Vuk Grgurević Branković ( sr-cyrl, Вук Гргуревић Бранковић; ca. 1439 – April 16, 1485) was a Serbian nobleman who was the titular
despot of Serbia
The Serbian Despotate ( sr, / ) was a medieval Serbian state in the first half of the 15th century. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is generally considered the end of medieval Serbia, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire ...
from 1471 until his death in 1485. He inherited the title of ''
despot'' (as an heir to the throne now under the occupation of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...
), by King
Matthias Corvinus
Matthias Corvinus, also called Matthias I ( hu, Hunyadi Mátyás, ro, Matia/Matei Corvin, hr, Matija/Matijaš Korvin, sk, Matej Korvín, cz, Matyáš Korvín; ), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. After conducting several m ...
, and ruled most of present-day
Vojvodina
Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...
, under the overlordship of the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coronation of the Hungarian monarch, c ...
. He is known in
Serbian epic poetry
Serbian epic poetry ( sr, Српске епске народне песме, Srpske epske narodne pesme) is a form of epic poetry created by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The ...
for his
valour and heroism, and is called Vuk the Fiery Dragon ( sr, Змај Огњени Вук / ''Zmaj Ognjeni Vuk''), Vuk the Dragon-Despot, or simply the Dragon; he commanded the Hungarian army (''
Black Army'') in several of its battles against the Ottomans. He is considered the founder of
Grgeteg monastery.
Life
Vuk was the son of
Grgur Branković, and a grandson of despot
Đurađ Branković
Đurađ Branković (; sr-cyr, Ђурађ Бранковић; hu, Brankovics György; 1377 – 24 December 1456) was the Serbian Despot from 1427 to 1456. He was one of the last Serbian medieval rulers. He was a participant in the battle of Ank ...
and
Eirene Kantakouzene. His father Grgur was blinded by the Ottomans in 1441.
With the fall of Serbian Despotate in 1459, at first, Vuk Grgurević was an Ottoman vassal, but in 1465, he acceded into the service of
Matthias Corvinus
Matthias Corvinus, also called Matthias I ( hu, Hunyadi Mátyás, ro, Matia/Matei Corvin, hr, Matija/Matijaš Korvin, sk, Matej Korvín, cz, Matyáš Korvín; ), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. After conducting several m ...
and became commander of Serb military squads in
Syrmia
Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exc ...
.
Vuk acquired a great reputation for bravery, and gained the nickname "Zmaj Ognjeni", which translates to "Fiery Dragon". His name "Vuk" means "wolf" in Serbian so his nickname, "Zmaj Ognjeni Vuk", actually means "Fiery Dragon Wolf". He is a hero in many Serbian epic songs.
He fought for the Hungarians against Czechs, Poles, Austrians, and Turks. In 1471 he gained the title of the despot of
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
, and also gained large possessions in present-day
Vojvodina
Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...
, which formerly belonged to despot
Đurađ Branković
Đurađ Branković (; sr-cyr, Ђурађ Бранковић; hu, Brankovics György; 1377 – 24 December 1456) was the Serbian Despot from 1427 to 1456. He was one of the last Serbian medieval rulers. He was a participant in the battle of Ank ...
. Among his possessions were
Slankamen,
Kupinovo
Kupinovo () is a village located in the municipality of Pećinci, Serbia. As of 2011 census, the village has 1,866 inhabitants.
It is near the famous biodiversity area, the Obedska bara. This contains several insects and other life forms unique ...
,
Zrenjanin
Zrenjanin ( sr-Cyrl, Зрењанин, ; hu, Nagybecskerek; ro, Becicherecu Mare; sk, Zreňanin; german: Großbetschkerek) is a city and the administrative center of the Central Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbi ...
,
Berkasovo
Berkasovo () is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Šid municipality, in the Srem District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,228 people (2002 census).
History
It was first mentio ...
,
Irig,
Vršac
Vršac ( sr-cyr, Вршац, ; hu, Versec; ro, Vârșeț) is a city and the administrative centre of the South Banat District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. As of 2011, the city urban area had a population of 35,701, while ...
, etc.
His most famous military forays were those in 1476, when he seized
Srebrenica
Srebrenica ( sr-cyrl, Сребреница, ) is a town and municipality located in the easternmost part of Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a small mountain town, with its main industry being salt mining and a nearby ...
and fought near
Šabac and
Smederevo
Smederevo ( sr-Cyrl, Смедерево, ) is a city and the administrative center of the Podunavlje District in eastern Serbia. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube, about downstream of the Serbian capital, Belgrade.
According t ...
, and in 1480, when he attacked
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...
. In 1479, along with Dimitar Jakšić, he led Serbian light cavalry squadrons in
Battle of Breadfield, near Zsibót. At the decisive moment in battle Hungarian and Serbian hussars charged the Ottoman centre and broke their ranks, which decided the outcome of the battle. In 1481, he fought against Turks in Serbia and brought from there (the area around
Kruševac
Kruševac ( sr-cyr, Крушевац, , tr, Alacahisar or Kruşevca) is a city and the administrative center of the Rasina District in central Serbia. It is located in the valley of West Morava, on Rasina river. According to the 2011 census, t ...
) about 50,000 people, who were settled in Banat, mostly around
Timișoara
), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor)
, image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg
, map_caption = Location in Timiș County
, pushpin_map = Romania#Europe
, pushpin_ ...
.
Vuk worked together with the alias
Dojčin Petar, which demonstrates in some of his letters. An inheritance was suspected centuries later. Imperial censorship caused every copy of the 1808 issue of the
Almanach de Gotha
The ''Almanach de Gotha'' (german: Gothaischer Hofkalender) is a directory of Europe's royalty and higher nobility, also including the major governmental, military and diplomatic corps, as well as statistical data by country. First publish ...
to be seized and destroyed. In fact, the censorship office found the word "genealogy" to be an insult since the
Bonapartes
Italian and Corsican: ''Casa di Buonaparte'', native_name_lang=French, coat of arms=Arms of the French Empire3.svg, caption=Coat of arms assumed by Emperor Napoleon I, image_size=150px, alt=Coat of Arms of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, typ ...
could not ''produce'' one and the tendentious word was suppressed.
[Secrets of the Gotha, ]Ghislain de Diesbach
Ghislain de Diesbach de Belleroche (born 6 August 1931 in Le Havre) is a French writer and biographer.
Works
*1960: ''Iphigénie en Thuringe : nouvelles'', Julliard, Paris
*1962: ''Un joli train de vie'', Julliard
*1964: ''Favre de Thierrens ...
, Chapman & Hall, 1967.
Possessions
His territory was called "
Little Rascia" (Мала Рашка).
Titles
*"Despot of the Kingdom of Rascia".
Legacy
According to tradition, Vuk Grgurević founded the
Grgeteg monastery in 1471. Considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, heroes of the Post-Kosovo cycle of the Serbian epic poetry, his lore as a character comes from his portrayal as a hero destined to redeem the sins of his namesake and great-grandfather, the infamous traitor in the
Kosovo Myth
The Kosovo Myth ( sr, Косовски мит / ''Kosovski mit''), also known as the Kosovo Cult and the Kosovo Legend, is a Serbian national myth based on legends about events related to the Battle of Kosovo (1389). It has been a subject in Ser ...
-
Vuk Branković
Vuk Branković ( sr-cyr, Вук Бранковић, , 1345 – 6 October 1397) was a Serbian medieval nobleman who, during the Fall of the Serbian Empire, inherited a province that extended over present-day southern and southwestern Serbia, enti ...
.
References
Sources
* Dr. Aleksa Ivić, ''Istorija Srba u Vojvodini'', Novi Sad, 1929.
* Dr. Dušan J. Popović, ''Srbi u Vojvodini'', knjiga 1, Novi Sad, 1990.
*
External links
Zmaj Despot Vuk - mit, istorija, pesma
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grgurevic, Vuk
15th-century Serbian monarchs
15th-century Serbian royalty
Branković dynasty
Serbian military leaders
1440 births
1485 deaths
15th-century Hungarian nobility
Despots of Serbia
Medieval Hungarian soldiers
Medieval Hungarian military leaders