This collection of fairy tales and stories has quite an interesting history. While doing a field work for sociological research, the editors who are also authors of several publications on the Muslim Horohane Roma in Bulgaria, noticed their informants’ interest of in the life-stories and legends about their origin - presenting the heroism and nobility of the old Roma. This is how Dimitar Petrov and Svilen Marinov decided to devote 6 months to collect over 100 stories and tales from old Horohane Roma and to turn them into a book.

Prior to publication, a selection of the tales was presented to the communities of several villages in North-Eastern Bulgaria, organizing readings of the tales to the original tellers and their neighbours to gauge reactions, get suggestions and to see what makes people enjoy the tales. That’s how they decided on the content of the future book – a collection of 15 tales and stories presenting Roma via legends, songs and stories. The narrator and the other contributors are portrayed at the beginning of each story.

The book introduction is written by Prof. Hristo Kyuchukov and Biser Svetlinov, PhD from the University in Veliko Turnovo.

The test readings of the stories provoked the interest of the Roma communities in North-Eastern Bulgaria. The book will become a part of various youth and community activities, and the publisher plans to involve the elders mainly as listeners of the stories, because (despite the great interest demonstrated) they can not read in Romani. Schools and departments of ethnic and demographic issues in the regions where Horohane Roma live and speak their dialect have already purchased the book.

Center for Ethno-Cultural Studies, Razgrad 2006
Editors: Dimitar Petrov, Svilen Marinov
Supported by the Grants Program of VORBA project.

Source: Next Page Foundation, Bulletin No. 29, October 2006.