Avdo Međedović


Avdo Međedović was a Bosniak guslar from Sandžak, modern-day Serbia. He was the most versatile and skillful performer of all those encountered by Milman Parry and Albert Lord during their research on the oral epic tradition of Bosnia, Herzegovina and Montenegro in the 1930s. At Parry's request, Avdo sung songs he already knew and some songs he heard in front of prof. Parry, so he could convince himself that someone Homer-like could produce a poem so long. Avdo dictated, over five days, a version of the well-known theme The Wedding of Meho Smailagić that was 12,323 lines long, saying at the fifth day to Nikola that he knew even longer songs. On another occasion he sang over several days an epic of 13,331 lines. He claimed to have several others of similar length in his repertoire. In the first tour of Parry, over 80,000 lines were transcribed.
Many years afterwards The Wedding was published in 1974 by Lord with a parallel English translation.

Early life

Međedović was a Bosniak, born in the town of Bijelo Polje in 1875, while it was a part of the Ottoman Empire.

Works