New researches on Serbian folk tradition: archaism and modernity

Abstract

Lately, there have been published new multi-aspect researches on the Serbian folk tradition, which was considered in its archaic and modern condition. In the article, the au- thor suggests a general overview of the author’s researches which reflect the results of field studies made in different parts of Serbian ethnic territory. In other words, this article, which is in fact a synthesis, pays attention to some distinctive examples which illustrate recent processes and trends when speaking about the study of forms of Serbian folk tradition to- day and first and foremost folk mythological and religious vision which are emphasized.
Those are phenomena of folk medicine, mythology of gold, mythological creatures, arche- type motives and initiation motives, which are highlighted. Special attention is paid to events, which throw light on the so-called reduction – amplification relation (that is mytho- logical and religious visions). At the moment, it can be seen as distinctive that some of the events of Serbian folk tradition still demonstrate surprising vitality, whereas others have almost disappeared.