THREE VERSIONS OF KORČULA’S MOREŠKA

The author informs us about until today three unknown variants of the chivalrous »Dalmatian Sword Dance« »Moreška« (similar to »Morris dance«) from Korčula, which he discovered in the archives of Giunio family in Korčula. The old chivalrous Dalmatian sword dance »Moreška« was mentiond in the Dubrovnik literature in the first half of the 15th c. already, while by the end of the 17th c. it was mentioned for the first time in the city of Korčula. Its citizens, mostly seamen, stone-masons, ship-builders, and merchants used to perform them in the 18th and 19th centuries in Croatian rhymes, while the performanceGoldoni and other comedies in Italian. Three similar texts in Croatian rhymes have been preserved until today. In the Giunio family from Korčula the author found three more unknown variants which can be dated into the 18th and 19th centuries. These variants prove that the »Moreška« used to be very popular in Korčula. It is dances even today but neither its origin nor time has been stated yet although it has been known in the greatest number of Dalmatian cities. Therefore, these three variants published here for the first time are important as to their origin and beginnings. It is possible that that would be established by their linguistic forms when all the discovered manuscripts are compared. Probably, in addition to the other archival materials, some more could be found