The structure and function of curses in oral and written epic poetry

Nikolić, Davor. (2010). The structure and function of curses in oral and written epic poetry. Narodna umjetnost: hrvatski časopis za etnologiju i folkloristiku, 47(2). pp. 147-162. ISSN 0547-2504

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Abstract

This paper analyses epic poetry on the examples found in V. Bogišić’s collection of early oral poetry, attempting to explain the usage of curses as one of the poetic principles in oral epics. The two criteria employed in this analysis were the relation of the addresser and the addressee – based on religious and gender affiliation – and the relations of subjects and objects in the curses. The results show strong dominance of Christian addressers over Moslem ones and also more frequent occurrence of the male addresser in comparison to the female, which can be interpreted within the immanent regularities of the epic genre. The results were compared to epic poems from Razgovor ugodni naroda slovinskoga [Pleasant Conversation of Slavic Folk] by A.K. Miošić in order to determine the degree of oral-epic interference in this volume belonging to Croatian literature dating from before the Croatian National Revival.

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