Vasojevići
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The Vasojevići tribe (Serbian: Васојевићи) is the biggest Highland clan of Montenegro. It occupies the area between Vjetarnih near Lijeva Rijeka on the South and Bihor under Bijelo Polje on the North, and from Mateševo on the West to Plav on the East. Vasojevici are one of the seven Serbian Clans of Montenegro (Vasojevići, Moračani, Rovčani, Bratonožići, Kuči, Piperi and Bjelopavlići). Vasojevići is also the name of the region inhabited by Vasojevići.
The hometown of the tribe, according to legend, is Lijeva Rijeka (Left River) in modern central Montenegro. The founder of the tribe, Vaso, moved there after the Battle of Kosovo. The tribe soon multiplied and started moving under Komovi mountains and then down the river Lim. This emigration continued into Serbia and all parts of Montenegro.
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[edit] History
According to legend Vasojevići trace back to Stevan Nemanja (XII c.), Grand Prince of Rascia, founder of the Nemanjić dynasty and, following his death, an Orthodox Christian Saint (Symeon)[1]. However the history of the clan begins with the Vasoje – a nobleman and a member of the Nemanjić dynasty (XIV). Vaso (either Vasoje's 4th great grand father[2] or 3rd great grand father[1]) was the founder of the Vasojevići tribe. Stevo Vasojević, praised in poems and songs as the voivode who fought and died heroically during the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 [3][4] is believed to be either grand father or great grand father of Vaso[2][5].
After the fall of Smederevo fortress (1459) and the subsequent fall of the whole Serbian Empire, Serbs from Kosovo, Metohija and Šumadija fled from the incoming Turks to Bosnia and, after its fall (1463), into Herzegovina. Vaso fled along with these waves of refuges. In 1465 he moved from Herzegovina to Lijeva Rijeka in Zeta (modern day Montenegro). His descendants gradually expanded to the north-east and inhabited the region by the river Lim called Polimlje – the area around the Komovi mountains, Andrijevica and Berane [6][5][2]
Thus, they formed the largest tribe (pleme) of all seven Serbian Clans in Montenegro (i.e. Vasojevići, Moračani, Rovčani, Bratonožići, Kuči, Piperi and Bjelopavlići). In modern Montenegro the area of Vasojevići falls into following municipalities: Berane, Podgorica, Kolašin, Plav and Bijelo Polje (around 15% of Montenegro)[7]. One of the highest mountains of the modern day Montenegro is named after the tribe: Kom Vasojevićki (2461 meteres) and the whole area inhabited by the clan is frequently called "Vasojevići" [5][6].
Part of the tribe that stayed free from the Turkish occupation lives in the area of Lijeva Rijeka and Andrijevica (Upper Nahija) – they are all called Upper Vasojevići. Lower Vasojevici (or Lower Nahija) inhabited the area of Berane. Most of Lower Vasojevići were within the Turkish reign until Balkan Wars in XX c. [6]
Clan members were perceived as noblemen and rarely mingled with common folk – people who did not have a common ancestor. Vasojevići called them Ašani (earlier also Asa and Hasa)[8] or Srbljaci and did not treat as equal. [5][6][2]
It has to be noted that the Vasojevići are mentioned for the first time in a Dubrovnik archive in 1444[5][6]. Apparently, all the Vasojevići history before XVIth century survived till this day (with several variations) only as a word of mouth passed through dozens of generations.
[edit] Notable descendants of the Vasojevići tribe
By the end of the nineteenth century there were more than 5000 Vasojević “houses” in Polimlje and Lijeva Rijeka. Many notable Serbs are Vasojevići by origin, e.g.:
- Milla Jovovich - an American supermodel, actress, musician, singer, and fashion designer.
- Slobodan Milošević - former President of Serbia and of Yugoslavia.
- Karađorđe Petrović - leader of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire, and the founder of the Serbian House of Karađorđević.
- Vuk Karadžić - Serbian linguist, great reformer of the Serbian language.
- Petar Bojović - one of four famous Serbian voivode (field-marshal) in Balkan Wars and World War I.
- Svetozar Marković - an influential Serbian political activist of the XIX century
- Gavro Vuković - voivode, writer, deputy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, son of famous Montenegrin senator, hero and tribe chief: Miljan Vukov.
- Momčilo Cemović - Presidents of the Executive Council of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro (Prime Minister) from 1978 till 1982.
- Dragoslav Šekularac - a SFR Yugoslavia former football superstar player and coach.
- Radovan Zogović - one of the greatest Montenegrin poets of 20th century.
- Mihailo Lalić - a famous novelist of Serbian and Montenegrin literature. He is considered by some to be among the greatest Montenegrin authors.
- Jovan Žujović - an anthropologist, known as a founder of geology in Serbia.
- Lazar Mutap - voivode of the First Serbian Uprising and one of the initiators of the Second Serbian Uprising
- Miljan Vukov Vešović - famous Montenegrin senator, voivode, hero and a tribe chief.
- Iguman Mojsije Zečević - the chief of the Vasojevići in XIX century. Along with Petar I Petrović Njegoš and Petar II Petrović Njegoš one of the most important figures of that time in Montenegro.
- Ljubomir Bakić - deputy, President of the High Court in Cetinje, Montenegrin Minister of Justice from 1913 till 1915.
- Dojčilo Maslovarić - Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the Holy See (Vatican) from 1996 till 2000, Minister of Foreign Affairs of F.R.Y. from 1994 till 1996.
[edit] Montenegrin referendum
The People's Assembly of Vasojevici stated that it will never accept the secession of Montenegro from Serbia and if Montenegro became independent, they would remain with Serbia.[9]
[edit] Structure of the Vasojevići Tribe
It is a tradition of all Serbian Clans to show respect to ancestors by knowing precisely genealogy and the history of the tribe and a family. This also allows members of the clan to be unite, to act together and always to recognise kin.[2]
Sometimes, with the very distant genealogy, slight variations of names, chronology and relationships exist concurrently but there is no doubt which family belongs to which brotherhood, branch and sub-branch [2]
All people of the Vasojevići are descendants of the three Vaso sons: Raja, Novak and Mioman. Hence the three great brotherhoods (bratstva) of the Vasojevići:
1. Raevići
2. Novakovići
3. Miomanovići
Ad. 1 Raevići
Raevići are the biggest brotherhood of Vasojevići. They divide into three branches (again after Raja’s sons or grandsons: Djuro, Dabet and Uglješa demir-Kovač).
a. Lopaćani. Familes that that come within Lopaćani are:
- Raketić, i.e. Radulović, Popović, Vešović, Marsenić and Vulević
- Bojović
- Djukić
- Milošević and Velidžinkić
- Čukić
- Golubović and Lalević with its sub-branches: Raičević, Ivanović, Novović, Vasović, Pavićiević, Dragićiević and Miković
- Neradović with Aleksić, Vukaśinović and Spasojević sub-branches
- Stojanović and Stojković
- Vukićević and Boričić
- Laban and Mijović with several sub-branches: Radunović, Radovojević, Vukanić, Ugrenović, Jelić, Perović, Mirković, Ivanović and Kiković
- Karadžić and Saković with sub-branches of Folić and Zulević
b. Dabetići. Familes that are descendants of Dabetići are:
- Deletić that divide into families of Lekić, Djekić, Novović, Rajović, Vuković and Mirčić
- Labović (Rosnić, Ćirović and Grozdanić)
- Lazarević (Stanisavić – Ilić, Lasković, Radunović – Drndari, Kuburović, Osmanlijić)
- Vulinić (or Vuline) with Zonjić, Dragojević and Ivanović sub-branches
- Arsenijević
- Protić
- Vuksanović
- Lakićević
- Stanić
- Lalić
- Lašić
- Žirić
- Kojić
- Mitrović
- Palević and Garčević
c. Kovacevići Familes of Kovačevići branch are:
- Kastratović along with Vojvodić and Mićović
- Djurišić with Martinović and Jojić and their sub-branches: Simović (Carević), Medonić, Djurković, Stanić, Otašević, Bradić, Marijanović, Rakić, Plavšić and Ružić
- Obradović with close sub-branches of Savić, Miketić, Jukić, Vuksanović, Zekić and Vučević
- Katanić (Raičević) that consist of Vulić, Šarović, Novičić, Aletić and Bacanović
- Dedović
- Djinović
- Milović
- Tajić
Ad. 2 Novakovići
Novakovići brotherhood are second biggest of Vasojevići. Novak had three sons from whom all the Novakovići families begin: Nikač, Vuksan or Vuica and Rečko. All the families of Novakovići brotherhood are as follows:
- Dragović family with Lekić sub-branch
- Adžić
- Babović with sub-branches of Vuković and Laković
- Ćulafić
- Mimović
- Milikić along with Tomović
- Radević and Djekić
- Mujović
- Kićović
- Lakušić
- Račić with Jelić and Vukić
- Asanović
- Boričić
- Ljubić with close families of Nikolić and Mišović
- Pantović
- Radunović (Radonjić, Milević, Ivanović)
- Dujović and Marnić
- Bakić
- Prelić
- Orović
- Kočanović
- Pajovic
- Salević with sub-branches of Bandović, Radojević, Radosavljević, Vukadinović and Djeković
- Matović
- Žujović
Ad. 3 Miomanovići
Miomanovići are the smallest brotherhood of Vasojevići and their families are:
- Delević
- Cemović (sub-branch of Delević)
- Joksimović
- Mićović and Boičić
- Ćeranić
- Marković
- Štipalj
- Zečević
- Saičić
- Maslovarić along with Dubac
- Gubernić
- Fatić
- Novović
- Mišković
- Vuković
- Leposavić
- Djerković
- Turović
- Jovović
- Vučeljić
- Vujović
- Savović
- Vukičević
- Stijović
- Ćorac-Šunjević
- Bajić and Šarbajić
- Mališić and Nedić
- Kruščić
[edit] References
- ^ a b Bogdan Lalević-Ivan Protić, Vasojevići u crnogorskoj granici, Srpski etn. zbornik 5, Beograd 1903
- ^ a b c d e f Ko su i od koga su Dragovići i Lekići iz Djulićia I. R. Dragović, Beograd, 1997
- ^ Kosovski ciklus epskih pjesama[1]
- ^ "Pogibija Pavla Orlovića i Steva Vasojevića na Kosovu"
- ^ a b c d e R-J. V. Vesović, 1935, "Pleme Vasojevići", Drzavna Stampa u Sarajevu, Sarajevo
- ^ a b c d e M. P. Cemović, 1993, "Vasojevići" (IInd edn), Izdavacki cavjet Zavicajnog udruzenja Vasojevicia, Beograd
- ^ Pribijanje uz rođake[2]
- ^ Predanja o zajedničnom poreklu nekih crnogorskih i nekih arbanaških plemena[3]
- ^ Balkanization? You Just Wait... | Newsweek International | Newsweek.com
[edit] Bibliography
- M. P. Cemović, 1993, "Vasojevići" (IInd edn), Izdavacki cavjet Zavicajnog udruzenja Vasojevicia, Beograd
- R-J. V. Vesović, 1935, "Pleme Vasojevići", Drzavna Stampa u Sarajevu, Sarajevo
- I. R. Dragović, 1997, "Ko su i od koga su Dragovići i Lekići iz Djulićia", Beograd
- B. Lalević, I. Protić, 1903, "Vasojevići u crnogorskoj granici", Srpski etn. zbornik 5, Beograd
