Trivia and Legends
According to legends, the island of Brač was the property of the goddess Artemis, the goddess of forests and animals, long ago. She made sure that the island was covered with wonderful forests, full of wild animals. Its beauty caught the attention of another goddess, Aphrodite, who convinced Zeus to give her this island. Artemis, obeying the decision of Zeus, unable to reconcile with her, took all the animals from the island, destroyed the forests, leaving only bare rocks. Aphrodite, who also had divine powers, turned the rocks into a noble white marble for which Brac is famous until today, and has been a valued building material for centuries – known in Croatia as Brački Kamen.
Many famous buildings were built from Brački Kamen, from those built in antiquity, such as Diocletian’s Palace in Split or the Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik to more modern ones, such as the White House in Washington and Parliament buildings in Berlin and Vienna.
The etymology of the name of the island itself is also interesting. The name allegedly comes from the word Brentos which means “deer”, which was a promise of worship of the original inhabitants of the island. Today there are no deer in Braczu.
The island, despite its small area of approx. 400 km2, is culturally and linguistically diverse. Most of the island uses the Chakawan dialect, but its forms are different – it is spoken differently in Bol and different, for example, in Pučiščy. The only town where the Shtokavian dialect has survived is Sumartin, located on the eastern tip of the island.
The people of Brač are often the heroes of jokes due to their alleged stinginess. This “stinginess” is the result of the very difficult living conditions on the island in the past due to the rocky, poorly fertile and hardly available soil for cultivation. The Braczanie people knew and know that humor is a factor that unites and makes a hard life easier and more pleasant.
A few examples of Brač humor
How was the lizard created?
The man from Brač got a crocodile to feed him
Why does Bračanin have 2 peepholes in the door?
The first to see who came and the second to see what he brought with him
Bračanin enters the store and says:
1/4 of black bread, please, and if possible, wrap it in today’s newspaper
Displeased Bračanin returns home and his wife asks him what is the reason for his dissatisfaction?
B: Bus tickets became cheaper
W: What’s wrong with that?
B: Now I will save less walking …
