TOASTS AND OTHER ORAL FORMS IN THE POETRY OF DJORDJO SLADOJE

Abstract

This paper deals with a collection of about fifty contemporary folk toasts, which have been compiled, processed and classified within the project “Studies and protection of the intangible cultural heritage of the Republic of Srpska”. The toasts were collected during field research, which covered the whole territory of the Republic of Srpska, involving informants of different age, educational level and social status. They represent a living reflection of the current situation in this segment of folklore. While processing and classifying the aforementioned material, we have found that there are habitual (fixed) forms of the toasts (blessings or curses) with perceptible regional characteristics. It is also notable that such forms have been transferred and incorporated from folklore into literature, particularly as regards contemporary Serbian poetry. This paper is also concerned with comparing the material compiledwith a select corpus of contemporary Serbian literature with the purpose of determining exact methods and forms of literary transformation and transposition of the kind. To this end, we have analyzed the oeuvre of Djordjo Sladoje, a contemporary Serbian poet, with the aim of pointing out possible ways of incorporating and transforming toasts and other oral forms into literary creations.