Some gypsies practise a series of Moslem rites and customs, by particular elements of them being gypsied, but at the same time these contain some specific components. Namely the honouring of a spirit, known as Boba/ Buba/ Babà is such kind of religious phenomenon.

1. OUTLINES OF THE GYPSY LIFE IN STARA ZAGORA REGION...
ІІ. THE BOBA – A RELIGIOUS PHENOMEN WITH THE GYPSIES
Evgeniya I. Ivanova Ph.D., Velcho Krustev
The gypsies, inhabiting Bulgarian lands during the recent centuries, are
divided into two groups by religious principle – dasikanés Romà (Christians or more
famous like “Bulgarian” gypsies) and horоhanés/horahanés Romà (Moslems or
“Turkish” gypsies) (Marushiakova, Popov 1993: 110-112,162). An object of our
attention is the second subdivision, which on its behalf divides into three subgroups –
gypsies Moslems, speaking gypsy language; gypsies Moslems, speaking Turkish
(horоhaya) and Turkish gypsies-Christians, speaking gypsy language, who have
retained a memory of their former religion (ficheri, dali, futadjíi and others) (Ivanova,
Krastev 2006: 18,184-186). „Although they haven’t given their strange idolatry
ceeremonies, inherent to their ethnic community, they apparently observed the Islam
rules” (French travelogues 1981:185). They practise a series of Moslem rites and
customs, by particular elements of them being gypsied, but at the same time these
contain some specific components. Namely the honouring of a spirit, known as Boba/
Buba/ Babà is such kind of religious phenomenon. It is not well-known among all of
the gypsy groups and in every settlement. Till now the respect to this spirit is
registered during field works in Stara Zagora region, Chirpan, and the villages of
Petrovo and Novo selo.
The name “babà” and its various dialect variants, originates from the Turkish
word “babà” (“father”) and the necessary dose of respect is introduced in it. In Stara
Zagora and Novo selo the spirit is only “boba”/ “babà”, but in Petrovo village they call
him “Grandpa Boba” (RHM-Stara Zagora, 123), and in Chirpan it is “gyom or dyom
babà” (Pamporov 2006: 316-317). The words are used as equivalents, without paying
attention to the hair-line distinction between them and without a chance to explain it.
Just as each one demonic ceature, the appearance of the “boba” is relevant to
a mystical element. He does not have a clear image and is usually in masculine
gender. Few are these who have seen him. „He, the “boba”, is just like us. I saw him
in the bus, when we went to work – he was dressed in poturi (full-bottomed
breeches), old aged, with long white beard.... All of the gypsies understood that he
was there. When the woman-conductor began dealing out the tickets, I turned to face
him, he wasn’t there. Whomever you ask, nobody will tell you that I have ever lied or
stolen, I haven’t had any bad thoughts – that is why I saw him.” (man, 73-year-old).
The elderly man considers himself happy that he has seen the “boba”.
In the most of cases, however, the spirit goes out at night (Pamporov 2006,
317-318). The grandmother of an old respondent from Petrovo village, in whose yard
the Boba’s lodge was, would tell her that: “Nobody has ever seen “Grandpa Boba”.
During the summertime, when we threshed the grain, at night both your grandfather
and I lay on the threshing-floor (it was near the “boba”), to keep the grain from
thieves. It happened during the night yor grandfather to tell me: “A thing hangs
around, comes, it is here, covers itself over its head (with the ragrug, which they used
to cover them – a.n.), a kind of thing passes down us, does not weigh, but one
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2. evening miaows like a cat, and the other bleats like a lamb. There is something”.
Today the old woman narrates about that with a smile on her lips, but when she was
a child, she believed that there really existed such a spirit (woman, 72-year-old).
People talk about the “boba” with a great dose of veneration. “…When I
entered inside and lit up the candle, I made a wish. Something made me turn right –
so, what I have thought up, shall come true...” (man, 50-year-old).
His appearance or disappearance could be felt thanks to the specific motion of
the air “a wind broke up, a storm, we could feel it. When it appears, we feel it just
after a very short time, and he starts helping us very quickly” (woman, 77-years-old).
The „Boba” appears in a place, which he has chosen by himself (in the gypsy
quarter Lozenetz – Stara Zagora, he firstly settles in one house, and after certain time
goes to another; in the gypsy quarter of Chirpan the phenomenon is located in five
places, and by v. Novo selo and v. Petrovo – in one place). About 200 m to the north
of Novo selo, Stara Zagora region, there was a teké (more probably the question is
not about a Turkish teke – monastery and tyurbe – tomb, but about a gypsy lodge of
“boba”), where, according to the legend, a shepherd was buried.
People say that from time to time at nights a spirit or ghost comes out of the
lodge to look for water at the Aladjak – a big spring southernly from the village. In this
moment a noise of drum is heard (Deliradev 1953: 283). The stories of gypsies add:
“A shepherd who once wanted to water his sheep, saw the whole basin (the spring is
hyperbolized to the sizes of a basin) illuminated by candle lamps and the “boba” was
having a bath inside. When the sheep went near the water, the fires extinguished and
the “boba” allowed the animals to be watered. After that the lamps were lit up again”
(man, 73-year-old). Here a description of the spirit is missing, but the story makes it
clear that he had a human appearance. In a single case we found him in a place,
connected with blood shed (f.ex. in Petrovo). The legend says that once here a
heavily-built Turkish man, a wrestler was fighting with a bull. The bull stabbed him to
death. “There was only blood in this place, but no bones, the Turkish was not buried
here” (woman, 72-year-old).
In order to show their respect to the spirit, the gypsies built in the place,
dwelled by him, a special lodge. More generally it looks like a simplified copy of the
Turkish tyurbe. Usually it is made of adobe or sun-dried mud bricks, the roof is
covered by plain roof-tiles, the floor inside is of tamped soil, it has a small window
and simple wooden door (Chirpan, Petrovo, Novo selo). In the little room a wooden
coffin is placed (in v. Petrovo it was like a roof with two eaves), and stone or a box full
of sand, where the burning candles to be fixed upright; in more modern times a metal
candelabrum was added.
Straw-mats are laid on the floor and little cushions, brought by the visitors, at
first only green1, and later on colourful, are placed. For decades in Petrovo “the
boba”’s lodge is situated in the country marshland2. Around the middle of the 30s of
ХХ century a part of the marshland is given to a native Bulgarian inhabitant, after
which the lodge falls into his yard (woman, 72-year-old). In Stara Zagora for the
“Boba” a separate room of the house, where he appears, is vacated and tidied up for
him. When he is away, the room is reverted to its old everyday order (woman, 77). A
similar variant of the visible cult space is observed, also, in the gypsy quarter of
“Stolipinovo” and in Şeker mahala, Plovdiv (Denova 2004: 132). There is a water
source near all of the mentioned places (a well – Petrovo, a spring – Novo selo, sinks
with taps in the town houses).
1 green colour is holy for the Moslems
2 a municipal lawn for cattle grazing
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3. The cult for the “boba” possesses a series of dual hallmarks, but at the same
time could be accepted as an alternative form of the Alians’ honouring of Moslem
saints. The difference is that lodge of “boba” is not build in a sacred place, related to
a myth about a perished predecessor, as it is with the tyurbés. Only this one in v.
Petrovo is bounded up with a concrete death case, but the dead man there was an
ordinary mortal.
The conventional image of the “boba” is charged with positive semantics, so
he shall be treated in the same way by the people. He is favourable to everybody
who respects him. Those, believing in his power always, irrespective of their religion,
could visit him (f.ex. elderly Christian women from v. Petrovo and Novo selo go to his
place, too).
“Djasa kai babata” (“Let’s go to babata”). For this purpose a special preliminary
preparation shall be done – “...the person shouldn’t have had any bad thoughts for
three days, nor sworn, neither made love to a woman” (man, 73). An important
element is also hygiene – his home shall be cleaned, and the person must have had
a bath. Only under these conditions “boba” could be visited (the ritual washing
“abdés”, which is compulsory with the Alians (Gramatikova 1998: 426-432) is not
practised when entering the boba’s place). Most often the “boba” is visited when
somebody is ill at home. His help is also sought in cases of infertility (“barren
woman”). People are to enter and go out of the lodge only with face turned to the
interior; a candle is lit up and set firmly on the stone, in the box or directly on the floor,
the promised gifts are left (by all means – 2 m green cloth, but very often colourful
cotton print, and money “As much as you wish”). Nothing is allowed to be carried out
of the lodge, as something bad will befall the relevant person: “A woman took a blue
bead from the “boba” and put it on her child – on the very morrow the child turned
blue. All the women began whinging and told her to go and put it back … Nothing
could be taken out of there, only could be brought in...” (man, 73)
In case an animal is promised for health (“sovraluk”), it can be slaughtered in
front of the lodge door. There blood is shed, by which the animal is sacrificed. After
that it is brought home, where it is cooked, people are invited and are treated with the
offering. All people believing in the “boba” existence consider that he protects the
homes, in which he settles. He does not cause harm to the householders, gives them
advice. “He is a spirit, good spirit. He helps much” (woman, 77). People also take
care of him.
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4. The cult of "boba" and his housewife
In contrast to the alians’ tyurbés, where these functions are performed by an elderly
man, here a woman – young, unmarried lass – cares for him (in Chirpan, v. Petrovo).
She maintains good hygiene “It is clean inside, very clean”, whitewashes the walls,
plasters the floor up with mud and cattle turds (in those years a paste typical for the
floors of tamped soil in the rural houses). She is not obligatorily originating from the
gypsy ethnos – for many years in v. Petrovo this is done by a Bulgarian. After she
gets married, her functions are undertaken by a gypsy woman (woman, 72). For the
teké in Novo selo an elderly gypsy woman, who has never been ill, takes care. There
is traditional belief that the teke protects the people against diseases and bad cases.
They feel very keenly its destruction (man, 73).
Thus described the “boba” receives a function of a guardian and goes nearer
to the image of the dragon-householder in the Bulgarian mythology. It is believed in
some regions that he lives in a lake (spring), which is regularly cleaned. Bathing of
people there is considered to be health protecting practise. According to other beliefs,
the dragon settles on a tree out of or in the village. Nobody shall cut this tree,
because a trouble shall befall on him. At different times offering is brought to him.
(Mitzeva 1994: 13-14,55,118).
The roots of this spirit are difficult to be found back in time, but belief exists up
to now. Asked since when they know him, the most of the respondents (aged 60-80)
answer: “Well, I know about him, that’s all”. Only in Petrovo a comparatively more
precise dating for the boba’s lodge was pointed – it has been there for the recent
decades of ХIХ century. The years, fixing the final date of the cult practising, are
concrete. In the period from the middle of 50s to the middle of 70s of ХХ c. the wide-spread
destruction of lodges is undertaken. All of the questioners say that this
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5. happens by order of the party secretary or the town mayor. And this is explicable,
having in mind the policy maintained by the Bulgarian Communist Party ruling at that
time about the atheistic upbringing, on one hand, and on the other – the accelerated
process of forcible cultural assimilation of the ethnoses. In each of the settlements
the destruction of “boba” is related to the fear of curse, subsequent punishment of the
culprit and his kinsfolk, mass discontent among the gypsies against the illegal,
according to them, act. In Chirpan and v.Petrovo, in spite of the party secretary’s
order, nobody agrees to demolish the lodge. In Chirpan in the early 70s this is done
by the militioners, as a result of which their domestic person in charge has a stroke
and despite the help sought by the hodja, one of his hands remains paralysed
(Ivanova 2000: 57-59; Ivanova, Krastev 2006: 320). In Petrovo in the middle of 50s
the unpleasant task is realized by the householder’s son – in acouple of months his
wife falls gravely ill. In a short period of time diseases and death befall on the other
big family members, living in the area of the “boba”. “Somehow something happened,
as if they were gone down by something“ (woman, 72). Similar is the fate of the
person, who by mayor’s order, sets the on fire and demolishes the teke in Novo selo.
40 days after this act his newly-built house burns down (man, 73).
In these cases, and in other similar to these, known in other regions of the
country (v. Yoakim Gruevo, v. Kostievo, v. Bolyartzi, Plovdiv region (Ivanova, Krastev
2006:320), the behaviour of the “boba” is just like this of the goblin – he acts only in
certain perimeter. And the stories about the destroyed lodges repeat in close aspect
the consequences of the violation of a place, sacred for the alians.
„Horоhanés “ Romà from Stara Zagora region express their honour to the
“boba” during gypsy fun-fairs (Ivanova 2000: 59). They are held up to the middle of
70s of ХХ c. and afterwards are banned by the supreme rule. According to the
calendar they have the following order: on 22nd March v. Petrovo – it is called
“Stengerliste” (by the Turkish name of the village) and on 24th May by v. Novo selo –
“Novo galv” (Ivanova, Krustev 2004: 25).
“A great multitude of people comes around. Everyone came” (woman, 77). The
preliminary preparation includes going to the baths – the whole family must be clean.
They arrive early in the morning, light up candles in the “boba”; each one has taken a
vow “sovraluk” for health, slaughters an animal. The dishes are prepared in big
cauldrons, rice is cooked. The meals are arranged on the ground – offering, pilaff, red
sherbét are put on mesàli (a cotton woven covers) and all of them eat and drink
together and enjoy themselves. Whoever passes, is invited: “Come on to serve you
an offering”. For the revelry an important role plays the presence of musicians.
Comes “… whatever there is a gypsy musician. Our gypsies wish to enjoy
themselves” (man, 50). Often fights of pehlivàni are organized. Every year in
“Stengerliste” arrives the numerous Djafer’s family from v. Zagore (they are renowned
as very rich gypsies). Djafertza (e.g. a wife of Djafer), the mother – a heavy woman
with highly expressed self-confidence, loves making fun – she invites men from her
family to fight with her. Expressing their respect, they allow her to defeat them, so
people laugh their heads off. For the inhabitants of v. Petrovo the March day is
enough reason to accept their own guests – Bulgarian, who have come from other
settlements to enjoy the gypsy fair “It was a feast for the village”.
Till early morning the people sing, play round dances, kyuchék, enjoy
themselves, “raise a rumpus to Heaven” (woman, 73). Mainly the gypsies go to enjoy
the fair of Novo selo, while the Bulgarians and Turks do it out of respect.
As “boba” the gypsies also use other cult places, related to the Moslem
religion – such is the tyurbé, more famous among the population as teké. This place
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6. is honoured both by Bulgarians, and Turks – a typical example of religious
syncretism. After the mass settling in v. Han Asparuh during 50s of ХХ c. the local
gypsies (horohaya) began honouring the teké (up to the early ХХ c. here the Turkish
ethnos is prevailing and tyurbe has left from those years). The lodge is situated in the
southeastern end of the village, by the river. The gypsies visit it on various of
occasions and at different time, most often for health, bringing gifts, make offerings.
The candles are lit and put on a stone, placed in the eastern side of the lodge (only
this stone has been preserved till today – a marble column with Arabian inscription
and a turban on the top) (woman, 72).
A day before St. George’s Day, on the 5th May, there is a great fair in v.
Bogomilovo. The gypsies say that they are going to the “Tekiyata”. The place is an
old Turkish tyurbé/teké, located almost in the village centre, in the vicinity of a
fountain. Bulgarians consider it to be a grave of St. Nikola, while the Moslems relate it
to one of their saints and call it „Mümün babà”. The gypsies, who have made a
promise, sacrifice animals and give offering, invite guests. The whole day passes off
with dances, songs, revelry, treats. (man, 50).
At the fair on St. Peter’s Day (29th July) in the middle of 60s of ХХ c. in v.
Skobelevo, Chirpan region „it is difficult to say who are more – Bulgarians or
gypsies... Thousands of gypsies will come, 2 or 3 thousand, even more, the clarinets
and cornets will start bawling... Our gypsies, all the people in these lands love the
clarinet… They start a firm horo of men – it is called “chorbadji” – a gypsy leads it”
(New way 1965, №7). This fair also is held around the old Turkish teké, visited by the
Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebí in the middle of ХVІІ c. (Çelebí 1972: 34).
A very typical syncretic place is the sanctuary on the peak St Iliya near v.
Graphitovo, Nova Zagora region. There is a spring in the vicinity and its water is
considered holy. There, back in ХIV c. “Tikyata”, an Islamic building for praying, is
built. Therе the relics of the Moslem saint Kademli Babà Sultan are buried; he
belonged to the Bektash Order (Mikov 1999: 25).
Bulgarians believe that in this grave the relics of St Iliya (Aliya) are buried
(Detev 1950:94-96). 30 or 40 years before, on 2nd August a multitude of people from
close and distant villages would gather here, spent the night near the spring, bathed
and drank water, slaughtered animals, made offering, lit candles up and left gifts for
the saint. All over the bushes roundabout threads and cloths were tied up – widely-spread
superstition that in this way the illness stays fastened there. And as Kademli
Babà was a shepherd during his lifetime, on 6th May the Moslem dervishes came to
make offering to the saint. In the course of years “Horоhanés “Romà from the
neighbouring villages began joining them. “…And up to these days the Moslem
gypsies slaughter lambs on the Teke and carry out feast rites on St. George’s Day”
(RHM-Stara Zagora 124, 3-4).
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7. A similar example could be given also about the use of the teké of Osman
baba (situated 15 km from Haskovo). The mausoleum is built in the far 1479, and the
legend says before that the relics of St. Nikolay had been buried here. Except on the
annual fair held on 12th June, the sacred place is visited every day. Kyanié and
Maxim, gypsies from the quarter of Stolipinovo in Plovdiv, are regular visitors and
leaders of gypsy groups. Here, however, while going into the sacred area of the
alians they change the ritual, the name of the holy personae and the time of the fiest
(Karamihoba, Lewis 1998: 100-101).
With the religious phenomenon “boba”, the rites and ceremonies related to his
honouring preserve to a great extent some elements, specific for the gypsies. At the
same time he is a part of the syncretic processes in their ideology and ritual practise.
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Denova, Svetlina 2004. The cult for Gyom Baba in Plovdiv. In: Notifications of the
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Zagora region. Stara Zagora:Kota.
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8. Karamihova, Margarita, and Steven Lewis 1998. The worship and the gift as
instruments for opening of the cult space (study of the teké of Osman babá). In: Gifts
and treasures. Spiritual continuity in the Balkans. Pages 96-102. Blagoevgrad.
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Regional hystorical museum (RHM) – Stara Zagora 5Sz-SA -123.
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