Faeries of Neretva Valley: Poetic and Motive Markers of Folktales about Faeries on the Example of the Collected Folktales in Neretva Valley

Abstract

The paper examines and analyzes the folktales that were collected in the Neretva valley. Some poetic and motive markers of studied folk tales stand out. The author uses folktales that have been collected by ethnologists so far, but he also uses folktales collected through his own field research. The description of the folktales about faeries in the Neretva valley vary so that there are folktales about faeries who look like humans, but there are also folktales which describes them with animalistic traits. This paper examines symbolic values of faery hair in folktales as well as the symbolic, cult and mythical image of the cave associated with the faeries.