Danube-Networkers
Interview with Sashka Bizeranova
Text: Albena Mitikova / Sashka Bizeranova
The role of the danube for forming the psychology and the character of the "new settler" from Novo Selo /new village/ an interview with Sashka Bizeranova - historian, author of books for Novo Selo - Vidin district, Bulgaria
C.A. What is the Danube for the people, living in close proximity to the river?
S.B. Someone told once, that the Danube is the bearer of culture for the people living around. The subject is large and has many aspects - economic, cultural, strategic and historical.
C.A. How they perceive the river, what sign and value has it for them, what analogy it wakes up?
S.B. The river helps the natives of Novo Selo to
identify and differentiate them from the surrounding world on different level - on settlement, family related and individual
level.
The language is here a main differential line.
The unique dialect of the village Novo Selo analyzed in details by prof. Maxim Mladenov, is the reason for outstanding of that settlement community .
Surrounded by villages, where Vlashki language /an old, unique mixture between Bulgarian and Romanian languages/ is spoken, to save the originality, hardness and tenacity of characteristic constancy is needed, stability of the traditions and their submission in a generation of a generation of awareness for a community unity as well.
C.A. How to get there?
S.B. We came from different corners to the Bulgarian land - from Macedonia, Chiprovtsi, the region of Gabrovo - Sevlievo and have founded local population, and needed time to equalize the manner of speaking.
C.A. Is Novo Selo /New Village/ a new village?
S.B. Hardly. According to the
academician Stefan Mladenov's research, nearly 500 years are necessary to
make equal the language processes.
This means
earlier migrations because of the rebellions against the turkish authority of XVIIth century.
C.A. How the geographic standing specifies the economy importance of the river?
S.B. They
do not apply to us the world
directions - north, south, east and west. The native of Novo Selo has got his own - "conto Dunov"
(towards the Danube) , "conto pole" (towards the field) "nagor" (upwards) and "nadol"
(downwards). The dimension is the river. "Nagor" (upwards) means upstream, "nadol"
(downwards) means downstream. The center is one - the rustic square.
The winds also have appellations different of the common Bulgarian
-"doov iz conto Dunov" (from the direction of the Danube), "gornyac" (north wind).
In Novo Selo there is a
meteorologic station, in the past it
has had got an acting
port and a custom-house. The river is a road for our
communications. From Novo Selo
begins Bulgaria. Each day over the radio we hear its
name when they tell the degree of the river. That communication
channel is part of the
modernity of Novo Selo - houses as in Vienna, laces from Vienna, wine to Hungary, to Austria, to Germany . The river not only divides, it is as well a bridge, a mediator. The villager of Novo Selo is really
inquisitive and tolerant to the foreign. It is
well being oriented geographic,
it knows its neighbors,
learns their language, knows the weaknesses
and the advantages of the others and
learns from them. The trade with Austrian-Hungary, the export of the wine of Novo
Selo, the buying foreign commodities makes the expansion of the horizon. The trade is very important for the prosperity of the people.
The fishery has a basic significance for the means of livelihood as well as
culture. Numerous families still live nowadays
from fishing. Very interesting are the family names and the nicknames as well, the
fisherman's terminology, etc. what shows the huge influence on the river over the psychology, the language and the history of the village .
The river is part of our history. It is a limit that has
been often violated. During the April rebellion the population in a mass run from the turks atrocities and save themselves in Wallachia. In each
home are kept and
submitted from
generation to generation the memories of these hard times.
C.A. The importance of the river in the local folklore?
S.B The Danube as an independent mythologem in the South-Slavonic and
Balkan folklore produces multitude of ideas which formulate the monolithic mythologal image of the river, its
universality and singularity.
There are many calendric
holidays and traditions, which are related
to the river. Unchanged remains
the Epiphany (the St. Jordan's Day). Each year the people throw
a cross in the river, which was sanctified in advance. The
custom "Pupuroda"
("Butterfly") completes
with bath in the river . Because the river is considered as a mediator and the fastest carries
givings for the deceased relatives,
all funeral and memorial customs
include at least one point concatenated with the water (slipping of small gourds into the river etc.). When
the crop is completed as well the first flour is digested, a small ritual bread is kneating, slipping
into the river. The water the fastest carries it to your deceaseds. But the relatives in
that world also care for the
welfare, for the success and the heavy crop.
C.A. How is the river written in the daily life and how it becomes part of the daily life and of the villagers of Novo Selo?
S.B. In the thinking of the
villagers of Novo Selo the river is above all life and entertainment. Along the
river there is full of experiences. They play cards, chess, backgammon, they
swim and row there, they smoke and drink there, the enamoureds meet there, they
wash and winnow beans there... If you have got time for entertainments, for
amusements, go there. Our resort is there. The very concept of Danube is
turning to a verbal code for off time. The currentness changes the vision and
it is passing to modernity by the means of the pubs and the discos on the
riverside.
Despite discrepancies in years, the young generation listens with interest to
the stories about old times, about the freezing of the river, about the trade
over it and about the draught once. But today the river is mainly fun.
In generally I consider that the traditional folklore notion of the river has
experienced crucial changes, but it is still saved and is changed to one of the
cultural codes of the new identity.
