Modeling potential of epic heroes: The case of the duke Momčilo

Abstract

The Bulgarian hajduk (rebel) and later Byzantine despot and sebastokrator, the epic "Duke Momčilo", is a figure who left a big mark on South Slavic epic singing, among other things, as a fictional uncle of Marko Kraljević. He is one of the few people who remained in folklore memory for over six centuries. Biographical elements determined the later singing about this hero ("tall as a minaret"; death at the gates of a closed city), and key details of the established epic biography undoubtedly determined the range of Momchil՚s domains and his further appearance in epic patterns, mostly in Bulgaria.