RETURN SONG IN THE EPIC POETRY COLLECTIONS OF VUK STEFANOVIĆ KARADŽIĆ AND MILMAN PARRY

Abstract

Using Oral-Formulaic Theory (also known as Oral Theory) as a theoretical framework, we will try to examine Return Song story pattern on the classical corpus of Vuk Stefanović Karadžić’s second and third collection of epic poetry, as well as Milman Parry’s
second volume of Serbo-Croatian Folk Songs. We will point out the characteristics of Return Song both in Muslim and Christian epic tradition, and thus, drawing on the results of this comparative analysis, we will try to highlight similarities and differences in these two South Slavic epic traditions.