page_title: Music of Serbia
section_title: Music of the Middle Ages
hierarchical_section_title: Music of Serbia / Music of the Middle Ages
caption_attribution_description: English: A Herzegovinian sings to the gusle. Drawing from the 2nd volume of Народне српске пјесме [Serbian Folk Poems] published by Vuk Stefanović Karadžić in Leipzig in 1823. It was made on Vuk's directions, and it is thought that the face of the gusle player is Vuk Karadžić's.[1] Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски: Hercegovac pjeva uz gusle ↑ Vojislav M. Jovanović ((Please provide a date)) O liku Filipa Višnjića i drugih guslara Vukova vremena[1]: “Naslovna slika uz Vukove Srpske narodne pesme knj. II, Lajpcig; 1823. Bakrorez. - Rađeno po Vukovim uputstvima. Misli se da lik guslara predstavlja Vuka Karadžića.”
context_page_description: Music of Serbia has a variety of traditional music, which is part of the wider Balkan tradition, with its own distinctive sound and characteristics.
context_section_description: Church music was performed throughout medieval Serbia by choirs or individual singers. The songs performed at the time were derived from the Octoechos (Osmoglasnik), a collection of religious songs dedicated to Jesus. Composers from this era include nun Jefimija, monks Kir Stefan the Serb, Isaiah the Serb, and Nikola the Serb, who together belong to the "Serbo-Byzantine school".
  Aside from church music, the medieval era in Serbia included traditional music, about which little is known, and court music. During the Nemanjić dynasty era musicians played an important role at the royal court, and were known as sviralnici, glumci and praskavnici. The rulers known for the musical patronage included Emperor Stefan Dušan and Despot Đurađ Branković. Medieval musical instruments included horns, trumpets, lutes, psalteries, drums and cymbals. Traditional folk instruments include the gajde, kaval, dajre, diple, tamburitza, gusle, tapan (davul), sargija, ćemane (kemenche), zurla (zurna), and frula among others.
  Sung Serbian epic poetry has been an integral part of Serbian and Balkan music for centuries. In the highlands of Serbia and Montenegro these long poems are typically accompanied on a one-string fiddle called the gusle, and concern themselves with themes from history and mythology.
  After the Ottoman conquest of Serbia, music was enriched with oriental influences. From Habsburg rule, Serbia was enriched by Western music.
caption: Serb from Herzegovina sings to gusle
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