In the Seasonal Rhythm: The Perception of the Seasons in Medieval Bulgaria in the Context of Agricultural Activity

В сезонния ритъм: представата за годишните времена у средновековния българин в контекста на селскостопанската дейност

Исторически преглед, 81 (2025) No. 1, pp. 53-67 (ISSN 0323-9748)
DOI:

Teodora Georgieva / Теодора Георгиева

The Cyrilо-Methodian Research Centre, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Abstract: Weather conditions directly influenced human activities, and it is no surprise that even in the Middle Ages, climate variability led people to seek explanations for various weather phenomena. During this pre-industrial period, agrarian societies were highly dependent on natural resources. The geographical environment, along with natural and climatic conditions, shaped the primary occupation of medieval people: agriculture. Meteorological descriptions were often influenced by sociocultural factors, incorporating both theological interpretations and observations of the natural world. Weather forecasting relied on interpreting signs, such as unusual natural phenomena, which required explanation.

The interest in climate and environmental changes was closely linked to agricultural activity and the need for sustenance. Evidence of this is found in Byzantine narratives, hagiographies, hexameters, oratorical prose, and even apocryphal literature. These texts reflect the daily life of medieval people, their fears for the harvest, and their perceptions of climatic conditions. The medieval period reveals a climate perception with minimal abstraction, where daily life was governed by the rhythm of the seasons, natural conditions, beliefs, and the drive to understand the surrounding environment.

Keywords: Middle Ages, economy, climate, everyday life, Bulgarian lands.

The fulltext of this article can be purchased on CEEOL: https://www.ceeol.com/search/journal-detail?id=242.