(Under the Free Sun: a Story of the Ancient Forefathers) is a

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

by the Slovene writer

Fran Saleški Finžgar Fran Saleški Finžgar (February 9, 1871 – June 2, 1962) was perhaps the most popular Slovene folk writer. He is particularly known for his novels and short stories, although he also wrote poems and plays. Life Fran Saleški Finžgar was born ...

. The work was initially published in 1906 and 1907 as a feuilleton in the conservative newspaper ''

Dom in svet ''Dom in svet'' ("Home and World") was a Catholic cultural and literary journal published in Slovenia. History and profile ''Dom in svet'' was published from 1888 to 1943. Its long-running rivalry with the national-liberal journal ''Ljubljanski ...

''. It was published in the book form in 1912. It is an extensive narrative oeuvre with nationally motivated content.

Story

The novel discusses the settlement of the

Slavs Slavs are the largest European ethnolinguistic group. They speak the various Slavic languages, belonging to the larger Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout northern Eurasia, main ...

in the

Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

, when they still lived freely, not subjugated, and without a supreme leader. The novel includes a love story of Iztok, a Slavic warrior travelling to

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

(archaic Slovene: ''Bizanc'') and Irena, a court woman there. It idyllically depicts the Slavs as

pagans Pagans may refer to: * Paganism, a group of pre-Christian religions practiced in the Roman Empire * Modern Paganism, a group of contemporary religious practices * Order of the Vine, a druidic faction in the ''Thief'' video game series * Pagan's ...

living in harmony with nature.

Cultural references

*In 2004, a

radio serial Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine t ...

, written after the novel by the director Jože Vozny, was recorded by the Slovenian national radio. It was broadcast in summer 2016. *In November 2016, the George Slatkonia Vocal Academy (mixed choir) from

Novo Mesto Novo Mesto (; sl, Novo mesto; also known by other alternative names) is a city on a bend of the Krka River in the City Municipality of Novo Mesto in southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The town is traditionally considered t ...

in collaboration with a number of solo singers premiered an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

based on this novel in the city's cultural centre. It was written by the Slovene composer Tom Kobe (born 1988), and it featured the Italian tenor Domingo Stasi and the Croatian bariton Siniša Hapač.

References

Slovene-language novels Novels by Fran Saleški Finžgar 1907 novels Historical novels Novels set in the Byzantine Empire {{1900s-hist-novel-stub

Story

Cultural references

See also

References