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 Typical Serbiangusle | |
| String instrument | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Bowed string instrument |
| Hornbostel–Sachs classification | 321.321-71 (Bowl lyre sounded by a bow) |
| Related instruments | |
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| Sound sample | |
Thegusle (Serbian Cyrillic:гусле) orlahuta (Albanian:lahutë; related to Englishlute) is abowed single-stringed musical instrument (and musical style) traditionally used in theDinarides region ofSoutheastern Europe (in theBalkans). The instrument is always accompanied by singing; musical folklore, specificallyepic poetry. Thegusle player (Serbian Cyrillic:гуслар,romanized: guslar;Albanian:lahutar) holds the instrument vertically between the knees, with the left hand fingers on the string. The string is never pressed to the neck, giving a harmonic and unique sound.
On November 29, 2018, the Serbian Gusle was inscribed as a part ofSerbia'sintangible cultural heritage on theUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.[1][2][3]
On December 9, 2025, the Albanian Lahuta was inscribed on theUNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.[4]
The Old Slavic root morpheme gǫdsli (cf. Russiangúsli,Slovak:husle,Czech:housle,Slovene:gósli) is associated with guditi/gósti, or gudalo/godalo, related toonomatopoeia for a low resonating sound;cf.gu(n)delj/гу(н)дељ =cockchafer, which makes such sound when flying.
The exact origin of the nominations of the related conceptsgusle, gadulka, gudok and gudalo, the latter as the name for the bow of thegusle could also illuminate a more accurate assignment in the history of thegusle after Walther Wünsch.
In the parlance of the South Slavs, in addition to the feminineplurale tantumgusle that has prevailed as a lexeme, even the older"gusli", which is found in the area of the middle Drina River region to Arilje and throughout Montenegro. The use of the phonemes/e/ and/i/ is in the same language as the same speaker, or it can be used in lyrics or everyday speech.
The singular formgusla is found only in Eastern Serbia, west of theTimok, aroundNiš,Ivanjica, as well as in the area ofZlatibor. OnKorčula onlygusla is in use.
The termgusle byAlberto Fortis has been introduced into European literature.Gusle is in Serbian linguistic usage, however, a feminineplurale tantum (Serbo-Croatian:gusla orgusle,Albanian:lahuta orlahutë).
There is no consensus about the origin of the instrument.[5] 7th-century Byzantine Greek historianTheophylact Simocatta (fl.c. 630) wrote about "smalllyres" brought by theSlavs who settled in the Balkans; some researchers believe that this might have been thegusle.[5] Others, such as F. Sachs, believe that thegusle has an Oriental origin, brought toEurope in the 10th century via theIslamic cultural wave.[5] Arab travellers report evidence that the Slavs used thegusle in the 10th century.[6]Teodosije the Hilandarian (1246–1328) wrote thatStefan Nemanjić (r. 1196–1228) often entertained theSerbian nobility with musicians with drums and "gusle".[7] Reliable written records about thegusle appear only in the 15th century.[5] 16th-century travel memoirs mention the instrument inBosnia andSerbia.[5] In the 19th and 20th centuries the instrument was mentioned in Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Albania (where it is calledlahuta, "lute").[5]
Thegusle consists of a woodensound box, the maple being considered as the best material (therefore often the instrument is referred to as "gusle javorove" - maplegusle), covered with an animal skin and a neck with an intricately carved head. Abow is pulled over the string/s (made ofhorsetail), creating a dramatic and sharp sound, expressive and difficult to master. The string is made of thirty horsehairs.
The instrument is held vertically between the player's knees, with the left hand fingers on the neck.[8] The strings are never pressed to the neck, giving a harmonic and unique sound.[8] The most common and traditional version is single-stringed, while a much less-common version is the two-stringed found inBosanska Krajina and inLika.
The varieties ofgusle music are based on cultural basis; the content of the stories of each ethnic group is different, as different epic poems are used to accompany the instrument. There is minor differing characteristics ofvocality in the regions ofSoutheast Europe. The design of the instrument is identical; only the design of the neck and head varies with ethnic or national motif.
Thegusle instrumentally accompanies heroic songs (epic poetry) in the Balkans.[8]
| Singing to the accompaniment of thegusle | |
|---|---|
| Country | Serbia |
| Reference | 01377 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2018 (13th session) |
| List | Representative |
The Serbiangusle is a one-stringed instrument that is usually made ofmaple wood.Aguslar (Serbian Cyrillic:гуслар) is an individual capable of reproducing and composing poems about heroes and historical events to the accompaniment of this instrument, usually in thedecasyllablemeter. There are records of an instrument namedgousli (гоусли) being played at the court of the 13th-century Serbian KingStefan Nemanjić, but it is not certain whether the term was used in its present-day meaning or it denoted some other kind of string instrument. Polish poets of the 17th century mentioned thegusle in their works. In a poem published in 1612, Kasper Miaskowski wrote that "the Serbiangusle andgaidas will overwhelmShrove Tuesday" (Serbskie skrzypki i dudy ostatek zagluszą).[9] In theidyll namedŚpiewacy, published in 1663,Józef Bartłomiej Zimorowic used the phrase "to sing to the Serbiangusle" (przy Serbskich gęślach śpiewać).[9][10] In some older Serbian books on literature it was stated that a Serbianguslar performed at the court ofWładysław II Jagiełło in 1415.[9] The earliest known Serbianguslar is referred to in 1551 by Hungarian historian Sebastian Tinody, saying, "There are manygusle players here in Hungary, but none is better at the Serbian style thanDimitrije Karaman". In addition Sebastian describes the performance, explaining that theguslar would hold thegusle between the knees and goes into a highly emotional artistic performance with a sad and dedicated expression on their face.[11]
Thegusle has played a significant role in the history ofSerbian epic poetry because of its association with the centuries-old patriotic oral legacy. Most of the epics are about the era of theOttoman occupation and the struggle for the liberation from it. With the efforts of ethnographerVuk Stefanović Karadžić, many of these epics have been collected and published in books in the first half of the 19th century. Serbian folk poetry was given a marvelous reception, as it appeared in Europe whenRomanticism was in full bloom. This poetry, which appeared in Karadžić's anthological collections, met the "expectations" of the sophisticated European audience, becoming a living confirmation ofHerder's andGrimm's ideas about the oral tradition.Jacob Grimm began to learnSerbian so that he could read the poems in the original. He wrote minute analyses of each new volume of Serbian folk songs. He ranked them as being equal to the Song of Songs, as did Goethe somewhat later. Thanks to Grimm, moreover to the initiatives of SloveneJernej Kopitar (the censor for Slavonic books inVienna, Karadžić's counselor and protector), Serbian folk literature found its place in the literature of the world.[12]
Vuk Karadžić divided the epic songs he collected fromguslars likeFilip Višnjić andTešan Podrugović intothree cycles.
Thefirst cycle includes songs from the earliest era of themedieval Serbian state and the era of theSerbian Empire. Some of the most well-known poems from this cycle includeThe Wedding of Emperor Dušan (Ženidba cara Dušana),The Building of Skadar (Ženidba Dušanova) andUroš and Mrnjavčevići (Uroš i Mrnjavčevići)[13]
Thenext cycle includes songs about theBattle of Kosovo (1389) and the events related to it. The most famous song is thePrince's Curse (Kneževa kletva),[14] in whichMiloš Obilić andPrince Lazar are main characters. TheKosovo Battle is probably the most important event inSerbian epic poetry. Singing songs about the Battle of Kosovo togusle significantly influenced the birth of theKosovo Myth.[15]
Thelast cycle includes songs about the events after the Battle of Kosovo. They sing about thefirst battles against theOttomans and conflicts betweenSerbian nobles. A famous poem from that era is the poem aboutStrahinja Banović. The greatest hero of this cycle isMarko Kraljević. Poems about the chivalry ofhajduks anduskos who resisted the Ottomans also belong to that cycle.[16] Some of them areStarina Novak,Stanoje Glavaš, Starac Vujadin,Janković Stojan, Ilija Smiljanić,Bajo Pivljanin andHajduk Veljko. Battles betweenMontenegrins and the Ottomans (Battle of Vučij Do,Battle of Grahovo,Battle of Fundina) were also sung, as well as theSerbian Revolution and its heroes:Karađorđe,Hajduk Veljko,Aleksa Nenadović,Ilija Birčanin,Tanasko Rajić,Vasa Čarapić andMiloš Obrenović.
More recent poems sing about recent battles and wars for the liberation ofSerbia andMontenegro, such as theSerbian–Ottoman Wars of 1876–1878, theHerzegovina Uprising, theBalkan Wars, theSiege of Skadar, theFirst World War, and theBattle of Mojkovac. One of the participants in the Battle of Mojkovac, Radovan Bećirović Trebješki, would become the most famous modern writer of Serbian epic poems.[17]
Although thegusle was played throughout the entire former territory of theSerbian Empire, and later in the areas to the north and west - inVojvodina and in theMilitary Frontier, today the tradition of playinggusle is strongest inHerzegovina andMontenegro, where Serbian medieval culture has been best preserved.[18][19] That is whygusle today are mostly decorated with details that remind of the heroic past of these areas. Manygusle are decorated with carved motifs depicting scenes from battles (Battle of Vučji Do,Nevesinjska Puška), characters of famousSerbs (Saint Sava,Petar Petrović Njegoš,Karađorđe,Nicholas I of Montenegro) or famous places (Ostrog Monastery,Cetinje Monastery andLovćen Chapel).[20]
In all major cities, such asBelgrade,Podgorica,East Sarajevo,Banja Luka,Cetinje,Pljevlja,Užice,Novi Sad,Niš,Nikšić andKraljevo, there areguslar societies that organize concerts andgusle evenings (Serbian:гусларске вечери,romanized: guslarske večeri).Guslar Society "Vuk Karadžić" is the oldest existingguslar society inBelgrade. The societies are organized into threeguslar federations - inSerbia,Montenegro and theRepublic of Srpska.Gusle competitions calledfestivals are organized regularly. There are numerous youth competitions and festivals for seniors, but the biggest competition being the Federal Festival ofGusle (Serbian:Савезни фестивал гусала,romanized: Savezni festival gusala). Competitors are the highest-rankedguslars at festivals inSerbia,[21]Montenegro[22] andRepublika Srpska.[23] The champion is considered the best Serbianguslar that year.[18][24] Most famous modern Serbianguslars are Branko Perović, Boško Vujačić, Đorđije Đoko Koprivica,Milomir Miljanić Miljan, Saša Laketić and Maksim Vojvodić.[25]
Singing to the accompaniment of thegusle as a part of Serbia's tradition was inscribed in 2018 on theIntangible Cultural Heritage Lists ofUNESCO after years of Serbianguslars' efforts.[26]
There are few active Bosniakguslari today, but there were many examples in history.Guslari were always guests at the Bosniakbeg's courtyards, and it was withgusle they performed Bosniak heroic songs about prominent figures or events. In these songs wereĐerzelez Alija,Mujo Hrnjica,Mustay-Bey of Lika[27]The Battle of Banja Luka or theBattle at Očakov.
Avdo Međedović was the most versatile and skillfulguslari encountered byMilman Parry andAlbert Lord during their research in the oral epic tradition ofBosnia,Herzegovina andMontenegro in the 1930s.[28] At Parry's request, Avdo sang songs he already knew and some songs he heard in front of Parry, convincing him that someone Homer-like could produce a poem so long. Avdo dictated, over five days, a version of the well-known themeThe Wedding of Meho Smailagić that was 12,323 lines long, saying on the fifth day to Nikola (Parry's assistant on the journey) that he knew even longer songs. On another occasion, he sang over several days an epic of 13,331 lines. He said he had several others of similar length in his repertoire. In Parry's first tour, over 80,000 lines were transcribed.[29]
| Art of playing, singing and making the lahuta | |
|---|---|
| Country | Albania |
| Reference | 02310 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2025 (20th session) |
| List | Need of Urgent Safeguarding |
Thelahuta is used byGheg Albanians ofKosovo, northernAlbania andMontenegro (Malësia[30]), for the singing of epic songs, in particular theKângë Kreshnikësh. In Albanian types, thelahuta's head is often carved after a goat's, a ram's, or a horse's head, or a hawk, the latter representing the Albanian flag.
It is played by alahutar, the Albanian equivalent to arhapsode orbard. The songs areoctosyllable, in relation to thedecasyllable Serbian.
The use oflahuta is traditionally mastered in the Highlands andMalësi e Madhe District.Gjergj Fishta, the Albanian national poet and priest, wrote the bookLahuta e Malcís which is often played with alahuta. The famous Albanian song aboutGjergj Elez Alia, the Albanian mythological hero who slays a beast that rises from the sea, is also played with alahuta.
A good number of Albanian epic singers (Albanian:lahutarë orrapsodë) can be found today inKosovo andnorthern Albania, and some also inMontenegro.[31] The Albanian traditional singing of epic verse from memory is one of the last survivors of its kind in modernEurope,[32] and the last survivor of the Balkan traditions.[33]
Serbia - Singing to the accompaniment of the Gusle -Singing to the accompaniment of the Gusle – a simple string instrument – is an ancient art of performing primarily heroic epics.
Singing to the accompaniment of the Gusle - Serbia
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