Фолклор

In its relatively long development, since 1842, when Iv. A. Bogorov published the first collection of Bulgarian folk songs and proverbs, Bulgarian folklore studies have achieved significant successes not only in terms of collecting and publishing folklore materials, but also in their research. However, one important gap, which until recently remained unfilled, was the absence of more significant comprehensive and generalizing works on Bulgarian written folk poetic creation, with the necessary scientific depth and competence. The reviews, which were placed in the past mainly in some textbooks on Bulgarian literature, such as Al. T. Balan in his "Bulgarian Literature" (1896) and others, very valuable for their time, today can no longer be fully used due to the often outdated and scientifically overcome views that are advocated in them, and also due to the significantly smaller amount of materials on which they are built. The prominent gap in our science of Bulgarian folk poetic creativity was largely filled in the past 1959 with the appearance of two photo-chronicle works of important importance, namely "Bulgarian Folk Songs" by Prof. Y. Ivanov (published by the Institute of Bulgarian Literature at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences) and "Bulgarian Folklore" by Prof. P. Dinekov. Prof. P. Dinekov's book presents the first part of his comprehensive review of Bulgarian folklore, the second part of which is due to be published in the near future. Compared to what has been done in this field to date, it represents a very serious attempt to assess Bulgarian poetic folk art from the point of view of modern progressive science, by clarifying and criticizing all outdated explanations and concepts based mainly on the experience of Soviet folklore studies, which the author has carefully studied.

As a folklorist, Karavelov followed an interesting path of development. His teachers were primarily Russian and Ukrainian researchers of folk art. Through their works, he also became acquainted with the views of Western scholars, primarily the mythological school of Jacob Grimm and his followers. What is the place of Ukrainian folklore in Karavelov's studies and what impact did Ukrainian folkloristics have on him? It is very difficult to separate the influence of Ukrainian science from that of Russian, because they developed in extremely close unity. Scholars of both nationalities worked in close cooperation, both in Russian and Ukrainian university centers. Often folklorists of Ukrainian origin, such as O. M. Bodyansky, also deal with Russian folk art, and Russians by nationality, such as I. I. Sreznevsky, V. V. Pasek, who lived in Ukraine for a long time, collect and publish its folklore. And within the framework of Karavelov's activity, a more precise distinction of these influences can hardly be achieved even after a comprehensive study of his development as a folklorist.

In December 1967, at the Institute of Literature, the Section for Bulgarian Literature before the Liberation discussed and accepted for publication the research presented for the collection "Literature and Folklore". The discussion, conducted under the leadership of Prof. P. Dinekov, was attended by: Prof. B. St. Angelov, Prof. G. Dimov, Dr. Kr. Genov, research assistants B. Nichev, S. Baeva, D. Lekov, Tsv. Undzhieva, L. Grasheva, St. Tarinska and others. Thirteen works were accepted for publication: P. Dinekov - Literature and Folklore", B. Nichev - "Literary and Folklore Artistic Consciousness", Kr. Genov - "Observations on the Typology of Bulgarian Folk Poetry", St. Nikolova - Paterical Tales and Folklore", D. Lekov - Folklore and the Formation of Bulgarian Fiction during the Revival", Tsv. Undzhieva - Slaveykov's Feuilleton and Folk Art", V. Valchev - Pencho Slaveykov and Folk Art", St. Boyadzhieva - Petko Todorov's "Prayer" and the Folklore Tradition", P. Totev - "With Contemporary Bulgarian Satire and Folklore", Iv. Koynakov - Botev's Poetry and Bulgarian Folk Songs to the Armed Anti-Fascist Struggle 1941-1944", E. Ognyanova - Mama and Her Tales", N. Kaufman - "The Rhyming Verses in Our Folk Song",

Pencho Slaveykov's attitude towards our folk art is not one of the unclear and unknown issues of his thought and poetry. Moreover, he is one of those artists who turn to the folklore of his people not only directly - with his personal poetic work - but also through a number of statements, articles, studies. This facilitates the study of the problem posed and to a certain extent directs its solution. I will not dwell on Pencho Slaveykov's views on Bulgarian folk art, expressed theoretically, but on those that we find in works such as "Ralitsa", "Chunar", "Lud Gidiya", "Nerazelni", "Lyatna Vecher" and many others, which grew under the direct influence of folk works or were nourished by them. On the other hand, I will try to trace the dependence of Pencho Slaveykov's journalistic statements on the relationship between the talent of the artist and the talent of the folk singer; to what extent is the influence between them; to what extent these statements become a principle for his personal creativity.