Damascenes

(also damaskini), important manuscripts of Bulgarian literature of the 17th and 18th centuries; manuscript collections of religious and didactic works (lives of the saints, apocryphal works, exhortations, and sermons). They include translations from the Treasury (Thesauros) by the 16th-century Greek preacher Damascene the Studite (hence their name). The copies of various versions often reflect the patriotic outlook of their compilers, contemporary events, and aspects of Bulgarian life. Some even include religious tales drawn from folklore. The manuscripts can be found in libraries in Bulgaria and the USSR.