Oral Literature among Kajkavian Croats in Hungary

Uz lijevu obalu rijeke Mure, državne granice s Mađarskom, živi skupina kajkavskih Hrvata, koja je u materijalnoj i duhovnoj kulturi srodna Hrvatima u Međimurju i Podravini. Sukladnosti su osobito vidljive u pojedinim oblicima usmene književnosti. Narodna pjesma svojim jezikom, motivima, melodijom i stilsko-izražajnim elementima gotovo u svemu korespondira s onom u matičnoj sredini, sjeverozapadnoj kajkavskoj Hrvatskoj. S tim u vezi valja s posebnim razlogom istaći istraživanja dr. Vinka Žganca. I drugi usmenostvaralački oblici – narodna anegdota i poslovica, narodna retorika (osobito ona vezana uz svadbene običaje) – upućuju na zajedničko vrelo, svjedoče da je posrijedi nacionalna manjina koju, spletom povijesnih okolnosti, samo hidrogranica dijeli od njezine matice. Zadaća je ovoga referata da pojedinim primjerima ukaže na živu postojanost usmenog narodnog blaga u prekmurskih Hrvata, da ujedno – komparativnom analizom – pokaže sličnosti s usmenom kajkavskom književnošću te da time potakne opravdanost češćih i organiziranih veza matice s tom sredinom, u nakani da se očuva njen nacionalni identitet.Along the left shore of the river Mura, the state border with Hungary, live groups of Croats who speak the kajkavian dialect and have a related material and spiritual culture to Croats in Međimurje and Podravini. The congruency is especially apparent in various forms of oral literature. Popular songs, by their language, motives, melodies and stylistic-expressive elements likewise totally correspond to those in the parent milieu – northwest, kajkavian Croatia. In this regard, one should especially note the research of dr. Vinko Žganec. Other oral-creative forms – popular anecdotes and sayings, popular rhetoric (especially connected with weddings) – also indicates a common source, and testifies to the fact that we have here a national minority which, due to historical conditions, has been separated from its base only by a river boundary. The purpose of this presentation is to illustrate, using particular examples, the living persistence of oral popular wealth among the Croats beyond the Mura, and to indicate at the same time – by comparative analysis – similarities with oral kajkavian literature. The goal is to simulate justified frequent and organized ties between the mother people and this milieu, in order to preserve the latter\u27s national identity