Avdo Međedović (c.– 1953) was a Bosniak guslar (gusle player and oral poet) from Sandžak, modern-day Montenegro. He was the most versatile and skillful performer of all those encountered by Milman Parry and Albert Lord during their research on the oral epic tradition of Bosnia, Herzegovina and Montenegro in the 1930s. At Parry's request, Avdo sung songs he already knew and some songs he heard in front of prof. Parry, so he could convince himself that someone Homer-like could produce a poem so long. Avdo dictated, over five days, a version of the well-known theme The Wedding of Meho Smailagić that was 12,323 lines long, saying at the fifth day to Nikola (Parry's assistant on the journey) that he knew even longer songs. On another occasion he sang over several days an epic of 13,331 lines. He claimed to have several others of similar length in his repertoire. In the first tour of Parry, over 80,000 lines were transcribed.
Born |
1875 Bijelo Polje, Ottoman Empire
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Died |
1953 (aged 77) Bijelo Polje, SR Montenegro, Yugoslavia
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Zodiac | |
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