Fire_Wolking

Nestinarstvo Nestinarstvoto – play on the fire (fire dance) – the fire dancing call also “nastinarstvo” is an old Bulgarian tradition that is practiced in several villages in Strandzha Mountain. In the early 20th century the ritual spread to some northern Greek province because of people which leaved the Strandzha region. This dance is a bridge between past and future. It is part of the rich intangible heritage of Bulgaria. This tradition is unique and almost unknown, although it is existing for centuries. It is still a mystery how the dancers dance barefoot on hot coals without being burned. Nastinarstvoto is a unique phenomenon in the Bulgarian rituals and psychology, which it is in mystery even today. It is a pagan tradition in Christian basis. The nastinarstvo is very different from other Bulgarian customs. This is confirmed by the fact that dancers are only from certain families within community. They believe that they receive from their ancestors, secret heritage of righteousness. Nastinarstvoto is certainly unique complex ritual combine in festive and sacred culture in the Strandzha Mountains close to the Black Sea coast in the very southeast of Bulgaria. Moreover, it is not in the cultural competence of the entire population in this ethnic zone and it can not be called a regional phenomenon. Natinarstvo is very unique and spectacular dancing attracted many researchers for more than a century. Petko Rachov Slaveykov was the first person in the Bulgarian folklore that stopped his attention on it. He had three publications about nastinasrtvoto: the newspaper “Gayda ” in 1866, ‘Makedonia’ in 1870 and magazine ‘Den ’ in 1875. This phenomenon is not only a spectacle but it is an ancient priestly custom. Natinarstvoto is complex perennial practices, exercised by specific communities with sacral functions. The nastinari are considered under Saints Constantine and Helen patronized. This ritual is in two days: June 3rd and 4th, when is celebrated ST. Constantine and Helen holiday. This is the most important religious festival of nastinarite. It gave name to the entire month: “Kostadinskiya”. In Strandzha the celebration of both Saints Constantine and Helen started on the Sunday before their festival. The prominent dancers meet in the house of the main nastinar, who welcome them kindly and the dancers presented gifts and workshop him. First they go into the main nastinar’s chapel in his house where they pray, and than he treats them. The meeting has the aim to negotiate the upcoming celebration of Sf. Constantine and Helen on June 3rd. In the day of celebration in daybreak, the priest celebrates the divine mass. All villagers are festival dressed and they gathered in front of the church. A young nastinar export the icon of Sf. Constantine, decorated with flowers and old coins. Every one in the village accompanied the icon with pipes and drums near the village, where the icon is sanctified in water; there is offering traditionally boiled mutton- “kurban” . In the afternoon all villagers are returning to the villige in the same ritual, but on the way back they stopped at the village square and sing there. Today the ritual involves walking to the ‘aqzmite’ of the saints, carrying icons of the two saints, kurbani and ritual breads. The dancers embark on the wood construction, turned on the east and make the sign of the cross, light a candle and stick to the iron cross which is placed on the wood construction. Many people leave gifts there – towels or tissues tied to the railing. On Thursday before 3rd and 4th June in ‘nestinarski’ villages they celebrate the so-called “Little Saint Constantine’. On the morning the warden of the saint goes to his chapel and slaughtered lamb, which later on make ‘kurban’ of it. When the boiled mutton is ready the warden clapper strikes and the villagers come on the chapel. Everyone should have some of the boiled mutton- the tradition says that this will bring ‘health’ to everyone. In the afternoon, it starts the preparation of the fire. According to old legends dancers do not come into heat before they burned twelve carts wood. In the evening when the sun goes down, begins the columniation of this sacral. The dancers are going into the chapel of St. Constantine. There they begin to inhaled the smoke of incense and praying in front of the two saints. Already in the dark in front the small building, everyone from the village come and they play special ringtone. In stage of remission nestinarite decide when exactly the procession to start. They have strict way of walking: first are the warden and three guys with icons. It has been Mandatory requirement in the past the icons to be carried by young men. Immediately after them go dancers. They are followed by musicians and than the others participants in the ritual procession. When they arrived near to the fire they form themselves as a cordon around the coals, previously spread out in the right circle, the nastinarskoto procession reach its culmination. The dancers enter the fire, compulsory first time they cross it in cross and then they begin to dance more disorderly through it. When the dance is over around the coals everyone from the village danced national dance called “Constadinsko horo” – for health. In the next day was the St. Helen holiday. In the past it was during the night ritualistic walked the whole village ( a practice that was abandoned in the 60s). The icons were bringing into every house into the village, except those in which had recently deceased or giving birth. The whole family should kiss the icon, and over sleeping babies or young children they shake it- for health and for soliciting the blessing of the saints. The people who were caring the icons had been treated usually with ‘rakia’ or wine. And in the evening again made fire and they was doing the wonderful fire dance. ` On the day of Sf. Constantine began new series of rituals: early morning starts the dressing up of ‘nestinarskite’ icons. Throughout the entire year the icons stay in the churches into ‘nestinarskite’ villages. Before the festival, the icons are moved to the ‘Konak’ - a special small building in the center of the village, serving as general chapel of two saints, although that at the end of the village has its own separate chapels. “The Shirts” of the icons are usually sewn from the main dancer into the village. The dressing ritual is: the woman dancer (nastinarka) “smoked” them with incense smoke, bring them to the Churchwarden and he put them on the icons. Only then starts the organization of procession to the place where the priest operate proper liturgy for St. Constantine- they washed the icons handles in the sacred water. Everyone from the village are going there, they dance, play and sing special songs for that day. On this day the ‘nastinari’ distribute ritual breads, which are relatively simple decorated. The “Nastinarstvoto” is not only attractive game into embers. “The walking into the fire” is undoubtedly an important point of the ritual, but with it does not exhausted its essence. Fire dancing is a system of sustainable over centuries’ beliefs and rituals actions, which are carried out by hierarchically organized community. People who are fallowing the fire rituals have formed their organization, resembling a church, with their locations and buildings, icons, sacred religious objects and properties. ‘Nastinarite” Nastinar can be both male and female; they usually are from same family. The fire dance is pass inheritance to sons and daughters. Nestinarite had been respected by the people in the past and in present as well. Some of them were fortune-teller- they were charming against evil eye, and telling the future on beans. Generally the first entry into the coals its preceded by a period of future guessing, dreams and physical suffering. These phenomenons go away gradually during the prosses of playing into the coals. The clairvoyance is one of the most mysterious aspects of dancing. The ability of contact with the saints/ patron saint in into trance or dream, it was the main symptom of so called “fire-dancing disease”. During the ritual- the dancing into the coals- the dancers are into “capture state” - a state of pain and suffering: nastinarite become darker, they shouting with all their strength and with thin voice “iha-iha” and in the same time they clap with hands. Common belief is that the dances on the coals, nastinarite are unhurt / undamaged because they have the protection of the saint. This dance should provide fertility and health for people. The clairvoyance usually is focused into the village’s future. Specific symptom of “capture stage” is the fall of body temperature. Dancers pale, and cool and cold sweat drenches them. “The dancers’ time of emancipation” occurs with stabilization of mental status and body temperature. During saints’ days (St. Ivan, Holy Trinity, Virgin Mary, St. Atanas, St. Dimiter and etc.) the process is provoke also from the sound of bagpipes and drums, the strength and duration of musical sounds. Expression of “capture stage” is the speeding up of body abilities. The most interesting, impressive and important skill of nastinarite is their ability to walk on coals without being burned hurt or damaged. Some scholars explain this phenomenon with psychology. But the particular mental state in which the dancers fall may explain the insensitivity to pain, but not the fact that combustion does not occur. Another interesting fact is that objects dropped from the dancers and dresses which they are wearing do not burn. For such miracle events remembered still living witnesses of the rituals which the previous generation of fire dancers in villages Bulgari and New Pancharevo were doing. Witnesses claim that there were some cases when nastinarite sited in the fire dressed in ordinary clothes and they did not get hurt. Nestinarite and peasants are not surprise of miracle events which are happening during the dance. They perceived the miracles as phenomenal, but in folklore perspective they see it as very natural and manifests of charisma. Fire dancers themselves could not explain their abilities, but accept them as a gift. They believe that their talent come from their strong trust and believe in Saints’ protection. Nastinarstvoto is dance among the Bulgarian customs that cause the most interest among foreign tourists in the country. This is a unique spectacle of its kind, which is incorporated in folklore programs at many hotels and restaurants. However, the awareness of tourists to the nature and history of fire ritual is very important. In order the visitors to understand this ancient Bulgarian tradition with a rich history and meaning. Reference: 1. Atanasova D. “Fenomenite na Strandzha” , Kliment Ohridki, Sofia, 1999 2. Fol V. , Naikova R. “Ogan I muzika” , Marin Drinov, Sofia, 2000 3. Sherankov “Ognehodstvo”, Kliment Ohridski, Sofia 1998 4. “Ethnology of Bulgaria”, BAN, Sofia 1985 5. Iordanova: “Psychology of the phenomenon Nastinarstvo” 6. Stefanov “Nastinarstvoto: worship and spiritual nature”