''The Baptism on the Savica'' ( sl, Krst pri Savici) is a long two-part
epic-
lyric poem written by the
Slovene Romantic poet
France Prešeren
France Prešeren () (2 or 3 December 1800 – 8 February 1849) was a 19th-century Romantic Slovene poet whose poems have been translated into many languages. . According to the literary historian
Marko Juvan, the work may be considered the Slovene
national epic. It is a narration about a hero and the woman he loves in the time of violent
Christianisation
Christianization ( or Christianisation) is to make Christian; to imbue with Christian principles; to become Christian. It can apply to the conversion of an individual, a practice, a place or a whole society. It began in the Roman Empire, conti ...
of the predecessors of the Slovenes.
Creation and publication
The poem was written in the
Bohorič alphabet
The Bohorič alphabet ( sl, bohoričica) was an orthography used for Slovene between the 16th and 19th centuries.
Origins
Its name is derived from Adam Bohorič, who codified the alphabet in his book ''Articae Horulae Succisivae''. It was print ...
from July 1835 until January 1836 and self-published in April 1836. It was printed in 600 copies in
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the are ...
by
Josef Blasnik Josef may refer to
*Josef (given name)
*Josef (surname) Josef is the surname of the following people:
* Jens Josef (born 1967), German composer of classical music, a flutist and academic teacher
* Michelle Josef (born 1954), Canadian musician and tr ...
.
Structure
The poem comprises over 500 verses and has three parts. The first part of the poem, added approximately ten years later, is a
sonnet dedicating the work to Prešeren's late friend
Matija Čop
Matija Čop (; 26 January 1797 – 6 July 1835), also known in German as Matthias Tschop, was a Slovene linguist, polyglot, literary historian and critic.
Biography
Čop was born in the small northern Carniolan town of Žirovnica, in what ...
. The second part, the ''Introduction'' (), describes the final battle between
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
and
pagan Slavs, led by the hero Črtomir. It is composed of 25 three-line and one four-line
stanza and segues directly into the poem's third part, the ''Baptism'' (), focusing on the reunion of Črtomir and Bogomila, who had been the priestess of the goddess
Živa but is now a Christian. She persuades Črtomir to get
baptised
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...
too. Part three is composed of 53
ottava rima
Ottava rima is a rhyming stanza form of Italian origin. Originally used for long poems on heroic themes, it later came to be popular in the writing of mock-heroic works. Its earliest known use is in the writings of Giovanni Boccaccio.
The ott ...
s. It has less of an epic character than the second, as it mainly focuses on the emotions of individuals. The epics themes include Slovene identity in the context of the nation's conversion to Christianity.
Depictions
A motif from the poem is depicted in the
bronze relief on the right side of the pedestal of
Prešeren Monument at
Prešeren Square
Prešeren Square ( sl, Prešernov trg) is the central square in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It is part of the old town's pedestrian zone and a major meeting point where festivals (like the annual Ljubljana Dragon Carnival), concerts, sports ...
, the main square in Ljubljana. It is titled ''Farewell'' () or ''Črtomir and Bogomila'' (). It was created by the sculptor
Ivan Zajec in 1901.
It has a
Classicist
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
composition, a
Realist cadre, an impressionist final touch, and emphasises Prešeren's
Romantic poetry
Romantic poetry is the poetry of the Romantic era, an artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. It involved a reaction against prevailing Enlightenment ideas of the 18t ...
with its content.
Musical arrangements
*The Croatian composer
Božidar Širola (1889–1956) used the poem for the
libretto of his
cantata ''The Baptism on the Savica'' ( hr, Krst na Savici; 1911).
*In 1920, the Slovene composer
Slavko Osterc (1895–1941) used motifs from the poem for his
symphonic picture ''The Baptism on the Savica'' (). Performed for the first time on 22 February 1921 in
Ptuj by the Maribor Military Music () orchestra, it was his first piece of work that was presented at a concert. It was also performed by the same orchestra on 22 April in
Celje in the support of the construction of the . Until August 1921, he also wrote a
Neoromantic 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 libr ...
with the same title, but it was never performed. The libretto was written by Osterc and the Maribor educator .
*The poem was used for the major part of the libretto of the
chamber opera ''The Baptism on the Savica'', written in 2015 by the Slovene composer Tom Kobe (born 1988). It was put to stage in collaboration with the Jurij Slatkonja 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 ...
, and premiered with a great success in the
city's cultural centre, in November 2015.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baptism on the Savica
Poetry by France Prešeren
Epic poems in Slovene
1836 poems
Christianization of Europe