Under the Yoke Analysis
by Ivan Vazov

Byala Cherkva

Byala Cherkva (BYAH-lah). Fictional Bulgarian town in which the principal action takes place. Located in the Strema Valley or valley of roses, in the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula, it is a prosperous town with many merchants and has its own school. It is also the location of the konak, the Turkish governor’s residence, a constant reminder to the Bulgarians that they are under the rule of Muslims who despise Bulgarians, most of whom are Orthodox Christians, as infidels. At first the wealthy members of the merchant class prefer to accommodate the Turks, but a random act of rebellion and the Turks’ response to it lead the merchants to join the rebels in a doomed uprising. Yet afterward the merchants prefer to purchase their own safety by abject surrender of all weapons and any suspected individuals, rather than become another razed village. The town is heavily based upon Ivan Vazov’s own hometown of Sopot.

Mill

Mill. Old mill building, located just beyond the main part of Byala Cherkva, on the Old River that is the site of the murder of two Turks. This act by a passing revolutionary is the spark that sets off the action of the novel. When the Turks’ hastily buried bodies are discovered by the authorities as a result of a dog’s obsessive pawing at the spot, the Turks then brutalize and kill a respected member of the community. This so outrages the previously apathetic merchants that they join with the rebels in the doomed uprising. At the end of the novel, Vazov brings the story full circle by having the protagonists cornered and captured at the mill, where the Turks kill them, mutilate their bodies, and place their heads on pikes as gruesome warnings to others who would raise their hand against Turkish rule.

Monastery

Monastery. Center of Eastern Orthodox religious activity in the valley. Although the monastery is initially a lively center of activity, by the time of the novel it is run down, with only a few monks still living in it, including the half-wit Mooncho, who chatters obsessively. It is also the home of Deacon Vikenti, a historical rebel leader who provides shelter for the protagonist when he is in danger of being discovered by the Turks after the murder at the mill. At the close of the novel, Mooncho’s grief-stricken curse against Muhammad and the sultan of Turkey leads to his being seized and hanged as a traitor by the Turks.

Klissoura

Klissoura (klih-SEW-rah). Village in which the first major insurrection begins and in which many important rebels stay or visit. When the uprising finally begins, it is tragically premature and is rapidly crushed...