DOI: 10.2298/GEI1202139S УДК: 393.7(497) ; 821.14'02.09-21 ; 821.163.41.09-21 ID: 193783052 Accepted for publicationon June 11 th 2012 139 Đurđina Šijaković Institute of Ethnography SASA, Belgrade djurdjina.s@gmail.com Shaping the Pain: Lamenting of Euripides’, Kakojannis’ and Kiš’ Electra ∗ Тhis paper is the continuation of a wider research, presented with its first part: Shaping the pain: Ancient Greek Lament and Its Therapeutic Aspect. In the mentioned papers’ focus is crea- tive-therapeutic aspect of a lament. The pain verbalized, re- vealed and shared with others –becomes itself a more bearable burden both for the woman that laments and for the bereaved family. Related to this therapeutic is the creative aspect of la- ment: the woman that mourns has to lament in order to make it easier for herself and others; but while lamenting, she is creat- ing something. Deeply rooted in funeral ritual, a lament re- spects certain ritual rules, and yet it is a spontaneous expres- sion of pain. A role of a lament in ancient Greek ritual is, as always when it comes to the Greek culture, an inexhaustible topic. The theme of a lament within ancient Greek tragedy is particularly interesting. Although tragedy belongs to literary tradition, it is a trustworthy source for ancient Greek ritual practice; a lament within tragedy is thus a ritual lament, and not only a literary one. Therapeutic aspect of a lament is also in the focus of this paper which examines "shaping of the pain" in few case studies. In- spired by laments of Montenegrin women, those that I have heard or read, I am re-reading Euripides’ Electra and Electra by Danilo Kiš (in which both Euripides’ drama and Montene- grin folklore is reflected), I am watching the Michalis Kako- jannis’ movie Electra. Electra’s pain for loss, her sorrowful dirge, the one that through despair leads to anger and revenge- fulness, is found written or filmed: it is captured in a work of art, but it emits folklore and ritual characteristics. From that perspective I am re-reading one of the most beautiful Serbian ∗ This paper is the result of project Interdisciplinary Research of Serbian Cultural and Linguistic Heritage; Creation of Multimedial Internet Portal "The Lexicon of Serbian Culture" (No 47016), granted by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Developemnt of the Republic Serbia. Key words: ancient Greek lament, woman, creative- therapeutic aspect, funeral ritual, ancient tragedy, Euripides’ Electra, Michalis Kakojannis’ Electra, Danilo Kiš’ Electra, The Death of Jugović's Mother