Paper short abstract:

The presentation will introduce to narratives about fate in Serbian and Southslavic folklore (ATU 930, 931, 934). Formulaic patterns for the presentation will be linked to personal experiences as told in memoratae. The focus will be the importance of genre and its significance for research.

Paper long abstract:

We will present most frequent narratives about fate in Serbian and Southslavic tradition, and Balkan region as well. Of course, this types are common to other European and Oriental areas (ATU 930, 930A, 931, 934). The paper will stress some patterns and formulaic images characteristical of presentation of fate such as destiny written on forehead, depicting of female fates (suđenice), or ethical norms linked to predestined (un)happiness, based on traditional patriarchal values.

If on one hand typical images can be discerned, on the other hand there are informatiors' strong affective presentation of them, connected to personal and familiar experiences. So, memoratae (rare in earlier collections, and more easily to be found in contemporary publications) reflect this tension between traditionaly transmitted narratives and personal expression.

But the distinction fabulatae/memoratae or legends/tales is just one part of the problem. Through the presentation of fate the genre characteristics of the texts analysed can be discerned, and generally speaking, they show the vacillations between fairy tales, novellas, religious tales, legends, even parodies. Even some new terms can be proposed.

Being considered either as a methodological tool or aesthetic phenomenon, the folklore genre shows its vitality. It seems that the thematic principle can be a basis for naming some new subgenres, as long ago proposed by Brednich.