From Epic to Memic Balkan National Heroes and Villains across Time, Space, and Genres

Abstract

Heroes and villains are universal archetypes that, until the fragmented and chaotic nineteenth century, were expressions of the same collective fears and desires: fear of extinction, striving for survival and perpetuation, and expression of collective identity. Despite the universal nature of these functions, different geographical and temporal circumstances have affected the processes of hero and villain construction. Using various genres (epic folk poetry, folklorized art, and internet images), this study traces contingencies and continuities in the hero and villain creation processes in four different countries: North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia.