Judita
Judita is an epic by Marko Marulić, written in 1501 and printed in 1521. It is considered the first artistic epic in the Croatian language. The work is written in the Chakavian dialect and in the double-rhymed twelve.
Marulić's epic is based on the biblical story of Judith, a pious woman from Bethulia, who saves her people by killing the Assyrian general Holofernes. The Assyrians besiege the city, and Judith, with God's help, seduces Holofernes and cuts off his head while he sleeps. By doing so, he brings victory to his people.
In addition to the religious message, Marulić expresses patriotic ideas in Judita, connecting the fate of Betulija with the Croatian struggle against the Ottomans. Therefore, the epic was also understood as a moral lesson about courage and faith.
The work consists of six cantos and shows the influence of classical and Christian literature. Marulić is considered the "father of Croatian literature", and Judita is one of the most important works of the Croatian Renaissance.
Two copies are available
