Prince Lazar, Photo courtesy of freesrpska.org

Stefan Lazar , Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Кнез Лазар) or Knez Lazar (1329 – June 28, 1389), also known as "Tsar Lazar", was a Serbian noble who fought and perished at the Battle of Kosovo, to which his name and life are inextricably tied. He is a mythical figure in Serbia, and a saint of the Serb Orthodox Church. Frescoe of Knez Lazar. ... Stephanos, crowned with wreath, a Greek name, was adopted by all the Nemanjići rulers of Serbia. ... Serbian (српски језик; srpski jezik) is one of the standard versions of the Shtokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and by Serbs everywhere. ... The Cyrillic alphabet (or azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters) is an alphabet used for several East and South Slavic languages; (Belarusian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Rusyn, Serbian, and Ukrainian) and many other languages of the former Soviet Union, Asia and Eastern Europe. ... Events Antipope Nicholas V is excommunicated by Pope John XXII. Aimone of Savoy becomes Count of Savoy. ... June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... Events February 24 - Margaret I defeats Albert in battle, thus becoming ruler of Denmark, Norway and Sweden June 28 - Battle of Kosovo between Serbs and Ottomans. ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... Languages Serbian Religions Predominantly Serbian Orthodox Christian Related ethnic groups Other Slavic peoples, especially South Slavs See Cognate peoples below Serbs (Serbian: Срби or Srbi) are a South Slavic people who live mainly in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and, to a lesser extent, in Croatia and the Republic of Macedonia. ... Nobility is a traditional hereditary status (see hereditary titles) that exists today in many countries (mainly present or former monarchies). ... // This page is about the Battle of Kosovo of 1389; for other battles, see Battle of Kosovo (disambiguation). ... Anthem: Serbia() on the European continent() Capital (and largest city)  Belgrade Official languages Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Parliamentary republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment  - Formation 8th century   - Independence c. ... Early history The Serbs migrated to the Balkans during the reign of Byzantine emperor Heraclius (610-641). ...

Life

Lazar was born in Prilepac (close to Novo Brdo) in 1329, the son of imperial chancelor Pribac Hrebeljanovic . He was educated at Emperor Dusan's court in Prizren. He was later promoted to knez by Dusan's successor Emperor Stefan Uros V. Despite his imperial title, Uros was a weak and ineffectual leader, allowing local nobles to gain power and influence at the expense of the central authority. Novo Brdo/Ново Брдо (Serbian) or Novobërda/Novobërdë (Albanian) is a town and municipality in Kosovo (under UN administration, formally part of Serbia). ... Tsar Stefan Uroš IV Dušan Silni (the mighty) (Цар Стефан Душан Силни) (around 1308-December 20, 1355) was a Serb king (September 8, 1331-1346) and tsar (1346-December 5, 1355). ... View of Prizren Prizren League of Prizren building in Prizren Prizren Prizren (Albanian Prizren/Prizreni, Serbian: Призрен / Prizren) is a historical city located in Kosovo a Serbian Province under UN administration at [1]. The city has a population of around 165,000, mostly Albanians[1]. It is the administrative capital of... Kniaz’ or knyaz (Russian and Ukrainian: ; Serbian: knez; Romanian: cneaz; in fem. ... Stefan Uroš V nejaki (The Weak) (Стефан Урош V нејаки) (1336-1371) was Serb king (1346-1355) as co-ruler of his father Dušan and tzar (1355-1371). ...

Lazar left Prizren in the early 1370s, and devoted himself to the consolidation of his power in the northern Serbian regions around his court in Krusevac. Although a pledged vassal to Stefan Uros, in 1371 he refused to participate in the Battle of Marica, at which the bulk of the imperial Serbian army was destroyed by an Ottoman force. Soon afterwards, Stefan Uros died. He had been the last of the Nemanjić emperors. Through a combination of diplomacy, military action, and family alliances, Lazar emerged from the resulting power vacuum as the most powerful Serbian noble not in the Ottomans' service. He acquired dynastic legitimacy by marrying Milica Nemanjic, and despite retaining only the minor title of knez, he nevertheless used the imperial name of 'Stefan' as well as the designation "autocrator". At the same time, he took no issue with Bosnian ban Tvrtko (whose Nemanjic lineage was in any case much stronger than Lazar's) proclaiming himself "King Stefan of Serbs and Bosnia". In this way Lazar could retain the de facto power, while ceding only a ceremonial title to Tvrtko, who never managed to revive the old Nemanjic institutions of central power. Centuries: 13th century - 14th century - 15th century Decades: 1320s 1330s 1340s 1350s 1360s - 1370s - 1380s 1390s 1400s 1410s 1420s Years: 1370 1371 1372 1373 1374 1375 1376 1377 1378 1379 Events and Trends Mamai was a powerful military commander of Golden Horde, who resided in the western part of this... Kruševac (Serbian: Крушевац) is a town located in the Republic of Serbia, Serbia and Montenegro at 43. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan, fourth of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Start of the reign of Emperor Go-Enyu of Japan, fifth and last of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Charterhouse Carthusian Monastery founded in Aldersgate, London. ... The Battle of Maritsa was a battle that took place at the Maritsa River on September 26, 1371 between the forces of the Ottoman sultan Murad Is lieutenant LalaÅŸahin and a coalition of Serbian, Bulgarian and Macedonian forces numbering 70,000 men under the command of the Serbian... Anthem: Serbia() on the European continent() Capital (and largest city)  Belgrade Official languages Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Parliamentary republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment  - Formation 8th century   - Independence c. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... Nemanjić dynasty insignia Nemanjić (Serbian Немањић; in English formerly Nemanjid) was a medieval Serbian ruling dynasty. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... Milica (*13?? +1405), Regent of Serbia, wife of Prince Lazar (1329-1389) and mother of Stefan Lazarević Categories: | ... Kniaz’ or knyaz (Russian and Ukrainian: ; Serbian: knez; Romanian: cneaz; in fem. ... Ban is a title of either Avar or Illyrian origin, the title was used in some states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century. ... Tvrtko I (real name Tvrtko Kotromanić, 1338–1391) was the greatest native ruler of medieval kingdom of Bosnia. ... Nemanjić (Serbian Немањић; also Nemanjid) was a medieval Serb ruling dynasty. ...

Around 1380 Lazar founded the monastery of Ravanica and around 1388 Ljubostinja. Events September 8 - Battle of Kulikovo - Russian forces under Grand Prince Dmitrii Ivanovich defeat a mixed army of Tatars and Mongols (the Golden Horde), stopping their advance at Kulikovo. ... Ravanica can refer to: Ravanica Monastery, a monastery in Šumadija, Serbia and Montenegro. ... Events Beginning of prosecution of Lollards in England The Battle of Otterburn between England and Scotland A Chinese army under Xu Da sacks Karakorum Births September 14 - Claudius Claussön Swart, Danish geographer September 29 - Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence, second son of Henry IV of England (d. ... Ljubostinja (Serbian: Љубостиња), is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located near Trstenik, in Central Serbia. ...

Lazar was killed during the 1389 battle of Kosovo along with much of Serbia's political elite. // This page is about the Battle of Kosovo of 1389; for other battles, see Battle of Kosovo (disambiguation). ...

Aftermath and Myth

Following Lazar's death, his widow assumed control of Serbia. Lacking in military or economic strength, she pledged suzerainty to Murad I's successor, his son Bayezid, who had taken as his wife the daughter of Lazar. Meanwhile, Milica turned to internal matters, where she dealt with her few remaining political opponents. It was her propaganda campaign, via the epic poetry composed at her court, that resulted in Lazar's quick resurrection, and the subsequent portrayal of their son-in-law Vuk Branković as the traitor responsible for the Serbian defeat. Anthem: Serbia() on the European continent() Capital (and largest city)  Belgrade Official languages Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Parliamentary republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment  - Formation 8th century   - Independence c. ... Sultan Murad I (มู้หลัดที่หนึ่ง) Murad I (nick-named Hüdavendigâr, the God-liked one) (1319 (or 1326) – 1389) was the ruler of the Ottoman Empire from 1359 to 1389. ... Bayezid I (Ottoman: بايزيد اول, Modern Turkish: Beyazıt, nicknamed Yıldırım (Ottoman: ییلدیرم), the Thunderbolt; Arabic: بايزيد الأول; ca 1354–1403) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1389 to 1402. ... Look up Resurrection in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Vuk Branković (in Serbian Cyrillic Вук Бранковић) (dead 6. ...

In the myth, Lazar is portrayed as having been visited by an angel of God on the night before battle, and offered a choice between an earthly or a Heavenly kingdom, which choice would result in a victory or defeat, respectively, at the Battle of Kosovo. Lazar, naturally, opts for the Heavenly kingdom, which will last "forever and ever" ("Perishable is earthly kingdom, but forever and ever is Kingdom of Heaven!" - Serbian: "Земаљско је за малена царство, а Небеско увијек и довијека!"), but has to perish on the battlefield. “We die with Christ, to live forever”, tells he to his soldiers. That Kosovo’s destination and that Testament, it is a union which Serb people made with God – and sealed it with martyrs’ blood. On Kosovo Serbs voted with their souls for Kingdom of Heaven and that was and has been their right destination. Since then all Serbs truthful to that Testament are becoming people of God, Christ’s New Testament nation, heavenly Serbia, part of God’s New Israel. This is why sometimes Serbs refer to themselves as the people of Heaven ("Небески народ"). This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... // This page is about the Battle of Kosovo of 1389; for other battles, see Battle of Kosovo (disambiguation). ... Serbian (српски језик; srpski jezik) is one of the standard versions of the Shtokavian dialect, used primarily in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and by Serbs everywhere. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Languages Serbian Religions Predominantly Serbian Orthodox Christian Related ethnic groups Other Slavic peoples, especially South Slavs See Cognate peoples below Serbs (Serbian: Срби or Srbi) are a South Slavic people who live mainly in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and, to a lesser extent, in Croatia and the Republic of Macedonia. ...

Serbian Orthodox Church canonised Lazar as Saint Lazar. He is celebrated at June 15 of the Julian calendar, which is June 28 (Vidovdan) of the Gregorian calendar. Several small Serbian Orthodox Church churches and missions throughout the world are named after him. His alleged remains are kept in Ravanica Monastery where miraculous cures have been attributed to them. Flag of the Serbian Orthodox Church The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) (Serbian: Српска Православна Црква / Srpska Pravoslavna Crkva; СПЦ / SPC) or the Church of Serbia is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... The Julian calendar was introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar and came into force in 45 BC (709 ab urbe condita). ... June 28 is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 186 days remaining. ... Vidovdan (Видовдан) is a religious holiday, St. ... The Gregorian calendar is the most widely used calendar in the world. ...

Marriage and Progeny

Lazar married Milica (Милица)^[1] in around 1353 and issued at least seven children (Cyrillic in parentheses): Events The Decameron was finished by Giovanni Boccaccio. ...

1. Mara (Марa): died April 12, 1426, married Vuk Brankovic in around 1371
2. Stefan Visoki (Стефан Високи) (around 1377 - July 19, 1427, buried in Manasija monastery), prince (1389-1402) and despot (1402-1427) , married in 1405 Jelena, daughter of Francesco Gattilusio (1384-1404).
3. Vuk, prince, executed on July 6th 1410
4. Mara or Dragana, died before July 1395, married Bulgarian tsar Ivan Shishman in around 1386
5. Teodora, died before 1405, married Nikola II Gorjanski (who died 1433) (Nikola II Gorjanski jr. (Никола II Горјански Млађи), son of Nikola I Gorjanski (Никола I Горјански), ban of Mačva since 1387, ban of Croatia since 1394, Hungarian Palatin since 1401)
6. Jelena or Jela, died March 1443, married
   1. Đurađ Stracimirović (Ђурађ Страцимировић), one of Balsics
   2. Sandalj Hranić^[2] (Сандаљ Хранић) Kosače (Косаче)
7. Olivera Despina (Оливера Деспина) born 1372 died after 1444, married Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I in 1390

April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... Events March 6 - Battle of St. ... Vuk Branković (Вук Бранковић) lived in Serbia during the 14th century. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Kogon of Japan, fourth of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Start of the reign of Emperor Go-Enyu of Japan, fifth and last of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Charterhouse Carthusian Monastery founded in Aldersgate, London. ... Despot Stefan Lazarevićs Coat of Arms 1415 AD Despot Stefan Lazarević (in Cyrillic: Стефан Лазаревић) (1374-1427) was the son and heir to Lazar (Cyrillic: Лазар), the Serbian prince who... // Events January 17 – Pope Gregory XI enters Rome. ... July 19 is the 200th day (201st in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 165 days remaining. ... Events Lincoln College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford, is founded. ... Fresco portrait of Despot Stefan Lazarević in Manasija 1407-1418. ... Despotism is government by a singular authority, either a single person or tightly knit group, which rules with absolute power. ... Events May 29 - Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmoreland, meets Archbishop Richard Scrope of York and Earl of Norfolk Thomas Mowbray in Shipton Moor, tricks them to send their rebellious army home and then imprisons them June 8 - Archbishop Richard Scrope of York and Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Norfolk, executed in... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... March 29 - The Aragonese capture Oristano, capital of the giudicato di Arborea in Sardinia July 15 – Battle of Grunwald (also known as Tannenberg or Zalgiris). ... Events End of reign of Hungary by Capet-Anjou family. ... Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... Tsar Ivan Shishman of Bulgarian was the son of Tsar Ivan Alexander and his second wife Theodora. ... Events Battle of Sempach: Swiss safeguard independence from Habsburg rule End of reign of Poland by Capet-Anjou family. ... Events May 29 - Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmoreland, meets Archbishop Richard Scrope of York and Earl of Norfolk Thomas Mowbray in Shipton Moor, tricks them to send their rebellious army home and then imprisons them June 8 - Archbishop Richard Scrope of York and Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Norfolk, executed in... Gorjanski (Hungarian: Garay) were a noble family in the Kingdom of Hungary, with notable members in the 14th and 15th centuries. ... Events Births June 23 - Francis II, Duke of Brittany Kettil Karlsson Vasa, later Regent of Sweden. ... Ban is a title of either Avar or Illyrian origin, the title was used in some states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century. ... Categories: Serbia and Montenegro geography stubs | Serbia ... Events June 2 - John Holland, a maternal half-brother of Richard II of England, is created Earl of Huntingdon. ... // Events Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, travels with King Richard II of England to Ireland. ... The palatine (Latin: comes palatii, comes palatinus, later: palatinus (regni), Hungarian: nádorispán/ nádor, Slovak: nádvorný župan/ nádvorný Å¡pán, later: palatín / nádvorník, German: Palatin) was the highest dignitary in the Kingdom of Hungary after the king (a kind of powerful prime minister... The Lollards, a religious sect taught by John Wycliffe, were persecuted for their beliefs. ... Events Albanians, under Skanderbeg, defeat the Turks John Hunyadi defeats Turks at the Battle of Nis Vlad II Dracul begins his second term as ruler of Wallachia, succeeding Basarab II. Births January 27 - Albert, Duke of Saxony (died 1500) February 23 - Matthias Corvinus of Hungary (died 1490) May 17 - Edmund... Events In this year, the city of Aachen, Germany begins adding a Roman numeral Anno Domini date to a few of its coins. ... Events March 2 - Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg proclaimed commander of the Albanian resistance April 16 - Truce of Tours. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... Sultan (Arabic: سلطان) is an Islamic title, with several historical meanings. ... Bayezid I (Ottoman: بايزيد اول, Modern Turkish: Beyazıt, nicknamed Yıldırım (Ottoman: ییلدیرم), the Thunderbolt; Arabic: بايزيد الأول; ca 1354–1403) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1389 to 1402. ... Events Births December 27 - Anne de Mortimer, claimant to the English throne (died 1411) Domenico da Piacenza, Italian dancemaster (died 1470) John Dunstable, English composer (died 1453) Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson, Swedish statesman and rebel leader (died 1436) Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester (died 1447) John VIII Palaeologus Byzantine Emperor (died 1448) Deaths...

Footnotes

¹Milica was a daughter of Prince Vratko (кнез Вратко), who was a great-grandson of Vukan Nemanjic. Vukan himself was the eldest son of Stefan Nemanja. Milica was first mentioned in 1395 and later became the nun Jevgenija (Јевгенија) and abbess Jefrosina (Јефросина). [Mrđenović (1987), p.20, 75] Vukan II Nemanjic,son of serbian Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja. ... Image:Simeon. ... Events End of reign of Hungary by Capet-Anjou family. ...

²Sandalj Hranić (around 1370-March 15, 1435) was a nephew of Vlatko Vuković, the aforementioned participant of the Battle of Kosovo. [Mrđenović (1987), p.108] Events Beginning of the rule of Poland by Capet-Anjou family. ... March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in leap years). ... For other uses, see number 1435. ... This article is about the domestic group. ...

See also

• House of Lazarević
• List of Serbian monarchs
• History of Serbia
• Miloš Obilić

This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Coat of Arms of Serbia This is a list of Serbian monarchs. ... First Serbian state was founded in 800s by House of Vlastimirović under the name of Raška; it has evolved into Serbian Kingdom and Empire under House of Nemanjić. In modern era it was an autonomous principality (1817–1878), independent principality and kingdom (1878–1918), part of the Kingdom of... Miloš Obilić According to Serbian and South Slavic oral tradition, and historical and legendary sources, Miloš Obilić (Serbian Cyrillic: Милош Обилић) - also known by the names: Miloš Kobilić; Kobila, Kobilović; Koviljić; Obilović or Dragilović - was the name of the Serbian hero who, at the Battle of Kosovo, between Serbia and the Ottoman...

Sources

• Age, marriage and progeny information from The geneaology and coats of arms of Serbian dynasties and feudals (Родословне таблице и грбови српских династија и властеле); editors Aleksa Ivić (1928), Dusan Spasić, Aleksandar Plavestra and Dusan Mrdjenović (1987); Bata, Belgrade, ISBN 86-7685-007-0 (1928), ISBN 86-7335-050-6 (1987) (in Serbian language).
• Croats and Serbs: Chapter V - History of the Serbs in the middle ages - The Dismemberment of Dusan’s empire

External link

• Lazar's virtual grave