This paper provides an overview of the most significant research on Slavonian Glagolitic to date, which is ready to testify, through both primary (scriptural) and secondary (historiographical) sources, that the area of present-day Slavonia was Glagolitic during the Middle Ages, and that Glagolitic practice continued into the Early Modern period. The accumulated evidence has created the conditions for Slavonia to be included in textbook definitions of Glagolitic and Glagolism in Croatia.

The paper The Intellectual and Spiritual Portrait of the Creator and Author of Oral Epic Poetry through the Poetic Figure of Avdo Međedović examines the creator of oral epic poetry, Međedović, with whom the era of true oral epic poetry came to an end in a time of the growing dominance of written literature. He shaped his epic expression and remained within the sphere of orality due to the fact that he was untouched by writing. Understanding the principles of epic composition, he had a vision of the poem in every moment of creation. The recorded oral material of Međedović, like all previously transcribed texts, preserved the soul and meaning of the poetry, while also confirming that orality cannot transition into written form while fully retaining its inherent aura. Međedović’s presence confirmed that creation is an individual act and that a work belongs to the one who expresses it at the moment of its fixation. This recognition corrected an injustice done to all previous creators whose singing was shifted from individual to collective authorship. The individualism of each creator did not threaten poetic convention; on the contrary, it followed and reshaped traditional heritage through its mode of creation, establishing a distinct literary opus. Remembering oral traditions, creators like Međedović, as well as his predecessors, adapted them to their poetic expression without distancing them from their traditional form. Međedović’s style diverged from the tradition through a specific technique by which he expanded his poetry, which he referred to as embellishment.

This paper addresses the issue of accentual norms in the contemporary Montenegrin language, with a particular focus on the relationship between official standardization and actual language practice. The first part of the paper discusses the theoretical foundations of the standard language, the process of language standardization, and the sociolinguistic consequences of prescripti-vism. The second part analyzes dialectological data on Montenegrin speech varieties, showing that the Old Štokavian accentuation predominates in most of Montenegro's territory. This is further confirmed by research on accentual practices in the public speech of members of the current, 44th Government of Montenegro. The third part critically examines public discourse on accent through media appearances by language authorities, with particular attention to the rhetoric that supports the exclusivity of the Neo-Štokavian accentuation as the only legitimate standard. The conclusion presents the position that the normative recognition of Old Štokavian accentuation is not only possible but also necessary, in order for the standard Montenegrin language to align more closely with real usage and to support a more functional language policy.

This paper examines the discrepancy between the standard accent norm and the practical use of accents in public discourse in Montenegro. Two initial studies are presented: in one, we conducted a qualitative analysis of accents in a sample of university students; in the second research, we explored public speeches of all 81 members of the Parliament of Montenegro at sessions held in 2021. The results showed that the majority of parliamentarians use ele-ments of nonstandard accentuation in their speeches. In the end, challenges were indicated when it comes to the possible adaptation of Montenegrin scho-ol systems and language norms in relation to the current situation.

Old printed books marked a specific period in post-Byzantine art in Montenegro. Despite some resistance from church dignitaries of the Peć Patriarchate towards printed books, they served as artistic templates for old masters of the 16th and 17th centuries when decorating the walls of monasteries and churches, icons, miniatures, goldsmithing, and artistic embroidery. A significant number of examples of direct or indirect influence of old printed books have long been observed in the territory of present-day Montenegro. The iconographers, such as priest Strahinja from Budimlje, Andrija Raičević, Jovan, and Radul, who were among the main figures of Montenegrin post-Byzantine art, used illustrations from printed books as artistic templates. In monasteries throughout Montenegro, where local masters left some of the finest artistic works from the post-Byzantine period of Southeastern Europe, several new examples have been observed, which can with more or less certainty be assumed to have originated directly or indirectly through graphic illustrations from old printed books.

The Bastard of Istanbul is a novel set in modern-day Tur-key, which amid its economic and political development continues to suppress the problematic points in its past and is still an extremely patriarchal society, as the characters of the novel struggle with personal issues and traumas. The novel focuses on historical trauma, violence against women, and how culture and its established and rigid social and religious norms silence and oppress women. On the other hand, the novel Purple Hibiscusis set in post-colonial, also patriarchal, Nigeria and follows the internal dynamics of a Christian family that goes through the torture of an authoritative and violent father on everyday basis. Unlike, The Bastard of Istanbul, where we find Turkey in the post-colonial period of the Ottoman Empire, as the heir of a former colonial power that does not know how or does not want to come to terms with its crimes, in Purple Hibiscus, Nigeria is seen as a de-colonized country that still does not manage to find its way to a healthy and non-oppressive political arrangement. This paper will explore how both novels depict the intersection of patriarchy with gender, trauma, and history.