BULGARIANS AND LONGEVITY.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 568, 4 December 1915, Page 7

BULGARIANS AND LONGEVITY.

Bulgarians have a reputation for longevity. They boast of possessing irfore centenarians than any other people in Europe. Among these is "the oldest woman in the world," Mrs Baba Yawho is, or lately, still living at her native village of Bavelsko, which she has never left. She was born of peasant parentage in May, 1784, and there is no doubt about her age because the record of her baptism is preserved at a neighbouring monastery. According to the custom of a country where women are employed on most kinds of manual labour, Mrs Vasilka worked in the fields for more than 100 years. When she was born Bulgaria was merely a province of Turkey.