The rosetta of Pliska
10/14/2020
Both its definite Bulgarian origin and its close connection with the roots of our people make it a symbol that many Bulgarians wear as an ornament.
Despite the numerous existing theories, researchers are adamant that the "Rosette of Pliska" is closely related to the way of life and beliefs of the ancient Bulgarians. The number of rays on the "rosette" is equal to seven, as is the number of celestial bodies – planets, as known to the Old World, who were worshiped as gods.
It was initially assumed that the signs and rays were associated with the seven planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, and Mercury, to which the Sun and Moon were traditionally added. Similar bronze seven-beam rosettes with a double solar circle in the center, but without preserved signs, were found in Bactria as well as in FYR Macedonia.
The signs on the Pliska star are superbly engraved and the ends of each section on them are marked with perpendicular lines. Geometrically, the star is very precisely calculated and proportioned. This careful tracing of the signs and rays, as well as the technology level of production that was used (matrix casting of the star from molten bronze) speak in favour of the idea that the star is a product of mass and high quality production.
According to the cosmological notions of some ancient, so-called Sapaean peoples of the Old World (Babylonians, Persians, Indians), the celestial bodies are either motionless (stars) or in motion (planets). According to these peoples, the planets are actually gods who govern the lives of people and events on Earth. The visible gods then are 7 - the Sun, the Moon, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Mercury. According to these notions, each planet moves in its own celestial circle within various distances from the Earth. On the highest seventh circle (seventh heaven) stood the Sun. Sapaean astronomers (then called astrologers) often depicted the seven planets as the rays of a seven-pointed rosette.
With the help of this rosette, the Sapaean astrologers determined which planet-god ruled an hour of a day and thus tried to guess what the outcome of a future event would be - a battle, a trade deal, a birth and so on. An foreign instrument, similar to the Pliska star, was used in ancient India.
Many Bulgarian and foreign researchers have searched for the meaning of the Pliska rosette. All researchers assume that there are two signs on each ray of the star from Pliska. On this basis, many, but so far unconvincing, attempts have been made to read the signs on the rosette. Some authors suggest that the signs are runes that serve as letters. Others link these signs to ideograms, cryptograms in Greek letters, and so on.
P. Dobrev stated the hypothesis that the name or the beginning of the name of the respective planet is written in runes on each ray of the rosette from Pliska.
Most of the signs on the bronze rosette from Pliska are also found on a lead amulet from with proto-Bulgarian signs found in Northeastern Bulgaria. The famous signs of the Sun, Venus and the Moon from the rosette stand out quite clearly on the medallion.
From the examples presented above, it is clear that the mentioned signs on the rosette from Pliska were widely known and used on a significant part of the territory around the main centers of pagan Bulgaria. These signs correspond to the main planetary gods of the proto-Bulgarians led by the Sun.
The rosette from Pliska is undoubtedly an artifact that is closely connected with our essence as Bulgarians, the heritage from our ancestors and the understanding of the world and the universe that existed in the society of that time. To this day, many Bulgarians wear copies of the Pliska rosette made of various metals - most often silver, as jewelry. In this way, they testify of their connection with the ancient heritage of their distant ancestors and become guardians of the traditions and the divine energy and strength that led the great Bulgarian people and protected them in days of hardship.