Janáček had incorporated folk songs into his works early on, but only to the extent of noting down melodies he knew or songs he happened to hear and reflecting them in his compositions. However, his encounter with the folklorist František Bartoš made Moravian music an indispensable element of his musical style.

Bartoš took Janáček on his fieldwork expeditions. These journeys, targeting areas without developed transportation like railways (villages where traditional culture remained vibrant), were arduous. However, the music Janáček encountered there had an immeasurable impact on him.

Moravian folk songs (specifically from the East Moravian region), in contrast to Bohemian folk songs which show Western urban influences in terms of instrumentation and harmony, structurally trace back to ancient Eastern European origins. The singing is a free recitation, primarily characterized by a single note sung with full vocal power and sustained for a long duration. Instruments used in performance include bagpipes (or a small double bass), several violins, shepherd's pipes, and the cimbalom (this large hammered dulcimer attracted the attention of composers like Stravinsky, who incorporated it into their works; Kodály's Háry János is particularly well-known).

The folk songs collected from 1888 were compiled, composed, and organized into a collection around 1904. Each piece consists of five short dances, and the entire set takes less than 10 minutes to perform. The percussive and lyrical aspects of the aforementioned Moravian dances are masterfully integrated within a single suite.

First Piece:

• Dymak
• Starodavny
• Valaska
• Pozehnany
• Pilky

Second Piece:

• Kalanajka
• Trojky
• Seerecka
• Kolo
• Celadensky