Ancient Thracian Heritage in A Bulgarian Folk Legend

Abstract

The legend belongs to the widespread mythological story “The Dragon Wedding” in Bulgaria. She represent an ancient Thracian heritage in Bulgarian folk culture. The legend find a parallel in the ancient Thracian myth of the north wind Borei. In the form of a dragon, he abducted Princess Oritia from Athens. He made love to her on a cliff in Thrace and made her his wife. The localities associated with this type of Bulgarian folk legends are ancient Thracian rock sanctuaries. This is also the case with the Rusin’s stone near the village of Rusokastro, Burgas region. It is a testament to the remarkable cultural continuity existing in the Bulgarian lands