Dr. Svetlana Slapšak: Rulers, Warriors, Saints, Battles

Series of lectures Balkan Stories

Cankarjev dom Literature and Humanities Dr. Svetlana Slapšak: Rulers, Warriors, Saints, Battles

The basis of Balkan narratives – here, we are referring to literature, oral literature, theatre, opera, film and comics – are mostly male-dominated heroic stories. Roman emperors born in the Balkans, Byzantine, Turkish rulers, and then warriors, rebels, kings, hayduks, knights, saints-adventurers, and famous battles. The first issue to be resolved, of course, is defining the region’s components, i.e. its borders, in geographical terms. Only after we have defined the area, the battles acquire meaning. Many such stories are "translations" of historical characters and events into national myths. However, many express completely different ethical, political, social and cultural ideals. The paper includes both the former – Alexander the Great, Constantine, Marko Kraljević, Skenderbeg, Njegoš, Karadjordje, and the latter – Cyril and Methodius, Stefan Lazarević, Rigas Feraios, Vuk Karadžić...