Vasojevići

The Vasojevići tribe ( _sr. Васојевићи) is the biggest Highland clan of Montenegro. It occupies the area between Vjetarnih near Lijeva Rijeka on the South and Bihor under Bijelo Polje on the North, and from Mateševo on the West to Plav on the East. Vasojevici are one of the seven Serbian Highland Clans of Montenegro (Vasojevići, Moračani, Rovčani, Bratonožići, Kuči, Piperi and Bjelopavlići). Vasojevići is also the name of the region inhabited by Vasojevići.

The hometown of the tribe, according to legend, is Lijeva Rijeka (Left River) in modern central Montenegro. The founder of the tribe, Vaso, moved there after the Battle of Kosovo. The tribe soon multiplied and started moving under Komovi mountains and then down the river Lim. This emigration continued into Serbia and all parts of Montenegro.

History

It has to be noted that the Vasojevići are mentioned for the first time in a Dubrovnik archive in 1444. Apparently, all the Vasojevići history before XVIth century survived till this day (with several variations) only as a word of mouth passed through dozens of generations.

in 1389 [Kosovski ciklus epskih pjesama [http://www.patriotmagazin.com/arhiva/0133/media/001.htm] ] ["Pogibija Pavla Orlovića i Steva Vasojevića na Kosovu" ] is believed to be either grand father or great grand father of Vaso.

After the fall of Smederevo fortress (1459) and the subsequent fall of the whole Serbian Empire, Serbs from Kosovo, Metohija and Šumadija fled from the incoming Turks to Bosnia and, after its fall (1463), into Herzegovina. Vaso fled along with these waves of refuges. In 1465 he moved from Herzegovina to Lijeva Rijeka in Zeta (modern day Montenegro). His descendants gradually expanded to the north-east and inhabited the region by the river Lim called Polimlje – the area around the Komovi mountains, Andrijevica and Berane M. P. Cemović, 1993, "Vasojevići" (IInd edn), Izdavacki cavjet Zavicajnog udruzenja Vasojevicia, Beograd ] R-J. V. Vesović, 1935, "Pleme Vasojevići", Drzavna Stampa u Sarajevu, Sarajevo] (2461 meteres) and the whole area inhabited by the clan is frequently called "Vasojevići" .

Part of the tribe that stayed free from the Turkish occupation lives in the area of Lijeva Rijeka and Andrijevica (Upper Nahija) – they are all called Upper Vasojevići. Lower Vasojevici (or Lower Nahija) inhabited the area of Berane. Most of Lower Vasojevići were within the Turkish reign until Balkan Wars in XX c.

Clan members were perceived as noblemen and rarely mingled with common folk – people who did not have a common ancestor. Vasojevići called them Ašani (earlier also Asa and Hasa) [Predanja o zajedničnom poreklu nekih crnogorskih i nekih arbanaških plemena [http://www.rastko.org.yu/rastko-al/zbornik1990/mbarjaktarevic-predanja_l.php] ] and today this term has come to denote Vasojevics of other origin.

As all Serb clans, the Vasojevici were fond of Serb folklore and Serb epic poetry. In the 18th century, an elder of the Vasojevici, Stanj, foretold Greek priests the advent of a Serbian messiah, a dark man ("crni covjek") who would liberate the Serbs from the Turks [ [http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=/journals/journal_of_modern_greek_studies/v016/16.1roudometof.pdf From Rum] ] . Indeed, soon after, Đorđe Petrović (Vasojević himself) incited a First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire. He was known as Karađorđe "kara" meaning "black" in Turkish ("Black George"). He was the founder of the Serbian royal House of Karađorđević.

On the night of August 14, 1891, Turks attacked the Vasojevic region of Berane, killing many, it was reported that 3,000 sought refuge from the brutality.

During the Second World War, the Vasojevići were divided between the two armies of Chetniks (royalists) and Partisans (communists) that were fighting each other http://books.google.com/books?id=ipQ8AAAAIAAJ&q=vasojevic&dq=vasojevic&hl=sv&pgis=1] (vojvoda Pavle Đurišić formed the most successful Chetnik units of Serb clans, including mainly Vasojevići). Thus, as a result, Vasojevići were cold-bloodedly killing each other.

Though sense of clan affiliation diminished in recent years, is not a thing of a past. Clan's association and organizations still exist (e.g. Udruženje Vasojevića "Vaso"). It could be clearly seen during the Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006 with the Vasojevici united opposition (see below).

Notable descendants of the Vasojevići tribe

By the end of the nineteenth century there were more than 5000 Vasojević “houses” in Polimlje and Lijeva Rijeka. Many notable Serbs are Vasojevići by origin, e.g.:

* Milla Jovovich - an American supermodel, actress, musician, singer, and fashion designer.
* Slobodan Milošević - former President of Serbia and of Yugoslavia.
* Karađorđe Petrović - leader of the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire, and the founder of the Serbian House of Karađorđević.
* Vuk Karadžić - Serbian linguist, great reformer of the Serbian language.
* Petar Bojović - one of four famous Serbian voivode (field-marshal) in Balkan Wars and World War I.
* Svetozar Marković - an influential Serbian political activist of the XIX century
* Gavro Vuković - voivode, writer, deputy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, son of famous Montenegrin senator, hero and tribe chief: Miljan Vukov.
* Momčilo Cemović - Presidents of the Executive Council of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro (Prime Minister) from 1978 till 1982.
* Dragoslav Šekularac - a SFR Yugoslavia former football superstar player and coach.
* Radovan Zogović - one of the greatest Montenegrin poets of 20th century.
* Mihailo Lalić - a famous novelist of Serbian and Montenegrin literature. He is considered by some to be among the greatest Montenegrin authors.
* Jovan Žujović - an anthropologist, known as a founder of geology in Serbia.
* Lazar Mutap - voivode of the First Serbian Uprising and one of the initiators of the Second Serbian Uprising
* Miljan Vukov Vešović - famous Montenegrin senator, voivode, hero and a tribe chief.
* Iguman Mojsije Zečević - the chief of the Vasojevići in XIX century. Along with Petar I Petrović Njegoš and Petar II Petrović Njegoš one of the most important figures of that time in Montenegro.
* Ljubomir Bakić - deputy, President of the High Court in Cetinje, Montenegrin Minister of Justice from 1913 till 1915.
* Dojčilo Maslovarić - Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the Holy See (Vatican) from 1996 till 2000, Minister of Foreign Affairs of F.R.Y. from 1994 till 1996.

Montenegrin independence referendum, 2006

In May 2006, after the referendum, Montenegro gained independence from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. However, 71.89% of voters in Andrijevica municipality, unofficial centre of the Vasojevići region, voted against Montenegro independence. It was the second highest result against breaking the state union with Serbia (after Pluzine municipality) [ [http://www.rrk.cg.yu/aktuelnosti/aktuelnosti.htm Electoral Commission website] ] .

The People's Assembly of Vasojevići stated many times that, apart from being Montenegrin, all Vasojevići are primarily Serbs cite web |url=http://www.srpsko-nasledje.co.yu/sr-l/1999/01/article-16.html |title=Vasojevicki Zakon u Dvanaest Tocaka, part 1] cite web |url=http://www.srpsko-nasledje.co.yu/sr-l/1999/02/article-18.html |title=Vasojevicki Zakon u Dvanaest Tocaka, part 2] [Milija Komatina, Crna Gora I Srpsko Pitanje: Prilog Izucavanju Integrativnih i Dezintegrativnih Tokova (Montenegro and the Serbian Question: A Contribution to the Study of Integrative and Disintegrative Currents) (Belgrade: Inter Ju Press, 1966), page 171] and, hence, strongly oppose Montenegrin secession from Serbia [ Udruzenie Vasojevicia Vaso [http://arhiva.kurir-info.co.yu/Arhiva/2006/jun/27/V-05-27062006.shtml] ] [ Vasojevici za Srpstvo i Jugoslaviju [http://www.pcnen.com/Arhiva/2001/17-12-2001.htm] ] . As Montenegro gained independence Vasojevići continue to demand some form of autonomy [ [http://www.newsweek.com/id/90067 Balkanization? You Just Wait... | Newsweek International | Newsweek.com] ] [ Vasojevići traže autonomiju [http://www.dan.cg.yu/?nivo=3&rubrika=Politika&datum=2006-06-27&clanak=63413] ] [ [http://arhiva.kurir-info.co.yu/Arhiva/2006/jun/27/V-05-27062006.shtml KURIR ] ] .

In the aftermath of the referendum some villages are being abandoned as Vasojevići collectively sell their houses in order to move to Serbia [ Zbogom Montenegro, odosmo u Šumadiju [http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.co.yu/arhiva/2006/06/10/srpski/R06060901.shtml] ] [ Celo selo na prodaju [http://arhiva.glas-javnosti.co.yu/arhiva/2006/06/07/srpski/VE06060603.shtml] ] . Same phenomenon is seen all around Montenegro but not in such organized and mass manner as in the Vasojevići region.

Structure of the Vasojevići Tribe

It is a tradition of all Serbian Clans to show respect to ancestors by knowing precisely genealogy and the history of the tribe and a family. This also allows members of the clan to be unite, to act together and always to recognise kin.

Sometimes, with the very distant genealogy, slight variations of names, chronology and relationships exist concurrently but there is no doubt which family belongs to which brotherhood, branch and sub-branch

All people of the Vasojevići are descendants of the three Vaso sons: Raja, Novak and Mioman. Hence the three great brotherhoods (bratstva) of the Vasojevići:

1. Raevići

2. Novakovići

3. Miomanovići

Ad. 1 Raevići

Raevići are the biggest brotherhood of Vasojevići. They divide into three branches (again after Raja’s sons or grandsons: Djuro, Dabet and Uglješa demir-Kovač).

a. Lopaćani. Families that that come within Lopaćani are:

- Raketić, i.e. Radulović, Popović, Vešović, Marsenić and Vulević

- Bojović

- Djukić

- Milošević and Velidžinkić

- Čukić

- Golubović and Lalević with its sub-branches: Raičević, Ivanović, Novović, Vasović, Pavićiević, Dragićiević and Miković

- Neradović with Aleksić, Vukaśinović and Spasojević sub-branches

- Stojanović and Stojković

- Vukićević and Boričić

- Laban and Mijović with several sub-branches: Radunović, Radovojević, Vukanić, Ugrenović, Jelić, Perović, Mirković, Ivanović and Kiković

- Karadžić and Saković with sub-branches of Folić and Zulević

b. Dabetići. Families that are descendants of Dabetići are:

- Deletić that divide into families of Lekić, Djekić, Novović, Rajović, Vuković and Mirčić

- Labović (Rosnić, Ćirović and Grozdanić)

- Lazarević (Stanisavić – Ilić, Lasković, Radunović – Drndari, Kuburović, Osmanlijić)

- Vulinić (or Vuline) with Zonjić, Dragojević and Ivanović sub-branches

- Arsenijević

- Protić

- Vuksanović

- Lakićević

- Stanić

- Lalić

- Lašić

- Žirić

- Kojić

- Mitrović

- Palević and Garčević

c. KovacevićiFamilies of Kovačevići branch are:

- Kastratović along with Vojvodić and Mićović

- Djurišić with Martinović and Jojić and their sub-branches: Simović (Carević), Medonić, Djurković, Stanić, Otašević, Bradić, Marijanović, Rakić, Plavšić and Ružić

- Obradović with close sub-branches of Savić, Miketić, Jukić, Vuksanović, Zekić and Vučević

- Katanić (Raičević) that consist of Vulić, Šarović, Novičić, Aletić and Bacanović

- Dedović

- Djinović

- Milović

- Tajić

Ad. 2 Novakovići

Novakovići brotherhood are second biggest of Vasojevići. Novak had three sons from whom all the Novakovići families begin: Nikač, Vuksan or Vuica and Rečko.All the families of Novakovići brotherhood are as follows:

- Dragović family with Lekić sub-branch

- Adžić

- Babović with sub-branches of Vuković and Laković

- Ćulafić

- Mimović

- Milikić along with Tomović

- Radević and Djekić

- Mujović

- Kićović

- Lakušić

- Račić with Jelić and Vukić

- Asanović

- Boričić

- Ljubić with close families of Nikolić and Mišović

- Pantović

- Radunović (Radonjić, Milević, Ivanović)

- Dujović and Marnić

- Bakić

- Prelić

- Orović

- Kočanović

- Pajovic

- Salević with sub-branches of Bandović, Radojević, Radosavljević, Vukadinović and Djeković

- Matović

- Žujović

Ad. 3 Miomanovići

Miomanovići are the smallest brotherhood of Vasojevići and their families are:

- Delević

- Cemović (sub-branch of Delević)

- Joksimović

- Mićović and Boičić

- Ćeranić

- Marković

- Štipalj

- Zečević

- Saičić

- Maslovarić along with Dubac

- Gubernić

- Fatić

- Novović

- Mišković

- Vuković

- Leposavić

- Djerković

- Turović

- Jovović

- Vučeljić

- Vujović

- Savović

- Vukičević

- Stijović

- Ćorac-Šunjević

- Bajić and Šarbajić

- Mališić and Nedić

- Kruščić

References

Bibliography

* M. P. Cemović, 1993, "Vasojevići" (IInd edn), Izdavacki cavjet Zavicajnog udruzenja Vasojevicia, Beograd
* R-J. V. Vesović, 1935, "Pleme Vasojevići", Drzavna Stampa u Sarajevu, Sarajevo
* I. R. Dragović, 1997, "Ko su i od koga su Dragovići i Lekići iz Djulićia", Beograd
* B. Lalević, I. Protić, 1903, "Vasojevići u crnogorskoj granici", Srpski etn. zbornik 5, Beograd

External links

* [http://www.vasojevic.com Vasojevic Clan Homepage]