The Kosovo Myth, also known as the Kosovo Cult and the Kosovo Legend, is a Serbian national myth based on legends about events related to the Battle of Kosovo (1389). It is rooted in Prince Lazar's apocryphal choice during the battle at the Kosovo Polje, where he is said to have rejected an earthly victory over the Ottoman Sultan Murad I and chose to die as a Christian martyr in favor of a "heavenly kingdom". This choice, as the narrative suggests, was intended to position Serbs as a chosen people and secure a spiritual covenant with God and a place in the Kingdom of Heaven.
It has been a major subject in Serbian folklore and literary tradition and has been cultivated through oral epic poetry and guslar poems. The final form of the legend was not created immediately after the battle but evolved from different originators into various versions. In its modern form it emerged in 19th-century Serbia and served as an important constitutive element of the national identity of modern Serbia and its politics.
In the myth, as opposed to what actually happened in reality, Vuk Branković withdrew his troops at crucial moments, thus becoming a symbol of a betrayal, while Miloš Obilić assassinated Murad I and then was executed. In fact, Branković fought valiantly to the end.
In Ottoman Serbia, the myth was interpreted as a fatalistic ideological acceptance of the Ottoman Empire and originally was not linked to the Serbs as a people, but to the downfall of Serbian feudal society. In the modern narratives of the myth, defeat in battle was characterized as the downfall of the glorious medieval Serbian state and subsequent long-lasting Ottoman occupation and slavery. According to legend the sacrifice of Prince Lazar and his knights resulted in the defeat, while the Serbs were presented as the chosen people who signed a Covenant with God. The Kosovo Myth is modeled on well-known Christian symbols, such as the biblical Last Supper, Judas' betrayal of Jesus, and numbers that have religious associations. It pictures Serbia as essentially a variant of the Antemurale Christianitatis motif as a bulwark of Christendom against the Ottoman Empire.
One of the earliest records that contributed to the cult of Lazar's martyrdom was found in the Serbian Orthodox Church, primarily written by Danilo III, Serbian Patriarch (1390–1396) and nun Jefimija. Over the following centuries, many writers and chroniclers wrote down oral legends they heard in the Balkans. In 1601, Ragusan chronicler Mavro Orbini published the Kingdom of the Slavs, which was important for the reconstruction and development of the myth, combining the records of historians and folk legends, while the Tronoša Chronicle (1791) also significantly contributed to the preservation of the legend. The development of myth was also influenced by French chanson de geste. The final form of the Kosovo Myth was constructed by philologist Vuk Karadžić, who published the "Kosovo Cycle" after collecting traditional epic poems.
Many South Slavic literary and visual artists were influenced by Kosovo legends, including some highly internationally recognized. The most significant ones who have perpetuated the Kosovo Myth are the metropolitan and poet Petar II Petrović-Njegoš with his epic drama The Mountain Wreath (1847) and the sculptor Ivan Meštrović, while one of the main artistic representation is the painting Kosovo Maiden (1919) by Uroš Predić. Since its establishment, the myth and its poetic, literary, religious, and philosophical exposition was intertwined with political and ideological agendas. It became a central myth of Serbian nationalism used in the 19th century, and its importance was especially raised since the Congress of Berlin (1878). The myth was widely promulgated in Montenegro as well and it served advocates of Pan-Slavism and Yugoslavism before the creation of Yugoslavia in early 20th century.
It was evoked at times of major historic events such as the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, World War I, creation of Yugoslavia, and the Yugoslav coup d'état. The myth portrays Kosovo as the spiritual and cultural heart of Serbia, with the narrative having historically been used to emphasize Serbian identity and claims to the region. As such, the myth has been invoked in Serbian nationalism to justify opposition to Kosovo's independence, and was especially used to bolster a Serbian victimization narrative during the rise of Serbian nationalism in the 1980s, the breakup of Yugoslavia, and Kosovo War.
Overview
The central events in the myth are related to the Battle of Kosovo that took place in 1389, about which numerous details are not actually known. According to legend, the Serbian ruler Prince Lazar, who was referred to as Tsar ("Emperor") Lazar, was offered an ultimatum to pay homage to the Ottoman sultan Murad I, leaving the control of Serbian lands to the sultan and taxation, or to lead his army into the battle on the Kosovo Polje. On the last supper before the battle hosted by Lazar, he told his knights that one of them would betray him. Deceived by his son-in-law Vuk Branković, he accused Miloš Obilić, which Obilić opposed, claiming that he would kill Murаd I.
Per legend, Lazar was visited the night before battle by a grey hawk or falcon from Jerusalem who offered a choice between an "earthly kingdom", implying victory at the Battle, or the Kingdom of Heaven, where the Serbs would be defeated. It is sometimes said that the biblical prophet Elijah appeared in the form of a falcon. Lazar chose to die as a Christian martyr, thus achieving a special status for Serbs as a heavenly people. The warriors accepted his words, stating that the Serbs would get freedom in heaven, but that they would never be enslaved. Lazar also cursed those Serbs who refuse to join him on the battlefield. He and the Serbian army received communion in the Church of St. John the Baptist in Samodreža.
The battle took place on the Christian St. Vitus Day, known in Serbia as Vidovdan. After an agreement with the Ottoman sultan, in order to preserve his positions, Vuk Branković withdrew his troops at crucial moments of the battle, thus becoming symbol of a betrayal. Pretending to surrender after the abandon of Lazar, Obilić came to the sultan's tent and after kneeling to allegedly kiss Murad's feet, took out a dagger and mortally wounded him. The dying sultan ordered Obilić's execution, while this sacrifice showed his loyalty to Lazar and heroism. Defeat in battle was characterized as the downfall of the glorious medieval Serbian state and subsequent long-lasting Ottoman occupation and slavery. In Serbian tradition, the red color of the Paeonia peregrina has become a symbol of "bloodshed in the Battle of Kosovo".
On the other hand, Lazar was captured by the Ottoman Turks and beheaded. The sacrifice of Lazar and his knights for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven resulted in the defeat of the Serbian army by the Turks, while the Serbs were presented as the chosen people who signed a Covenant with God. Other famous knights who according to legends participated were Milan Toplica, Ivan Kosančić, Pavle Orlović, Stevo Vasojević, and the Musić brothers. There are also key female characters in the Kosovo Myth, who symbolize the great losses and isolation in which Serbs, especially women, lived during Ottoman rule. Princess Milica, who was referred to as Tsaritsa ("Empress") Milica, was Lazar's wife and member of the Nemanjić dynasty. She begged Lazar to keep his youngest brother Boško so that one of the nine Jugović brothers would surely survive, which Boško himself refused and then became a flag-bearer during the battle. Their mother died of a broken heart after losing all nine sons in battle. Another female character is a Kosovo Maiden, a girl who came to Kosovo Polje the morning after the battle and cared for the wounded Serbian warriors, giving them water and wine.
Also, birds often appear in the legend, which should symbolize the connection between the earth and the heaven. Ravens can speak and play the role of messengers, and so can swallows. The mother of nine Jugović asked God for "eyes of a falcon, white wings of a swan" which was fulfilled for her, so she could fly over the battlefield and see her sons and husband fighting. Then, the raven gave her a confirmation of the death of her family members. In addition to the transformation of Elijah, the falcon represented warriors. Contrary to common symbols, doves were called cowardly and weak enemies, and eagles were depicted as scavengers the flesh of the victims.
Basic elements Ljubinka Trgovčević described the elements and symbolism of the myth:
Vengeance – to restore the medieval Serbian Kingdom on the territories where it once existed Martyrdom – to sacrifice for the freedom and faith of the Serbs Betrayal – justifies defeat and warns those who do not support the Serbian cause, such as Vuk Branković Glory – those who sacrifice themselves are promised "the Kingdom of Heaven" and eternal glory, such as Lazar and Miloš Obilić
Many parts and characters in the myth are modeled on well-known Christian symbols. While Lazar is portrayed as Jesus and faith, the dinner that he headed the night before the battle has the attributes of the biblical Last Supper, including the presence of his disciples and Vuk Branković, the traitor or Judas figure. Like Jesus, Lazar died so that his people could live. Also, numbers that have religious associations such as Twelve Apostles and Trinity are often used in the legend.
The Kosovo Myth presents the battle as "a titanic contest between Christian Europe and the Islamic East" in which Lazar renounced "the earthly kingdom for a heavenly one". The Kosovo Myth pictures Serbia as Antemurale Christianitatis (Bulwark of Christianity), similarly to constructions of the other nations in the Balkans. It is sometimes propagated to evoke a sense of pride and national grievance among Serbs. Since the battle on Kosovo Polje, this hill came to be seen as the "cradle of Serbia" and one of the most Serb nation's most holy places. Sabrina P. Ramet compared the myths about Prince Lazar with the myths about the knighthood of the King Arthur and the martyrdom of Olaf II of Norway, as well as the legends about Stephen I of Hungary. Gerlachlus Duijzings noted that, in a similar way, Naim Frashëri tried through Bektashism to promote the Battle of Karbala myth among Albanians as a source of inspiration in their struggle against Ottoman domination, although that myth has a similar contest and style as the Serbian-Orthodox Kosovo Myth.
Sources and development The Kosovo Myth has for a long time been a central subject in Serbian folklore and Serbian literary tradition, and for centuries was cultivated mostly in the form of oral epic poetry and guslar poems., , The mythologization of the battle occurred shortly after the event. The legend was not fully formed immediately after the battle but evolved from different originators into various versions. Many sources from 14th to 18th century have preserved oral narration of the Kosovo Battle, such as chronicles, genealogies, annals, religious cult texts and travellers' tales. Epic poetry was well developed among Serbs and represented a cultural source of pride, identity and a strong connection to the past. One of the earliest records that contributed to the development of the cult of martyrdom and God's special favor for Lazar are the Narration about Prince Lazar by Danilo III, Serbian Patriarch (1390–1396), and the Encomium of Prince Lazar by a nun Jefimija, a widow of the despot Uglješa Mrnjavčević.