The Baptism on the Savica

The Baptism on the Savica (Slovene: Krst pri Savici) is a long two-part epic-lyric poem written by the Slovene Romantic poet France Prešeren. According to the literary historian Marko Juvan, the work may be considered the Slovene national epic. It is a narration about a hero and the woman he loves in the time of violent Christianisation of the predecessors of the Slovenes.

The poem was written in the Bohorič alphabet from July 1835 until January 1836 and self-published in April 1836. It was printed in 600 copies in Ljubljana by Josef Blasnik.

The poem comprises over 500 verses and has three parts. The first part of the poem, added approximately ten years later, is a sonnet dedicated to the deceased Prešeren's friend Matija Čop. The second part, named Introduction (Uvod), describes the final battle between Christians and pagan Slavs, led by the hero Črtomir. It is composed of 25 three-line and one four-line stanza and focuses on the destiny of a nation. The third one, named Baptism (Krst), is about the romantic relationship between Črtomir and Bogomila, who had been the priestess of the goddess Živa but is now a Christian. She persuades Črtomir to get baptised too. It is composed of 53 ottava rimas. It has less of an epic character as it mainly focuses on emotions and the destiny of an individual. The epic contains themes including Slovene identity in the context of the conversion to Christianity.

...
Wikipedia