Montenegrin folk prose has been published in English and Spanish, as part of the Matica Crnogorska project.
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Photo: Matica Montenegrin
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.Jelena Kontić
21.07.2026. 15:05h
Following the publication of the selection “Montenegrin Folk Prose”, which presented a representative cross-section of the rich oral literary tradition of Montenegro, two translations followed, into English and Spanish, which systematically presented Montenegrin folk prose to a wide international audience for the first time, opening a new chapter in the promotion of Montenegrin culture beyond national borders, announced Matica Crnogorska.
They emphasize that this is one of the most significant projects in the field of affirmation of national cultural heritage, which has received its own editions for an international audience.
“This publishing venture goes beyond the framework of classical translation of a literary work. It is a project that enables the authentic spiritual and cultural history of Montenegro to be presented to the world through legends, fairy tales, fables and folk tales. The narrative heritage that has been transmitted orally for centuries is now becoming available to readers of different cultures and languages, confirming the universal value of the Montenegrin oral tradition,” Matica states.
The basis for both translations is the book “Montenegrin Folk Prose”, which was edited for Matica Crnogorska by the recently deceased writer and theater scholar Milovan Radojević.
“The anthology collects the most representative texts from major anthologies of Montenegrin folk prose: ‘Vilina gora’, ‘Potopno vrijeme’, ‘Vatra samotvora’ and ‘Kad je sve zborilo’, which were compiled by Radoje and Danilo Radojević during the 1970s and 1980s. These collections represent the foundations of the study and preservation of Montenegrin oral literature and one of the most significant contributions to the documentation of folk creativity in Montenegro,” Matica added.
Milovan Radojević, who passed away on July 16 this year, once pointed out that Montenegrin folk prose was created in an area that inherited the layered cultural experiences of different civilizations. It contains recognizable traces of ancient, Slavic and Illyrian heritage, as well as influences from Greek, Roman and Byzantine culture. Situated at the crossroads of East and West, Montenegro has developed a specific cultural identity over the centuries, and folk tales are one of the most authentic witnesses to this historical process.
Of particular importance is the publication of the English edition entitled “Montenegrin Folk Prose – legends, fairy tales, fables, tales”, translated by Prof. Dr. Marija Krivokapić, writer and professor at the Faculty of Philology of the University of Montenegro.
“This translation represents a pioneering endeavor because it is the first comprehensive presentation of Montenegrin folk prose in English. Thanks to this, the rich tradition of oral storytelling from Montenegro becomes available to researchers, students, university libraries and fans of folklore literature throughout the English-speaking world,” Matica emphasizes.
Not long after, the Spanish edition of “Montenegrin Popular Prose – Legends, Fairy Tales, Fables, and Tales” followed, translated by Ivana Kovač-Barett, a professor of Spanish at the Faculty of Philology at the University of Montenegro.
“The publication of this translation has a special symbolic and cultural dimension. Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, and the publication opens up the possibility of presenting Montenegrin cultural heritage to readers in Spain and throughout Latin America. At the same time, it contributes to strengthening cultural ties with the numerous descendants of Montenegrin emigrants living on the South American continent,” the statement added.
Both books feature a carefully selected corpus of folk tales that depict the moral values, collective experience, humor, wisdom, and symbolic world of the Montenegrin people.
“Through fantastic motifs, historical legends and instructive narratives, the reader learns about social relations, ethical norms and life views that have shaped generations of Montenegrins. This is precisely where the universal value of this literature lies – it speaks of local experience, but through themes that are understandable and close to people, regardless of their origin,” Matica points out.
As a continuation of the project, Matica Crnogorska has also published the first illustrated folk tales from the same selection: “Tica đevojka” and “Vrag i zla žena”, which are available in Montenegrin and English. The fairy tales were literary adapted by Milovan Radojević, the English translation was done by Prof. Dr. Marija Krivokapić, while the illustrations were prepared by young artists, students of the master’s program of the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Montenegro, Andrija Martinović and Paulina Kondibović, under the artistic editorship of Professor Suzana Pajović. With these editions, Montenegrin oral literature is brought closer to the youngest readers, but also to the international audience.
In the continuation of the project, Matica Crnogorska will publish folk prose in French, Italian and Czech. The first illustrated fairy tales from this selection, which will appear in Spanish, are also in print. The editions in foreign languages have a recognizable and distinctive design and artistic expression, for which the professor of the Faculty of Fine Arts Suzana Pajović and the illustrator Paulina Kondibović are responsible. The editor of these editions is Ivan Ivanović, Secretary General of Matica Crnogorska, and they are signed on behalf of the publisher by President Ivan Jovović.
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Matica MontenegrinMontenegrin folk proseMilovan Radojevic
