Hrvatske narodne pjesme – Knjiga deveta: Junačke pjesme (odio prvi, sveska šesta)

1,637 Croatian Folk Songs – Book Nine: Heroic Songs (Part One, Volume Six) represents one of the key editions of a large series systematically published by Matica Hrvatska in the first half of the 20th century, and was edited by the renowned philologist and writer Dr. Nikola Andrić. This 1940 edition brings together a rich body of Croatian epic material, with a special emphasis on historical, Krajina and Uskok poems, which have preserved the collective memory, heroes, values ​​and dramatic events from the borders of the former Croatian lands for centuries.

The book contains a number of striking episodes from folk poetry — from battles with the Ottomans, Krajina exploits and revenge campaigns to family dramas, saving honor and meeting heroes on the battlefield. The content includes topics such as “Berislavić ban and Frankopan in battle with the Turks”, “Ivo from Solin saves his sister’s honor”, ​​“True love avenges a friend”, “The wounded pride of young Sekul from Senj” and many others that present a wide range of motifs of the traditional heroic poem.

Andrić’s editorial work is distinguished by a careful selection of variants, notes and an effort to preserve the authentic rhythm, language and spirit of oral tradition. Like the other books in the series, this one is also conceived as part of a national cultural project — the creation of a comprehensive corpus of Croatian folk songs.

Due to its documentary, literary and cultural value, the ninth book of Croatian Folk Songs is an indispensable read for folklore lovers, researchers of oral literature and all those who want to learn about the fundamental motifs of Croatian epic. Preserved in a hardcover by Matica Hrvatska, the book is today also a valuable antiquarian copy.