Original scientific paper
Cvito Fisković
; Split
Abstract
Villages situated in the former Orebić municipality, streching along the southern coast of the Pelješac penninsula facing the island of Korčula, were inhabited nearly only by families of seamen recognised in the Republic of Dubrovnik in the 17th century whom Pelješac was part of from the 14th till the 19th century. Inhabitants of that region were mostly sailors, captains and finally shipowners who sailed the whole world known to them and spoke foreign languages. However, in their families, among themselves, especially because of their wives and children, they spoke Croatian, their mother-tongue. This is why folk poems/songs similar to others of the ikavian dialect throughout Dalmatia developed alredy in the early ages. In the past years Cvito Fisković dedicated his work to collecting and publishing epic, women’s love and satirical songs/poems and songs/poems about the sea and many others as well as toasts, wedding customs and the traditional costume.
All such folklore and etnographic material of the 18th and 19th century that vanished fromlife in this century due to medernisation of this maritime and tourist area is at least partly registered. The material given here is enriched by Christmas folk customs and carols sung on New Year’s eve till the beginning of World War II, especially by elder women registered in old notebooks.
Carols sung in those villages outnumber the others since thay were variations dedicated to all members of families with only husband and wife or parents with sons and daughters allowing thus the carollers to wish them by name a lucky marriage, birth and navigation. Nearly all carols date from the second half of the 15th century and are written in the ikavian and local dialect as well as the Christmas customs described here. However, some carols date from the beginning of the 19th century and are written in traditional ortography/spelling. Also shown are carols that together with poems for special occasions were written by captains and sung in their mother tongue inspite their education in the Mediterranean in foreign languages.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
126132
URI
Publication date:
14.12.1992.
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