Nárek – izgubljen slovenski folklorni žanr

Abstract

Laments and lamentation began to dwindle in the mid 19th century. Fortunately, they have been documented in the form of recorded texts and descriptions of the custom. The texts reveal surprising poetic intensity, driven by powerful experiences and emotions. The preserved ritual texts with ancient mythological features (Bela krajina), with data on their performance (Istria), and with indications of the deterioration of their original function (Resia) are outstanding documents of a past lifestyle (Prekmurje – Porabje). Modern lifestyles and ideas obscured the original meaning and sense of lamentation. Robbed of its spiritual significance, lamentation was for some time preserved as a social corrective (poor women were paid for it). Nowadays, lamentation is replaced by funeral speeches.

Narek in narekanje sta se začela opuščati sredi 19. stoletja. Na srečo je dovolj dokumentirano v zapisih besedil in opisih šeg. Besedila razkrivajo izjemno poetično moč, ki črpa iz izkušenj in čustvovanja. Obredna besedila ohranjajo stare mitične poteze (Bela krajina), način izvajanja (Istra) in kažejo na usihanje izvirnih funkcij (Rezija) in so izreden dokument preteklega načina življenja (Prekmurje, Porabje). Sodobni življenjski stili in ideje so zakrile izvirni pomen in smisel žalovanja. Oropani svojega duhovnega pomena so se nekaj časa ohranjali kot družbeni korektiv (revne ženske so bile za narekanje plačane). Danes narekanje nadomeščajo pogrebni govori.