BIBLIJSKI MOTIVI U USMENOJ PREDAJI O HAJDUCIMA: MIJAT TOMIĆ I MALI MARIJAN U USPOREDBI S JOŠUOM I DAVIDOM
BIBLICAL MOTIFS IN ORAL TRADITION ABOUT OUTLAWS: MIJAT TOMIĆ AND MALI MARIJAN IN COMPARISON TO JOSHUA AND DAVID

Summary/Abstract: In the entirety of Croatian cultural and historical development, the Bible holds a significant place. It not only existed as a sacred book but also directly influenced everyday life. Therefore, it is not surprising to find many biblical motifs in Croatian folk culture, especially their interweaving with domestic historical circumstances. One of the best examples of such interaction can be found in the similarities in descriptions of warfare and heroes in biblical historical books and Croatian oral epic poems. By transposing the biblical narrative of warfare and prominent individuals into their reality, the folk poet found inspiration and motifs not only in their own environment but also in the Bible. Hence, the aim of this paper is to compare the context of action and the role of biblical characters Joshua and David with the members of the outlaw band of Mijat Tomić – with a focus on little Marijan, his nephew. The comparison of the aforementioned biblical characters and characters from folk tradition, as well as contemporaries of the Ottoman occupation of Bosnian-Herzegovinian territories, was based on the analysis of biblical books about Joshua and David and previously unpublished oral epic poems about folk heroes, Mijat Tomić and little Marijan. In the multitude of intertwining and complementing details, this paper pays special attention to the descriptions, context, characteristics, and actions of the folk epic hero, little Marijan, comparing them to the two biblical heroes, Joshua and David.

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