Ethnological Research, No. 11, 2006.
Review article
Chakavian Poetry in Istria From Saving a Dialect to Preserving Identity
Ivona Orlić
; Etnografski muzej Istre, Pazin, Hrvatska
Abstract
Micro world of belonging to a certain region is a starting point towards the wider, micro world. Poetry, as a universal phenomenon, enables the opening of all borders in the most noble, most intimate way. Istrian dialect poetry and chakavian poets have insured the survival of different language of the Istrian peninsula whichwould have disappeared if transmitted only through oral forms, together with the villages in which they were spoken. Even today, from their verses, we gain knoweledge on the specificities of lives of our forefathers, in the same way in which future generations will discover us trough our, contemporary, poetry. However, there are examples when Istrian poetry becomes sufficient in itself and this idea of preservation of language and tradition seems to serve as an excuse for a complete disregard of any esthetical elements.
The theme of this article is Chakavian dialect and dialectal Chakavian poetry as keepers of modern ethnic identity of Istria, without evaluating its artistic achivements and poetic value, dialectal poems and their creators contribute to the better understanding of traditional culture, as well as to the preservation of dialect.
Keywords
Chakavian poetry; dialectal litrature; ethnic identity; Istria
Hrčak ID:
37107
URI
Publication date:
5.1.2006.
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