Judita

The edition of the epic "Judith" by Marko Marulić, published in 1950 (published by Matica Hrvatska, on the occasion of the half-millennium of the author's birth), represents one of the most important works in the history of Croatian literature. Written in 1501 and first printed in 1521, "Judith" bears the title of the first artistic poem sung in the Croatian language (Split Chakavian dialect), which is why Marulić is justifiably called the "father of Croatian literature". The epic, in six cantos, follows the Old Testament story of the pious and courageous widow Judith who saves her hometown of Bethulia from the siege of the Assyrian army led by the general Holofernes. Marulić skillfully combines the biblical template with Renaissance poetics and the tradition of domestic doubly rhymed twelve-line poems, giving the story a strong allegorical dimension. At a time when the Croatian regions were under constant threat from Ottoman conquest, the figure of Judith served as a symbol of resistance, faith and hope in the victory of good over the overwhelming evil. This 1950 edition is not only a literary monument, but also a philological gem that brought Marulić's verse closer to the modern reader, emphasizing the invaluable importance of his work for shaping Croatian cultural and linguistic identity.