Short story by Vladimir Nazor
Veli Jože is a novel by the Croatian author Vladimir Nazor, first published in 1908. Taking place on the Istrian peninsula during Venetian Republican rule, the story tells about Jože, a friendly and good-hearted giant. Veli Jože is one of the most famous works of Vladimir Nazor.
Background.
While sojourning in Motovun, Nazor noticed a big and rugged guy on the street, who was carrying a large trunk almost bigger than himself on his shoulder. Nazor was delighted by the proud stature of the man, and the joy and happiness on his face, and thus got the inspiration for his story. Nazor put together local legends to create the plot. According to legends, in the past, in addition to people, Istria was inhabited by many friendly giants, who were poisoned by the common people out of malice, leaving just one in each city to take advantage of them. Thus the giants cultivated the fields, tamed the wild beasts, and did all the other hardest jobs, jobs that the common people wouldn't do and despised. The book was first published in 1908 in Ljubljana.
Plot summary.
Veli Jože belonged to the people of Motovun, who did not treat him nicely.
Similarly to Raold Dahl's 1982 novel, Jože is described as a friendly and good-hearted giant. He is both a giant and a giant-looking serf. The action begins when the "provveditore" Barbabianka, "šjor" Zvane and the guard of Motovun forest go about Istria to mark with lime the Turkey oaks that they will cut down and take away to Venice. It is a hot summer day. The "provveditore" is riding on a donkey, which at one point jumps up, for he sees a haystack next to some shack where a beautiful Turkey oak is growing. Barbabianka then decides that this Turkey oak will warm him this winter in Koper. As he begins to mark the tree, someone's strong hands grab the donkey and throw it up to the top of the tree. Beside the stack and the dead donkey stands the serf Jože, looking gloomily at the "provveditore".
The "provveditore" is frightened and tells "šjor" Zvan to do something. Proto, the forest ranger, has a little fun at first because it is funny to him to watch the "provveditore" shaking, but then he calms the giant. Barbabianka and šjor Zvane put a stick in his hands and order him to strike and tame the giant. At first he is afraid to approach him in any way, but then he goes on and hits him. Jože is ordered to kneel down and kiss the gentleman's hand, which he does. "Šjor" Zvan explains to Jože that this is a gentleman, and that he would take him through the forest to the city. Along the way, Barbabianka realizes that Jože is an obedient serf, but he is still afraid. He questions him as to whether he has had enough food and how old he is.
The giant then explains to him that his masters let him eat, but that they constantly curse him and that he is three hundred years old, although he "thinks he might be older". Jože tells him that everything was better back then, that his father helped build the city, and that there were many more giants like him, but he was left alone. Then the idea comes to Barbabianka to take Jože with him to Venice, keeping the giant on a leash like a dog. The streets in Motovun are crowded with armed people, the bell rings because Jože is seen coming, even though he is forbidden to enter the city because it is his duty to work in the fields and in the woods for the municipality. But the townspeople are surprised to see that Jože is carrying Barbabianka. The latter is congratulated in the town hall for taming the giant, and Barbabianka, although he did nothing, believes in his own heroism.
"The indulgence and delight seemed to Barbabianka so sincere, that he almost saw for himself that his mother had given birth to him as a hero, and he stood up even more magnificently in the armchair."
In the town hall, they decide not to feed Jože anymore, they discuss whether to poison him and how to restrain him. Civetta, the city economist, says that Jože is valuable and needed by the city. He explains to them that he is plowing the land and hunting game for them, and defending them from the enemy. As they are deciding whether to kill him or just banish him, the "provvediotre" says that Jože will go to Koper with him for Easter, and that they will feed him as before.
At one point when he is being ridiculed, Jože gets angry, and the people who were used to look at his benevolent face are now frightened. When Jože starts shaking the Motovun bell tower, they run away screaming. It is not clear to Jože why his masters flee before him as if they were mice. He wonders whether it is possible that they fear him, whether it might be the master who lives to enslave them fears the serf.
When Easter comes, Jože is satisfied with his life. He doesn't know that the people of Motovun are discussing his fate in the town hall. Proto and a few others ask Jože to stay in Motovun because he is worth a lot to them, citing numerous examples of serfs helping them out, but most are still in favor of him leaving in the hope that he will drown during the trip. From Koper, Jože sails to Venice with the "provveditore". Although he is not happy to be far from the Istrian forests, he cannot complain too much because Barbabianka treats him well. For the first time in his life, Jože, in his grief and nostalgia for Motovun, thinks that his masters are unjust to him because they are sending him away from his country.
They are sailing on sails, but when the wind dies down, oars appear from the ship's sides. From the bowels of the ship comes the clatter of chains and a sad song. Jože lifts the lid on the deck, and a large head appears from the opening. At that moment, two giants watch each other without a word. The chained giant says his name is Ilija (Elijah). He tells Jože that he's a slave, and he cannot escape because he was beaten, and now is lame, as well as chained. He tells him all about life on the galley and that he too will become a slave. When Jože tells him about his life, Ilija gets angry and tells him that he has to fight, not to allow his masters to take advantage of him.
""We are people like them," said Elijah. "But did we ever enslave them like cattle even though we are stronger? The dog does not give up on a bone and chases the stranger out of his yard; but you, Jože, let the little people trample on you and suck your spirit - you, who are so strong. Shame on you, brother!"
He tells him to fight them, to free himself because he can out of his strength, and to work for himself. Then Jože remembers the moment near the Motovun tower when his masters were fleeing from him, and now he understands. Ilija tells him that there will be a big storm, in which he will sink with the ship, because he cannot move, but that Jože will escape. Then Jože promises Ilija that he will fight for his freedom. The storm begins, Jože jumps into the water and wakes up ashore in the morning.
Jože has been carried ashore by the sea on the shore of Raška draga, people who see him instantly say that this giant must have destroyed the ship. Here, Jože meets Jurić, who was also a giant serf and whom Jože manages to persuade to stop serving his masters as in the previous two hundred years and to come with him. Jože gathers around him twenty giant serfs who together go to the hills between Pazin and Motovun. People are afraid of them and tell each other stories whereby the giants will soon attack them. The giants, however, settle on the hills. Meanwhile, the nobles and lords are figuring out what to do now that the serfs have deserted them. The vineyards and gardens are deserted, and there is none to do the job.
The townspeople discuss whether attacking the giants or try and persuade them to return. Eventually they send out an army and two knights to the hills. On "Psoglavčevo brdom", Joze and the other giants start cultivating the land, and see how nice it is to work while they are free and working for themselves. They even start arranging the walls. Jurić comes across gold while digging, not even knowing what it is. Jože sees that the people of Motovun are like crazy about the gold. Jurić then continues to dig the pit, not caring about the gold and silver he has dug.
When the knights and the army arrive, the giants decide not to shed blood. Because the knights think that the serfs are standing still because they are afraid of their perennial masters, they order an attack. When the giants see that mass climbing up on them, running, trying to overcome them, they obey Jože and easily sweep them away. The giants use the strong oak trees of the nearby forest as brooms to sweep away the enemy in the battle.
After managing to retreat, the army encamps on "Štrigina glavica", where Civetta laughs at their failure and advises them to send someone to talk to the needed serfs and persuade them to return. The masters have no answer when Jože tells them that they do not wish to return because they are free up here. The common people do not realize that these serfs are becoming aware of their freedom and the value of it. The serfs tell them to work on their own fields, because they are not returning. When they are ready to return to the city as penitents, Jože decides to give them the silver and gold that Jurić has excavated, for which they were so mad about. After returning to the city with this loot, all citizens and nobles seek a share of the gold, claiming that the gold once belonged to their ancestors and that the giants have the least rights to it.
Upon hearing of the gold, the citizens start digging on all sides of the hill at night, but find nothing. One night, Jože catches several citizens digging, and tells them that if they want gold, they'll have to earn it. The citizens then conclude that it is better to work for Jože rather than the nobles because they would surely earn more, and so they agree. When people in the city hear that the citizens are working for the serfs, they consider it the greatest shame and betrayal, and decide to punish whoever is accountable for it.
More citizens come to work for Jože, the harvest around "Psoglavčeva brda" is rich. Jože almost becomes friends with the former masters, he gives everyone money and more than deserved. When, after the harvest, everyone heads back to the city, Civetta says that he is staying because he thinks the serfs have not yet achieved freedom, and that gold was the only reason why the citizens were workings with Jože. After a while of enjoying working for themselves and their freedom, the giants begin to resent that someone's estate is bigger or better than someone else's. Jurić is mad at Jože because he did not tell him of the value of gold, which he then squandered, gold that Jurić was the first to find.
When the grain and corn are divided, a big quarrel arises because everyone thinks that most of it belongs to them. Jože is all affected and angry, so he leaves the meeting. That evening Civetta sees a fire burning on the hill. Jože comes, looking for wine, telling Civetta that he is the one who set fire to the grain out of anger. He tells him what happened at the meeting. Jože says that he will not serve Liberat, that he will rather live alone.
The next day Civetta