The Arhetipical Image of the Viper in Bulgarian Tales by Lozinka Yordanova

Abstract

The article examines the figure of a viper in the Bulgarian fairy tales of Lozinka Jordanova Bălgarski narodni prikazki za zmеyovе i hali, za yunatsi i tеhnitе yunachni dеla. The interpretations refer to universal symbolic meanings constituted in fairy tales, which made it possible to discover the multifaceted character of the viper
and to draw attention to the fact that it is one of the most important figures of
Bulgarian mythology and that national folklore builds its image with remarkable
semantic intensity compared to other European nations. Considered from the perspective of the viper symbol, fairy tales indicate deeper forms of life on all levels
of existence (cultural and psychological), and the human community referring to fairy tales and their symbols determines the durability of cultural ties that build national values.
The main thesis of the paper is to extract the characteristic features that distinguish the viper among the figures of Bulgarian mythology and its role as a symbol of depth in the personal development of the subject. For this purpose, the archetypal (Northrop Frey) and psychological (Carl Gustaw Jung) approach to the analysis of fairy-tale texts was used. The above interpretation made it possible to indicate the characteristics of the viper, characteristic of the folk imagination, that make up the following thematic conclusions: theriomorphic genetics, mediation, hybrid nature, relationships with earthly and heavenly space, guardian of treasures, the role of nature in defeating the viper, responsibility for unhappy love relationships and atmospheric phenomena, vipers as the shadow archetype (persecutor and initiator of personal integration), fairy-tale hero as an interlocutor and slayer viper.