In traditional Bulgarian society, the family unit was the ultimate source of protection. To be "without a mother and without a father" meant more than just grief; it meant being a (an outcast) or someone without a "root."
Many Bulgarian folk songs and tales center on the "siromah" (the poor/orphan) who must rely on wit or divine intervention because they lack the earthly protection of parents. bez_maika_i_bez_bashha
It mirrors the "Hero’s Journey," where the protagonist must lose their protectors to find their own strength and define their destiny. In traditional Bulgarian society, the family unit was