Bulgarian Folk Tales

Traditional Bulgarian tales told by a professional storyteller who carries Bulgarian stories in her heart. Bulgarian-born oral storyteller Nana Tomova carries in her bones old Bulgarian tales of golden maidens and winged serpents; of wise witches and wild nature, stretching back to ancient Thracian times. Born in a land cradled by the Balkan Mountains and by the Black Sea, rich with myth and magic, Nana's life has been shaped by these stories, and now she wishes to share their hidden treasures with others.

Spirits of forest and waters heal and harm; the Three Fates determine destinies, a girl lets down her hair for a wolf to climb up, whilst Vampires roam the dark nights. These stories, all rooted in the mysteries and cycles of the natural world, have been passed down from one generation to another, told whilst baking bread and spinning by the hearth, for thousands of years. Stories carry within them a secret map to the terrain of life.

This freshly translated collection of traditional stories includes tales of fierce wise women, of rituals, magic and custom, back to when the Great Goddess was revered. Through these stories, you will be enchanted in a world of imagination, walking through mountains and mists, journeying to the palace of the Sun and the Moon, to seek answers to life's questions.

Bulgarian Folk Tales by Nana Tomova features 25 black and white illustrations that bring these enchanting stories to life.

Author: Nana Tomova is a traditional oral storyteller and a nature connection guide, with dual British and Bulgarian citizenship. Her work has been featured in the Guardian and Coast magazine. She regularly tells tales on her podcast, 'The Story Apothecary', and her radio show, dispensing stories as 'medicine'. Nana has collaborated as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival and has performed as part of the International Scottish Storytelling Festival.