The Legend Behind Martenitsa
Source: US Embassy to Bulgaria Khan Kubrat declared himself an independent ruler in 632 CE, denying the power of the Turkut khagan. All Bulgarian tribes living in the region of the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Caspian Sea immediately united under him.
So, Kubrat’s five sons went hunting accompanied by their sister Houba. When they reached the Danube River, they saw a silver stag. The stag crossed the river and showed the hunting group a ford. A bird came and brought them bad news. The founder of Great Bulgaria was on his deathbed. Kubrat wanted his sons, Bayan, Kotrag, Asparoukh, Kuber and Altsek, to come home in order to maintain some sort of order between the different Bulgarian tribes. The five sons vowed to defend Bulgaria.
Soon after their father’s death, the Khazars invaded their lands. The Khazar’s Khan Ashiba succeeded in conquering the capital Ababa. Khan Ashiba had managed to take Houba, Kubrat’s daughter, prisoner. In order to give her brothers a chance for freedom, she tried to kill herself. She failed however. Her brothers kept their vows: Bayan stayed with Houba and recognised the rule of the Khazars. Kotrag went north, to the River Volga, while Asparoukh, Kuber and Altsek went south to search for a land without oppressors. The brothers secretly arranged with Houba to send her a message, whenever they were able to find free land.
Then Asparoukh sent word, attached with a golden thread to a falcon’s leg. Bayan and Houba decided to escape, but they were spotted. Houba had tied a white tread to the falcon’s leg. She wanted to set the bird free. Then, just when the falcon was about to take off, an enemy shot Bayan and blood stained the white thread. Nevertheless, brother and sister managed to reach Asparoukh’s newfound land. Asparoukh welcomed his dying brother and his sister and tore pieces of white-and-red thread and adorned his soldiers with them.
