza by the help of means from Austria and Bridgit Bardot’s foundation. The bears
were bought out from their Romá owners against satisfactory sum of money, in order
these to be able to ensure other means of subsistence for them.”
Here it is how the end of a tradition and an occupation, whose roots we find
back in ХVII century, is represented.
In the guilds list in Istanbul, prepared by order of sultan Murad ІV (1623-1640),
of total 57 guilds the tenth is that of bear-leading gypsies, encompassing 70 men in
total (Marushiakova, Popov 2000: 52). Paul Taferner, an Austrian priest, who had
travelled throughout the Bulgarian lands in the distant 1665, is highly impressed:
…three Bulgarians came with two adult and one young bear, by making them play
and leap under the sounds of a gudulka and tambourine…” (German and Austrian
travelogues 1979:107). In his own researches the Serbian Prof. T. Vucanović points
out that the Bear-leaders settled in the region of Kosovo-Metohija and Serbia about
1735. “…According to Serbian tradition there were also Gypsy Bear-leaders among
the South Slav population in Kumanovo-Preševo (South Serbia). … In the whole
Balkan Peninsula there are but a small number of Bear-leaders. In olden days their
centre was Rumania and later on Serbia and Bosnia and Northern Bulgaria…”
(Vukanović 1959: 107-108)
The spreading and settling of the bear-leading gypsies in the Bulgarian lands
result from a couple of migratory waves. Very massive these are after the official
annulment of the slavery in Danubian principalities Wallachia and Moldova in 1856.
The liberated gypsies disperse in all directions, by a part of them settle in the ethnic
Bulgarian territories.
The main power behind this migratory wave, third in succession, called “the
big Kelderari invasion” are the so called Kardarashi and Romanian speaking
Rudàri/Ludàri (Ursàri/Bear-leaders and Linguràri/whittlers) (Marushiakova, Popov
2000:99-104; Akim 2002:87-124).
In his emblematic work “Vidritza” the priest Mincho Kunchev writes about
nomadic rich linguri, Christians by religion, who had settled for short time in the
Arabadjievo village (today: Kolarovo, Stara Zagora region) in 1862: “This year some
rich linguri took the village, tied their bears up and a man doesn’t dare to pass by
their tents” (Kunchev 1983: 179).
Bear-leaders also travel around during the traditional urban and rural fun fairs.
Andrey Toshev from Stara Zagora has retained a memory from his childhood of how
in the middle of 70s of ХIХ c. his parents took him to the annual autumn Sur fair to
watch “…how the monkeys and bears are made dance. Sometimes, for a farthing,

2. they put us up a big bear, by at the same time the bear-leader gave us a little fur
against bad spells” (a superstition kept up to now) (Toshev 1935:4).
And despite “…mainly the Wallachian gypsies became Bear-leaders, a part of
the Bulgarian gypsies in the quarter Galata in the town of Karnobat also dealt with
breeding and training of bears”.
The recognized Bulgarian ethnographer Vassil Marinov describes another
interesting element from their everyday life: „After the Liberation some of the bear-leading
gypsies went with their bears to make a profit in Tzarigrad and even in
Anatolia, where they took participation with their animals in games and fights. In order
to travel undisturbed in the Turkish territory, the bear-leading gypsies, who spoke
Turkish perfectly, deliberately replaced their own Bulgarian names completely with
Turkish ones” (Marinov 1962: 252-253). Such fact is pointed out still in 1866 by Dr
Alexander Paspati1 – Bear-leading Christians having Moslem names are camping out
near Chorlu, Turkey (Marushiakova, Popov 2000: 87).
The migratory movements of the Bear-leaders continue in the next century, too.
After the Second Balkan War (1912-1913), when, as per the Treaty of Bucharest, the
South Dobrudja is given to Romania, in the Bulgarian territories new families from the
metagroup community, settle. Adult representatives remember their own migration to
Bulgarian lands in the end of 30s and the beginning of 40s of ХХ c.
Today’s representatives of the Rudàri community declare themselves to be
Wallaches or „old Rumanian” and sharply deny their involvement with the gypsies,
though they realize their relation with them. “We are Wallachian, don’t speak gypsy
language”. They took offence, if anybody calls them gypsies or Romà (RHM-Stara
Zagora 106:1). They are Romanian speaking (have certain dialect), and have too
complicated and differentiated ethnic self-awareness. Their group consciousness is
preserved to a great extent, and the preferized one is put aside (Marushiakova,
Popov 1998: 106).
According to their professional specialization they are divided into two main
subgroups: lingurari (e.g. „spoon-makers”, called also „whittlers”) and ursari („Bear-leaders”,
„Monkey-leaders”). In the archive materials, the memories of the
contemporaries and the notes, the both groups – Bear-leaders and lingurari – usually
do not pretend to differ from each other. For the inhabitants living around, they are
an entity – “Wallachian” gypsies. Gradually they begin entering into mixed marriages
within the both groups, by evidences about that being the kept Birth Certificates.
Certificate No:27 from 20 July 1915, in v. Yagoda, Stara Zagora region says: “Father
Angel Marinov – a 24-year-old bear-leader, who declared that a baby was given
birth in his own house at 7 o’clock in the morning by his wife Pauna Todorova, 24-
year-old, a spindle maker” (Ivanova, Krustev 2006:197). In the document cited, the
marriage between a spindle maker and a bear-leader makes impression – it is out of
the group limits. If this is exclusion or not, is difficult to be said, but back in these
years the endogamic norm begins passing to a higher stage – in the frames of the
metagroup community of Rudàri. In some families there is an alternation of the both
crafts at every other generation – the grandfather and grandson are Bear-leaders,
and the father is a spoon-maker. Thus the metagroup community of the Rudàri
accepts the characteristics of a “group” having two basic subdivisions. As a whole, the
limit between the separate subgroups is faded, they are already of equal status and a
process of common group consciousness is present.
2
1 Dr Alexander Paspati was a Greek doctor working in Constantinople. He was an author of
the first book on the gypsies in the Ottoman Empire, published in 1870, Études sur les
Tchinghianés

3. Down the ages, in the process of settling The Rudàris look for convenient
geographic places having good transport connections. They mainly prefer villages
and small towns. Gradually a couple of Bear-leading centres have been established.
One of them is situated in South Bulgaria – Yagoda village. The second is in
Northeastern Bulgaria – the villages near Razgrad. The third in Northwestern
Bulgaria – Koinare and the villages in its vicinity (Marushiakova, Popov 1998: 109-
110).
During the periodical censuses of the population in Tzarstvo of Bulgaria in
separate settlements of Stara Zagora region gypsies speaking Romanian as mother
tonque are registered. Their number could not be pointed exactly, but the regions,
where Rudàri live, are fixed. The censuses are conducted in the end of the year, and
for the Rudàri this is a season of permanent winter residence. Thus, with a big dose
of certainty, it could be assumed that back in the beginning of ХХ century in the
foothills of Sredna gora and along the Toundzha River valley (villages of Yulievo,
Dubovo, Vetren – Kazanluk region, v. Asenovetz, Bryastovetz, Korten – Nova Zagora
region, and Tvurditza (Ivanova, Krastev 2006: 196) establish as Rudàri’s centres.
Confirmations of this assumption are also found in other written sources.
Back in the beginning of ХХ century in the description of the Chanakci baths is
mentioned that a trough maker and a tinsmith, living in the village, are hired for the
“dirty” job. They deal with the pool, bathroom and lavatories cleaning. A decade later
rather expressively the stay of the local linguràri women (lingurki) in the public baths
is described:
“In the Chanakci baths there is a rule, according to which the men can bathe
up to 11, and after this time the way to the reservoir is given to women. After men’s
bathing the water becomes dirty to such extent that it makes you sick to look at it, and
what about to have a bath in it. But women readily jump in the water and now comes
the height of outrage. You do know that now the damned equality reigns, that is why
with the first going out of the men, the next to make a dash for the pool are the gypsy
women, who daily do their washing-up at one of the hot springs and thus, with their
tunics and with their dirts, start to wash themselves, to scratch themselves, and with
their parasites – which are innumerable – begin to swim in the water. In vain some
ladies shout that if those don’t wear skirts, it is better to bathe completely naked than
with their tunics and dirts, but who listens to them… “ (Ivanov 1923: 218, 220).
In 20s of ХХ century from 250 houses in village of Gorno Panicherevo (today:
v. Yagoda) 35 or 40 of them are of linguràri. The local inhabitant, uncle Tonyo,
describes them to the famous writer Chudomir2: “There is that lane over there, the
steep one, do you see it, there the linguràri live, in summertime their houses are
empty – there is no a living soul there. All of them are roaming downwards to the sea:
they make troughs there, sell spindles, and when the autumn reminds of itself, those
Wallachian gypsies arrive, by each man leading a bear, if not a bear – a monkey.
And when all of those chains start jingling, you should hear the bears’ roar, and the
dogs’ bark which turn the whole village topsy-turvy. So here they spend the winter.
Wandering about the villages, the men make the bears dance and and their women
lie to our women by fortune-telling them, and when it warms up in spring – they make
off in the seaside direction” (Kazanlushka iskra 1928, №100).
For a gypsy wandering is a centuries-old way of live. Chaotically as it may
seem at first sight, it is a subject to internal laws and limitations. Along with the
economical, there are a number of social functions. On one hand it gives the
2 Chudomir – Dimitar Hr. Chorbadjisky (1890-1967), born in town Kazanluk, bulgarian writer-humorist,
3
artist, researcher of local history and culture.

4. possibility for the specific social organization to be established – the gypsy groups to
contact between each other, in order to practise their occupations, and thus ensuring
their living. On the other hand wandering suits them to learn some cultural elements
from the social surroundings, to get informed by and adapted to the others, to
preserve the generic interconnection.
That is why the nomad and semi-nomad lifestyle are of important necessity for
the gypsy groups, which on its behalf contributes to their internal unity to become
consolidated.
The wandering begins in spring – about Easter. The gypsies living in Thrace
have an annual meeting at the Roman Catholic Easter during the fun fair in quarter
Sekirovo – town of Rakovski (Marushiakova, Popov 1993: 148).
They draw up their routes. Each group chooses a leader and this is an elderly
man, who is able to cope with the situations experienced and of authority (“more
achigyoz”), respected and honoured by everybody. He is preferred to be literate, to
know the routes and they call him “onbashi” or “chorbadji”. Not only he is the group
leader and fixes the routes, place and down time, but he regulates the relations in the
group and settles any disputes arisen, notifies and negotiates with the local
authorities for the stay in their region, establishes marketable contacts with traders.
All in the group are obliged to respect his opinion (Ivanova, Krastev 2006: 108-111).
“Our life would lose much of its gaiety, if there weren’t the gypsy camps. They
came with covered carts and jades, pitched their tents in the forest, lit fires and during
the day the gypsy women swarmed throughout the village carrying saddlebags on
their shoulders (v. Izvorovo, Chirpan region – a.’n.). … Their beggary was very
annoying… The gypsies divided into a couple of groups…. More moral were the
liguri, the whittlers. They made wooden bowls, spindle and wooden spoons. They
were also Bear-leaders, made bears and monkeys play...” (Slavcheva 2000: 42-43).
The impressing groups of the Bear-leaders go round not only throughout
Bulgaria, but in the neighbouring Balkan countries. In the more distant past they
wander in bigger groups, which reach up to 80 or 100 people. Gradually, to move
easier, the structure of the nomadic group reduced to three or four up to five families
– fathers, sons or a couple of kindred married couples. Usually five or six carts bring
together. In them the household belongings, instruments, hens and dogs are got on,
and these having trained animals (bears and monkeys) take them, too.
The cart, hauled up by a horse, is covered by an awning; by most often for the
purpose canvas is used. Equipped in this way, it is sometimes used for spending the
night; too, as well by this it protects the animals from the natural cataclysms.
The group most often settles on a wide lawn near the built-up area, with
available water and pasture for the horses. The camp is put up on the wooden
construction, made of sticks, which have also been transported by the cart, then
goat's hair rugs and canvases are thrown on them. Usually the group stays for a day
or two, depending on this if they earn enough money (RHM-Stara Zagora 106: 2-3;
107:1).
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5. The population everywhere receives them favourably, as the superstition that
the bear brings luck is known all over the Bulgarian territories (Vukanovic 1959: 120-
123; Marinov 1914: 80-81). According to it if a bear enters your home, this means rich
harvest; if a maiden strokes a bear’s head – she will marry a good lad. Coming of a
bear-leader is a good omen; it is a sign for thick snow cover, health and rich harvest.
The role of the bear is also important for the folk medicine. If somebody has been
frightened, he could be healed by being censed with bear hair or if a bear treads on
him. Bear’s claws and fangs are used as charms against the evil eye with small
children.
At the same time a certain fear from the bear exists. “Let me cast a charm on
you – said a gypsy woman to a peasant – may a bear not hurt you, if you run into it”.
“You’d better, granny – answered the man – cast me a charm in order not to meet
it/to prevent meeting it.” (Marinov 1914: 80-81).
The bear-leaders vsit the houses and under the sounds of the gudulka and
tambourine make the bears dance on their hind paws, fight, roll on the ground, imitate
young wifes or old women, etc.
“Whenever a bear came in the yard, it kissed grandfather’s hand, then grandpa
lied and the bear treaded him down for health. In the end grandpa went up her”
(Slavcheva 2000:43). “Usually in the first evening of their arrival the Bear-leaders
organized a “gala performance” in the comely pub of the village – Banker’s shop (v.
Kovachevo, Nova Zagora region – a.n.). They sang songs about great heroes from
ancient times, the bears showed stock tricks, and the wine was being poured with
pails. On the other day the Bear-leaders started going throughout the village with
bears. In each house a song was being sung, the bear was playing and kissing the
hand of the householder – for health and good harvest…” (Grozev 1993: 67). After
each performance the bear-leader or any of the family members, accompanying
them, passes by the audience and gathers money, food and other gifts. In the
evening they push together by the tent of the onbashi and count all the money earned
during the day by dividing them into equal parts. They make a discussion on the day
past, help and give moral support to to each other in any situation.
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6. Some gypsy families own trained monkeys, which show a variety of tricks:
cimbing on a stick, cleaning the gypsy woman hair from lice, powdering with flour,
making different faces. “…two linguri with a monkey were singing a song for two
brothers from the village of Gyuhpala (today: v. Mihaylovo, Stara Zagora region) how
they made a division of inheritance and how they killed each other. The one lingurin
was singing and playing tambourine, and his fellow – something like accompaniment,
pronounced only the last syllables of the words … the monkey squating, dressed in of
domestic coarse homespun, which covered its red bottom. It had had a piss, so when
it sat in its wet pants in the soil, a dried piece of mud had formed on its buttock… The
lingur started playing ruchenitza… Zapryan leaped, began squating down, started
curving his legs, and laughed Dimo, the aguish settled in the little soul of grandpa.
Even the monkey began clapping with its pads” (Slavcheva 2000: 38-39). Usually the
women deal with these smaller animals, because they could be carried on shoulder
or in hand.
Since that time there is no preserved information about how the Bear-leaders
in the region bought the animals. In his research of the Bear-leading gypsies in the
Balkan Peninsula, prof. Vucanović points out that “… they usually buy their animals
from other men, who are hunters by profession and not necessarily Romá. Between
the two World Wars bears were sold by hunters in Balkan countries for about 2000-
3000 ‘dinars’ in Yugoslavia, e.g. for their equivalents in Bulgaria, Rumania and
Greece. But fully grown and trained bears would cost about 6,000-12,000 ‘dinars’
(Vukanovic 1959: 112,114).
And thus day by day, month by month, year by year. Here it is how the
nomadic life seems in the eyes of the other people, expressed through the
documentary and art narrative. The story “Nomads” is published in the Stara Zagora
newspaper “Zora” in 1920 and undoubtedly its author reproduces his direct
observations on the gypsy everyday life, but also expresses his own attitude to the
ethnos.
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7. “Rainy greyish day, grayish and meaningless like their life. They wander
uninterruptedly from village to village with their marquee, deafened from time to time
by the choked roar of an old shaggy bear. A multitude of swarthy little heads appears
around the fires and the vicinity resounds from misunderstood hubbub.
A young nomad has moved away, zealousy taps the smouldering fire and
pokes an iron blade, then takes it out again, gives it a knock, heats it up again and
thus passes his day. And it is seething with people outside the marquee. In the end of
the camp the carts are put and the beasts are fastened to them, so from their side
hollow growling and ringing of chains is coming; around the cart wheels kiddies
wrapped in rags scuffle with each other exchanging banter… And here are inside the
carts limping old women exhausted from the long travelling… for days they haven’t
put water on their faces, unclean, stinking…
Night falls, bright as a day… A young nomad quietly jumps out, he is known in
the whole neighbourhood by the name Guro. He unhooks from one of the carts’ vault
his gudulka, sits down around the others, already rolled over on the ground, and
when he begins moving the bow, everything around quietens down… He plays, the
sounds glide up and down and as if his gudulka speaks to him about griefs, miseries,
broken love and longings faded away… Guro heals the torture in their souls with his
plain gudulka. And yet, happy, satisfied their life is.” (Zora 1920, №420).
As per the laws of the Bulgarian state, a part of the gypsies serve their terms in
the army, and are mobilized, when necessary. Petulengro mentions that the rudàri
served in the Bulgarian army (Petulengro 1915-1916: 51). During The Second World
War (1939-1945) from v. Yagoda 21 rudàri are mobilized, of which 12 bear-leaders
and 9 whittlers (Ivanova, Krastev 2006: 133-134).
With a government decree No: 258 from 1958 the state authority in Bulgaria
forces all of the nomadic groups to get settled. In the old settlements of Rudàri, mostly
villages in Kazanluk region, new families come to live – most often consisting of
relatives. For example in 1957-1958 г. in the v. Yagoda bear-leaders come from
Dimitrovgrad quarters – Mariino and Chernokonyovo, and from v. Nova nadejda –
Haskovo region. Some of them buy new houses for themselves, others live in rented
ones, but generally they spend the winter season here. Despite the undertaken
administrative measures, closing of frontiers, imposing of taxes, etc., the Rudàri
practically do not stop wandering. They only change the way and directions of
movement. After the St. Ivan’s day (7th January) they begin their preparation for the
long summer journey and around Easter and St. George’s day they set out on a
journey. They go back in late autumn, most often after St. Dimitar’s Day. The setting
up of the group gets spontaneously and often – during a trip. The bear-leaders more
and more prefer the Black Sea resorts. They travel mainly by train and buy a
separate ticket for the animals. Later they begin travelling by their own transport –
usually an automobile with trailer, in which the animal is loaded. Some of the Bear-leaders
sign contracts for participation in entertainment programmes for the
establishments of “Balkanturist”. There in front of the resting Bulgarian and foreign
citizens they give their performances: “Every summer the whole family, together with
he-bear Gosho, went to the seaside. I had a signed work contract with “Balkanturist”
– Gosho and I participated in the program, and my wife was a cleaner. They used to
put us in a separate bungalow, the bear slept fastened next to it. I appeared on the
stage, dressed in full-bottomed breeches, waistband, embroidered white shirt,
waistcoat – I carried them from my native place (he was born in v. Yulievo, Kazanluk
region –a.’ n.). We were given certain minutes from the performance. All of the
people stopped eating and drinking, laughed and applauded the bear’s tricks. They
7

8. mostly liked the “trampling a sick man down” and scuffling. In the end everybody
threw a coin, more often dollars, and I gathered them in the tambourine. I have been
in Sozopol, to the Dunes, but I mainly liked “Gypsy camp” in Slunchev bryag. It was a
nice life…” (RHM-Stara Zagora 106: 2).
In the beginning of 90s of ХХ c., after the opening of Bulgarian frontier and the
possibility to go abroad easily, separate Bear-leading families from the region reach
to Macedonia and Serbia, where they are also greeted with interest.
During the tours in the country the bear-leaders’ women continue to earn by
mumbling incantations and hand-, coffee-, and beans-reading. Sly and quickly
orientable, they succeed to extract the information necessary. They often apply the
following method: when they enter the village, they look for a house with obituaries on
the door, read through them and remember the names. They knock on the door of a
house near to that and under pretext they know the dead they ask what has
happened. The talkative householders explain what they know about the blackened
family in full details. After that the gypsies catch a tortoise, fasten a red thread, hot
pepper and a bundle on its leg and let her go in the yard of the branded house. They
knock on the door and explain how a witchcraft was practised to this home, so it has
been befallen by unhappiness. They say what should be sought in the yard. To
persuade people that they do not lie to them, they say what has happened in the
family. The trusting householders quickly find the turtle in their own yard and pay a
substantial amount of money for the magic to be dissolved. Thus, along with the bear
dances the women succeed to make a lev more.
The bear owners narrate interesting stories about how they train the bears for
performance of various tricks. The animal is taken when it is small, five- or six-month-
8

9. old, most often from a zoo. Sometimes they buy adult ones, already trained bears,
but they are more expensive. When the animal is taken home, it is left for a couple of
days to get used to the circumstances and people around it. After that a ring is put on
its nose and the training begins. The man plays a certain melody on the gudulka, and
the woman slightly pulls the ring. Because of the pain it feels, the bear cub is forced
to leap from one paw to the other and thus it learns to dance. Other melody they use
to learn the bear to greet people, to “tread on” an ill person, to kiss hand of a lady, to
allow a child mounting on its back. As a prize the bear gets a candy or something
sweet. This training continues a year or two and the animal gets used to perform the
separate actions with the first sounds of the melody (Ivanova, Krastev 2006: 160-
162).
The owners protect the bear from evil eyes by fastening colourful rags or
ribbons on it. They understand that it is bewitched, when it stops eating or do not
allow her owner to approach her and becomes aggressive. In such cases they cast a
charms on it. All members of the family treat the bear in a benevolent way. It
distinguishes them from the other people by the smell. “We have brought her up as if
she is our child, we love it and would not give her to anyone for anything… We bathe
her, give water to her, she takes everything from our hands.
The bear usually eats bread – she finishes six loaves per day. We divide them
for breakfast and dinner. We give to her compote and sugar, in summer we coddle
her with fruits, but never raw meat, because she will become meat-eating. It is
interesting to watch how she feeds. We put the food in a pot in front of her; she sits
on her hind paws, lifts the food up with her front paws and starts bolting down. After
that we give her water. In winter it lives outside in the yard – we have made a special
9

10. wire cage for her under shelter. When the weather becomes brass-monkey, it enters
home in warm. When it's sweltering outside she looks for the thick walnut shade…
Mariana is favourite to the neighbours; nobody has complained about her up to now.
The children in the quarter bring delicacies to her, and she performs spectacles for
them to show her gratitude. Mariana has starred in 20 movies, most of which –
foreign and these have been presented on TVs around the world” (Filipova 1999).
The animals are usually gentle and do not attack strangers. A local bear-leader
tells that his male bear Gosho attacked a man only once. This happened in 2003 in
Sofia, months before the he-bear to be taken to the park near belitza. After the
consecutive performance in the Sofia streets, his owners fastened the bear to a close
tree and entered a snack bar.
In this time a drunken young man began irritating the animal and it attacked
him. As a result of this “men meeting” the man stayed in the hospital with fractured
ribs and strong stress for six months” (RHM-Stara Zagora 106:1).
Up to the beginning of 90s of ХХ c. only in the Yagoda village there are
averagely 12-15 bears. Gradually their number reduces as the Bear-leading cannot
already breed the families; moreover the youth do not want to deal with this craft. A
couple of animals are sold to bear-leaders’ families in Razgrad region. „The Bear-leading
is fading away. It is neither profitable, nor prestigious for the youngto beg for
money by a playing hairy “actress”... If anybody breeds a bear, it is because of
extreme need” (man, 57).
With the opening of Park for readaptation of dancing bears in Belitza in 2000, a
part of the animals are bought out by their owners and accommodated there. In 2003
the 14-year-old Stanka that lived in Yagoda, set out for Belitza. She is the sixth and
the last of the dancing bears, by which the village became famous. „Bulgaria left
without its dancing bears. The last three “dancing bears” from Yagoda arrived in the
park of Belitza” – reported BG NES on 16th June 2007. If it is so, the time will show.
But the Bear-leading, as tradition and means of livelihood, goes down in the history...
Akim, V. 2002. The gypsies in the history of Romania. Sofia
German and Austrian travelogue 1979. German and Austrian travelogues for the
Balkans. ХV-ХVІ p. Sofia
Grozev, Stoyan 1993. Village of Kovachevo. Stara Zagora.
Ivanov, Petar. 1923. Chanakchi thermal baths. In: Kazanluk in the past and today. II.
Sofia.
Ivanova, Evgeniya, and Velcho Krustev 2006. On the long road… Life with the
others. History, ethno-social structure, lifestyle and culture of the gypsies from Stara
Zagora region. Stara Zagora:Kota.
Kunchev, priest Mincho. 1983. Vidritza. Sofia:Bulgarian writer
Marinov, Vassil. 1962. Observation on the lifestyle of the gypsies in Bulgaria. –
Notifications of the ethnographic institute with museum, V: 227-267
Marinov, Dimitur. 1914. Folk faith and religious folk rites. In: Collection of folklore
brainchilds, 28:5-290
Marushiakova, Elena and Vesselin Popov. 1993. The Gypsies in Bulgaria. Sofia
Marushiakova, Elena, and Vesselin Popov. 1998. Bear-leaders in Bulgaria
(tradition and contemporary situation). Ethnologia Bugarica. 1:106-116.
Marushiakova, Elena and Vesselin Popov. 2000. The Gypsies in the Ottoman
Empire. Sofia: Kettledrum.
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the Gypsy Lore Society 1:1-109.
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