Folklore Subtext of the Novel Mladenka Kostonoga by Želimir Periš

Folkloristics 9/1 (2024)
Author: Dunja Sokolović
Text:

This paper examines the folklore subtext present in the novel Mladenka Kostonoga by using a comparative approach to folk beliefs native to Dalmatia and Serbia. The aim of this paper is to identify and highlight the importance of folklore subtext for the world of storytelling, as well as genre diversity of novels. The implemented approach relies on the active reader concept in order to place the role folklore plays in shaping the very character of Mladenka Konstonoga depicting traditions and rituals within the novel (such as the burial of an unbaptized child, the belief in mythical creatures and herbal magic). The second part of the paper will focus on identifying folklore subtext within the scope of genre interpolation of novels and determining typical fairy tale elements.

Keywords: Mladenka Kostonoga, the folklore subtext, folk beliefs, rituals.