The Legacy of Serbian Heroes

He leaves the Serbian race, a commemoration
for stories and tales to be told
up until people exist, up until Kosovo exists.

In order to reach this inevitable conclusion, the national poet, in his se-
veral pre-Kosovo poems, gradually elevates Milos’s identity up to a level
of a complete hero, portraying him as a man who always knows where
to find truth, justice and heroism. In the poem Building of Ravanica he
warns Prince lazar to not build his foundations out of silver and gold,
but of marble stone: “out of stone, no stone for anyone.” In the poem
Milos Among the Latins, in order to demonstrate the power of his fath-
erland, he describes monasteries, the foundations of Serbian leaders
and noblemen from nemanja to lazar. These are the names of the
monasteries that he described: Studenica, Đorđevi Stupovi, Hilandar,
Žica, Sopocani, Paprac, Visoke Decane, raca, Tronosa, Ravanica:

Come see, and admire
what kind and how great they are!
What is your church of Demetrius?
I will now tumble it down
with the heavy hand of a mace!

In the poem Kosancic Ivan Spies on Turks, he wisely advices his brother
in battle to hide the terrible truth about the innumerable Turkish army
right at the start of the battle:

… even if all of us turn to salt,
we wouldn’t be enough to salt the Turkish lunch!

Despite everything, the crucial battle of Kosovo must be held, and resi-
stance against the arduous enemy must be maintained.  Milos realizes
that he will perish during his heroic deed of killing Sultan Murat I (as
was written in the poem Kosovo Girl), he knows that the Serbs will lo-
se the battle, but he also knows that his nation will draw a big benefit
out of this defeat – the testament of Kosovo Battle will bridge together
many generations in the belief that the homeland must be protected at
all costs. The Vidovdan Testament will serve as a greatest support for fu-
ture Serbian liberation wars. Milos summarizes it in just a few words:

For, religion shall not kill me,
for I, unbeliever, never was,
never was, nor will I ever be,
but, tomorrow, I think in Kosovo
for the Christian faith I will die! …
And so by the great God,
I will go to Kosovo tomorrow,
and I will slaughter the Turkish Sultan-Murat,
and with my feet I will stand on his throat.

All of Milos’s actions attributed to the magnitude of this testament – and
he now holds it as a visible and invisible shield for the Serbian people. This
tremendous power of the testament was close to the heart of a second
great poet, bishop and loner – njegos. In his poem Mountain Wreath he
refers to Marko obilic as the highest possible measure for human worth
and value for both this world and the one that awaits us after death.

With what will you go before Milos
and in front of other Serbian knights,
which live until the sun will continue to shine?

Marko Kraljevic, as already mentioned, is also one of the greatest Serb-
ian heroes, but, in contrast to Milos, he has many flaws. He is short-
tempered, sullen and a quarreler, he never parts with his flagon of wi-
ne and on top of everything is a Turkish vassal. However, he also has
strong feelings for justice, he feels a deep need to protect the unprotect-
ed, and shows loyalty towards the importance of the Serbian Empire as
well as a strong will to take on a merciless revenge on the Turkish con-
queror when the opportunity arises. Even though he is just a vassal, he
instills fear in the Turkish sultan, to whom he is a foster-child (Marko
Drinks Wine during Ramazan, Marko Kraljevic and Musa Kesedzija).
Marko’s character is complex and it was further developed through
poetry written before and after the Battle of Kosovo. He lives a long
life; he lives for nearly three hundred years – as long as people need
him. He lived up until the death of king Dusan, when the noblemen
wanted to “despoil the kingdom.” In the poem Uros and Mrnjavcevici
he was able to tell the whole truth and insist that the kingdom from a
father needs to be “left to the son” in this case to king Uros.

…since Mark is not afraid of anyone,
but of only one true God…

The national poet and Marko know that a divided kingdom is weak, so
they attempt, at least in the song, to save it and restore it as a whole. The
pursuit of justice is dangerous; his father, King Vukasin attacks Marko
with a knife and curses him:

Son, Marko, may God kill you!
May you not have a grave or children!
And may your soul not drain out -
until you serve the Turkish tsar!”
The King swears at him, the Tsar blesses him:
God-son, Marko, may God help you!
May your face shine on the divan!
May your sword cut through the duel!
Hope you can’t find a greater hero then yourself!
May your name be mentioned everywhere,
until there is a sun and until there is a moon!”
What they said, so he has acquired.

Later, that same Marko, fierce as a spear tossed through time, defends
everyone from the Turkish injustice after the Battle of Kosovo, just like
in the poem Marko Kraljevic Abolishes the Wedding Tax. The best de-
scription of this hero is in the poem Marko Kraljevic and the General Vuca:

…the hero sits in an open field,
he thrust the spear in the rocky land ,
to the spear he tied the horse,
and before him stands a flagon of wine,
he doesn’t drink it with  what should be used to drink wine,
he uses “ledjen” that holds 15 liters ,
half he drinks, half he gives to the horse,
his horse is unlike other horses,
his is as colourful as an ox;
he is a hero unlike all other heroеs,
oh his shoulders is the west made of wolf skin,,
on his head is the hat made of wolf skin,
he tied it with the dark head-scarf;
he holds something black in his teeth
as big as a half a year old lamb!

Marko, as described herein, instills deathly fear upon his mortal enemy
who fears him even before they meet face to face, even before he takes
out his sword and raises the heavy mace. He also gives confidence to
the national poet and to those who listened to him during the dark
times. If anyone could bequeath the ability to change the fate of evil,
it would be this hero:  fierce and unbeatable, riding his horse Sarina
from century to century.  If there was anyone who could have awoken
the hope in the people during the long Turkish oppression, it would
be him – this centuries-old Serbian eagle among the Serbian falcons.
Thus, in the song Marko Kraljevic and the Eagle this image of a royal
bird helps us to come to our final apprehension of who this hero really
is. The judgment that is widespread across the nation, derived from
what is most important to a man living on earth and feeding off its
generous gifts hoping for beautiful and prosperous days:

Marko Kraljevic is mentioned
as a good tribute to the year

Duke Prijezda defends the city of Stalac from the Turkish emperor, a
city with walls rising above the Morava river (The Death of Duke Pri-
jezda). The Turk wants to humiliate Prijezda demanding from him to
give up his most valued possessions so he might spare his life. He wants
to take away his dignity and commands to surrender his sword, so sharp
it can cut through cold metal, his gray wigged horse, and his honor –
wife Jelica. Prijezda answers with the battle that causes the superior
Turkish army to suffer great damage. and when janissaries mine the
city and finally get through to it, Prijezda’s decision is clear and firm: