Sacrifice and self-sacrifice of Prince Lazar in the national epic from Christian and pagan aspects

Abstract

This paper approaches the motives of sacrifice and self-sacrifice of Prince Lazar as a key to the construction of this epic character. At the beginning, consulting dictionaries and previous research, we determine the terminology and concepts of sacrifice self-sacrifice. Approaching the analysis of these motifs in the epic poems and accepting attitudes about their developmental line that ranges from medieval to folk literature, first search for Christian self-sacrifice. In the final part of the paper we provide a synthesis of Christian and pagan influence on the shaping of Lazarus motif of sacrifice and self-sacrifice with an emphasis on their share, hierarchy and function.

Keywords

• Prince Lazar
• Proto-Lazar
• sacrifice
• self-sacrifice
• Christianity
• paganism