Istrian Narrative Folklore in Studies by Maja Bošković-Stulli and Milko Matičetov

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the memory of Croatian eminent folklorist, Maja Bošković-Stulli, who dedicated much of her research to Istrian narrative folklore. She was one of the leading folklorists of the second half of the 20th century and a contemporary of Slovenia’s Milko Matičetov, another exceptional folklorist and field researcher. Together, they are responsible for the collection of Istrian narrative folklore and studied the role which narratives had in the lives of Istrian people. The proximity of different ethnic groups in this territory led to the diversity and richness of narrative culture and folk storytelling up to this day. This article discusses some examples of narrative culture from Slovenian and Croatian Istria from the point of view of vital shifts and changes that can be traced through different historical periods until today.