Croatia is known to have a long and interesting history. That also includes rich folklife, stories, and dances that can also be connected to folk drama. Moreška is one of those!

Moreška- is a traditional sword dance from the town of Korčula, on the Croatian island of the same name in the Adriatic.
Moreska is pronounced 'Moreska'. It means 'Moorish'. The word is derived from the Spanish adjective 'Morisco' or the Italian 'Moresco'.

Another interesting fact is that only locals can participate in the performance. This is why Korčula families consider it a great honor and pride.

Dating back hundreds of years, the Moreška is an elaborate production involving two groups of dancers, engaging in a mock battle over the fate of a veiled young woman. In the Mediterranean countries, there is no more trace of Moreška and it can only be found in Korcula where it is performed for over 400 years. It is Moreška sword dance in 2014 joined the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The Moreska sword dance is performed in the historic island of Korcula, near Dubrovnik, where they have particular reason to dress up as Moors and Christians and swing sabres around, as the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 prevented an Ottoman invasion. Ever since Korčulans have performed this dramatic dance that originated in early medieval Spain.

The combat sword dance features a mock battle between the Black King and his army (the Moors), and a White King and his army (the Turks). They fight over the Bula, the favorite of the White King. She has been abducted by Moro, the son of the Black King, who also loves her. The Kings are the first to cross swords while their armies stand facing each other and ready for battle.

The Bula is dressed as a Turkish lady, with a veil over her head, and she is in chains.

The performance begins with an impassioned dialogue between Moro and the Bula, and then the battle between the two armies commences. Each army member has two swords, which is a distinctive feature of the dance. The introduction to the dance is a short drama in blank verse which sets the scene -- four characters recite the verses: the enemy or the Black King, his father, Otmanovic, (a kind of Balkan mediator), the Hero or the White King, and the Bula or Moslem maiden, who is a peace-maker as well as a heroine (and a possible convert to Christianity?).

In short - Basically, a girl was told to marry a prince, then another prince stole her, then all the men fought. The usual. Seven total dances, each a little more frenetic than the last.

Originally performed rarely on special occasions, in modern times the Moreška is performed weekly for visiting tourists. In modern times there are abbreviated performances of 20–30 minutes. Today, Korcula is the only island where it is still danced with real swords in its original War-Dance form and where it has enjoyed a proud and almost unbroken tradition for over four centuries, though the text, music, and pattern of the dance have been slightly altered and shortened.
Performers must be native to Korčula, and local families take great pride in their participation.

In this video, you can see how this attractive and dramatic dance look and sound like :)

Photo Sources used in this post:
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So, next time you are near Korčula, be sure to spare some minutes to enjoy this unique Mediterranean version of the dance between the love and battle.