Marko the Prince: Serbo-Croat Heroic Songs

by Anne and Peter Levi (Translators) with (Introduction by Svetozar Pennington (Translator)

English, Serbo-Croation (translation)

173 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 1984

Reviews

[Joseph F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovers of legendary heroes have heard of Beowulf, Achilles, King Arthur and others. But there are lesser known heroes out there that deserve recognition. In Slavic mythology it is usually the Russian heroes that are mostly talked about. But in Serbia, there is a cycle of short heroic songs based on events that took place in that land. The central hero is Marko, and according to historians he was once a vassal to the Turks. But as time went on he developed into a superman with amazing martial powers. The title of this book is a bit misleading, since the tales of Marko make up only one section of the book, thus all of the Marko stories are not included. But his stories are definitely the centerpiece. He is a hero who is daring and brave, but like many others he has flaws.
The other stories are also entertaining and involve the battle of Kossovo and the betrayal of the hero Milosh, as well as stories of outlaws and rebels. I liked the appearance of the vilas: nymph-like supernatural beings that can help a hero in need, but can also be treacherous. And one particular hero who fights a multi-headed villain who can create heat and frost was particularly memorable. Such stories are what you would expect from mythological tales.
The stories are well translated and enjoyable. It would have been nice for the translator to have included a few notes in order to clarify a few unusual passages, but most of it is fairly clear. This book is a real find for the mythology enthusiast who are tired of reading about the same old heroes.