Serbian folklore is the folk traditions among ethnic
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
. The earliest examples of Serbian folklore are seen in the pre-Christian
Slavic customs transformed into
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
.
Roots and characteristics
Folklore
The
Apostles of the
Slavs
The Slavs or Slavic people are groups of people who speak Slavic languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout the northern parts of Eurasia; they predominantly inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, and ...
,
Cyril and Methodius
Cyril (; born Constantine, 826–869) and Methodius (; born Michael, 815–885) were brothers, Population of the Byzantine Empire, Byzantine Christian theologians and Christian missionaries, missionaries. For their work evangelizing the Slavs ...
, have been venerated by Serbian
Orthodox Christians since their
Christianization
Christianization (or Christianisation) is a term for the specific type of change that occurs when someone or something has been or is being converted to Christianity. Christianization has, for the most part, spread through missions by individu ...
in 867.
In
Krajište
Kraishte (, sometimes with a definite article Краището, ''Kraishteto'') or Krajište () is a geographical and historical region split between southwestern Bulgaria and southeastern Serbia, with a very small part in northeastern North ...
and
Vlasina there are epic stories of the extermination of
Romans in a battle, and of the settling of
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
(
Antes)
Unlike
East Slavic mythology, south slavic mythology distinguishes between two different
kinds of dragons: the benevolent zmej and the malevolent
ala.
Serbian Epic poetry
Serbian epic poetry is a form of
epic poetry
In poetry, an epic is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants. With regard t ...
written by
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...
originating in today's
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
and
Montenegro
, image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
, coa_size = 80
, national_motto =
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map = Europe-Mont ...
. The main cycles were composed by unknown Serb authors between the 14th and 19th centuries. They are largely concerned with historical events and personages.
The corpus of Serbian epic poetry is divided into cycles:
*Non-historic cycle
*Pre-Kosovo cycle - poems about events that predate the
Battle of Kosovo - songs about royal family-Nemanjići and folk songs
*Cycle of
Kraljević Marko
*
Kosovo cycle - poems about events that happened just before and after the
Battle of Kosovo (no poem covers the battle itself)
*Post-Kosovo cycle - poems about post-Battle events
*Poems about the liberation of Serbia
*Poems about the liberation of Montenegro
See also
*
Serbian folk music
Serbian may refer to:
* Pertaining to Serbia in Southeast Europe; in particular
** Serbs, a South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans
** Serbian language
Serbian (, ) is the standard language, standardized Variety (linguistics)#Standard ...
*
Serbian dances
Dancing tradition in Serbia is represented by various styles of dance, commonly called Kolo. The word originates from the Slavic word meaning a 'wheel,' circle, or circuit. Kolo is a collective dance, where dancers hold each other's hands in eith ...
*
Serbian culture
Serbian culture is a term that encompasses the Serbian art, artistic, Serbian cuisine, culinary, Serbian literature, literary, Music of Serbia, musical, Politics of Serbia, political and Serb traditions, social elements that are representati ...
References
External links
Serbian folk dance groupSerbian folk dance in Canada - SCA Opleanc"Christian Serbia maintains its faith in folklore", BBC Radio, February 4, 2010
*
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