Only Unity Saves the Serbs
Encyclopedia
Serbia
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...
and a popular slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
among Serbs
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...
, often used as a rallying call against foreign domination and during times of national crisis.
The phrase is an interpretation of what is taken to be four Cyrillic letters for "S" (written С) on the Serbian cross
Serbian cross
The Serbian Cross is a national symbol of Serbia, part of the Coat of Arms of Serbia, and the flag of Serbia. It is composed of a cross symbol with four C-shapes on each of its corners, in use as a national emblem since the 14th century....
on the Serbian national coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
. These symbols are also known as "firesteels" and were taken over from Byzantine heraldry
Byzantine heraldry
For most of its history, the Byzantine Empire did not know or use heraldry in the West European sense. Various emblems were used in official occasions and for military purposes, such as banners or shields displaying various motifs such as the cross or the labarum...
in the Late Middle Ages.
Popular tradition attributes the motto St. Sava (12th century) the first Metropolitan of Žiča and Archbishop of Serbs of 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...
.
According to the story St. Sava called for the creation of an independent church in Serbia that would remain Orthodox, and uttered the phrase to urge the Serbian people to declare national autonomy and resist domination by the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
.,
The Serbian cross
Serbian cross
The Serbian Cross is a national symbol of Serbia, part of the Coat of Arms of Serbia, and the flag of Serbia. It is composed of a cross symbol with four C-shapes on each of its corners, in use as a national emblem since the 14th century....
symbol has been frequently used in Serb heraldry
Serb heraldry
The use of heraldry in Serbia or by Serbs is used by government bodies, subdivisions of the national government, organizations, corporations and by families...
.
The memorial park in Tekerish
Tekeriš
Tekeriš is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Loznica municipality, in the Mačva District. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 370 people .-History:...
, where the first battle of the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
was fought, the monument has "18-VIII - 1914" and "Samo sloga srbina spashava" inscribed.
A monument in Šamac
Šamac
Šamac also known as Bosanski Šamac , is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located on the right bank of the Sava river...
, Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska
Republika Srpska is one of two main political entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina...
, Bosnia-Herzegovina for the Serbs who fought and died in the Bosnian war
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
, has the Serbian eagle
Serbian eagle
The double-headed eagle is a common symbol in Serbian heraldry and vexillology; the heads represent the dual sovereignty of the emperor and/or dominance of the Byzantine Emperors over both East and West....
in the center, the years which the war occurred (1992-1995) and the Serbian slogan: "Samo Sloga Srbina Spasava" on the left and right sides.