Croatian Tales of Long Ago facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Croatian Tales of Long Ago

Cover of the 1924 London edition
Author	Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić
Original title	Priče iz davnine
Translator	F.S. Copeland
Illustrator	Vladimir Kirin
Country	Croatia
Language	Croatian
Genre	Children's short story collection
Publisher	Matica hrvatska
Publication date	1916
Published in English	1922 (New York) 1924 (London)
Media type	Print (hardcover)
Pages	258 pp (New York edition)

Croatian Tales of Long Ago (Croatian: Priče iz davnine) is a famous collection of short stories. It was written by the amazing children's author Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić. The book was first published in 1916 in Zagreb, Croatia.

Many people think this collection is her best work. It features new fairy tales inspired by old Slavic mythology. These myths come from a time before Christianity in Croatia.

Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić's writing style is very special. Some literary experts compare her to Hans Christian Andersen and J. R. R. Tolkien. This is because she blends original fantasy stories with traditional folk myths.

The book was translated into English by F.S. Copeland. It first came out in New York in 1922. Later, in 1924, it was published in London. The London publisher, George Allen & Unwin, also published J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The English versions of the book also included drawings by Croatian artist Vladimir Kirin.

Discover the Stories

The first Croatian edition of Croatian Tales of Long Ago came out in 1916. It had six exciting stories. Later, two more stories were added in the 1926 Croatian edition. Today, most Croatian versions of the book have all eight tales.

The English translation was published before the two extra stories were written. So, the English versions only have the original six tales. Here are the original story titles and their English names, as translated by F.S. Copeland. Stories not found in the English version are marked with a dagger (†):

• Kako je Potjeh tražio istinu (How Quest Sought the Truth)
• Ribar Palunko i njegova žena (Fisherman Plunk and His Wife)
• Regoč (Reygoch)
• Šuma Striborova (Stribor's Forest)
• Bratac Jaglenac i sestrica Rutvica (Little Brother Primrose and Sister Lavender)
• Lutonjica Toporko i devet župančića †
• Sunce djever i Neva Nevičica (Bridesman Sun and Bride Bridekins)
• Jagor †

Animated Adventures

Between 2002 and 2006, these eight stories were turned into animated cartoons. An international team of animators from eight countries created them. Helena Bulaja led this amazing project.

The animated stories also included interactive games. The project won many awards at different new media and animation festivals. These cartoons were made in Croatian, English, and German. They were released on CD-ROMs and can also be watched online.

Around the World: Translations

Croatian Tales of Long Ago has been translated into many languages. This shows how popular and important the book is worldwide. Here is a list of some of its translations: