Lazar of Serbia
Encyclopedia
Lazar Hrebeljanović was a medieval nobleman that emerged as the most powerful Serbian
ruler after the death of the previous, childless, Emperor Uroš the Weak, which resulted in years of instability in the Serbian realm. As Stefan Lazar, he was Prince of Serbia from 1371 to 1389, ruling what is also known by historians as Moravian Serbia
. He is best remembered for his role in the war against the invading Ottoman Empire
, against whom he led an army that fought at the Battle of Kosovo
. He perished in the battle alongside most of the Serbian nobility and the Ottoman Sultan Murad I
, which eventually led to the fall of Serbia as a sovereign state and the Ottoman conquest of Serbia
. The events surrounding his rule and especially the battle, are highly regarded in the identity
, history and culture
of Serbs; he is venerated as a martyr
and saint
in the Serbian Orthodox Church
as Saint Lazar and a hero in Serbian epic poetry
, in which stories he is known as Tsar
Lazar (Цар Лазар, tsâr lâzaːr).
Prince Lazar is the eponymous founder of the House of Lazarević
. He was succeeded by his son Stefan Lazarević
(as Prince 1389–1402, Despot
1402-1427).
(near Novo Brdo
). His father Pribac Hrebeljanović was an imperial chancellor at the court of Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan 'the Mighty' in Prizren
. The Hrebeljanović family was of clan descent
. The name of his mother is unknown, as well as the number of siblings.
He was brought up at the city of Prilepac, which had been given to his father by Emperor Dušan (when he was a King) as a token on his work at the imperial court. The wealth of the Hrebeljanović was minor, the family only held the fortified city of Prilepac and Prizrenac. When Dušan was coronated Emperor of Serbs and Greeks in Skopje
(1346), Lazar was around 17 years old. As a youngster, Lazar worked at the court of Dušan, which is recorded in „Povesno slovo o knezu Lazaru“ and by Archbishop Danilo. As a member of the court, he received the title of stavioca by Dušan; this boosted him into the political life of the Empire. At the court he met other velikaši ('Great ones', i.e. highest members of Serbian nobility
): Despot Jovan Oliver
, Kesar Preljub
, Despot Dejan Dragaš
and Kesar Voihna.
In 1353, he married Milica Nemanjić, the daughter of Grand Prince Vratko Nemanjić, who was a member of the imperial family through Grand Prince Vukan Nemanjić (r. 1202-1204). After the death of Emperor Dušan on December 20, 1355, Lazar attended the funeral in the mausoleum
of the Saint Archangels Monastery
in Prizren
.
. Despite his imperial title, Uroš was a weak and ineffectual leader, allowing local nobles to gain power and influence at the expense of the central authority.
However, Lazar would have to face another menace to his power. After consolidating his authority in the Hungarian Kingdom and defeating the feudal lords, King Charles I of Hungary
continued expanding his frontiers to the south, into the Serbian regions and forced Lazar's predecessor Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia to resign many regions to him. The Hungarian King conquered the Golubac Fortress
in 1334 and with this, he continued expanding his influence in the Serbian regions.
After the death of the Hungarian King, his son and successor Louis I of Hungary, continued his father's campaigns and soon included the Bosnia
n and Serbian territories in the Hungarian Crown. In 1366 the Kingdom of Bosnia
recognised the Hungarian authority, but Louis had himself crowned as King of the Serbs and Bosnia. After facing the Hungarian King Louis I in several locations, the last military campaign of the Hungarian monarch was successful and in 1367 Lazar recognised his authority over the Serbs.
However this wasn't an impediment to Lazar, and even if he paid taxes and conceded favours to the Hungarian monarch, he worked for keeping stability in the Serbian power and for facing the imminent Turkish Ottoman invasion. In the early 1370s he left Prizren and devoted himself to the consolidation of his power in the northern Serbian regions around his court in Kruševac
. Although a pledged vassal to Stefan Uroš V, in 1371 he refused to participate in the Battle of Maritsa
, at which the bulk of the imperial Serbian army was destroyed by an Ottoman force. Soon afterwards, Stefan Uroš V died, the last of the Nemanjić emperors. With great diplomacy and military power, Lazar emerged from the resulting power vacuum as the most powerful Serbian noble not in the Ottomans' service. He acquired dynastic legitimacy by marrying Milica Nemanjić, and despite retaining only the minor title of knez, he nevertheless used the imperial name of Stefan as well as the designation autocrator. At the same time, he took no issue with Bosnian ban
Tvrtko (whose Nemanjić lineage was in any case much stronger than Lazar's) proclaiming himself King Stefan of Serbia and Bosnia. In this way Lazar could retain the de facto power, while ceding only a ceremonial title to Tvrtko, who never managed to revive the old Nemanjić institutions of central power.
The first mention of any Ottoman movement into Lazar's territory is from a chronicle entry of 1381, when two of Lazar's subjects, Vitomir and Crep, defeated the Turks on the Battle of Dubravnica River
near Paraćin
. After that there is no record of any hostility between Lazar and the Turks until 1386. Lazar mobilised several other Serbian nobles, including Tvrtko, King of Bosnia, and in 1386 smashed Murad's general Timurtash at the Battle of Pločnik
, forcing the Ottomans south to Niš
. In 1388, many Serbian troops were present at the Battle of Bileća
where the combined Serbian-Bosnian forces heavily defeated the Turks.
Around 1380 Lazar founded the monastery of Ravanica
and around 1388 Ljubostinja
. By 1387 he was raising a massive force to meet the invading forces of the Ottoman Empire, which would include every Serbian knight
in his kingdom. The two large forces met in the 1389 battle of Kosovo
.
He cursed the Serbs who did not help him against the Turks with the so-called Kosovo curse
, later inscribed in the Gazimestan
, on the place he is supposed to have fallen, today a monument to the Serbs who fought the Turks in Kosovo.
. Lacking in military or economic strength, she pledged suzerainty to Murad I's successor, his son Bayezid
, who had taken as his wife the daughter of Lazar. Meanwhile, Milica turned to internal matters, where she dealt with her few remaining political opponents. It was her propaganda campaign, via the epic poetry composed at her court, that resulted in Lazar's quick resurrection
, and the subsequent portrayal of their son-in-law Vuk Branković as the traitor responsible for the Serbian defeat.
In Serbian epic tradition
, Lazar is said to have been visited by an angel
of God on the night before battle, and offered a choice between an earthly or a heavenly kingdom, which choice would result in a peaceful capitulation or bloody defeat, respectively, at the Battle of Kosovo.
According to the epics, Lazar opted for the Heavenly kingdom, which will last "forever and ever", but had to perish on the battlefield. “We die with Christ
, to live forever”, he told his soldiers. That Kosovo’s declaration and testament is regarded as s covenant which the Serb people made with God – and sealed with martyrs’ blood. Since then all Serbs faithful to that Testament regard themselves as the people of God, Christ’s New Testament
nation, heavenly Serbia, part of God’s New Israel. This is why Serbs sometimes refer to themselves as the people of Heaven.
Jefimija
, former wife of Uglješa Mrnjavčević and afterwards nun from Ljubostinja monastery, embroidered Praise to Prince Lazar, one of most significant work of medieval Serbian literature.
The Serbian Orthodox Church
canonised Lazar as Saint Lazar. He is celebrated on (Vidovdan
). Several towns and villages (like Lazarevac
), small Serbian Orthodox churches and missions throughout the world are named after him. His alleged remains are kept in Ravanica Monastery
, where miraculous cures have been attributed to them.
in around 1353 and issued at least seven children:
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
ruler after the death of the previous, childless, Emperor Uroš the Weak, which resulted in years of instability in the Serbian realm. As Stefan Lazar, he was Prince of Serbia from 1371 to 1389, ruling what is also known by historians as Moravian Serbia
Moravian Serbia
The Moravian Serbia was one of the states that emerged from the collapse of the Serbian Empire in the 14th century. The state was created through political and military activities of its first ruler Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, who later fought and perished at the Battle of Kosovo.-History:Lazar...
. He is best remembered for his role in the war against the invading Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, against whom he led an army that fought at the Battle of Kosovo
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo took place on St. Vitus' Day, June 15, 1389, between the army led by Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I...
. He perished in the battle alongside most of the Serbian nobility and the Ottoman Sultan Murad I
Murad I
Murad I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1361 to 1389...
, which eventually led to the fall of Serbia as a sovereign state and the Ottoman conquest of Serbia
History of Ottoman Serbia
The territory of what is now the Republic of Serbia was part of the Ottoman Empire throughout the Early Modern period.Ottoman culture significantly influenced the region, in architecture, cuisine, linguistics, and dress, especially in arts, and Islam....
. The events surrounding his rule and especially the battle, are highly regarded in the identity
National identity
National identity is the person's identity and sense of belonging to one state or to one nation, a feeling one shares with a group of people, regardless of one's citizenship status....
, history and culture
Serbian culture
Serbian culture refers to the culture of Serbia and of ethnic Serbs.The Serbian culture starts with that of the South Slavic peoples that lived in the Balkans. Early on, Serbs may have been influenced by the Paleo-Balkan peoples...
of Serbs; he is venerated as a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
and saint
Serbian Saints
Over the history of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the church has had many people who were venerated to sainthood. The list below is made up of Holy Serbs and their feast days - according to the Gregorian calendar.-Serbian Saints:...
in the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
as Saint Lazar and a hero in Serbian epic poetry
Serbian epic poetry
Serb epic poetry is a form of epic poetry written by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro. The main cycles were composed by unknown Serb authors between the 14th and 19th centuries...
, in which stories he is known as Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Lazar (Цар Лазар, tsâr lâzaːr).
Prince Lazar is the eponymous founder of the House of Lazarević
House of Lazarevic
The House of Lazarević was a noble Serbian medieval dynasty.The dynasty starts with Lazar Hrebeljanović, son of Pribac Hrebeljanović -a noble at the court of Dušan the Mighty and of Princess Jelena Zupan Rascia-Nemanjic of Serbia...
. He was succeeded by his son Stefan Lazarević
Stefan Lazarevic
Stefan Lazarević known also as Stevan the Tall was a Serbian Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty...
(as Prince 1389–1402, Despot
Serbian Despotate
The Serbian Despotate was a Serbian state, the last to be conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of the medieval Serbian state, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravian Serbia survived for 70 more years,...
1402-1427).
Early
Lazar was born in 1329, in PrilepacPrilepac
Prilepac is a village in the municipality of Vlasotince, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 499 people.-References:...
(near Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo is a town and municipality in the Pristina district of eastern Kosovo. The population of the municipality is estimated at 6,720 people .-History:...
). His father Pribac Hrebeljanović was an imperial chancellor at the court of Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan 'the Mighty' in Prizren
Prizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
. The Hrebeljanović family was of clan descent
Serb clans
Serb clans is a general term referring to what are known as plemena and bratstva , traditional geo-political units of the Western Balkans that now richly attest social anthropology and family history . The descendants of the clans are divided by regional and lately, national affiliation...
. The name of his mother is unknown, as well as the number of siblings.
He was brought up at the city of Prilepac, which had been given to his father by Emperor Dušan (when he was a King) as a token on his work at the imperial court. The wealth of the Hrebeljanović was minor, the family only held the fortified city of Prilepac and Prizrenac. When Dušan was coronated Emperor of Serbs and Greeks in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
(1346), Lazar was around 17 years old. As a youngster, Lazar worked at the court of Dušan, which is recorded in „Povesno slovo o knezu Lazaru“ and by Archbishop Danilo. As a member of the court, he received the title of stavioca by Dušan; this boosted him into the political life of the Empire. At the court he met other velikaši ('Great ones', i.e. highest members of Serbian nobility
Serbian nobility
Serbian nobility was the privileged order or class of Serbia in the Middle Ages and Early Modern times.The first nobles of greater status was those in the 9th and 10th century, who were connected to the royal family by marriage. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the nobility greatly expanded, and in...
): Despot Jovan Oliver
Jovan Oliver
Jovan Oliver Grčinić, known as Despot Jovan Oliver was a magnate of the Serbian Emperor Dušan the Mighty , holding the titles of sebastokrator and despotes, and the great voivode-military rank, showing his prominence and status as one of the most important nobles of Dušan...
, Kesar Preljub
Preljub
Gregory Preljub or simply Preljub was a 14th-century Serbian noble and voivode who conquered and ruled Thessaly with the rank of Caesar in 1348–1356 under Emperor Stephen IV Dushan...
, Despot Dejan Dragaš
Dejan Dragaš
Dejan Dragaš was a 14th-century Serbian nobleman and the Despot of Kumanovo holding the title of Sebastokrator given to him by his brother-in-law Emperor of Serbia Dušan the Mighty...
and Kesar Voihna.
In 1353, he married Milica Nemanjić, the daughter of Grand Prince Vratko Nemanjić, who was a member of the imperial family through Grand Prince Vukan Nemanjić (r. 1202-1204). After the death of Emperor Dušan on December 20, 1355, Lazar attended the funeral in the mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
of the Saint Archangels Monastery
Saint Archangels Monastery
The Saint Archangels Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Prizren, in southern Kosovo. It was founded by the Serbian emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia, and built between 1343 and 1352, on the site of the earlier church, part of the Višegrad fortress complex...
in Prizren
Prizren
Prizren is a historical city located in southern Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.The city has a population of around 131,247 , mostly Albanians...
.
Emergance
He was given the title of knez in 1371 by the sabor (state council) of Tsar Stefan Uroš V at IpekIpek
-Places:* Birinci İpək, also called Ipec-1, in Azerbaijan* İkinci İpək, also called Ipec-2, in Azerbaijan* Ipek, the Turkish name of Peć, a city in Kosovo...
. Despite his imperial title, Uroš was a weak and ineffectual leader, allowing local nobles to gain power and influence at the expense of the central authority.
However, Lazar would have to face another menace to his power. After consolidating his authority in the Hungarian Kingdom and defeating the feudal lords, King Charles I of Hungary
Charles I of Hungary
Charles I , also known as Charles Robert , was the first King of Hungary and Croatia of the House of Anjou. He was also descended from the old Hungarian Árpád dynasty. His claim to the throne of Hungary was contested by several pretenders...
continued expanding his frontiers to the south, into the Serbian regions and forced Lazar's predecessor Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia to resign many regions to him. The Hungarian King conquered the Golubac Fortress
Golubac fortress
Golubac Fortress was a medieval fortified town on the right side of the Danube River, 4 kilometers downstream from the modern-day town of Golubac, Serbia. The fortress, which was most likely built during the 14th century, is split into three compounds which were built in stages...
in 1334 and with this, he continued expanding his influence in the Serbian regions.
After the death of the Hungarian King, his son and successor Louis I of Hungary, continued his father's campaigns and soon included the Bosnia
Kingdom of Bosnia
The Kingdom of Bosnia or the Bosnian Kingdom was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Balkans, existing between 1377 and 1463.- Establishment :...
n and Serbian territories in the Hungarian Crown. In 1366 the Kingdom of Bosnia
Kingdom of Bosnia
The Kingdom of Bosnia or the Bosnian Kingdom was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Balkans, existing between 1377 and 1463.- Establishment :...
recognised the Hungarian authority, but Louis had himself crowned as King of the Serbs and Bosnia. After facing the Hungarian King Louis I in several locations, the last military campaign of the Hungarian monarch was successful and in 1367 Lazar recognised his authority over the Serbs.
Ottoman threat
.However this wasn't an impediment to Lazar, and even if he paid taxes and conceded favours to the Hungarian monarch, he worked for keeping stability in the Serbian power and for facing the imminent Turkish Ottoman invasion. In the early 1370s he left Prizren and devoted himself to the consolidation of his power in the northern Serbian regions around his court in Kruševac
Kruševac
Kruševac is a city and municipality, and the administrative center of the Rasina District, in central Serbia. According to the 2011 census, the municipality has a population of 127,429, while the town has 57,627....
. Although a pledged vassal to Stefan Uroš V, in 1371 he refused to participate in the Battle of Maritsa
Battle of Maritsa
The Battle of Maritsa, or Battle of Chernomen, took place at the Maritsa River near the village of Chernomen on September 26, 1371 between the forces of the Ottoman sultan Murad I's lieutenant Lala Şâhin Paşa and the...
, at which the bulk of the imperial Serbian army was destroyed by an Ottoman force. Soon afterwards, Stefan Uroš V died, the last of the Nemanjić emperors. With great diplomacy and military power, Lazar emerged from the resulting power vacuum as the most powerful Serbian noble not in the Ottomans' service. He acquired dynastic legitimacy by marrying Milica Nemanjić, and despite retaining only the minor title of knez, he nevertheless used the imperial name of Stefan as well as the designation autocrator. At the same time, he took no issue with Bosnian ban
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
Tvrtko (whose Nemanjić lineage was in any case much stronger than Lazar's) proclaiming himself King Stefan of Serbia and Bosnia. In this way Lazar could retain the de facto power, while ceding only a ceremonial title to Tvrtko, who never managed to revive the old Nemanjić institutions of central power.
The first mention of any Ottoman movement into Lazar's territory is from a chronicle entry of 1381, when two of Lazar's subjects, Vitomir and Crep, defeated the Turks on the Battle of Dubravnica River
Battle of Dubravnica
The Battle of Dubravnica was fought in the summer of 1380 or December 1381, on the Dubravnica River near Paraćin in today's central Serbia, between the Serbian forces of Prince Lazar of Serbia led by commanders Vitomir and Crep and the invading Ottoman Turks of Sultan Murad I...
near Paraćin
Paracin
Paraćin is a town and municipality in Serbia, located in the valley of the Velika Morava river, north of Kruševac and southeast of Kragujevac. In 2011 the town has total population of 24,573 and it has a civil airport, also known as Davidovac Airport....
. After that there is no record of any hostility between Lazar and the Turks until 1386. Lazar mobilised several other Serbian nobles, including Tvrtko, King of Bosnia, and in 1386 smashed Murad's general Timurtash at the Battle of Pločnik
Battle of Plocnik
The Battle of Pločnik was fought in 1386 , at the village of Pločnik, near Prokuplje in today's southeastern Serbia, between the Serbian forces of prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and the invading Ottoman Turks of sultan Murad I.It was the second clash between the Ottomans and forces commanded by Lazar,...
, forcing the Ottomans south to Niš
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
. In 1388, many Serbian troops were present at the Battle of Bileća
Battle of Bileca
The Battle of Bileća was fought on 27 August 1388 between Bosnian forces led by Duke Vlatko Vuković and the Ottomans under the leadership of Lala Shahin Pasha...
where the combined Serbian-Bosnian forces heavily defeated the Turks.
Around 1380 Lazar founded the monastery of Ravanica
Ravanica Monastery
Ravanica is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on Kučaj mountains near Ćuprija in Central Serbia. It was built in 1375–1377 as an endowment of prince Lazar of Serbia, who is buried there....
and around 1388 Ljubostinja
Ljubostinja
Ljubostinja is a Serbian Orthodox monastery near Trstenik, Serbia. Located in the small mountain valley of the Ljubostinja river. Monastery is dedicated to the Holy Virgin. The monastery was built from the 1388 to 1405...
. By 1387 he was raising a massive force to meet the invading forces of the Ottoman Empire, which would include every Serbian knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
in his kingdom. The two large forces met in the 1389 battle of Kosovo
Battle of Kosovo
The Battle of Kosovo took place on St. Vitus' Day, June 15, 1389, between the army led by Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović, and the invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Sultan Murad I...
.
Battle of Kosovo
Before the battle, Lazar rejected offers of vassalage and peace and determined to fight to the last, not betraying the nation.He cursed the Serbs who did not help him against the Turks with the so-called Kosovo curse
Kosovo curse
The Kosovo curse or Prince's curse is, according to the legend, a curse said by Serbian Prince Lazar before the Battle of Kosovo...
, later inscribed in the Gazimestan
Gazimestan
Gazimestan is the name of a monument commemorating the historical Battle of Kosovo, situated about 6-7 kilometres north-northeast of the actual battlefield, known as Kosovo Field , or in Albanian: "Fushë Kosovë/Fushë Kosova"...
, on the place he is supposed to have fallen, today a monument to the Serbs who fought the Turks in Kosovo.
Aftermath and mythology
Following Lazar's death, his widow Milica assumed control of SerbiaSerbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. Lacking in military or economic strength, she pledged suzerainty to Murad I's successor, his son Bayezid
Bayezid I
Bayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...
, who had taken as his wife the daughter of Lazar. Meanwhile, Milica turned to internal matters, where she dealt with her few remaining political opponents. It was her propaganda campaign, via the epic poetry composed at her court, that resulted in Lazar's quick resurrection
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
, and the subsequent portrayal of their son-in-law Vuk Branković as the traitor responsible for the Serbian defeat.
In Serbian epic tradition
Serbian epic poetry
Serb epic poetry is a form of epic poetry written by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Montenegro. The main cycles were composed by unknown Serb authors between the 14th and 19th centuries...
, Lazar is said to have been visited by an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
of God on the night before battle, and offered a choice between an earthly or a heavenly kingdom, which choice would result in a peaceful capitulation or bloody defeat, respectively, at the Battle of Kosovo.
-
- "...the ProphetProphetIn religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
Elijah then appeared as a gray falconFalconA falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
to Lazar, bearing a letter from the Mother of God that told him the choice was between holding an earthly kingdom and entering the kingdom of heaven..."
- "...the Prophet
According to the epics, Lazar opted for the Heavenly kingdom, which will last "forever and ever", but had to perish on the battlefield. “We die with Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, to live forever”, he told his soldiers. That Kosovo’s declaration and testament is regarded as s covenant which the Serb people made with God – and sealed with martyrs’ blood. Since then all Serbs faithful to that Testament regard themselves as the people of God, Christ’s New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
nation, heavenly Serbia, part of God’s New Israel. This is why Serbs sometimes refer to themselves as the people of Heaven.
Jefimija
Jefimija
-See also:*Mija, Serbian variant*Mia, English variant*Jefrem or Jevrem, Serbian male variant*nun Jelena Vojihnović Mrnjavčević , formerly Jelena, daughter of Vojihna and widow of Uglješa Mrnjavčević. She is considered the first female Serbian poet, author of "Lament for a Dead Son" and "A Prayer to...
, former wife of Uglješa Mrnjavčević and afterwards nun from Ljubostinja monastery, embroidered Praise to Prince Lazar, one of most significant work of medieval Serbian literature.
The Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
canonised Lazar as Saint Lazar. He is celebrated on (Vidovdan
Vidovdan
-See also:*Divinity*Daeva*Deva *Vidovdan...
). Several towns and villages (like Lazarevac
Lazarevac
Lazarevac is a town and municipality located in Serbia at 44.22° North, 20.15° East. Its name stems from name of medieval Prince Lazar Hrebeljanovic. In 2002 the town has total population of 23,551. Lazarevac is one of Belgrade's 17 municipalities....
), small Serbian Orthodox churches and missions throughout the world are named after him. His alleged remains are kept in Ravanica Monastery
Ravanica Monastery
Ravanica is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on Kučaj mountains near Ćuprija in Central Serbia. It was built in 1375–1377 as an endowment of prince Lazar of Serbia, who is buried there....
, where miraculous cures have been attributed to them.
Marriage and progeny
Lazar married MilicaMilica of Nemanja
Princess Milica Hrebeljanović née Nemanjić also known as Empress Milica, was a royal consort of Serbia, wife of the Serbian Prince Lazar and mother of despot Stefan Lazarević...
in around 1353 and issued at least seven children:
- Mara (died April 12, 1426), married Vuk Branković in around 1371
- Stefan LazarevićStefan LazarevicStefan Lazarević known also as Stevan the Tall was a Serbian Despot, ruler of the Serbian Despotate between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389, and Princess Milica from the subordinate branch of the Nemanjić dynasty...
(around 1377 - July 19, 1427), prince (1389–1402) and despotDespotesDespot , was a senior Byzantine court title that was bestowed on the sons or sons-in-law of reigning emperors, and initially denoted the heir-apparent...
(1402–1427) - Vuk LazarevićVuk LazarevićVuk Lazarević was a Serbian prince and the younger son of Tsar Lazar, he was executed on July 6, 1410.He was born sometime after 1380, his older brother Stefan birth was in 1377. After the Battle of Kosovo in 1389, Vuk, his brother, mother and Jefimija began to take part in the control of Serbia...
, prince, executed on July 6, 1410 - Mara or Dragana (died before July 1395), married BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n tsarTsarTsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Ivan ShishmanIvan Shishman of BulgariaIvan Shishman ruled as emperor of Bulgaria in Tarnovo from 1371 to 3 July 1395. The authority of Ivan Shishman was limited to the central parts of the Bulgarian Empire. His indecisive and inconsistent policy did little to prevent the fall of his country under Ottoman rule. In 1393 the Ottoman...
in around 1386 - Teodora (died before 1405), married Nikola II GorjanskiNicholas II GarayNicholas II Garay was the ban of Mačva, Usora, Soli , Slavonia, Croatia, and Dalmatia. He also ruled Braničevo, Syrmia, Bačka, Banat and Baranya regions through vassals. In 1416 Sigismund extended their armorial bearings showing the Order of the Dragon and the Order of the Scarf...
(who died in 1433), son of Nikola I GorjanskiNicholas I GarayNicholas I Garay , Croatia of Gorjani/Gara, form city Đakovo, the chief governor of Bratislava, was a palatine to the King of Hungary . He was Palatine of Pozsony and he was Count of Pozsony ; Count of Baranya ; and Duke of Mаčva...
, banBan (title)Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
of MačvaMacvaMačva is a geographical region in Serbia, mostly situated in the northwest of Central Serbia. It is located in a fertile plain between the Sava and Drina rivers. The chief town of this region is Šabac. The modern Mačva District of Serbia is named after the region, although the region of Mačva...
since 1387, ban of CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
since 1394, and Hungarian Palatin since 1401 - Jelena or Jela, died March 1443, married
- Đurađ Stracimirović, one of the Balšićs
- Sandalj Hranić of Kosača family
- Olivera Despina (1372 - after 1444), married Ottoman SultanSultanSultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
Bayezid IBayezid IBayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...
in 1390
See also
- House of LazarevićHouse of LazarevicThe House of Lazarević was a noble Serbian medieval dynasty.The dynasty starts with Lazar Hrebeljanović, son of Pribac Hrebeljanović -a noble at the court of Dušan the Mighty and of Princess Jelena Zupan Rascia-Nemanjic of Serbia...
- List of Serbian monarchs
- History of SerbiaHistory of SerbiaThe history of Serbia, as a country, begins with the Slavic settlements in the Balkans, established in the 6th century in territories governed by the Byzantine Empire. Through centuries, the Serbian realm evolved into a Kingdom , then an Empire , before the Ottomans annexed it in 1540...
- Miloš ObilićMiloš ObilicMiloš Obilić was a medieval Serbian knight in the service of Prince Lazar, during the invasion of the Ottoman Empire. He is not mentioned in contemporary sources, but he features prominently in later accounts of the Serbian defeat at the Battle of Kosovo as the legendary assassin of the Ottoman...
- Kosovo curseKosovo curseThe Kosovo curse or Prince's curse is, according to the legend, a curse said by Serbian Prince Lazar before the Battle of Kosovo...
Further reading
- Age, marriage and progeny information from The genealogy and coats of arms of Serbian dynasties and feudals (Родословне таблице и грбови српских династија и властеле); editors Aleksa Ivić (1928), Dušan Spasić, Aleksandar Plavestra and Dušan Mrđenović (1987); Bata, Belgrade, ISBN 86-7685-007-0 (1928), ISBN 86-7335-050-6 (1987).
- Croats and Serbs: Chapter V - History of the Serbs in the middle ages - The Dismemberment of Dusan’s empire