Filip Višnjić

Filip Višnjić ( _sr. Филип Вишњић) (1767–1834) was a popular poet and guslar (gusle player), known by some as the "Serbian Homer" both for his blindness and poetic gift. Living in a time of exceptional significance for Serbian history, the bard immortalised these events in the epic poetry of the Serbs.

Life

He was born at Vilića Guvno in Gornja Trnova near Ugljevik, in the Bosnia Province of the Ottoman Empire (today in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina), and died in Grk, (today named Višnjićevo after him) near Šid, Serbia (then part of the Austrian Empire).Filip Višnjić true surname was Vilić. According to some authorities, he was called Višnjić either after his mother’s name Višnja, or after Višnjica quarter of Medjaši, where he lived until he moved to Serbia.

Background

He lived in Gornja Trnova until three years of age, when the Ottoman Turks destroyed his family. His mother remarried, into the Mirkanović family, and moved to Međaši in the lowlands, taking little Filip with her. There, in Semberija, he learned to play the epic poet’s beloved single stringed gusle, and composed his first verses. He would often play on the archaic gusle at the church in Brodac. His true surname was Vilić. According to some authors, he took name Višnjić either after his mother's name Višnja, or after Višnjica quarter of Međaši, where he lived until he moved to Serbia. Blind from early childhood, unable to earn for living otherwise, he sang the traditional epic songs and composed many by himself.

First Serbian Uprising

During the First Serbian Uprising against Ottoman rule, unable to join the fight, Višnjić tried to boost the morale of compatriots and composed many songs himself, documenting the battles in form of epic chronicles. After the Turks re-conquered Serbia in 1813, he went into Srem village of Grk, where he met Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, who took him in the Šišatovac monastery and recorded several songs of his. Vuk recorded and published thirteen Filip's songs, notably "Početak bune protiv dahija" (The Beginning of the Revolt against Dahijas), "Boj na Čokešini" (Battle of Čokešina), "Boj na Mišaru" (Battle of Mišar), "Knez Ivo Knežević" etc. Višnjić's poetry often exceeds its traditional models: while faithfully describing the battles and events, they also carry convincing psychological portraits of the participants, from Karageorge to Prince Ivo of Semberija, who lost all his property by ransoming slaves from the Ottoman Turks.

Commemoration

Every year, in Filip's home village of Gornja Trnova host the manifestation of "Višnjićevi dani". Held at the site where bard’s house once stood in Vilića Guvno, renowned writers, theoreticians and poets sing praises to the prophetic verses of Filip Višnjić. A commemorative plaque has been raised at the library in Bijeljina, while his countenance is incorporated into the municipal coats of arms of Bijeljina and Ugljevik. At the 1994 traditional “Višnjićevi dani“ cultural event, a commemorative plaque was installed in Gornja Trnova, marking the location where Filip Višnjić was born in 1767. In November of every year, as Majevica and Semberija hold their famous cultural event in honour of the man and his creations, a commemorative service is held in Vilica Guvno.

The village of Grk was renamed Višnjićevo in his honour. Numerous streets and schools in Serbia and Republika Srpska are named after Višnjić. His picture is featured on the 20 convertible mark banknote issued in Republika Srpska. During the Second World War he was put on the Serbian 50 dinar bill, in 1941.

See also

*Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina

External links

*sr icon [http://www.rastko.org.yu/rastko-drina/umetnost/knjizevnost/usmena/visnjic/maticki.htm Filip Višnjić—pevač i pesnik] , Project Rastko