Bulgarian Folk Tales

Bulgarian-born oral storyteller Nana Tomova carries within her the ancient tales of Bulgaria—stories of golden maidens and winged serpents, wise witches and wild nature, reaching back to ancient Thracian times. Born in a land shaped by the Balkan Mountains and the Black Sea, rich with myth and magic, Nana’s life has been deeply influenced by these stories, and she now seeks to share their hidden treasures with others.

Spirits of forest and water heal and harm; the Three Fates determine destinies; a girl lets down her hair for a wolf to climb; and vampires roam the dark nights. Rooted in the mysteries and cycles of the natural world, these stories have been passed down through generations—told while baking bread or spinning by the hearth—for thousands of years. Within them lies a secret map to the terrain of life.

This newly translated collection of traditional tales features fierce and wise women, ancient rituals, magic, and custom, reaching back to a time when the Great Goddess was revered. Through these stories, readers are invited into an enchanted world of imagination—walking through mountains and mist, journeying to the palace of the Sun and the Moon, and seeking answers to life’s deepest questions.