Bulgarian Hayduts in the Context of Haydutry in the Balkans (According to Folklore Sources)

Abstract

This article attempts to study Bulgarian hayduts (outlaws) in the context of haydutry in the Balkans by comparing Bulgarian and Balkan haydut folk songs. The aim of the research is to establish and explain the common and different moments in them in terms of themes, plots, and presentation of the main characters through their behaviour, actions, and the attitude of the folk artist to them. Based on that comparison, the common and different characteristics of Bulgarian and Balkan hayduts and the Bulgarian haydutry during the period of Ottoman rule are to be derived and indicated. The geographical area of the study covers the territories of today’s Balkan countries: Bulgaria, Serbia, the Republic of North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, and Romania.