Grmada
This short animation illustrates a scene from the traditional Slovene tale Martin Krpan, written by Fran Levstik. The story follows Martin Krpan, a strong, hardworking, but somewhat simple-minded man who embodies the spirit of a typical Slovene of that era. He used to smuggle salt on his scruffy but resilient horse, and one winter day, he happened to block the emperor’s carriage on a narrow path. To let the emperor pass, Krpan simply lifted his horse out of the way—an act that left the emperor astonished.
Years later, the emperor summoned Krpan to Vienna to fight Brdavs, a brutal warrior who had already defeated all of the empire’s finest knights. In Vienna, Krpan and his skinny horse became the subject of ridicule among the nobles and palace guards. But Krpan confidently claimed that none of the royal horses were as strong as his—and that he could toss any of them out of the barn. This particular moment in the story inspired the animation.
The animation was presented in a traditional format using a mutoscope.
