Preface to the First Edition

Thematically and structure-wise, Čarobni kvarnerski trokut [Magical Triangle of Kvarner] is an unusual book. It is organized in 13 often-metaphorically named chapters [12 in this edition], each bringing together various thematically-related texts and stories. Looking at it from a literary genre standpoint, the book is structured in three layers: literary, documentary, and journalistic (conversations, short photo reports . . .).

The central layer of the book is literary-documentary—as a chronicler, Velčić researches, documents, and presents chapters in which he exposes the cultural heritage of Golovik, Brseč, Mošćenička Draga, and Beli. In this layer, Velčić sets out to present in an exemplary manner the preserved wealth of the locality, leading us along the trail of rural architecture and construction, down the agricultural calendar (life on the land), giving us all kinds of instruction on fishing, offering sailing-related stories, describing preserved and lost trades and occupations of the Brseč area. . . and with warm stories and memories, painting a picture of the spiritual life of the Brseč area and of its institutions—the church, the school, Čakavian Society. Velčić takes us for a walk around the Brseč area on an ordinary day, a Sunday, a holiday . . . from the hoe to road construction, from religious education to musical instruments, he brings everyday work as well as sacred and secular customs closer to us. His account is a valuable source of ethnological (ethnographic) and linguistic (onomastic and toponymic) heritage of the Brseč area.

In the literary layer, Velčić is subtle and lyrical, just as he is as a painter. The author’s stories intertwine with the stories of his interviewees in two ways—in one case, the author’s narrative is illustrated by the interviewee’s story; in the other, the author’s story illustrates or enhances the interviewee’s speech. Sometimes the author’s interference or digression delicately turns into a lyrical creation. Velčić knows how to spin a fable or express his sensibility toward people and nature, and provide surprising descriptions of plant and animal communities—biocenoses cultivated in meadows, ponds, or the sea, which can serve as a good template for ornithologists researching birds or entomologists studying insects of this locality.

Language-wise, the structure of the book in all three of its layers is particularly valuable. As a narrator, while thinking, or when speaking from today’s perspective, the author uses the standard Croatian language; but when his story follows his life path, when he remembers his past, when he enters life in the fields, when he discovers himself through his memories, and when he finds himself in the customs of the Brseč area, his language morphs from standard to dialect—the language of the locality; his speech also implies the occurrence of interference. The author’s interviewees typically speak in the local Čakavian dialect. That’s one of the most valuable components of this book. Their speech preserves three local dialects—three variants of the Čakavian dialect—and through a brilliant strategy of the author, who has an exceptional feel for the language, we now have a rich template for the dialects of the areas of Brseč, Kastav, and Beli (on island Cres).

In this book Velčić paid particular attention to the accuracy of language, especially the nomenclature, and supplemented the names of plants and animals with Latin names [this edition presents all names in English, dialect, and Latin]. This greatly aids in the comprehension of the text, especially for the more professional reader. It’s particularly valuable that Velčić added as an appendix a dictionary of the Brseč dialect. 

One can’t ignore the artistic aspects of the book—with his paintings, graphics, and photographs, Zdenko Velčić, as expected, gave the book a new dimension. 

Velčić clearly invested a huge effort in the writing of this book, especially into shaping the interviewees’ stories. The result is a well-rounded and thoroughly documentary reading—sociologically, literarily, and linguistically. In this book Zdenko Velčić managed to collect and preserve the materials that will be talked about a lot, and that will serve generations to come. 

The book is accompanied by reviews whose expert authors competently evaluate it—the topics of the Brseč area, the sea, or the sailing, and the book’s literary-artistic reach.

Josip Krajač, M.S.
Editor of the first edition