Bulgarian Sacred Script (The Horn from Sofia) - Part 2

      Rajko Sefterski, Bulgarian scientist who published "Horn" inscriptions, believed that the script in which they were written derived from Chinese writing (Sefterski, R. 1999, p. 99-100). His argument was indirect: the testimony of Al Nadim in Fihrist(1). He never tried to compare Bulgarian graphs with Chinese characters. This was done by Bulgarian cinologist Gogova, before those inscriptions had been even published(Gogova, S. 1989). Unfortunately, only a short preview of her work was shown to public. One can ask himself, if is it possible a writing system similar to Chinese to be used unnoticed in Middle Ages Europe. 
     On other hand,  Bulgarian graphs look so different from Chinese characters. However, Chinese script underwent centuries long evolution. Modern forms of graphs differ greatly from oldest known ancient forms, Bronze vessel script and Oracle Bone script that date back to 1200 BC. In fact, ancient graphs might be more promising for analogies. For example, Bulgarian graph  , looks exactly as Chinese hanzi   大 (dà- big). Although, an alograph of     found at Great Basilica at Pliska  resemble oldest known form of  character 天 (tiān- sky,god). 

Inscription found at Great Basilica with two  graphs (Georgiev, P. 2001 p. 130)

In fact, the very rare Glagolitic letter "ТЕ" have similar cross-like shape which synchronises with the alleged word for God in Bulgar language- "tengri". Secondly, the character  resembles Chinese character for numeral 5 in Oracle bone script. Also, the Murfatlar letter   looks like ancient form of Chinese character 王 (wáng- chief). Perhaps, more elaborate investigation might reveal more similarities between Bulgarian and Chinese graphs.
       Furthermore, Bulgarian Sacred script (BBS) is not an isolated phenomenon among Eurasian writing systems. In fact, Orkhon script, an alphabet used to write Old Turkic, is also suspected to contain a group of signs that initially started as pictographs. Danish philologist Vilhelm Thomsen, who deciphered Orkhon script in 1893  suspected that letters r2, l2, t1, n2, g1 and š have pictographic origin. Latter, A. von Gabain and G. Clauson added to this list b2, k4 and y1. Rona Tas (Rona-Tas, A. 1987) sums up all possible pictographs in his paper “On the Development and Origin of The East Turkic “Runic” Script:”

Orkhon pictographs, Rona-Tas, A. 1987, p.13

Although never stated, those Orkhon letters could origin from an unknown ancient logographic writing system. It is very possible that, similarity between those Orkhon letters and BSS graphs (,,, ,), might come from the fact that ultimately they have same origin. 
     The objective of present study is to compare BSS graphs with graphically similar Chinese characters and Orkhon "pictographs" in order to determine their semantics and added by cultural background of the BSS inscriptions to try produce plausible readings.

1.Graph 

      Graph  resembles the Glagolitic letter  "shta". Chinese characters with analogous forms depict a wide range of words. One is the pictograph of a hand in a profile. The drawing of a human hand or hands was used in several different ways:

Ancient  Chinese graphs depicting human hand according to L. Wieger  (Wieger, L. 1965)

These pictographs are involved in creating multiple combined ideograms. Here are some of them that illustrate the creation of such signs:

Derivatives of hieroglyphs depicting a human hand, after Wiktionary.

The other similar shape depicts a plant that has just been fed from its seed. The table below shows both the original ancient form and its derivatives:

Ancient form of the graph 屮 and its derivatives, after Wiktionary.

The third ancient form similar to our graph depicts cattle:

Evolution of the graph 牛 (niú) (Wang Hongyuan, 1997 p.74)

All these forms illustrate how, when the drawing is simplified over time or becomes abstract, undoubtedly close shapes can be used to portray radically different objects.

    2.Graph 

     Graph  resembles two Chinese characters. The first, 巾 "jīn", depicts a small piece of cloth that was worn under the belt and used to clean and pick up dust, also used to expand the fabric for the more general, fabric. The second, liang  is a pictograph of balance scales. This sign is no longer used, but it enters into complex signs that have a similar meaning.

Evolution of the Chinese graph 巾 (jīn), (Wang Hongyuan, 1997, p 190)

3.Graphs ,  and

     Those three graphs share a common element:. This means that graphs and are composed of two elements. In fact, the character composed of two or more elements is the most common type of graph in modern Chinese script. How did this happen? The very first method of forming a new graph was drawing of picture or symbol. Real objects have been depicted through schematic drawings that have been changed over time due to change of writing materials. The first three characters in table below are pictographs. They are schematic drawings of The Sun, a tree, and a man. 

Chinese characters, after Wiktionary.

 Second category, to witch belong graphs "down", "up", and "middle", are ideographs. They are created by expressing an abstract idea using an iconic form. For example, the graph  represents a flagpole with a drum that used to be stuck in the middle of a field, thus the idea of "middle". The third type of graph is the combined ideograph. By combining two pictographs, the idea of ​​a third object is created. For instance, by combining pictographs 子 (child) and 女 (woman) the 好 (good) sign is obtained. Also, the 日 (sun) and 月 (moon) hieroglyphics gives 明 (clear), 力 (force) and 田 (field) give 男 (male). Two times the character 木 (tree) gives 林 (grove) and three times 森 (forest). The fort category graphs are rebus or phonetic borrowings. Those graphs are created by using one graph for two words with different meaning but similar pronunciation. For example, because words for horse (mǎ) and mother (mā) sound similar, the graph for horse, 馬 was borrowed for word for mother. Latter on, to avoid ambiguity, former was modified by adding the graph for "female" as semantic determinative forming thus new graph: 媽. This graph belongs to fifth category characters, phono-semantic compounds, which is an absolute majority in modern Chinese scrip. An phono-semantic compound graph consists of two parts: a phonetic that defines the pronunciation of the word and a semantic that gives the meaning of the word. In the table below, this is illustrated by a few examples:

Phono-semantic graphs

At this stage, it is unclear which of those five methods of developing Chinese script were employed to create graphs in BSS, although use of pictographs and ideographs is out of question. Also existence of graphs made of two elements as  and , imply at least use of combined ideographs. In the case of graph  we have a combination of two identical graphs. It is clear also that  is graph by its own. Its resemblance to Chinese character 入 (rén) male, clears the way of understanding graph .

Evolution of the Chinese character 人 (rén), (Wu Yiren, 1994, p. 62)

 It appears that Chinese character 从 (follow,comply), which is composed of twice 人 (man).

Evolution of Chinese character 从 (follow, comply), after Wiktionary

4.Graph 

       The graph  is also twofold. It should be noted that here also the left part is considerably smaller than the right. To understand its meaning first two parts of the graph has to be investigated separately. According to data, its left half,  had been frequently used sign on times of First Bulgarian Tsardom. It can be find incised on different building materials:

    - on a stone block at Great Basilica, Pliska

    - on a stone block at the western fortress wall of Pliska 

    - on a stone block at the South Gate of Preslav

    - on a ceramic tile at Kalugeritsa

    - on a brick at Madara

In combination with other characters, graph  was discovered:

     - incised on a column, near Preslav, the village of Selishte, in the form , as part of a larger composition:

Signs on a Preslav column (Doncheva-Petkova, L. p. 165)

   

   - incised on the ceramics at Madara, in the form,

   - cut into a brick, at Madara, along with another sign: 
   - incised on a brick, at Madara, in the form: 

   - cut into a brick, in the march, in the company of another sign: 

We have to add two more complex characters to this list. The first is with a different basic part, which may have different semantics. Found on a block at the Great Basilica of Pliska:. The second one was found in the medieval village of Garvan, Romania, incised on a piece of ceramics used as a weight for a fishing net. This circumstance is conducive to a better understanding of both the meaning of the composite sign in question and its components. It could be assumed that the sign has been incised on the weights such as protecting netting from tearing or to bring rich catches:

A mark on the weight of fish net from Garvan, Romania

       Graph  resembles ancient form of Chinese character木 (mù) wood (10) agach. As a radical, 木 forms several complex characters. Some of them are listed on the table below:

Evolution of Chinese characters with "tree" radical, after Wiktionary

In addition, one of them, 本 (běn) origin, root, can be matched with Bulgarian graph .

     The other part of the graph, appears also to be used separately. In fact, it was found incised together with 3 different graphs in 3 different occasions. First group was found cut on brick at Pliska; and again on a brick at Pliska group, and finally on a stone block from the Great Basilica: . As separate unit graph resembles Chinese pictograph of right hand:

Evolution of Chinese character 又(yòu) also, again, after Wiktionary

After identifying both parts of the graph , it is not very difficult to find its match among Chinese characters:

Evolution of Chinese character 采 (cǎi), after Wictionary.

5.Graphs  and 

     Graph and are relatively easy-to-recognise symbols of the sun and the moon known to many cultures throughout human history. As it was already noted in the introduction Orkhon letter (Y1) has been identified as pictograph of the Moon. With similar shape is also Chinese character 月 (yuè) moon:

Evolution of Chinese character 月 (yuè), (Wang Hongyuan, 1997, p 41)

 However, Bulgarian graph   is slightly different from ancient forms of the Chinese characters 日 rì (sun). 

Evolution of Chinese character 日 (rì), (Wang Hongyuan, 1997, p. 37)

It appears to bear resemblance to "solar cross", a symbol of the Sun which has been used since Neolithic. Following images depicting Sun phases are from a ceramic pot found among remains of Tripoliye Culture:

 

Tripolian ware, Rybakov, B. 1965, left p 42, right p 34 

       

The sign  continued to be used throughout antiquity and Medieval Europe. For example, it can be found engraved on pottery and metal objects. Sun cross was one of the most commonly printed marks on the bottoms of ceramic vessels in eastern Europe from 7th to 11th century. Hundreds of marked pots are found in archaeological excavations in Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Czechia  and Poland. Although scientists disagree over purpose of pottery marks, they agree that solar cross is representation of the Sun.(1) Its use on lead medallions suggest that the symbol of solar deity granted a powerful protection from evil spirits. They were produced and wore in 9-10 century Bulgaria when mixture of pagan believes and Christianity flourished for a while.   

Depictions of solar cross: left, a lead medal from Medieval Bulgaria, 

(Doncheva, S. 2007); right, a pottery mark from the Medieval Czechia

Those graphs of course cannot be considered as writing but they are proof  of identification of graph  as symbol of the Sun. 

6.Graph 

     The graph  resembles the ancient form of Chinese 墉 (yōng), wall, fortified wall:

Evolution of the graph 墉 (Wang Hongyuan, 1997, p. 140)

The old forms of the Chinese hieroglyph give the opportunity to grasp the drawing of the Bulgarian graph as a settlement surrounded by walls reinforced with protective towers, a castle.

   

7.Graph 

        resembles another graph known from several identical inscriptions: . Bulgarian researchers interpret this graph as a cross with blossoming ends. In the graph   one of the ends is slightly different. Most likely those two are different characters.

Inscription from R. of Macedonia  with graph  presented (Ivanov, Iv., 2008)

Here, it is also appropriate to show evolution the Chinese graph 巫 (wū), whose ancient form resembles a cross:

Evolution of Chinese graph 巫 (wū)

7.Graph 

     Graph have a similar appearance to ancient forms of Chinese character 皿 (mǐn) dish, vessel. It have to be admitted that the resemblance is not complete. As can be seen in the table below, Oracle bone character is the simplest and more close in appearance to Bulgarian graph.

Evolution of Chinese character 皿 (mǐn) dish, vessel, after Wiktionary

8.Graph 

      This ggaph resembles in some form the form of the verbal letter "sa". Similarly, the Chinese 山 (shān) hieroglyphic mountain looks like. However, we must note that the ancient forms of this hieroglyph are slightly different from our glyph:

Chinese hieroglyph 山 (shān)

 9.Graph 

     Graph is identical with Orkhon letter d2, and is pictograph of the Old Turkic word "ed" (property). Also, there is several Chinese characters that have similar appearance:

10.Graph 

     Graph resemble an arrow or a spear. In fact, Orkhon letter K4 have identical appearance. It is believed also that originated from pictograph of an arrow (Old Turkic: "ok"- arrow). Similarly looks Chinese character 矢 (shǐ) arrow:

Evolution of Chinese character 矢 (shǐ) arrow, after Wiktionary.

11.Graph 

          

     Graph  bear a resemblance to Chinese character (jǐ) self, oneself. Originally this character was created as a pictograph of silk rope when used in weaving-loom with meaning to sort treads and also arrangement, disposition. By phonetic extension also represented word self, oneself. Latter on to avoid ambiguity original graph was continued to be used for the word "self" and to the graph representing original meaning was attached semantic determinant 糹"silk" thus creating new graph: 紀.   

Graphs , and 

      The graph  has been printed on the bottoms of ceramic vessels from the period of the First Bulgarian Kingdom:

Pottery marks from Medieval Bulgaria

Its shape of a square from which each side comes out a bit creates an illusion of rotation. Let's see how such an idea is accomplished in Chinese hieroglyphics:

Chinese graph 回 (huí), after Wictionary           

Graphs и stand out with its square shape, which has been associated with ancient times with earth and stretches of the earth's surface. Most likely these graphs are exactly such pictographs. Here, it is appropriate to present the ancient forms of a few Chinese characters that have a square shape.

Chinese graphs with square shape, after Wictionary 

12.Graph 

   The ancient forms of two Chinese hieroglyphs resemble the Bulgarian graph:

Ancient forms of Chinese characters 天 (tiān) и 大(dà), after Wiktionary.

 However, its allograph found on a stone block from Pliska most closely resemble bronze variant of Chinese character  天 (tiān), sky, heaven.

Signs on a stone block from the Great Basilica of Pliska

There evidence that medieval Bulgarians worshipped sky  in the name Tangra.

13.Graph IYI

      Glyph IYI is the most common sign in Early Medieval Bulgaria. Items that are cut or printed are found mostly in today's northeastern Bulgaria and Romania, but they also meet far west: Rash and Prestovac, Serbia, Shudikovo, Montenegro and Zalavar Hungary.

Ceramic fragment with incised IYI of Zalavar Hungary

There is not an ancient form of Chinese character that resemble this graph. However, findings in Bulgaria allow successful investigation of its meaning. Instrumental in unravelling the semantics of the graph IYI has been the inscription of the village of Garvan, Silistra, incised on a funerary urn:

Inscription from the village of Garvan, Silistra

Here IYI has an unusual appearance (), halfway between actual graph and its spelling:  "Ari" (Chuvash: ыра - holy, good). The same combination  also occurs in the composition of the Great Basilica:

Composition of signs and monograms from Pliskа

Here again, the word "ari" (holly, good) is written with letters (7) in a large monogram-puzzle of Holly Trinity on the right. It reads from top to bottom:  (ari- holly, good), and horizontally at the bottom:  (IC- Jesus), up: (ata izge- holly father) and in the middle, most likely:  (Holy Spirit). Fortunately, understanding the monogram uncovered also the meaning of graph .

Reading a monogram from the Great Basilica

The meaning of the composition of the Great Basilica sends us to the first years of baptism of people of Bulgarian tsardom when the ancient pagan beliefs intertwined with Christianity, and when ancient graphs, like IYI for a while gave their power to deity of the day. Soon they will be forgotten forever. However Bulgar word "ari" somehow survived frozen in domestic ritual songs in the form "добър" (good), epitaph added to various mythical characters "good knight", "Marco good knight", "good horse", "good horse six-winged". In the ritual song from the village of Asparuhovo, "A knight (2) and the Sun compete" (3), "Good knight" with a "good horse" is betting whit "The Clear Sun":

„Похвали се Добър юнак 

вечер, вечер на кладенец

че си има добра коня,

добра коня чер гарвана -

за ден земя обиходя,

обиходя й пак доходя.

Отде го зачу Ясното слънце,

отговаря Ясното слънце:

- Ой те тебе, Добър юнак,

хайде с тебе на обзалог:

ако мене ти надминеш,

ще ми кердосаш милата сестра,

милата сестра Ясната звезда,

я тебе ку надмина,

ще ти взема добра коня!“

"Good Knight praised

at a well in the evening,

that he has  Good Horse,

the Good Horse raven one -

he can circum-ride the Earth, 

for a day and rejoice again.

From where the Bright Sun heard him,

and the Bright Sun answered:

- Oh, you good knight, 

lets place a bet with you:

if you overtake me,

you will take my dear sister,

my dear sister, the Bright Star,

If I overtake you,

I will take the Good Horse! "

Perhaps the "Good Horse" is represented on the drawings of graffiti from Ravna with the graph IYI written on them:

Graffiti of horses bеаring graph IYI from Ravna Monastery (Popkonstantinov, K. 1997)

14.Graph 

      This graph is found incised on one of the walls of the E3 chapel in Murfatlar in the two-character combination  identical to the one in the long horn inscription. 

Inscription from the E3 chapel in Murfatlar

Here the graph in the middle may be a random scratch or a separating sign. To understand the meaning of the graph  we will look at finds from Medieval Bulgaria. The first is a square stone with graffiti from the Great Basilica at Pliska on which ligatures and individual graphs are cut. The composition on it synthesise believes of newly baptised pagan Bulgarians:

Signs incised on stone block found at Great Basilica in Pliska

A central place in this composition occupies a monogram, almost allayed in the centre. Right of it is a large five-pointed star. Along the left side are incised three graphs  one of which is partially damaged. On the right of the central composition is a monogram of Holly Trinity (4). On the left are drown two giant graphs . They can be explain with the phrase picturing two of the pagan Gods still worshipped by the new Christians: "The lecture of the three enlighteners" : "There are two angels of the thunder Hellenic old man Perun and Hurs the Jew."(11) And yet to the right of one of the giant  are written two Cyrillic letters "ПЕ"(PE) standing for Perun (5). The impression is that this composition depicts the sky or the upper world, and the glyph considered is a star pictograph. The lecture of the three enlighteners  This guess, of course, must be backed up by more facts. In the Christian perceptions of heavenly lights, it is believed that the fate of every man is determined by his star. The images of ring stars from Medieval Bulgaria are probably related to this belief. Here we will present several rings of medieval settlements, along with pentagrams and octograms, and glyph :

Rings from the fortress near the village of Odritsi NE Bulgaria

Rings from the fortress to the village of Stena, Macedonia

15.Graph 

      This glyph resembles the Glagolitic letters „иже“, „еръ“ and „ерь“. The same sign is the most common letter among the inscriptions of the Murfatlar cave churches. Its use is also transferred to the Cyrillic sculptures and cases where it replaces the signs of various vowels. Also, it is used in the Mutfatar alphabet with two functions. First, as the vowel "i" and secondly, as an abbreviation, and why not a graph, the word "izge" (holy, saint). It should also be noted that the same sign is used and turned 90 degrees ():

Inscription from the Madara cave (Doncheva-Petkova, L. 1980 p. 165)

  Several Chinese characters resemble or include the same form:

Evolution of Chinese Hieroglyphs, after Wiktionary.

16.Graph 

     It is not possible to find Chinese character with same graphic appearance. However, comparing inscriptions in which it is used can help understand its meaning. Following three inscriptions are "Byala" type. 

In them first and last graph are same and only the middle part is different. Assuming that Bulgar is probably SOV language, then the graph that ends the sentence should be a verb if the direction of reading these inscriptions is known. Fortunately, one of the Byala type inscriptions is written vertically and thus clarifies that last graph is  and thus a verb.

In this case  is the first graph in the sentence and appears to be combined easily with at least three different words in religious formula. All this leads to the conclusion that  graph  might be an adjective. Pagan religion of Chuvash people might give an example of such an adjective. Thе god of Chuvash people, Турă is called Çỹлти Турă(Allmighty God), Мăн Турă (Great God). Similarly, perhaps, is the meaning of glyph  : allmighty, great, close to the epithet added to the title of the Bulgarian ruler: ΥΒΗΓΙ, ΣΥΒΗΓΙ. Thus the inscription from Byala could mean: Supreme / great good / sacred help me / protect me.

17.Numerical graphs

     Fortunately, there are numbers among the graphs of the Bulgarian Sacred Script. The table below shows some of the inscriptions containing numbers graphs:

Some of the numbers are easy to catch, others need to be surveyed. The system is similar to the Roman one, and probably one bar is one, two bars are two, and so on. However, Roman system can not help to understand graphs like .

A clock with Roman numerals (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_numerals)

A similar to Roman is Chuvash numerical system used for tally records. Chuvash system differs from Roman in marks for numerals from 4 to 9 but also does not mach unknown Bulgar numerals.

Chuvash numbering system (https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Чувашские_цифры)

In fact, the Chinese numeral system is one that solves the problem. Chinese rod numerals for 6, 7 and 8 appear to be akin to graphs  and .

Chinese numerals (table based on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_numerals)

Interpreting the results

     The graph  is particularly interesting. Number 7 have magical qualities in many cultures. Indeed Bulgarian medieval religion is not exception and the phrase IYI, from Shudikovo upper side inscription, on the upper side can be read as  "seven Good", where "Good" is just replacing the word "God". It appears that Shudikovo stone was dedicated to seven Goods, but most importantly, the inscription from Shudikovo reveals the existence of a pantheon of seven gods in the Bulgarian religion (5).

Shudikovo inscription 

This new information brings to mind Pliska Rosette, on both sides of which is casted an inscription, on first side graph IYI, and on the other side on each of seven rays two Murfatlar letters (6). It is very possible that on each of the rays are written the names of the seven gods in question. To identify them though is quiet difficult because modern historiography knows very little about the Bulgarian pagan religion. Until recently has been believed that three ethnic components of Bulgarian state, Bulgars, Slovene and Thracians kept their religions intact until Christianisation when they was united. However, according to Ancho Kaloyanov this was not the case. Three ethnic groups were united culturally in the first hundred years after the establishment of Bulgar Khanate on Lower Danube region in 680 AD, thus forming new religion called by Kaloyanov Old Bulgarian paganism (Kaloyanov, A. 2007, p. 52). Kaloyanov also believes that the names of Old Bulgarian pagan gods were preserved in several religious texts written in Old Bulgarian. One of them is "The Mother of God's Walk through the Torments": "They did not believe that God created life; all these they called gods: sun, moon, earth and water, beasts and slithering things, then they turned into gods made of stone by people, Troyan, Hǎrs, Veles, Perun." "In another work, "Speech of the Interpreter" (Kaloyanov, A. Mollov, T. 2005) can be find gods Mokosh, Diva, Perun, Hǎrs, Rod, Rozhanica, Pereplut. From the third work, "Speech of the Christ-lover" are known Mokosh, Sim and Rǎgal. In each ray of Pliska Rosette there are two Murfatlar letters arranged vertically, except for one of the rays where a diacritical sign, perhaps a letter is added:

Rosette from Pliska

According to what we know about the Murfatlar alphabet, the seven inscriptions read as follows: - ro, - а/т?,  - chе,  - оshǎ/оша?,  - ?и,  - пе, -кs. Some of the gods can be identified:- Rо(d), - Che(ren bog), - Perun, - K(ǎr)s, (Hǎrs). The lack of knowledge about the other letters does not allow for the assumption of the meaning of other names. If the rare letter   can be assumed to be a ligathure of    can be read as Tr(oyan).

18.Graph 

    Graph  is found only once, on the top of Šudikovo stone cut deep together with three more characters:

Šudikovo, top inscription. 

Its shape resemble a vessel full with something. Contents are suggested by a dot. There are few Chinese graphs in which dot is used with such a purpose:

Chinese graphs with a "dot" element, after Wiktionary 

Above table gives idea what could be the meaning of graph  . To this can be add the fact that Stone of  Šudikovo is a large square block ideal to be an altar on top of which sacrifices could be made. In this respect, graph can represent a word for an offering. If the inscription must be red from top to bottom and from right to left following is the result: ?IYIIYI= (to?) holly seven holly (offering?).(7)

19.Graphs,  and 

 Those three graphs are used in an inscription found on pages of a Greek manuscript from 10th century. This inscription could be key to understand their semantic. 

Inscription from Oxford manuscript 

First, graph  is written ones, then graph is written 11 times. After that graph  is repeated 3 times and then graph  is written ones. After leaving numbers of repetition a said, the folowing sequence is formed:  . Graph have phonetic value of "t" in Murfatlar alphabet. Also it is used in ligature with letter "o" forming Bulgar word  "ot" (fire,light). This rises the suspicion that as a logograph meant fire. Although, there is one occasion when it was used separately to denote Bulgar word "ata" (father) . 

Inscription M18, Murfatlar.    

 This synchronises with the meaning of combination  as "holly spirit"(10). This leads to the conclusion that the whole inscription was praise of the Trinity, and therefore the meaning of the graph   has to be "ool" (son).

     In conclusion, comparisons of Bulgarian graphs to Chinese characters that were made in this article does not prove that BSS derives ultimately from Chinese script. In fact, this was not the purpose of present work. The aim was to show similarities between those scripts, to find appropriate explanations of the structure and find plausible readings of Bulgarian graphs, and thus advance toward deciphering of BSS. There is strong believe that further investigation will reveal more of the secrets of ancient writing of the Bulgars.

    

Notes

   1). Kitâb Al-Fihrist by Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq Ibn al-Nadīm. Sefterski cites remarks made by A. Garkavi that Bulgars used to write with Chinese characters and "Mani" alphabet (Sefterski, R. 1999 p. 100).
   2). It is a rather difficult to translate. The actual word "юнак" imply that this is a young person, but essential is that he or she is physically and mentally strong and is able to complete an extraordinary deeds. A hero?
   3). Published in Моллов, Т. 2006- 2017 
   4). Discussed in section 13.
   5). Compare with the abbreviation of the name Perun on Rosette of Pliska in section 17 of this work. 

   6). By the way, Bulgarian pagan pantheon, but composed of 5 gods, is discussed by A. Kaloyanov (Kaloyanov, A. 2002)

   7). Most of the researchers that worked with the Pliska Rosette accept that the graphs used there belong to Murfatlar alphabet, also called "Alphabet from Murfatlar and Pliska". See Tryjarski E. 1985 and Parzymies A. 1991.   

   8). Passage is from "Lecture of three enlighteners" cited in Ivanov, V. 1965, p. 18.

   9). Compare with the abbreviation of the name Perun on Rosette of Pliska in section 17 of this work.
   10). Discussed in section 13. 

Literature

   
   Gogova, S. 1989- Снежина Гогова, О некоторых праболгарских письменных знаках. In: Sixieme Congrees International d'Etudes du Sud Est Europeen, Resumes des Communications Linguistique, Sofia, 30 aout–5 septembre 1989, Sofia, 1989, 6-7.

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