Stojan Čupić also known as "Zmaj od Noćaja" (zmâj ɔd nɔ̌tɕaja) ("the Dragon of Noćaj

Nocaj

Noćaj is a village in northern Serbia. It is located in the Sremska Mitrovica municipality, in the Srem District, Vojvodina province. The population of Noćaj numbering 2,120 people , and most of its inhabitants are ethnic Serbs .-Geography:Geographically, Noćaj is situated in the northern part of...

" in English), was a Serbian voivod, one of the most important leaders of the First Serbian Uprising

First Serbian Uprising

The First Serbian Uprising was the first stage of the Serbian Revolution , the successful wars of independence that lasted for 9 years and approximately 9 months , during which Serbia perceived itself as an independent state for the first time after more than three centuries of Ottoman rule and...

. He was born in Piva

Piva

Piva may refer to:* Piva , a river in Montenegro* Piva, Montenegro, a region in Montenegro and the clan* Piva language, a member of the Piva-Banoni languages* Piva , an Italian folk instrument* Piva , a Renaissance dance...

 in Herzegovina

Herzegovina

Herzegovina is the southern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. While there is no official border distinguishing it from the Bosnian region, it is generally accepted that the borders of the region are Croatia to the west, Montenegro to the south, the canton boundaries of the Herzegovina-Neretva...

 and his original surname was Dobrilović. He later moved to Salaš Noćajski

Salaš Nocajski

Salaš Noćajski is a village in Serbia, near more known village Noćaj. It is located in the Sremska Mitrovica municipality, in the Srem District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,879 people...

 in Mačva

Macva

Mačva 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...

, where he was adopted by Strahinja Čupić, and took the surname of his adopted father. As an adult, Stojan Čupić was a pig trader. In the First Serbian Uprising, Čupić gained fame in the battle of Salaš, and also took part in the battles of Mišar, Glavica, Klenje, Bajina Bašta, Ravnje, etc. He was captured and killed in Zvornik

Zvornik

Zvornik is a city on the Drina river in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located south of the town of Bijeljina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The town Mali Zvornik lies directly across the river in Serbia, and not far north is Loznica.-History:Zvornik is first mentioned in 1410, although it was...

 by Ottoman Turks

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...

, who had been tipped off on his whereabouts either by his serfs

Serfdom

Serfdom is the status of peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to Manorialism. It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery which developed primarily during the High Middle Ages in Europe and lasted to the mid-19th century...

 (according to one version), or by Miloš Obrenović, the leader of the Second Serbian Uprising

Second Serbian Uprising

The Second Serbian Uprising was a second phase of the Serbian revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re-annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire, in 1813. The occupation was enforced following the defeat of the First Serbian Uprising , during which Serbia...

 (according to another version). Obrenović saw Čupić as a potential rival in the struggle for power.

See also

• Bajo Pivljanin (fl. 1669-1685†), fellow Pivan, harambaša of Serb hajduk
  Hajduk
  Hajduk is a term most commonly referring to outlaws, highwaymen or freedom fighters in the Balkans, Central- and Eastern Europe....
  
  s under Venetian overlordship, fought during the Cretan War (1645–1669)
  Cretan War (1645–1669)
  The Cretan War or War of Candia , as the Fifth Ottoman–Venetian War is better known, was a conflict between the Republic of Venice and her allies against the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary States, fought over the island of Crete, Venice's largest and richest overseas possession...
  
  , and defended Boka Kotorska from the Ottomans the rest of his life
• Simo Kecojević
  Simo Kecojević
  Simo Kecojevic was a Serbian freedom fighter born in 1888 in Boričje , Plužine, Piva, Montenegro as the son of Cvijeta and Milovan Kecojevic. The family moved to Serbia in 1895....
  
   (1888-1953), fellow Pivan, actively involved in all wars from 1910 to 1945, member of the Chetniks
  Chetniks
  Chetniks, or the Chetnik movement , were Serbian nationalist and royalist paramilitary organizations from the first half of the 20th century. The Chetniks were formed as a Serbian resistance against the Ottoman Empire in 1904, and participated in the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II...
  
  during World War II

External links

• Srpsko Nasledje (1999), Stojan Čupić
• „Ко је издао Змаја од Ноћаја“, Зоран Милошевић, Српско наслеђе, историјске свеске, број 13, јануар 1999.
• Биографија Змаја од Ноћаја, етно кућа, галерија слика
• „Како је убијен Змај од ноћаја“, Влада Арсић, Пресс магазин, историјска читанка, 18. јануар 2008.