Singing to the Accompaniment of the Gusle in Serbia: A Living Ancient Performing Art

Abstract

A story about singing to the accompaniment of the gusle, an element of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Serbia inscribed in the Representative List of the ICH of Humanity in 2018, particularly regarding its safeguarding, is an illustration of the close connection between traditional folk art, education and science. In Serbia, the gusle – a simple, folk, singlestringed instrument – primarily accompanies songs about events from the legendary past, both from the distant and near history, of mythical and historical heroes. The key actor is the guslar – an epic singer who accompanies himself on the gusle. However, the presence of an auditorium – a social context – is an essential condition for this communication with ritual elements. Consequently, such art practice contributes to cohesive relationships in the community and becomes a constructive part of its identity