Bulgarian Alphabet was created in 855 by Cyrill and Methodius before the Moravian Mission. The Bulgarian Alphabet was used by other Slavic Nations.

INITIAL LETTERS

Until Gutenberg’s printing machine was invented, books were copied by hand. In the Orthodox world the copying of manuscripts continued almost till modern times. Even now in some monasteries prayers are transcribed by hand and kondakars are compiled. In the monotonous rhythm of the textual columns, copyists paid particular attention to the new paragraphs and by their ornamentation and the resulting decorative title-pieces they achieved aesthetic articulation of the textual units.

Thus, the initial letters were an important element in the design of the medieval Bulgarian book. Transcribers used to render them in crimson, blue, gold or silver ink. Initials are more elaborate and larger in size than the ordinary letters - they provided reference points for the users of the text during liturgies, or for the monk while he prayed in private. The construction of the letter was ornamented by vegetal, geometrical, interlaced-band, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic decorative patterns.

Initials in which the palmate in the oval motif, or the vegetal elements are dominant, are executed in the Byzantine floral style, characteristic of the Greek and Slavic manuscripts. When the initial incorporates elements of the zoomorphic and ornithomorphic list, but devoid of the adequate natural forms, it represents the teratological style, while initials, in which interlaced-geometrical figures prevail, belong to the Balkan style. The basis of all three styles in the Slavonic manuscripts is the Byzantine ornamental repertory.

Initial Letter B Tomic Psalter, 1360

The hand-written book is a subject of serious scholarly study. Some exemplars of initial letters are shown below. Their graphic representation has been studied in the works of professor Axinija Djurova. Even today Bulgarian artists use them in their works.

À (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts corresponding to A (international transcription)

No 996 Teratological initial letter Psalter, 14th century	No 1137 Initial letter of the Balkan style Homilies of Rila, 17th century	No 767 Teratological initial letter Tomic Psalter, 1360

Á (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscript, corresponding to B (international transcription)

No 997 Teratological initial Psalter, 14th century.	No 999 Teratological initial Psalter, 11-13th centuries	No 1000 Teratological Initial Gospel, 1323	No 750 Teratological initial Psalterium Bononiense 1230-1241, Bologna

Á (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts, corresponding to B (international transcription)

š 754 Teratological initial Psalterium Bononiense, 1230-1241, Bologna	No 979 Teratological initial Gospel of Orshan,13th century.	No 981 Teratological initial Gospel of Orshan, 13th century	No 982 Teratological initial Gospel of Orshan, 13th century

Á (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts, corresponding to B (international transcription)

No 765 Teratological initial letter Tomic Psalter, 1360	No 1171 Interlaced initial letter with anthropomorphic motifs Book of Apostles, 1689	No 1138 Initial letter of the interlaced-band type Stichic Prologue, 1636	No 1101 Initial letter of the Balkan style Miscellany of Vladislav the Grammarian, 1469	No 1104 Interlaced initial letter Psalter with supplement from the Rila Monastery, 15th c.

Á (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts, corresponding to B (international transcription)

No 794 Balkan style initial letter Tomic Psalter, 1360.	No 766 Teratological initial letter Tomic Psalter, 1360	No 790 Balkan style initial Tomic Psalter, 1360	No 792 Initial letter of the Balkan style Scala paradisi of Rila, 1364

Â (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts, corresponding to V (international transcription)

No 1003 Teratological initial letter Gospel , 1323	No 758 Teratological initial letter Psalterium Bononiense 1230-1241, Bologna	No 760 Teratological initial Psalterium Bononiense 1230-1241, Bologna	No 978 Teratological initial letter Gospel of Orshan, 13th century

Â (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts, corresponding to V (international transcription)

No 983 Teratological initial letter Gospel of Orshan, 13th century	No 984 Teratological initial letter Gospel of Orshan, 13th century	No 985 Teratological initial letter Gospel of Orshan, 13th century	No 1160 Balkan style initial letter Gospel of Kroupnik , mid-16th century

Ã (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts, corresponding to G (international transcription)

No 768 Tertological initial letter Tomic Psalter, 1360	No 797 Balkan style initial letter Tomic Psalter, 1360	No 753 Teratological initial letter Psalterium Bononiense 1230-1241, Bologna

Ä (Cyrillic alphabet) corresponding to D (international transcription)

No 1133 Balkan style initial letter Homilies of Rila, 17th century

E (Cyrillic alphabet) corresponding to E (international transcription)

No 998 Teratological initial letter Psalter, 14th century

Ç (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts, corresponding to Z (international transcription)

No 1163 Balkan style initial letter Gospel of Kroupnik, mid-16th century	No 1122 Zoomorphic initial letter Prayer Book, 1784	No 1100 Initial letter of the interlaced-band type Four Gospels, 12th century

Ê (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts, corresponding to K (international transcription)

No 1162 Balkan style initial letter Gospel of Kroupnik, mid-16th century	No 1120 Interlaced initial with ornithomorphic motifs Psalter, 1638	No 1097 Initial letter with plant motifs Stichic Prologue, 1620	No 1105 Balkan style initial letter Miscellany of Plovdiv, 1674

Ì (Cyrillic alphabet) corresponding to M (international transcription)

No 1158 Balkan style initial letter Homilies of Elena, 17th century

Í (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts, corresponding to N (international transcription)

N 1146 Initial letter of the vegetal motifs and interlaced-band type Stichic Prologue, 1636	No 1038 Initial letter with vegetal motifs Four Gospels, 17th century

Î (Cyrillic alphabet) corresponding to O (international transcription)

No 1140 Interlaced-vegetal initial letter Homilies of Elena, 17th century

Ï (Cyrillic alphabet) corresponding to P (international transcription)

No 1159 Balkan style initial letter Homilies of Elena, 17th century

Ð (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts, corresponding to R (international transcription)

No 980 Teratological initial letter Gospel of Orshan, 13th century	No 986 Teratological initial letter Gospel of Orshan, 13th century

Ñ (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts, corresponding to S (international transcription)

No 1164 Interlaced initial letter with anthropomorphic motifs Book of Apostles, 1689	No 1166 Interlaced-band initial letter with anthropomorphic motifs Menaeon for the Month of October, 1638	No 1132 Interlaced-band initial letter Apostle, 1689	No 1099 Initial letter of the vegetal motifs type Stichic Prologue, 1620

Ò (Cyrillic alphabet) of the old manuscripts, corresponding to T (international transcription)

No 1103 Interlaced-band initial letter Psalter with commentary from the Rila Monastery, 15th century	No 1069 Initial letter with plant motifs Prayer-Book, 1748