Satir

Satir iliti divji chovik is a satirical-narrative song in 11 cantos published in Dresden in 1762. In his song, Matija Antun Relković (1732 - 1798) describes the beauty of the Slavonian land and the neglect of the Slavonian peasants, for which he blames customs that he believes originated under Turkish influence. He introduces into the song an ancient mythological being, the Satyr, who advises Slavonians how to cultivate the land. The first edition had a lot of success, and even in the polemic about the work, positive echoes prevailed. In the second edition, Relković introduced the character of a Slavonian peasant who tells Satir how he accepted his criticisms and improved his work and life. Croatian literary historians judged Satire harshly: they invoked its importance in the process of enlightenment, but they did not find literary beauty in it. Relković viewed nature, especially his native Slavonia, as a physiocrat, i.e. he considered the land his only wealth, and agriculture the noblest and healthiest profession.