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Canadian Slavonic Papers

Elements of Folklore in Andri's "Na Drini uprija"


Author(s): MATEJA MATEJIC
Source: Canadian Slavonic Papers / Revue Canadienne des Slavistes, Vol. 20, No. 3,
YUGOSLAVIA (September 1978), pp. 348-357
Published by: Canadian Association of Slavists
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MATEJA MATEJIC

Elements of Folklore in Andric's A/a


Drinicuprija
If the presenceof folkloreelementsin the prose of two of the greatest
Serbianwriters,PetarPetrovi-Njego? and Ivo Andri,is no morethana
coincidence,it is a veryinteresting one. A close studyof theirworks,
however,revealsthatthepresenceoffolklorein themis notincidentaland
that,in fact,thereis a definitecorrelationbetweentheiruse offolkloreand
the highartistry of theirworks.
The folkloreelementsin Andri'sworksare so clearlyevidentthat
theycannotbe overlookedevenby thecommonreader,letalone students
of literature.A numberof literarycriticsnoticedand mentionedtheir
presence,yeta moredetailedstudyon thissubjecthas not yetbeendone.
This is theaim and purposeof thispaper.
In the worksof Andri,as well as in theworksof NjegoSand some
othergreatauthorswho utilizedfolkloreelementsintheirart,one does not
finda mereimitationoffolkpoetryand prose,butan artisticadaptation,a
literarizationoffolklore.A successfulartisticadaptationoftheseelements
neveraims at theadaptationoftheentirefolkloresystemas such.In other
words,as MaximilianBraun stated,
Theproblem ofliterary adaptation, offolkpoetry
[of]"literarization" is
a questionoftransfer ofa poeticideafroman independent system into
another.. . . Individualmeansofexpression fromfolkpoeticscan be
canbe successfully inliterary
utilized poetry,butthispoeticas such,as an
artistic
system, cannotbe transferredintosomeotheratmosphere, into
anothersystem ofthought and emotion.1
Braun'sstatementconcerningfolk poetrydoes apply to folklorein
generaland an evidenceof itis Andri'sadaptationoffolkloreelementsin
his literaryworks.
Adaptation or literarizationof folklorematerialin the works of

1. M. Braun,"Gorskivijenackao primerknjizevneobradenarodnepoezije," Rad X-og


kongresaSaveza folkloristaJugoslaviena Cetinju,1963godine (Cetinje, 1964),p. 39.

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Folklorein Na Orinicuprija | 349

Andriis achieved witha degreeof perfectionneverbeforeachievedin


Serbian and Yugoslav prose. This is probably why Dragisa Zivkovi
claimsthat
Ivo Andriis an outstandingepic writer[epicar].In fact,he is neithera
novelistnora story-teller[pripovedac],butan epicpoet,a rapsodistwho
tellsus about our past,about thepeople and destiniesfromour land who
have an importanceforus as well as forman in general.2
Andri'smannerof narrationis unmistakablythe one in whichthe
storytellersof folktalesand storiesnarrate.This was noted by Isidora
Sekulias earlyas 1923whenAndrihadjustbegunto attracttheattention
of literary
critics.She observedthat"thefirstoforientalcharacteristicsof
Andri'sstorylies in the mannerof presentationof the content,which
remindsone of oral narration."3
WhatSekuli refersto as "oriental"can be identified
withfolklore.In
fact,literarycritics
who comment on Andri's art seldomfailto pointout
thathis mannerof narrationis similarto thatused in folklorenarratives.
One of them,Dragisa Zivkovic,elaboratedon thissubject.
As forthemannerand tone of narration,Andriundoubtedlyfollowed
the folk storyteller.That finecharacteristicof the folkstoryteller
who
'ornaments and embroiders,' who narrates interestinglyand
convincingly, himselffirmlybelievingin thatwhichhe narrates,Andri
inheritedfromhis Bosnian predecessors,famousfortheirstorytelling
and art of conversation[egleri].Almostunnoticeably,in themannerof
thefolkstoryteller, he knowshow to spreadtemporaland spatialframes
of his storyand to lead you 'across ninemountainsand nineseas,' as far
as a differentcountry,a different kingdom.. . .4
Petar Dzadzi, an excellent connoisseur of Andri's art, also
commented at some length on this subject.
Abidingby the spiritof popular traditions,Andrialso abides by their
linguisticsuitability;he 'tells' the story withoutapparent desire to
prejudice anythingeither by artistryor by a more contemporary
narrativetechnique.Emotionsand thoughtshave thesame festiveattire
of wordshewedfromthenaturalspeechof theoral folkstoryteller, and
theyneverchangeit. Each of Andri'snarrative visionsofa mythicalpast
derivesfromthe clear and simple formsof popular traditionand its
persuasiveness is conceivedinan absolutepurity,a puritywhichdoes not
know of that simulationwhich wants to sustain the spark of a deep
meaningby rubbingone choice word againstanotherchoice word.5

2. D. ivkovi,Od Vuka do Andrica (Belgrade,1965),p. 174(emphasisintheoriginal).


3. I. Sekuli, Iz domacih knjievnosti,I (Novi Sad, 1964), 128.
4. Zivkovi,p. 154.
5. P. Dzadzi, "Andri kao pripovedac, in Svetlana Velmar-Jankovic(ed.),
Knjizevnostizmeu dva rata, I (Srpska knjizevnostu knjiievnoj kritici,VII) (Belgrade,
1965), 173.

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350 ! Canadian Slavonic Papers

In additionto narrativemethods,Andri'sprosealso adapts stylistic


characteristicsof oral narration.Zivkovicdevotedconsiderableattention
to the analysisof Andri'ssentencestructure and came to theconclusion
that it was "close to the sentencestructureof our folkstoriesas told in
Vuk's [Karadzi] manner of narrating.That closeness is reflected
primarily in thelengthof his sentence.A compoundsentenceof Andriis
usuallycomposedof twotofive simple-extended clauses and thisadds to
his sentence clarity and transparency,characteristicof our folk
narratives."6
Some of the lexical materialcharacteristic of oral narrationand,
of
particularly, epic poetry, is also adopted in Andri's prose. An
illustrationof thisis his use of Turkishloan words,7folkexpressionsand
dialecticisms.
Realityin Andri'sprose is composed of a perfectblendingof the
legendary,the mythical,and the realistic,whichis also oftenthe case in
oral narrationand epic poetry.The truthin Andri'sworksis notfactual,
yet,to use a paradox,it is somehowmoretruethanthefactualtruth.It is
appropriateto state that although not always adheringabsolutelyto
historicalfacts,boththefolkepic and Andri'sartadhereabsolutelyto a
highertruth.In folkloreone findshistoricalpersonsand factualevents
adaptedto expressa Weltanschauung ratherthanto presentthesepersons
and eventsfortheirown sake. In otherwords,folkartand Andri'sprose
are notthemererecordsof realand imaginaryevents,but thepoeticand
propheticvisions which reveal a deeper meaningof these eventsand
disclose the veryessence of realityof which these eventsare but the
instruments.The inclusion of mythicaland legendaryevents in the
structureof Andri's art does not weaken it but, on the contrary,
reinforcesits realism. Both folkloreand Andri's art disregardthe
chronology of events, historical periods, characteristicfeatures,
biographicaldata and actual namesof historicalpersons;buttheydo not
violate the final truthconcerningthe values and ideals theyrepresent.
Neitherfolklorenor Andric are afraid to use mythsand legends in
proclaimingthe truthsof life.
Andri'spredispositiontowardthe use of legendarymaterialin his
prose has been noted by severalliterarycritics.Dzadzi observed:
In accordancewithhis deep passionforrevivinglegendsand to manifest
in their monstrous atmosphere,through sufferersand despairing
[characters]of bygonetimes,his personalbut transformed, ex-Ponto-
like disturbances,Andri attached himselfto the mythsof popular

6. Zivkovi,p. 122 (emphasisin the original).


7. See J. Kragalott,"The Turkish Loan Words in Ivo Andri's Na Drini uprija"
(unpublishedPh.D dissertation,
Ohio State University,
1969).

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Folklorein Na Orinicuprija I 351

traditions and withintheirframework he lookedfora placeforhis


poetry; a hybrid
a fruit, ofpersonalvisionandfolkmyth, whoseancient
wisdom iselevatedtothelevelofpoetictruth,it[Andri's
poetry]hasthe
tasteof a dream,extraordinary and odd, an atmosphere of oriental
legends, buta realistic
psychological nomatter
basisas well,which, how
essential itmaybe,isapparently subduedbythebizarre legendary-poetic
forms.8
In fewerwords, Zivkovi expresseda view similarto Dzadzi's:
"UndoubtedlyAndrifoundin theepic formofthelegendaryor mythical
contentthattypeofartisticnarrationin whichhisartisticpotentialwillbe
realizedmostcompletelyand mostobjectively."9
All theaforementioned viewson thenatureof theartof Ivo Andric,
trueas theyare,requiresomesupportof intrinsic evidence;otherwisethey
may appear to be no morethanarbitrarygeneralizations.This evidence
can be foundin almosteveryworkofhis,yetNa Drinicuprija[The Bridge
on the Drina] being the work whichcontainsmost evidentlyand most
extensivelyfolkloreelements,will be analyzed herewiththe purposeof
providingillustrations of Andri'suse of folklore.
In Serbian folk epic the buildingof churchesand monasteriesis a
frequentmotif.The names of churchesand monasteriesare usuallyreal,
though they sometimesappear in a corruptedform(e.g., Vilandaror
Vilindarfor Hilandar). The details of the buildingof these edifices,
however,is oftendescribedin termsof mythsand legends.Andrichose
the buildingof a bridgeand its historyas the subjectof his novel.
In thenovel,thedetailsconcerningtheactual identity and existence,
timeof construction, location,and physicaldescriptionof thebridge,as
wellas thename of thepersonwho orderedand financeditserection,are
factual. The descriptionof the buildingof the bridge,however,is a
combination of historicalfacts, folk legends,and Andri's personal
artisticvision. In thisrespectthereis a greatsimilarity betweenfolkepic
songs describingthe buildingof churchesand monasteriesand Andri's
novel.
Fromthescanthistoricalrecordsconcerningthebridgeon theDrina
and its construction, one learnsonlythatit was builtat the requestand
withthefinancialsupportof MehmedPasa Sokolovi and thatitsbuilder
was Kodza Mimar.Sinan. Erectionbegan in 1571 and was completedin
1576. Nihadi,a poet fromSarajevo, markedthe beginningwitha poem,
and its completionwithanother. Tarih,the poem commemorating the
completionof the bridge,has been preservedin historicalrecordsand in
thenovel. However,thetextof Tarihand theone quoted in thenovelare
not identical,and the name of the poet is givenin the novel as Badi.
8. Dzadzi, p. 170.
9. Zivkovi,p. 146.

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352 I Revue Canadiennedes Slavistes

The actual buildingof the bridge,of whichthereare no historical


records,has beendepictedin manydetailsin thenovel. Folk legendsand
Andri'sartisticimaginationprovideddetailsforthatdepiction.In some
cases the author, throughthe narrator,forewarnsreaders that the
descriptivedetailsare derivedfromlegends;in othercases he createsthe
impressionthat these details are actual facts,wherein actuality,he is
presenting his own artistic"legend."
In thefirstchapterAndriintroduceslegendarymaterialconcerning
theconstruction of thebridgevia a reference to thechildrenwho "passed
... the main part of theirchildhood on or around the bridge."10The
narratorthenmentionsthat"theyknewall thebosses and concavitiesof
themasons,as wellas all thetalesand legendsassociatedwiththeexistence
and buildingof thebridge,in whichrealityand imagination,wakingand
dreaming,were wonderfully and inextricablymingled"(p. 15). In the
novel,too, the scenesof theerectionof thebridgeare createdartistically
througha depiction in which "realityand imagination,waking and
dreaming,werewonderfully mingled."Firstthenarrator
and inextricably
retellsthelegends"knownto thechildren"and, later,presentsthe"actual
facts" of the buildingwhich provide an explanationand indicatethe
sources for the legends. Accordingto these legends,as well as to the
historicalrecords,"thebridgehad beenbuiltbytheGrandVezir,Mehmed
Pasha . . ." (p. 15). Its builder,accordingto the legends,"knownto the
children"was Rade Neimar(Rade theMason), a legendary characterfrom
the folkepic.
In presentinglegendas an integralpartof his novel,Andriuses a
methodin whichthenarratorretellsthelegendsincludinghiscommentsin
narration.For example,"It was builtby Rade theMason, whomusthave
livedfor hundredsof years to have been able to buildall thatwas lovely
and lastingin the Serbian lands, that legendaryand in fact nameless
masterwhomall thepeople desireand dreamof,sincetheydo not wantto
havetoremember or be indebtedto too many,eveninmemory(pp. 15-16).
The italicizedportionof the quote (italicsare mine),indicatesthe
narrator'scommentand is typicalof Andri'smethodof narrationin
whichhe incorporateslegendaryand folklorematerialin hisnarrative.In
a similarmannerhe includestalesabout thevilawho hindersthebuilding
of thebridgeby "destroying by nightwhathad been builtbyday" (p. 16).
Here themotiffromthefolkpoem "Zidanje Skadra na Bojani" [Building
of Skadar on the Bojana] is easilyrecognizable.Whereasin thatpoemthe
hostilevila is placatedand thecontinuationof thebuildingis securedby

10. Ivo Andri,The Bridgeon theDrina(New York, 1959),p. 15(all subsequentquotes


fromthisnovel will be indicatedin parenthesesin the text).

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Folklore in Na Drini cuprija| 353

sacrificingtheyoungwifeof Gojko Mrnjavevi(who was walledintothe


foundationsoftheedifice,exceptforherbreastsso thatshecouldcontinue
to nurseherinfantson Jovo),in thenoveltwo children,twinbrotherand
sisterOstoja and Stoja, "were walled into the pier,for it could not be
otherwise,but Rade, theysay, had pityon themand leftopeningsin the
pierthroughwhichtheunhappymothercouldfeedhersacrificed children"
(p. 16).
Unlikefolkloretales,legendsand epic songs,whichneverattemptto
offerrational explanations for mythicaland fantasticmaterial they
contain,Andriusuallyprovidesrationalthoughfictionalexplanations.
In the thirdchapterhe offerssuch an explanationforthe legendabout
Ostoja and Stoja. Afterdescribingthesabotageofthebridge,organizedby
the peasant Radisav and his accomplices,the narratorrelates:
The commonpeopleeasilymakeup fablesand spreadthemquickly,
wherein is strangely
reality andinextricably mixedandinterwoven with
legend.Thepeasants wholistened tothegusleplayer
at night saidthatthe
vilawhowasdestroying thebridgehadtoldAbidagathatshewouldnot
cease herworkof destruction untiltwinchildren, Stoja and Ostojaby
name,shouldbewalledintothefoundations. Manysworethattheyhave
seentheguardswhoweresearching forsucha pairofchildren in the
villages(theguardswereindeedgoingaroundthevillagesbuttheywere
notlookingforchildren butlisteningforrumours andinterrogating the
peopleinordertotryandfindoutwhowerethoseunknown who
persons
weredestroying thebridge)(p. 36).
The originof thelegendof Stoja and Ostoja is further clarifiedbythe
storyof crazy Ilinka, "a poor stuttering half-witted girl"(p. 36), froma
villagenear Visegrad.She somehowbecame pregnantand gave birthto
twins,both stillborn.
The womenfromthevillagewho helpedherat thebirth,whichwas
exceptionally atonceburiedthechildren
difficult, ina plumorchard. But
on thethirddayafter, theunfortunate mother gotup andbegantolook
forherchildren everywhere in thevillage.In vaintheyexplained to her
thatthechildren had beeenborndead andhadbeenburied.Finally, in
orderto be ridof herincessant questionings, theytoldher,or rather
explained toherbygestures, thatherchildren hadbeentakenawaytothe
town,downtherewheretheTurkswerebuilding thebridge(p. 36).
The unfortunate motherwentto thesiteneverceasinghersearchfor
her two children."She went on livingthere,a harmlessidiot, by the
construction works.And because ofherthestoryremainedthattheTurks
had walled herchildrenintothebridge.Some believedit and othersnot,
butnonethelessitwas repeatedall themoreand noisedafar"(p. 37). Byhis
own legend about the unfortunatemother,Andri supplied a rational
explanationfor otherlegendsof unfortunate mothersand children,and

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354 I Canadian Slavonic Papers

immortalizedtheir sufferings.Andri also provides a rational, yet


imaginary,explanation of the legend about the "Crni Arapin" (Black
Arab). The characterof the "Black Arab," frequently mentionedin folk
epic songs,appears in thenovelas a "realNegro," the favourite assistantof
MaestroAntonio.The Arab lost his lifeduringthebuildingof thebridge
througha freakaccident,yethismemorywas immortalized in thelegends
about the "Black Arab" who livesin the structureof the bridge.
As forMehmedPasa Sokolovi,founderof thebridgeon theDrina,
historyhas preservedveryfew recordsabout his lifeand, in particular,
about his childhoodand youth.Furthermore it is not easy to determine
which of the preservedrecords are truly historicaland which are
legendary.Radovan Samardzi observedin his excellentbook, Mehmed
Sokolovic,that"Sokolovi's past has been,probably,lostforever, yet,in
of
spite it, the debt has been paid to him .... The debt has been paid in
fullby the tradition."11
In his novel,Andrialso paid homageto thishistoricalpersonwho
had fascinatedtheimaginationsof folkartistswithhisgloriousand tragic
life.In chaptertwo,AndriintroducesMehmed'sbiographicaldata. Once
moreAndriblendshistoricaland legendarydetailswithartisticimagery.
The narratorrelatesthat"The firstidea of thebridge,whichwas destined
to be realized,flashed,at firstnaturallyconfusedand foggy,across the
imaginationof a ten yearold boy fromthenearbyvillageof Sokolovii,
one morningin 1516 when he was beingtakenalong the road fromhis
villageto far-off,shiningand terribleStambul"(p. 22).
The novel correspondsto a certaindegreewithhistoricalfact.It is
truethatBaja, or Bajica Sokolovi,thefutureGrandVezirMehmedPasa
Sokolovi,was bornin a villagenearVisegradaround 1505.In 1523,and
not in 1516,he and some fortyotherboysand youngmenwereseized by
theTurksas "tributein blood" and takento Jedrene(Odrin),theSultan's
court.Onlylaterwas MehmedSokolovi takento Stambul.Afterseveral
yearshisparents,twobrothersand one cousinwerealso takento Stambul
and convertedto Islam. Andriutilizeda detailconcerning theabduction
of Mehmed'scousinin his depictionof theabductionof Mehmedand the
boys with him. In the novel, the narratortells of "the chosen children
[who] were laden on to littleBosnian horsesin a long convoy.On each
horseweretwo plaitedpanniers,likethoseforfruit,one on each side,and
in everypannierwas put a child,each witha small bundleand a round
cake, the last thingtheywereto take fromtheirparents'home" (p. 24).
Mehmed,who was eighteenyearsold whenabductedby theTurks,
could not have possiblytravelledin thismanner.It is known,however,

11. R. Samardzic, MehmedSokolvic (Belgrade, 1971),p. 12.

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Folklorein Na Orinicuprija| 355

thathis cousin,who was named Mustafaafterhe had been convertedto


Islam,"was too smallto be able to siton thehorse,so he was putin a large
plaitedpannierand takento Carigrad[Stambul]."12In themannerofthe
folksinger,Andrichangesfactualdetailswheneverit serveshis artistic
purpose,withoutactuallydeviatingfroma highertruthof life.
"Tributein blood" is a motiffrequently presentin folkloreepic songs
and narratives, yettheydo notprovidea detaileddescriptionofthescenes
of abductionofthechildren.Combiningscanthistoricalinformation with
his artisticimagination,Andri provided some details concerningthe
"tributein blood." The narratorfirsttellsof a Novemberday when"the
aga of thejanissaries,witharmedescort,was returning to Stambulafter
collectingfromthe villagesof easternBosnia the appointednumberof
Christianchildrenforthe blood tribute"(p. 23).
Afterthat he provideshistoricallytrue informationon what the
parentsusuallydid in orderto save theirchildrenfrombeingtakenbythe
Turks: "the necessarynumberof healthy,brightand good-lookinglads
betweentenand fifteen yearsold had been foundwithoutdifficulty, even
thoughmanyparentshad hiddentheirchildrenin theforests, taughtthem
how to appear half-witted, clothedthemin ragsand letthemgetfilthy, to
avoid theaga's choice. Some wentso faras to maimtheirown children,
cuttingoffone of theirfingerswithan axe" (p. 24).
The plightof theparentsof theabductedchildren,of themothersin
particular,is also recreatedin the novel in thismovingscene:
The motherswereespeciallypersistent and hardto restrain.Some would
rushforwardnot lookingwheretheyweregoing,withbare breasts,and
dishevelled hair, forgettingeverythingabout them, wailing and
lamenting as at theburial,whileothersalmostout oftheirmindsmoaned
as iftheirwombsweretornby birthpangs,and blindedwithtearsran
righton to thehorsemen'swhips.... 'Rade, myson,don'tforgetyour
mother. . . .' *Ilija, Ilija, Ilija!' screamedanotherwoman, searching
desperatelywithherglancesforthedear well-known head and repeating
this incessantlyas if she wishedto carve into the child's memorythat
namewhichwouldina dayortwobe takenfromhimforever (pp. 24-25).
Such scenes, such artisticdetails cannot be found in oral poetryand
narrative.However,theypreservedthememoryofthe"blood tribute"and
providedtheartistwithInspirationto use hisimaginationto recreatethese
detailsof the patheticscenesof abductionof Christianchildren.
Aside fromMehmedPa5a Sokolovi,severalotherpersonsknownin
oral poetryor proseare mentionedinthenovel.Amongthemare Kraljevi
Marko, Djerzelez Alija, and Karadjordje.
Unknownto folkloreyet modeled upon the image of hajduks as

12. Ibid., p. 33.

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356 I Revue Canadiennedes Slavistes

depictedin folkloreis thecharacterof Radisav who opposed thebuilding


of thebridgeor, moreexactly,theoppressivepowerof theTurksand the
injusticeof forcedlabour (kuluk). Radisav's courage, endurance,and
disconcernforown lifein the struggleforhis ideals is reminiscent of the
epic figureof Stari Vujadin (The Old Vujadin) and otherhajduks. The
depictionof Radisav's impaling,one ofthemostpowerfulscenesnotonly
in Andri's novel but, eventually,in world literature,is an excellent
adaptationof the folk-epicdepictionsof the torturesto whichtheTurks
subjectedthe hajduksand raja.
In thenovel,Radisav and otherpeasants,forcedbytheTurksto leave
theirhomesand workfreeon thebuildingsite,are movedto resistanceby
thesingingofepic songsbya Montenegrin. He singsofpast Serbianglory
and therebyremindsthemof theirhumandignityand inspiresthemto
rebelagainsttheirinhumantreatment. The impacthis singinghad on the
peasantsis describedin the followingpassage.
The peasantspressedcloserand closeraroundthesingerbutwithout
making theslightest
noise;their verybreathingcouldbeheard.Theyhalf
closedtheireyes,carriedawaywithwonder.Thrillsranup and down
theirspines,theirbacksstraightened up, theirbreastsexpanded,their
eyesshone,their openedandshutandtheir
fingers jawmusclestightened.
The Montenegrin developedhismelodymoreand morerapidly, even
morebeautiful andbolder,whilethewetandsleepless workmen,carried
awayand insensible to all else,followedthetaleas ifitweretheirown
morebeautiful and moregloriousdestiny (p. 34).
The scene in whichthe narratordescribesthe gusle, the man who
plays it, the guslar,the chantingitself,guslanje,the poem sung by the
guslarand themannerin whichhe did it,as wellas theimpacthissinging
made on the peasants, is an integralpart of the action in the novel.
However,it is at thesame timetheauthor'stributeto thehistoricalroleof
guslarswho,bysingingabout past Serbiangloryat thetimeoftheTurkish
occupationof Serbian lands, preservedSerbian nationalismand kindled
the people's hope and faith in liberation. Furthermore,speaking
figuratively,the chantingof theguslarinspiredAndri.He assumedthe
role ofguslar,but insteadof singingabout thepast suffering and gloryof
theSerbianpeople,he narrateditin hisnovel.One mayalso noticethatthe
two centralthemesof epic songs,the Turkishoccupationof Serbia and
liberationof the Serbs fromtheyoke of slavery,are also thetwo central
themesin Andri'snovel. Even as far as chronologyis concerned,the
Serbianepic and Andri'snovel coveran almostidenticalperiod.In the
cycleof so-called"historicalsongs,"whichare themostnumerousofepic
songs,eventsfroma periodofsix centuries, fromtheriseoftheNemanji
dynasty,and particularly fromthebattleof Kosovo untiltheliberationof
Serbia and Montenegroare narrated.On theotherhand,Andri'snovel

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Folklore in Na Drini cuprija| 357

beginsat theoutsetofthesixteenth centuryand endswiththefirstdecades


of thetwentieth. It coverseventsfromthepost-Kosovoperiodto theFirst
World War. Eventsfromthe era betweenthe liberationof Serbia and
Montenegro,lastto be chantedabout in theSerbianepic,and thoseofthe
FirstWorldWar,whichdo notfigurein theepic songs,are relatedin the
finalchaptersof Andric'snovel.One maysay therefore, thatthenovel,or
at leastitsfinalportion,can be consideredas a continuationand updating
of "folklorehistory."In thisrespect,guslars'traditionof keepingrecords
of the mostsignificant eventsof Serbian historyand upholdingnational
and spiritualvaluesof Serbianpeople was continuedbyAndri.Thus,one
may conclude,that folklore,the art of peasants,providedAndri with
materialand inspiration forhismonumentalepic novel,Na Drinicuprija.

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