Vznik romantických národních eposů: srbsko-finské paralely
The Origin of Romantic National Epics: Serbian and Finnish Parallels

Author(s): Eliška Jiráňová
Subject(s): Studies of Literature, Comparative Study of Literature, Serbian Literature, Other Language Literature
Published by: Masarykova univerzita nakladatelství
Keywords: romantism; literature; comparative literature; epic poetry; Serbia; Finland;
Summary/Abstract: The desire for freedom is typical of the period of Romanticism; even the nations that were in the thrall of other countries started to develop their own national literatures, which were flourishing. Romanticists and their interest in the Balkans and the Orient marked the principal period when a connection between Serbian and Finnish literatures was formed. The two seemed to be totally different at first; however, there are many shared elements and influences especially in the area of Romantic literature. Serbian Folk Songs written by Vuk Stefanović Karadžić was translated to German and German men of letters were captivated; they brought the songs to the attention of Swede Johann Ludwig Runeberg, the Finnish national revivalist. Recognition of the Serbian epic was a sentiment shared across the Finnish-Swedish intelligentsia. Elias Lönnrot took charge of the idea to prepare a similar Finnish epic consisting of folk songs. The collection of folk songs and the creation of national epics drew the attention of the European intelligentsia of the period to small European nations, and these areas became a source of interest. Both epic works were studied by Czech scholar and translator Josef Holeček.

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