Сърбия – EN – Регионален център за опазване на нематериалното културно наследство в Югоизточна Европа под егидата на ЮНЕСКО

Social practices and knowledge related to the preparation and use of the traditional plum spirit – šljivovica

Šljivovica is a traditional plum spirit. The element includes the complex knowledge and skills to prepare the drink in a home environment as well as its use in everyday and ritual practices. The preparation has multiple stages involving families and communities. Plums are usually grown on family farms and harvested in the fall. They are brewed for 20 to 30 days, then distilled in handmade copper vessels, to produce a mild brandy. A second distillation creates a stronger brandy. The last phase is aging in a barrel, usually made of oak, for at least a year. On festive occasions and during family celebrations, šljivovica accompanies toasts expressing wishes for health and well-being. It is also an important part of traditional medicine, with medicinal herbs or fruits added to obtain cold and pain remedies or antiseptics. In winter, mulled brandy is consumed. The practice is generally transmitted within families and communities, with younger members acquiring knowledge over time through gradual involvement in different stages of the šljivovica preparation and use. Women also assign great importance to the transmission of knowledge and skills related to rituals, traditional medicine and gastronomy. Related artisanal knowledge, such as the manufacture of copper vessels, is transmitted in workshops.

serbia

Social practices and knowledge related to the preparation and use of the traditional plum spirit – šljivovica

Date of Inscription:

Inscribed in 2020 (15.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Zlakusa pottery making, hand-wheel pottery making in the village of Zlakusa

Zlakusa pottery making, hand-wheel pottery making in the village of Zlakusa relates to the knowledge and skills involved in making unglazed vessels for thermic food processing. Used in households and restaurants across Serbia, Zlakusa pottery is made of clay and calcite and the wheel is run exclusively by hand. The process takes seven to ten days, and includes the preparation of clay paste, shaping, decoration, finishing, drying and baking. The finished vessels are decorated with geometrical ornaments made with wooden or metal tools, and handles are added to some vessels. Nowadays, traditional shapes, pots, bread-making and meat-frying pans and small pans for the kitchen oven have been adjusted to the modern way of preparing and serving food. The related knowledge and skills are mainly transmitted through direct participation and work alongside experienced craftspeople within the community. Demonstrations at the Zlakusa Festival and classes held at the Arts School in Užice provide another key mode of transmission. Zlakusa pottery is often presented at fairs and festivals throughout Serbia and the vessels are widely used during important family and community events. It is claimed that some dishes prepared in Zlakusa earthenware on an open fire have a unique taste. Moreover, the pottery is closely associated with the village of Zlakusa and its environs due to its close link with the natural environment, which provides the raw material.

serbia

Zlakusa pottery making, hand-wheel pottery making in the village of Zlakusa

Date of Inscription:

Inscribed in 2020 (15.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

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 practised for centuries as a form of historical memory and an expression of cultural identity. Performances involve a complex form of interaction between the audience and performer and are based on the skills and creativity of soloist artists (guslars): the guslars’ ability to dramatize poetic content, body language and charisma are key for successful performances. The repertoire includes songs predominantly about mythical and historical heroes, events from the legendary past, ancient or recent history and, less commonly, ballads and humorous songs. Stage performances take place locally, at festivals, and as part of commemoration practices. Covering a wide range of topics, the songs reflect the value system of the community and their interactive character fosters community feeling. Most modern guslars acquire the basic singing and playing skills from more experienced players in their family, local community or a guslar association, but the skills are also transmitted in public music schools. Local organizations are assembled around the Union of Guslars of Serbia, whose efforts have resulted in the establishment of the Festival of Young Guslars and the Assembly of the Young Guslars of Serbia.

A gusle player — © Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade, 2014

serbia

Singing to the accompaniment of the Gusle

Date of Inscription:

Inscribed in 2018 (13.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Kolo, traditional folk dance

Kolo is a traditional, collective folk dance performed by dancers who are interlinked to form a chain, usually moving in a circular line holding hands with their arms down. It is performed to the accompaniment of music at private and public gatherings and involves all members of the local community. Cultural-artistic societies and folk dance troupes are also important bearers and practitioners of the element. Kolo has an important integrative social function, fostering collective identities at different levels in the communities. It is a symbol of national identity and bears the hallmark of local and regional communal identities. Performances during celebrations of the most important events in individuals’ and communities’ lives make this element very present and sustainable at all levels. Bearers and local communities ensure its visibility by organizing local, regional and national fairs, festivals and competitions, and the sustainability of the practice is also ensured by cultural and artistic societies. Learning through direct participation is the most common way of transmitting the skills and skilled dancers motivate other players, awakening in them a desire to learn and improve their own performance. Knowledge is also acquired through the regular education system and in ballet and music schools.

serbia

Kolo, traditional folk dance

Date of Inscription:

Inscribed in 2017 (12.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Slava, celebration of family saint patron’s day

In Serbia, Orthodox Christian families celebrate an important holiday in honour of the patron saint, Slava, who is believed to be their protector and provider of welfare. The celebration consists of the ritual offering of a bloodless sacrifice and a feast held for relatives, neighbours and friends. A specially designed candle is lit in the family home, then wine is poured over a Slava cake, prepared and decorated by the host’s wife, which is then cut crosswise, rotated and broken into four parts and lifted up. During the ritual, thanks are given to the saint and prayers are said for prosperity. The cutting is performed by the host and the oldest or most important guest and other family members. The feast then begins with the ceremonial drinking of wine, eating and a toast expressing wishes for health, fertility and well-being of the family and guests. Knowledge related to the Slava is passed down in families, with women playing an important role in transmitting knowledge concerning the performance of rituals, their meaning and purpose. The Slava feast reinforces social relations and plays an important role in establishing and maintaining dialogue in multi-ethnic and multi-confessional areas.

serbia

Slava, celebration of family saint patron’s day

Date of Inscription:

Inscribed in 2013 (9.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity