Serbianism

In my continued quest for a sense of the character of the people of Serbia, I found this description on the internet.  It is a bit that was written by  US. Congresswoman Helen Dilich Bentley in 1948 for American-Serb Life:

For instance, Serbianism can be synonymous with fighting for the right, or what we believe is right, with every possible breath.

Then it can mean giving whole-heartedly of whatever you have to help one who needs it.

Or it may be simply sharing whatever you have with everyone; or sticking with him, come hell or high water; Or the guslar spirit, where your cards are stacked for you.

The Do or Die Spirit
It might be a determination to fight doggedly on, as the Serbs did when the Turks tried to master them, and as they probably will again before this century is out.

Or a fiery spirit and flaming temperament.

Perhaps it is none of these.  Or perhaps it is all of them rolled into one.

Serbianism is too big a thing to be able to toss aside lightly with a definition of one or two words.

I’ve watched this Serbianism in action from the West Coast to the East Coast.
Whatever it is, it’s the same everywhere.

You come to the door of a Serbian home.
You’re welcomed with open arms, even though they have never seen you before.

Real Hospitality
The table is spread with strudel, sarma, kuspa y meso, and other favorite dishes.
Rakija and wino are brought forth in abundance.  You are to make yourself at home.

It can be no other way.  If it is, your host feels he has slipped up somewhere.
It’s both a disgrace and dishonor for a guest to be dissatisfied in the home of a Serb.

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How like the description of Deda Bora in Their Backs to the World!

Thanks to the response of Serb Karl Haudbourg to my post, I now am connected to his blog where you simply must see the videos of Serbia:   http://www.ambassador-serbia.com/videos-serbia/

This entry was posted on 10. December 2010 at 16:49 and is filed under Serbia, reading, Research methods. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.