#The rulers of Serbia

[giulliadella]

Day 50 of posting cute creatures we found on our field trip:

Helix vladika is the largest European terrestrial snail. This snail lives only in a small region between Serbia, Montenegro and Albania. The populations are stable in Serbia and Montenegro and vulnerable in Albania, but that’s mostly likely because of the very small region they inhabit.

This snail looks like giant Roman snail except for the dark coloration of its body. However it is a distinct species and cannot hybridize with common Roman snail (Helix pommatia).

These snails are very friendly and playful, but they also like to bite. This one we caught was a total sweetheart. He looks very old. He might be in his twenties as far as we know.

Vladika is a title that Montenegrin rulers used to have until mid twentieth century. It’s a title only below king. The snail was named as such because it’s native to Montenegro and its imposing size makes it “the vladika of snails”. It is protected by law, which helped the populations growth tremendously, since they were often collected for food. They reproduce very slowly and need up to three years to reach sexual maturity, so overcollecting is devastating for their populations.

[dominadespina]

THE SORROWS OF MILICA NEMANJIC OF SERBIA

Though often remembered for her diplomacy and regency (1389-1393), one thing some sources and historians fail to mention about Princess Milica is her struggles with motherhood and widowhood, even through her politics.

Early Life

Milica was born sometime in 1335 as the daughter of Duke Vratko, known in Kosovo legends as Jug Bogdan, a descendant of the Nemanjić dynasty; however, the identity of her mother is unknown.

In her early years, Milica would often stay at the court of her cousins, Tsar Dušan and Tsaritsa Jelena. The couple took a liking to her, sponsored her stay at court, and provided her education, thus she permanently settled at court.

It is at the same court where she had the opportunity to meet Lazar Hrebeljanović, six years her senior and, at the time, a young man of lower nobility working as a puter/stavilac.

According to a legend, Milica met Lazar at the same place where she would later build the Ljubostinja Monastery.

There could be some truth to this tale, but it is worth noting that they were likely introduced at court by the same couple who planned for them to marry.

Marriage to Lazar

Sometime in 1353, Milica and Lazar were married by the wish of Dušan and Jelena and with the blessing of her father. The mere fact that the imperial couple arranged their betrothal suggests that Lazar was a well-respected man enough to join the Nemanjić dynasty by kinship.

Though the marriage was for political purposes, as it elevated Lazar’s status and reputation, it is understood through Milica’s poem that they had grown to hold deep affection and value for each other.

Through her poem “To My Widow, O Bridegroom,” it can be understood that Milica viewed Lazar as someone she desired, admired, and found comfort and protection in.

It is worth mentioning that Milica was one of the many reasons Lazar (r. 1365-1389) was able to elevate himself to the title of Prince (Knez) and expand his realm. While his rivals claimed the rest of Serbia due to their Nemanjić ancestry, Lazar, who was not one of their own, likely had to rely on his wife and children’s claim to the “holy” dynasty to gain the trust of the Serbian people.

Throughout their 36-year-long marriage, the couple welcomed eight children, five daughters and three sons, though only seven made it to adulthood.

Mara Lazarević (b. 1355 - d. 1426)

Dragana Lazarević (b. sometime after 1355 and before 1364, d. sometime after 1396)

Jelena Lazarević (b. 1364/1365 - d. 1443)

Teodora Lazarević (b. after 1365 and before 1371, d. after 1396 and before 1405)

Olivera Lazarević (b. 1372/1373 - d. after 1444)

Stefan Lazarević (b. 1377 - d. 1427)

Vuk Lazarević (b. 1380 - d. 1410)

Dobrovoj Lazarević (died in infancy)

It seems that the couple enjoyed a harmonious and faithful marriage, as there are no mentions of a mistress or illegitimate children that Lazar could have fathered.

Her Widowhood and Regency

Following the defeat at the Battle of Kosovo in the summer of 1389, Lazar was ordered to be beheaded, leaving behind a venerable realm and his wife at the forefront.

Since his son and heir was too young to be entrusted with the duty of ruling, the Principality of Serbia fell into the hands of the Dowager Princess, Milica.

Though it is possible that Milica might have been educated in diplomacy, she certainly did not have any first-hand experience up until that point. Her primary duties as the wife of a prominent ruler were to expand the dynasty by child-bearing, oversee her children’s education, manage the royal court’s income and expenses, and participate in charities such as hospitals and monasteries—duties in which Milica, as a dutiful mother and consort, excelled.

Constantine the Philosopher described her in the following words: “…pious lady, worthy of glory and wise mother, who surpassed many chosen mothers."

At first, Milica, a fearful mother and mourning widow, wasn’t much interested in staying in Serbia and planned to take temporary refuge with Olivera, Stefan, and Vuk, her youngest children, in Dubvronik, this is evident by a document in which the Senate offered her and her children hospitality.

Unfortunately, her plans had to be annulled as the Hungarians advanced their conquest in the north of Serbia and the Ottomans to the south of it. Thus, her final decision was to stay, and sometime between November and December of that same year, she accepted vassalage to the Ottomans despite the reluctance of many Serbian lords, including her son-in-law, Vuk Branković (through Mara), a decision that would cost the Branković family their lands.

The vassalage included loyalty, taxes in the form of soldiers, and lastly, her youngest daughter, Olivera, to be the wife of the Sultan. All requirements were met, as by the spring of 1390, her daughter was married to the Sultan.

Milica continued to rule over Serbia for three more years, until her eldest son Stefan reached adulthood in 1393. That year, she became a nun under the name "Eugenia," yet she continued to advise her son behind the scenes, as evidenced by her diplomatic mission with her cousin and lady-courtier, Jefimija, to Sultan Bayezid in the spring of 1398 when he suspected Stefan of treason.

The issue was soon resolved, and Stefan was forgiven.

Her Motherly Sorrows Though things seemed to be going quietly from 1398 onward, the peace came to an end in 1402, following the Battle of Ankara.

While her beloved son, Stefan, was able to elevate himself to the title of Despot in Constantinople, her son Vuk, wishing for more territory to rule over, revolted against his brother. Additionally, her daughter Olivera and her granddaughters fell into Timurid captivity.

Milica’s daughter Mara, along with her respective children, developed a vendetta against the Lazarević family, whom they blamed for Vuk Branković’s death.

All these stresses likely prompted her to write her poem “To My Widow, O Bridegroom,” dedicated to her husband, Lazar, in 1402. Amid all the motherly worries and family vendettas, it seems that the memory of her deceased husband was what she found comfort in.

Later Life

When the Ottoman civil war broke out between Bayezid’s sons, Vuk and Stefan found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict, supporting different Ottoman rulers.

Milica was able to reconcile her sons; however, after her death, their bloody feud reappeared.

Milica passed away on November 11, 1405, at the age of seventy and was laid to rest in the Ljubostinja Monastery.

Perhaps in her final days, she was at ease since her daughter Olivera was released, and her sons “ended” their vendetta. However, it seems, based on what happened soon after her death, that they only did so for the sake of their mother.

Legacy

Milica has left her mark on Serbian history, being declared a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Today, many statues, church venerations, and streets are named after her.

Poem of Milica to Her Husband

Who is this?   Speak into my ears.   Is this the one I desired before,   my adornment, the gathering for my scattered children?   Is this the one whom out of envy   the enemies sought to destroy   and keep the light of my sight   in dark dungeons,   and they could not?   Is this the one to my widow, O Bridegroom?   Come, O Bridegroom, come,   and repay those who do me wrong   according to their deeds,   for they did not understand your coming   to my aid.   Take up the weapon and rise, and do not delay!   Strike with sharpened arrows into their hearts,   those who have sharpened them against me, the lawless.   I do not tolerate the mockery of those against me.   With how many vile sacrifices have they defiled me!   Come, avenge me with your blood.   Come, be my support in my downfall.   Gather my scattered children,   whom envy the devil   has torn from me.   Gather them into my fold,   tend to my children,   that the wolf may not eat from my flock,   that envy may not scatter them,   as before, when I was not with them.   Do not let them sleep around you.   Do not let your legs weaken.   Tend to my flock, which I entrusted to you.   Drive away from them the lawless barbarians.   Do not cease to fight with them   for me and my flock.   Rejoice, my eye   that never sleeps, O Lazar.   And again I ascend to the first.   Lazar, who surpasses all stars with his shining,   Lazar, appropriator to foreigners,   preacher of the Trinity,   liberator of the captured.   Lazar, the unwavering pillar of the church,   healer to the sick, clothing to the naked,   Lazar, strong duke to the innocents   and savior.   Rejoice, O Lazar   apostolic, I sing to you,   and again I say: rejoice.   Rejoice, lily that has   sprouted from thorns,   unconquerable weapon for soldiers.   Rejoice, teacher to the hermits.   Rejoice, Lazar, to those who sail,   steersman and calm harbor.   Rejoice, avenger of the oppressed   and denouncer of the deceitful.   Rejoice, comforter of those who weep,   and defender of the poor, and clothing to the naked.   Rejoice, strength of beauty,   and sustainer of widows.   Blessed indeed are you, O Lazar,   bless me who blesses you.   There is no praise that you are not worthy of,   but the mind grows weary...

(Sources: Dve srpske sultanije : Olivera Lazarevic (1373-1444) : Mara Brankovic (1418-1487) by Giljen, Nikola)

[cicerenella]

Obsessed with hetalia/yugotalia nations calling eachother with their "human" name. When two countries are close, they don't use their "official" name anymore, such as France or Serbia, but they use their "unofficial" (human) one. And nobody knows why they have it in the first place. Some have chosen it themselves at some point of history, or have been named by their human rulers, and some even have been given a name by another nation.

It almost becomes weird to use the "official" one when two are close, since for them, they don't see the human representative of the nation anymore, but they see the person that's behind it.

There are many records and letters in history that can testify nations referring to one another with the "human" name, and it usually meant that they either were family or related by a close romantic/friendship bond. This rule applies to this day outside of formal context.

[mariacallous]

Since February 2022, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has spawned a range of viral slogans, memes, and images that continue to shape public perceptions of the war. There is the ominous Russian Z, the call to “be brave like Ukraine,” and a Ukrainian soldier giving the middle finger to a sinking Russian warship. Among the lesser-known memes is one based on a song that says, in Ukrainian, “Our national idea: Leave us the fuck alone.”

What most Ukrainians want, passionately, is to be left alone by Russia. They do not want to be considered Russian; they do not want to be brought back under Moscow’s rule; they do not want to “rediscover,” at gunpoint, what the Kremlin believes is Ukrainians’ true identity. Instead, they wish to be treated as a nation that has the right to an independent existence. Most importantly, Ukrainians do not want to be invaded, annexed, displaced, murdered, plundered, tortured, abducted, and raped in the name of the mythical “historical unity” and “East Slavic brotherhood” that shape Russian President Vladimir Putin’s thinking.

But is coexistence even possible, given the intensity of Russian feelings toward Ukraine, the long-standing Russian belief in the unity of the two nations, and Moscow’s insistence on ownership over the Kyivan Rus patrimony?

During the final years of my doctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin, I worked as a research assistant to political scientist Nadav Shelef. My task was to identify irredentist governments, parties, and political movements: those who believed that parts of their homeland were controlled by a foreign state and sought to reclaim them. There were partitioned homelands I already knew much about, such as Israel and Palestine, Crimea, Taiwan, Kashmir, the territories lost by Hungary post-World War I, Northern Ireland, and Serbia and Kosovo.

But there were also many cases that even I, a Ph.D. candidate specializing in conflict, had heard only vaguely about or not at all. Indeed, Shelef’s key insight was that “there are many, often unnoticed instances of once-voluble claims to lost homeland territory, melting away.” Few Germans still desire East Prussia and Königsberg, now Russian Kaliningrad; Poles reconciled themselves to the loss of Lviv, a city for which they doggedly fought in 1918; and Italians have given up on retaking the northern Adriatic coast, the very demand that gave birth to the term “irredenta.”

There is no reason why, in the future, the Russian desire to control or conquer Ukraine cannot be added to the list of forgotten claims. Something along these lines happened before. In 1914, the Russian imperial government considered Galicia—a historic region encompassing what is now western Ukraine and southeastern Poland—to be Russian land that needed to be reunited with the rest of the empire. In 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland on the pretext of unifying the Ukrainians of Galicia and Volhynia with their homeland. But now, even the most radical Russian nationalists typically do not wish to rule western Ukraine.

It will be exceptionally hard to change Russian attitudes toward Ukraine but not impossible. This task is essential if we—Ukrainians, anti-war Russians, the world—want the invasion and genocide that started in 2022 to be the last Russian attempt to destroy the country.

The Russian obsession with Ukraine is driven by two factors: identity and security (both national security and the security of Russia’s autocratic regime). Thus, to ensure that future, Russian rulers do not intend to destroy Ukraine; Ukraine’s centrality to both Russian national identity and the Kremlin’s security perceptions will have to change.

Security is a more technical issue than identity and therefore arguably easier to address. This is why, since 2014, politicians, academics, and policy analysts have preferred to focus on this dimension of the conflict. Over the years, they have put forward schemes to halt the violence in the Donbas and later the full-scale war that center on which alliances Ukraine should or should not belong to, the weapons it can possess, and how it ought to carry out its defense policies.

Indeed, security issues should not be overlooked. The liberation of Ukrainian territories currently under occupation is essential to save lives. And I am convinced that Ukraine should join NATO. Even if NATO membership would not prevent Russia from trying to divide, destabilize, and control Ukraine, it would most likely stop Russia from physically destroying it. Russian leaders, all their saber-rattling and borderline apocalyptic rhetoric aside, are expansionist but not suicidal. They want to control Ukraine—but not at the cost of destroying their own rule, palaces, and yachts. The threat of a war against NATO is the most effective deterrent against a future Russian invasion.

But identity, not security, has historically been the main driver of Russian aggression. The sticking point is not Ukrainian policy but Russian perceptions of Ukraine and its right to exist as a sovereign state. Without addressing this, security arrangements cannot effect lasting change.

The good news is that the widespread belief in the historical unity and shared origin of Russians and Ukrainians is not a sacred, primordial truth but a relatively recent construct: a product of the 19th-century writings and activism of Russian nationalist historians. Like every other national myth, it can change over time. This will not happen overnight. But it is not uncharted territory either, and history teaches us how this shift in identity can be achieved, if and when the Kremlin decides to do so.

Ukraine’s experience under Soviet rule demonstrates the vital role education plays in shaping popular belief. The core of the 1920s Ukrainization process that followed the dissolution of the Russian Empire was education, which introduced children to the core tenets of Communist ideology and promoted a distinct Ukrainian identity. Indeed, one of the key reasons for Soviet leader Joseph Stalin’s anti-Ukrainian policies the following decade was the success of Ukrainian-language primary education, which challenged the class-based and, later, Russo-centric nature of the Soviet Union.

The fight against antisemitism is another example of how education changes attitudes over time. Antisemitism was widespread in early 20th-century Ukraine, so when Soviet authorities decided to eradicate anti-Jewish prejudice in the 1920s, they adopted a wide range of policies, from criminalizing xenophobia to designing school curricula that promoted ethnic equality and harmony. Less than two decades later, during the Holocaust, younger generations of Soviet Ukrainians were substantially more likely to help Jews than residents of neighboring Moldova, which had not seen similar attempts to eradicate antisemitism.

Laying the groundwork for a change in Russian attitudes should therefore start in history textbooks. Instead of being taught that Russians and Ukrainians are the same people, divided by the tragedy of Soviet collapse and nefarious Western machinations, Russian students might learn to respect Ukraine’s distinct nationhood. It will take years, possibly even decades, for such ideas to become commonplace, but once they do, this will secure peace more than any externally imposed security guarantee. Similarly, instead of funding films, plays, and exhibitions that promote Russian-Ukrainian historical unity and repudiate Ukraine’s independence, the Russian government might support cultural works that reject neoimperial, expansionist narratives. Financial support for a certain type of popular culture is a political choice, and the Kremlin can change its priorities at will.

Liberals and those committed to a peaceful and democratic Russia must also articulate a clear vision of what Russia is, its history, and its place in the world. They must not cede the development of a national identity to Communists, nationalists, and the restorationists of failed empires. Russians need to learn, understand, and come to believe that Ukraine is a different country and not a severed limb of Russia, that Ukrainians are not Russians who speak in a funny dialect, and that the “Russian world” is an invention of politicians seeking resources and prestige.

Luckily, this change in identity does not even require Russia to become a democracy and could be accomplished without major investment or institutional reforms; the only thing that is needed is time and a political leadership genuinely committed to changing popular attitudes. Such a change might even be beneficial for Russia’s autocrats, as it would alleviate the Kremlin’s deep-seated fear that if Ukrainians were able to establish a democracy, then the presumably fraternal Russians might as well.

Russia, as a popular saying goes, is a country with an unpredictable past. Such a change of national identity and historical mythology is not at all inconceivable.

The impetus for this change should ultimately come from within Russia, but Ukraine can make it easier for Russians to accept its independence and distinct identity. Over the centuries, Russian control over Ukraine hinged on the existence of large groups within Ukraine whose members supported, or at least acquiesced to, being ruled from Moscow or St. Petersburg. These groups changed over time, from Cossack elites to Little Russian intellectuals to the Russian-speaking urban working class to those nostalgic for the Soviet Union.

These people provided Moscow or Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian governments with legitimacy, local knowledge, public support, and normative reinforcement of the idea of Russia and Ukraine as part of a larger whole. Without local support, Russian control cannot be maintained, and the narrative of unity underlying Russian strategy will eventually collapse.

By 2022, for the first time in its long history, the population of Ukraine was not deeply divided from within, and this cohesion was crucial to the successful defense of the country. Had the people of Mariupol, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Kherson, or soldiers hailing from these areas, viewed the Russian army as liberators rather than invaders, Ukraine would have almost certainly lost the war. Indeed, this is exactly what the Kremlin and many Western observers expected. But the Ukraine of 2022 was not the Ukraine of 1917 or 1991.

For Ukraine, the implications of this national cohesion are profound. Internally, a record number of Ukraine’s residents are now committed to independence, and ever more Ukrainians are switching from speaking both Russian and Ukrainian to speaking only Ukrainian. After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Kyiv passed laws that banned Soviet and Communist symbols and names from street and city names and public spaces. But since the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian towns have also started removing monuments and place names associated with the pre-1917 Russian Empire—and the push for these changes is coming from below, not from Kyiv.

Many Ukrainians have cut off contact with friends and relatives in Russia who support the Kremlin’s narrative or who refuse to believe that the Russian army is committing atrocities or bombing civilian targets. Such estrangement is tragic on the personal level, but it reinforces the message that citizens of Russia and Ukraine are, contrary to Putin’s claims, members of two distinct—and now hostile—communities.

These changes have had an impact further afield. In 2022, on the eve of the Russian invasion, only a third of Americans could place Ukraine on a map. Now, anyone who watches the news or reads a newspaper knows about the country. The number of foreigners learning Ukrainian has skyrocketed, and museums and cultural institutions across the globe no longer automatically label artists born in what is now Ukraine as “Russian.” Following the full-scale Russian invasion, the European Parliament and national legislatures of Brazil, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and several other states recognized the Holodomor—the 1932-33 famine engineered by the Soviet regime—as genocide. Hopefully, this recent shift in foreign attitudes will strengthen both Ukraine and those Russians who advocate restraint and responsible statecraft.

Ukrainian national identity is still a work in progress, and after the war, Ukrainians will have to address painful issues. But the war is also an opportunity to strengthen Ukraine’s inclusive identity and create a pantheon of new heroes who fought for Ukrainian independence. The choice of identity and historical narrative is a decision for Ukraine alone, but it will have implications for Russia’s willingness to view Ukraine as a separate nation and for the Kremlin’s ability to secure local support if it tries to dominate or conquer Ukraine once again.

Meanwhile, the West—while unable to dictate how Russians and Ukrainians should structure their societies, national identities, and foreign relations—can help contain Russia, shore up Ukrainian democracy, and give Kyiv the tools it needs to protect itself.

In addition to the NATO collective defense protection, the European Union will also be crucial to securing Ukraine’s future, and Ukraine is finally on track to become a member state. EU membership is not a panacea and cannot prevent economic crisis, mismanagement, corruption, xenophobia, and even autocracy. But it is nonetheless an effective tool to minimize and confront these vices, and the accession process that requires candidate states to meet multiple membership criteria is an important catalyst for reforms. The prize of EU membership is also a powerful incentive for society to tolerate the social and political price of potentially painful changes.

Having endured repression, invasion, famine, and genocide, Ukrainians justifiably want Russia to finally leave them alone. Whether this will happen depends first and foremost on Russian society and its willingness to respect Ukrainian sovereignty, abandon irredentist dreams, and shed its widespread belief in the unity of the two nations. Neither Ukraine nor any other country can force Russians to abandon their beliefs. Only through deep internal change will Russia’s intent to destroy Ukraine be consigned to painful history and never again be policy.

What Ukraine can do is maintain its unity by wholeheartedly embracing democracy and prioritizing a unique, inclusive civic national identity over exclusionary and radical alternatives. Western partners ought to assist Ukraine in this process, but the initiative and the main effort should come from within Ukraine itself. The key lesson of history is that only a strong, united, and democratic Ukraine can meet the challenges of independent statehood and survive.

[temple-of-perunika]

Hello! I recently started to do research on slavic paganism, and as I've always felt drawn to fire in a way, spiritual or otherwise, I wanted to know which slavic deity represents fire. Would you be able to help?

From what I was able to collect so far, Svarog is the slavic god of fire, but no matter where I looked, I couldn’t find any good resources about him. I also know that Dazhdbog is considered the solar deity in slavic paganism, but some sources also claim that so is Svarog(?).

Do you know about any good sources to look into, or are you able to educate me on this a little?

Hi! Sorry for getting to this so late and thank you for asking!! 💓

Good luck on your slavic pagan journey!! Here are some slavic deities that are associated with fire:

Svarog and Dajbog.

Svarog is the slavic god of fire, blacksmiths, and is the father of Dajbog. There can always be more than one fire deity in any mythological pantheon! Along with other correspondences! Dajbog, also known as Svarozhich (little Svarog) is the son of Svarog and the god of Sun, light, fire, prosperity and wealth. Dajbog had two faces based on where he was worshipped. In Russia and east slavic countries he was worshipped as a Solar deity, while in Serbia he had more of a "patron" side. Like a "ruler". Basically his deal in Balkans and primarily Serbia was that he granted wealth. In serbia we say "Daj Boze" , as a way to say "if God wills it" but not many know that this is actually a pagan saying! Calling to the god Dajbog! "Daj" means "to give".

Another deity that is associated with fire is Jarilo/Yarilo.

Jarilo is the god of spring, but also sometimes seen as a god of war and fire. As his name "jar" suggests, (jar is the word for anger in old slavic) he is associated with fire, anger, and war. But is also mostly seen as a gentle deity of spring and a brother to Morana, goddess of winter.

I hope i answered your question well! And cleared some stuff up! Let me know if i missed something or if you have any other questions!!

[bobemajses]

Sephardic Jewish woman from Belgrade, 1910

The settlement of Jews in the Belgrade area goes back to Roman times. Ashkenazim from Italy and Hungary came to the city in the 13th century and were joined by Sephardim from Turkey in 1521. After the capture of Belgrade by Austria, Austrian soldiers looted and killed the Turkish and Jewish population. Some Jews managed to flee to Bulgaria, but the majority were taken prisoner and deported as slaves to Austria. Only when in 1815 Milosh Obrenovich was recognized ruler of Serbia the Jewish community really began to flourish. When the Germans entered Belgrade in April 1941, 12,000 Jews were living there. The ethnic Germans of the city led the soldiers to Jewish shops and homes. The Ashkenazi synagogue was turned into a brothel. Jewish and Roma men were trucked to a killing site outside the city and ordered to dig their own graves. Then the German shot 100 men for every soldier the Yugoslav Partisans killed and 50 for every one wounded. Jewish women and children were transported to a camp on the Sava river, where they died of cold and starvation and were buried in the village of Jaintsi.

[vladdocs]

CD SHORTS: What did the Ottomans want to do with the Romanian Lands in the 15th century?

Bulgaria, Byzantium, Serbia, Bosnia, and Albania all met their end, becoming mere Ottoman provinces (sanjaks). Why didn't they do the same with the Romanians?

The Ottomans' greatest fear in the 15th century was the Crusades and the tens of thousands of mobilized Christian soldiers.

The only entity that could convince the Vatican to declare a Crusade was the Kingdom of Hungary.

If the Ottomans threatened the Hungarians by annexing the Romanian Lands, the king had the option of initiating a holy war and taking advantage of those masses of European soldiers.

The Ottomans' solution was to use continuous political and military pressure to force the integration of the Romanian Lands into the pro-Ottoman bloc.

This did not directly threaten Hungary, nor did it support it in any way in its crusade initiatives.

Without the logistical support of Wallachia in particular, the Crusaders could not advance into the Ottoman Empire, as demonstrated by the Crusades led by John Hunyadi in 1443-1444.

The last ruler of medieval Wallachia who resisted the Ottomans was Vlad the Impaler.

For more information about the Romanians and the last Crusades in the Balkans, see:

[ducktoonsfanart]

Orthodox icon - Portrait of the resurrected Jesus Christ Pantocrator - My version - Happy Orthodox Easter! - Bible (Religion)

"I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25)

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

"Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Relevation 22:12, 22:13)

This is how Jesus Christ the Savior and Redeemer spoke, according to Christians the Son of God, and this is how Jesus will speak at the end of time and He has existed forever. Yes, because for Christians Jesus is God, it is written with a capital letter.

Yes, I admit that I'm not a believer and I'm a sinner, but I always try as hard as I can to correct my mistakes and follow God's way, and that's my right to believe because I believe in salvation through Jesus Christ.

Certainly to all who are Orthodox (especially those who celebrate according to the Julian calendar and who celebrate after the Jewish Passover) who live in Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Armenia, Greece, Serbia, Cyprus, Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Ukraine, Montenegro, North Macedonia and to all Orthodox people living around the world, I wish you a happy Easter! Christ is risen! Христос васкресе!

If someone asks me, yes, it is celebrated differently among the Orthodox and differently among the Catholics and Protestants, so it turned out to be a completely different Easter this year. Don't worry, there will be a joint Easter next year. So Orthodox Easter fell on this day. The day he was crucified and died, resurrected and defeated death and the devil and proved that there is eternal life for all of us who believe. Glory to Jesus Christ who died for all of us sinners and rose again for all of us to save us!

And on this occasion, I drew a portrait of Jesus Christ as my redraw of Christ Pantocrator, which was first recorded and left in the monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai in the 6th century AD, 500 years after Christ's resurrection. I also combined colors like the icon (Christ Pantocrator) from this site: https://milanmosaicart.com/christ-pantocrator-mosaic/

Drawing Orthodox icons is not at all easy and requires a lot of effort, of course there is rarely traditional drawing of icons and painting with wood colors, so I wanted to experience how it goes and this is how it turned out. Of course, I apologize for certain details, especially the lips, it's my first time doing it. Yes, Jesus is the Pantocrator, which means the ruler of all visible and invisible because Jesus comes from God the Father and holds the Book of Life in which all the data of all of us who live on Earth are collected, and around Jesus, unlike other icons, I drew the Sun and the Moon and the stars because Jesus rules over all and they obey Him and Jesus Himself brings the light of life. Yes, around Him is a solar halo that is marked for Jesus and for all the angels and saints who follow God's way and here you can see the initials with the Greek letters Ο Ω Ν, i.e. ὁ ὤν, which means "He Who Is". And above are the initials in Greek which means Jesus Christ (ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ). Of course if I'm wrong somewhere, please correct me on some things. I certainly wanted to thank God for everything He has helped me so far and for what He will help me in the future. However, a bit of religious content is not out of place.

And yes, we don't know exactly what Jesus really looked like and yes, it can be presented as idolatry, however this is not idolatry, but icons that show what Jesus Christ would look like in His miraculous glory and what is shown from Sinai is one of the closest we can to imagine and certainly the beginning of iconography. Glory to Jesus Christ!

Also this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icjexnL6rI4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxN_wrMo0Y0

Happy to all who celebrate Easter today and Christ is risen! If you like it feel free to like and reblog this! And if there are things that need to be said, feel free to tell me here.

"Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

[beardedmrbean]

On March 1, Bulgarians celebrate Baba Marta - one of the most beloved Bulgarian traditions, preserved to this day. We associate the holiday with the symbolic beginning of spring and the renewal of nature. On this day, everyone presents their loved ones with martenitsi – special ornaments made of white and red yarn. They are a symbol of health, luck and strength during the year. This custom is an important element of Bulgaria's cultural heritage and continues to be a favorite tradition for many Bulgarians today.

Although there are different variations and names in different cultures, the general idea of wearing ornaments associated with spring and wishes for health and luck is widespread in the region. The tradition of tying a martenitsa, made of twisted white and red woolen threads, is known not only in Bulgaria, but also in other Balkan countries such as Romania, Macedonia, Greece, Serbia and others.

The name of the holiday "Baba Marta" is associated with the mythical creature "Baba Marta" (Grandmother Marta), which is part of Bulgarian folklore and personifies the changeable month of March. She is the personification of March and is considered the sister of Golyam Sechko (Big Sechko) and Malak Sechko (Small Sechko), which represent January and February. The custom of Baba Marta is related to the beliefs and traditions associated with the coming of spring. Throughout the month, rites are performed to chase away snakes and lizards, as well as fortune-telling related to certain migratory birds.

The custom of wearing martenitsi on March 1 is closely related to the feast of Baba Marta and is the day of her arrival. Bulgarians believe that when Baba Marta laughs, it is sunny and warm outside, but if she gets angry, the wind blows and clouds hide the sun. Therefore, many of the traditions on March 1 are aimed at propitiating her. She is believed to appear dressed in red and visit only tidy and clean homes, so people clean their homes at the end of February. This spring cleaning symbolizes getting rid of everything bad and unnecessary from last year. A red tablecloth is brought out into the courtyard to please Baba Marta and attract favor to the house, according to Bulgarian stories.

The martenitsa is made of two twisted threads, mostly of woolen or cotton yarn - in white and red. In some areas, the martenitsi are multi-colored, but the red color always predominates - a symbol of life, the sun and fertility. While the white color represents purity, innocence and happiness. It is a tradition on the first day of March for the oldest woman in the family to tie a twisted white and red thread on the children's hands for health and against bad luck. Martenits are carried for a certain period of time - until the appearance of a flowering tree or the first migratory bird. They are placed on a tree or under a stone. In the latter case, you can guess - if there are ants under it, the year will be fertile. Another custom is to hang them on a flowering tree or bush or carry them to the storks' nest and only then put them on a tree. Decorated trees and bushes are traditionally seen in many places in Bulgaria and the world. It is believed that the gift of the martenitsa brings happiness and luck. That's why all people give martenitsi to their relatives and friends.

Legend of the Martenitsi

There are many legends and traditions related to the origin of Martenitsa in Bulgarian culture. One of them tells about Khan Kubrat, the ruler of the proto-Bulgarians, who at the end of his life ordered his sons not to split and always remain friendly and cheerful. So that Bulgaria's enemies may never defeat them. Time passed, the khan died and it was time to check his vow. Then the Khazars attacked the proto-Bulgarians and captured Kubrat's daughter - Khuba.

The leader of the Huns, Khan Ashina, offered the five sons to recognize him as their ruler, and he would free their sister and conquer the Bulgarian lands. The Khan's sons did not know what to do, the choice was difficult.

The eldest son, Bayan, decided to recognize Khazar rule and stay with his captive sister. The other brothers did not agree and went to look for free land for their tribes. One brother went north, and the others, Asparukh, Kuber and Alcek, went south. Before parting, the brothers secretly agreed with Khuba and Bayan to stay with Arshina, at least until free land was found. After that, Asparuh would send them a bird tied by a golden thread to its leg as a sign to flee. The brothers went on their journey and left the captive girl and Bayan in Ashina's hands.

Soon Khuba and Bayan received the sign from the dove with the golden thread on its leg. Eventually, they escaped from the bad khan and reached the waters of the Danube. They did not know how to cross to the other shore and only the dove could show them the way. Bayan took a white thread, which Khuba tied on the leg of the pigeon. They let the bird fly, but at that moment Hunnic troops appeared and fired at them. Bayan was injured, and the beginning of the thread he was holding was stained with blood. Just at that moment, Asparukh appeared with his soldiers on the other side of the river, which caused the Huns to flee.

Asparukh helped Khuba and Bayan cross the river. He took the thread from Bayan and tied its white end with the red one. He then pinned his troops with a piece of the red thread. After that, he stood before the army and confessed that he and his brothers had disobeyed their father's advice and thus paid with their blood for their disunity. He ordered that the red and white thread never be torn, because this bloodstained thread will forever bind the Bulgarians.

[sixminutestoriesblog]

apples

Autumn is finally in the air in the Northern Hemisphere and for a lot of us, our minds turn to one thing - decadently spiced baked goods! Sure, we could make pumpkin muffins at any time of the year but there's just something about the sharp inhale of crisp, cold air and the bustle of falling leaves outside, hinting at the beginning of an end, that adds a special flavor to fall dishes. Winter and its lean times will soon be upon us and even if, today, we have grocery stores to keep our winter meals diverse, something inside of us still needs to pack in all the cinnamon, nutmeg and last fruits of the season that we can. And what fall season's table would be complete without apples? Apple cider, apple crumble, baked apples, candied apples - the list goes on. Throw some cinnamon or caramel at us and we're good to go. Apples, it turns out, have always been a source of temptation.

We'll start with the low hanging fruit easy ones. Though its never named in the Bible, the apple is the common fruit associated with Adam and Eve's fall. Offered by a snake, picked from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the temptation to reach out and pick a ripe apple off a forbidden tree is probably experienced again by a multitude of school children, and adults, anytime a walk brings them within range of a stranger's orchard. The adam's apple some people have prominently enough to see on their throats is supposedly the left over of the bite of apple that got stuck in Adam's throat for his impertinence against God.

The Greeks also loved their tempting apples. Atalanta lost a footrace to the man that was cunning enough to throw golden apples behind him as he ran, distracting her as she went to retrieve them enough for him to win. The Trojan War was supposedly the result of three goddesses feuding over a golden apple that claimed it would belong 'to the fairest' and a shepherd who didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. And Hera, one of those three feuding goddess, already had a tree that bore golden apples, guarded either by a dragon-serpent or three nymphs, that had the tree's apples stolen, thanks to Hercules.

In Russian, a firebird is caught stealing the ruler's golden apples each night. In Ireland, a silver branch that grows either golden apples or balls of gold belongs to a sea deity. Iounn or Idun is the Norse goddess of eternal youth - and apples. Multiple goddesses across the globe that are associated with love and sexuality claim the apple as their fruit. Germany, Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania all have fairy tales where apples play a pivotal role. The Avalon of Arthurian legend is said to be the Isle of Apples. Heck, even Snow White's final attempted murder is accomplished with the bite of an apple.

Apples aren't just for gods and heroes though and perhaps that's part of their enduring fixation in folklore. If an Appalachian girl is clever enough to skin an apple without once breaking the peel, she should throw it over her left shoulder. It will fall in the shape of a letter, the first initial of her future husband. In Austria, she can cut an apple in half on St. Thomas's night. An even number of seeds mean she'll marry soon but a broken or cut seed she will end up a widow. An alternate on this is that the number of seeds will be the number of children she'll have. An apple stem can be twisted, reciting a letter of the alphabet with each twist. When the stem breaks, the letter will be the start of a future spouse's name. A woman with multiple suitors can drop apple seeds into the fire, reciting a name for each seed. The seed that pops instead of staying silent as it burns is the suitor who is 'bursting' with love for her. In Pennsylvania, licking an apple and then giving it to someone to eat insures they'll fall in love with you.

Incidentally, I'm sure, its considered bad luck not to 'shine' an apple and clean it off before you take a bite of it. Just... pointing that out.

Stories about legendary heroes like apples too. In Switzerland, William Tell was forced by his captors to shoot an apple off his son's head with a crossbow to win their freedom. School children will tell you Isaac Newton figured out gravity thanks to an apple falling on his head. And Johnny Appleseed is an American folkhero that walked across the continent while America was busy spreading west, planting apple trees as he went.

Each year after harvest, some of the apples that have fallen should be left on the ground for the fairy or the dead (or the poor) depending on which tradition you're going by. Boats made of applewood are bad luck. If a woman that's had multiple children eats the first apple of the season, the rest of the harvest will be fruitful. Likewise, eating an apple before the wedding night is supposed to lead to fruitfulness. If an apple tree blossoms while there are still apples on the branches in England someone in the family will die but if the same thing happens in Europe, its the sign of a fruitful year ahead instead. It's unlucky to destroy an apple tree or worse an apple orchard. And, for some reason, giving teachers apples is such a common theme in the US and Europe that its become an entire kick-knack industry.

And let's not forget:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

That's comparing apples to oranges.

One bad apple spoils the whole barrel.

They're the apple of their mother's eye.

He's fresh faced and apple cheeked.

It's as American as apple pie.

and, finally,

How about them apples?!

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.20 (before 1940)

70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus, son of emperor Vespasian, storms the Fortress of Antonia north of the Temple Mount. The Roman army is drawn into street fights with the Zealots. 792 – Kardam of Bulgaria defeats Byzantine Emperor Constantine VI at the Battle of Marcellae. 911 – Rollo lays siege to Chartres. 1189 – Richard I of England officially invested as Duke of Normandy. 1225 – Treaty of San Germano is signed at San Germano between Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX. A Dominican named Guala is responsible for the negotiations. 1398 – The Battle of Kellistown was fought on this day between the forces of the English led by Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March against the O'Byrnes and O'Tooles under the command of Art Óg mac Murchadha Caomhánach, the most powerful Chieftain in Leinster. 1402 – Ottoman-Timurid Wars: Battle of Ankara: Timur, ruler of Timurid Empire, defeats forces of the Ottoman Empire sultan Bayezid I. 1592 – During the first Japanese invasion of Korea, Japanese forces led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi captured Pyongyang, although they were ultimately unable to hold it. 1715 – Seventh Ottoman–Venetian War: The Ottoman Empire captures Nauplia, the capital of the Republic of Venice's "Kingdom of the Morea", thereby opening the way to the swift Ottoman reconquest of the Morea. 1738 – Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye reaches the western shore of Lake Michigan. 1799 – Tekle Giyorgis I begins his first of six reigns as Emperor of Ethiopia. 1807 – Nicéphore Niépce is awarded a patent by Napoleon for the Pyréolophore, the world's first internal combustion engine, after it successfully powered a boat upstream on the river Saône in France. 1810 – Citizens of Bogotá, New Granada declare independence from Spain. 1831 – Seneca and Shawnee people agree to relinquish their land in western Ohio for 60,000 acres west of the Mississippi River. 1848 – The first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York, a two-day event, concludes. 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of Peachtree Creek: Near Atlanta, Georgia, Confederate forces led by General John Bell Hood unsuccessfully attack Union troops under General William T. Sherman. 1866 – Austro-Prussian War: Battle of Lissa: The Austrian Navy, led by Admiral Wilhelm von Tegetthoff, defeats the Italian Navy near the island of Vis in the Adriatic Sea. 1871 – British Columbia joins the Canadian Confederation. 1885 – The Football Association legalizes professionalism in association football under pressure from the British Football Association. 1903 – The Ford Motor Company ships its first automobile. 1906 – In Finland, a new electoral law is ratified, guaranteeing the country the first and equal right to vote in the world. Finnish women are the first in Europe to receive the right to vote. 1917 – World War I: The Corfu Declaration, which leads to the creation of the post-war Kingdom of Yugoslavia, is signed by the Yugoslav Committee and Kingdom of Serbia. 1920 – The Greek Army takes control of Silivri after Greece is awarded the city by the Paris Peace Conference; by 1923 Greece effectively lost control to the Turks. 1922 – The League of Nations awards mandates of Togoland to France and Tanganyika to the United Kingdom. 1932 – In the Preußenschlag, German President Hindenburg places Prussia directly under the rule of the national government. 1935 – Switzerland: A Royal Dutch Airlines plane en route from Milan to Frankfurt crashes into a Swiss mountain, killing thirteen. 1936 – The Montreux Convention is signed in Switzerland, authorizing Turkey to fortify the Dardanelles and Bosphorus but guaranteeing free passage to ships of all nations in peacetime. 1938 – The United States Department of Justice files suit in New York City against the motion picture industry charging violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act in regards to the studio system. The case would eventually result in a break-up of the industry in 1948.

[estbela]

@moonstone-vibe

Wellllll...I do have some thoughts about them(since I think that's what you're asking?) but theyre all very rambley and subject to change as I learn more etc etc etc (and this period of history is not one I'm very familiar with, I know a basic summary of stuff and some specific events, but not everything).

Alright, since we have gotten the (really long) disclaimer out of the way, I'm gonna ramble on a bit about these thoughts of mine.

(This took so much to write i stg)

anyway!

I think they met during the 14th century, the late 14th century to be precise, while the Ottoman Empire was expanding through Europe.

Apparently the first confrontation they had was during the rule of Vladislav I , a ruler of Wallachia, who was allied at the time with Ivan Shishman , the emperor of the Bulgaria in Tarnovo, who was not doing very well at the time btw, partly because of the Ottoman Empire lol.

Bulgaria is gonna be mentioned a lot during this, I fear, because I think he does play some role in their dynamic.

Ro, or well as he would have been called at the time, Wallachia, had been part of the Second Bulgarian Empire for a pretty long time, though eventually gaining more and more autonomy, and sort of becoming a vassal state of sorts for a time(basically still kinda being part of Bulgaria, but nominally really), still having to pay tribute to Bul tho. (Also for some time Hungary & Bul basically had a dispute over some part of Wallachia, but as Hungary was weakening due to Mongol attacks, it paved the way to Wallachia being established)

Although that's not important and Im kinda getting sidetracked. Anyway Wallachia does kinda get it's independence, altho it's more like Bul not being able to control it anymore due to the weakening of his empire (before becoming a vassal of the Otttoman Empire, which we'll get to shortly!)

I think they heard of eachoter before meeting, thought. Probably good and bad things, but mostly bad. For Wallachia, Ottoman was the guy that was going around conquering the lands of his friends, including Bulgaria & Serbia, and she...was not really happy about this, obviously. He was actually often allied with Bul, to fight him off(altho not always, relationships between Bul & Wallachia were not always good). For the Ottoman Empire, Wallachia was a thorn in his plans, Bulgaria's even more annoying other half.

Similar to the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire considered itself the successor to Ancient Rome, which really annoyed Wallachia, because he really didn't want to deal with another annoying guy who considered himself as great as the Roman Empire (Wallachia did not have a good relationship with the Eastern Roman Empire, but he would pick him over the Ottoman Empire surely).

And so, Ro did not see Ottoman as anything other than another empire trying to claim the glory of Rome, that would probably not last very long until the next one came. Simply a flicker in mankind's history. He had done and seen this before many times, just another nation that would try to claim her land and people. He was not scared of him, didn't feel much for him besides annoyance at first.

But I do think, over the years, they gained some respect for eachoter, for their skills in battle and outside of that.

Also annoyance eventually turned into anger at him, because how dare he take his friends away from him and hurt them! How dare he take Wallachia's independence away, too!

And so he became even more annoying. His plans were basically to not make it worthwhile to conquer his lands, to make the cost of a battle unjustifiable.

And they did fight, but Wallachia always somehow managed to keep being a vassal state, part of the reason because he was a buffer zone for a lot of european powers and stuff.

And like...I think this fighting of theirs became some sort of "dance" for them, something they were used to. Their own game of chess, if you will. Turk would make a move, then Ro, and it kept going, none of them ever truly changing the status quo, Wallachia remaining a vassal but never truly part of the Ottoman Empire, always slightly out of reach, never his.

It probably drove Turkey a little mad, but he also kinda liked it. I think when they weren't enemies they could get along pretty great, but both of them would rather eat knives than admit that (especially Ro :]]] )

I'll be honest, i think there were moments when Wallachia scared the crap out of Turkey, not that he'd admit it, of course, but little Ro could be really creepy.

The Ottoman Empire didn't scare Ro much, more like the reminder of what he could do to Ro and his loved ones(and what he already did) scared her, and his people also. Specifically that if Wallachia wasn't careful, the little freedom & independence he has could be taken away.

So Wallachia when he'd interact with him during times of peace ig, would always be careful to not actually get attached to the guy, constantly reminding herself of what he could be like. He always treaded lightly around him. Constantly telling herself that he's the enemy!!!

As time went on however, their relations got more...tense then they already were. Wallachia wanted independence and later a union with Moldavia and the Ottoman Empire did not want this to happen.

And of course, I ought to mention the Phanariots. God, save for maybe a few of them, Wallachia hated them so much! And sometimes it wasn't anything they did, it was more that they weren't his own people, and paying to get to rule over him and his people and lands. Definitely not happy about this was he.

Anyway eventually the whole thing happens when Moldavia & Wallachia elect the same guy (Alexandru Ioan Cuza) yada yada yada they unite and Turkey is probably not really happy (random, but apparently Austria was actually the main opposer of this while Prussia supported the union, and really not happy but was caught in the austro-prussian war do couldn't do much about it.)

And eventually Romania gains his independence, fighting alongside the Russian Empire, Bulgaria, and also Serbia & Montenegro I think? Anyway Romania gets her independence, and he & the Ottoman Empire are on pretty bad terms.

But after Romania became independent; things actually, slowly, started to improve between the two. They became...friends of a sort. Although they both wouldn't admit it obviously, they are fond od eachoter. They probably even look fondly back on some of their memories and shit.

But they don't have the best relationship either. That perhaps, there is still some resentment and hurt there, just a little, that neither is keen on adressing ever.

Anyway I don't particulary see them as romantic but I can imagine Ro getting probably mad at Bulgaria or something, feeling hurt and probably flirting with Turkey to piss him off.

I can see Ro kissing Turkey but like, to surprise him in order to fight him or something. Kiss him then surprise punch him while he's trying to process it haha.

Also I basically have my physical age headcanons written for Ro here but I basically see Turkey as being always a few years older than Ro historically, like 2, or 3 at most? (which is probably way younger than in canon, but then again, canon is dead and we do what we want.) I see Turkey as being in modern times in his mid to late 20s, at most, early 30s (I see him being called an "old man" but he doesn't look that old to me AT ALL so I'm really confused, plus it wouldn't make sense for him to be way older than the main cast for a lot of reasons etc etc. But maybe it's just me idk)

So yeah, I don't see turkro romantically, I guess? Nonetheless they have the potential of a very interesting and fun(and perhaps a little fucked up :] ) dynamic. Perhaps a little romance here and there, maybe in the current era, but they'd both have to go through a lot of character development for that :]]]

These days, they probably hang out sometimes, do stupid shit together, and actually have a really fun time. They probably recall some of their more fun memories, talk about the times they won in a conflict with the other, argue about something then get drunk and laugh with eachoter.

also a lot of these things also apply to my Moldavia OC and her relationship with Turkey, altho not all cause her personality is different from Romania's obviously.

[dominadespina]

LAZAREVIC SISTERS II

Princess Dragana Lazarevic 

Early Life

She was born as the second out of five daughters of Lazar of Serbia with his wife; Milica. Her date of birth might be around the late-1350s or early-1360s. 

She is the namesaker of her paternal aunt; Dragana Hrebeljanović, the wife of a man named Musa.  She was likely born and raised in Prilepac with her eldest sister; Mara, before moving to Krusevac. 

Not much is recorded or known about her early or later life, but most people believe her to be the second wife of Emperor Ivan Shishman. 

Marriage to…….. Shishman

A lot of Serbian sources are divided about the identidy of her husband, but he certainly was an imperial representative of the Shishman family, and they married around 1386. 

Though Nikola Giljen, mentions her as the wife of Emperor Ivan Shishman, this seems highly unlikely, as Ivan was executated in June 3rd of 1395, and later that year in September, Dragana’s mother; Milica (Now Nun Eugenia) met with the fraternal council of the St. Paptelejmona monastery to discuss financial support that should be given to her daughters in case of poverty in widowhood. 

Nowhere does it mention the recent widowhood of one of her daughters, it can then be concluded that she is not the second wife of Ivan Sishman, but instead the wife of his eldest son; Aleksander Shishman. 

The confusion of her husband’s identidy might be due to the fact that Ivan Shishman proclaimed his eldest son; Aleksander as co-ruler and so by their marriage right both Dragana and Ivan Shishman’s second wife were referred to as “Empress Consorts.”

Nonetheless, nothing is known about the relationship she shared with her husband. Like most royal marriages at the time, it had more to do with the union of two houses into a paternership than a privy love affair. 

As Turks

In 1393, Sultan Bayezid Han conquered Trpovo on July 17. Ivan and his family were captured, it does seems like Dragana was one of the family members who were captured. 

In 1395, Ivan Shishman was executed by order of Sultan Bayezid. In the meantime Aleksander converted to Islam (It is unknown if Dragana converted with him) and became Iskender. Bayezid showed mercy to his kin and put him in a position of power, Iskender became the governer of an area near the Black Sea and was now referred to as "Iskender Bey". 

Later Life 

Nothing is known about the later life of Dragana, after 1395 Serbian sources lost track of her.

Wether or not she outlived her husband is unknown, but if she did this might confirm that she did in fact convert to Islam along side her husband and became Turk, which is why she never returned home; to Serbia.

Issue

There are no known decsendants of either Iskender Bey or Dragana. 

( Sources: “КЋЕРИ КНЕЗА ЛАЗАРА ИСТОРИЈСКА СТУДИЈА ПОГОВОР” by Jelka Redep, Dve srpske sultanije : Olivera Lazarevic (1373-1444) : Mara Brankovic (1418-1487) by Nikola Giljen )

[intriguingpeoplebyangelafloyd]

ATTILA

ATTILA Attila the Hun

Ruler of the Huns

c.406-c.453

            Attila was described as having ‘tanned skin’ and a long skull; this was because of the Hun tradition of binding babies heads. Little is known of his childhood, Attila and his older brother Bleda succeeded to the throne in 435 after the death of their uncle Ruga who had a treaty with Rome. The brothers ruled together until Attila assassinated Bleda in 445, so he could rule alone.             Attila was the Roman’s worst nightmare and was feared throughout the Western and Eastern Europe. In 441, he led an invasion of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire; his success pursued him to invade the West. The Huns pillaged churches and monasteries, and killed monks and virgins. They killed soldiers, negotiated treaties and collected gold.

            They went to destroy Naissus (in Serbia) and Serdica (in Bulgaria), the attack on Naissus remained, when Roman ambassadors passed through to meet with Attila 8 years later, the stench of death was so bad that no one could enter the city. The river banks were covered with human bones.

            In 449, Attila turned his attention to the Roman Western Empire. He attempted to conquer Roman Gaul (modern France) and lost the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains which was his only defeat. He invaded Italy but was unable to take on Rome, at the time there was disease and famine and returned North (Northern Europe). He planned a new campaign but died before he accomplished it.

            In 453 CE, Attila married his second wife, Ildico, and after much celebration and drinking the wedded couple headed to his tent. The next morning he was found dead, drowned in his own blood from a nose bleed. Some believed it was Ildico who killed him; however, they found no injury laid upon him. Modern historians believe he may have died of alcohol poisoning or esophageal haemorrhage.

            The Huns mourned by cutting off their hair and slashing their bodies with knives, so that ‘the greatest of warriors should be mourned with the blood of men.’ His adviser, Ardaric of the Gepids, led a Germanic revolt against Hunnic rule, and the Hunnic Empire collapsed.

#attila #attilathehun

[thelazyonehere]

The names of the south slavic family members (not including their parents cuz dunno, but including their dead brothers) in my "from oldest to youngest" sibling order (got most of the names from a dead instagram account):

Bayan /the last ruler of Old Great Bulgaria/

Kotrag /Volga Bulgaria/

Nikolay /Bulgaria/

Kuber /Kuberova Bulgaria (we don't know the country's name)/

Alcek /he did not had a country but kept his identity/

Radko /Serbia/

Lucia /Croatia/

Lazar /Montenegro/

Rumen /East Rumelia/

Maria /Bosnia and Herzegovina/

Luca /Slovenia/

Alexander /Macedonia (Nikolay calls him "Makedonski" to make fun of him for thinking he comes from Alexander the great)/

[thesynaxarium]

Today we also celebrate the Holy Hierarch Sava, Enlightener of Serbia. Saint Sava, the first Archbishop and teacher of the Serbs, and the most beloved of all the Saints of Serbia, was born in 1169, and was named Rastko by his parents. He was the son of Stephen Nemanja, the ruler of Serbia, who is better known as Saint Symeon the Myrrh-streamer. As a young man, Rastko fled secretly to the Holy Mountain, Athos, to the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon. When his father learned of his flight, he sent soldiers after him. Before they could seize him, he was tonsured a monk with the name of Sabbas, after Saint Sabbas the Sanctified (celebrated Dec. 5). Soon after, he entered the Monastery of Vatopedi, where his father joined him in 1197. Together they rebuilt the Monastery of Hilandar and made it a great spiritual center for their countrymen. In 1200 Saint Symeon reposed, and his body became a source of holy myrrh; in 1204 Saint Sabbas was compelled to return to Serbia with his father's relics, that he might restore peace between his two brothers, who were struggling over the rule of the kingdom. The grace of Saint Symeon's relics, and the mediations of Saint Sabbas, healed the division between his brethren. After persuading the Emperor in Constantinople and the Ecumenical Patriarch to grant autocephaly to the Serbian Church, the Saint against his will was ordained first Archbishop of his native land in 1219, where he labored diligently to establish the Orthodox Faith. In 1221 he crowned his brother Stephen first King of Serbia (the memory of Saint Stephen, First Crowned King of Serbia, is kept on September 24). In 1234, foreseeing by divine grace his coming departure to the Lord, he resigned the archiepiscopal throne, named his disciple Arsenius as his successor, and made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Mount Sinai; while returning through Bulgaria, he fell asleep in peace in 1236. Because he has been ever since the national hero of Serbia and an invincible bulwark strengthening the Orthodox Faith, the Moslem Turks burned his incorrupt relics in the year 1594. May he intercede for us always + Source: https://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints?contentid=1933 (at Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnXzfh9hMeV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=