Marko Miljanov

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Marko Miljanov

Marko Miljanov Popović (born April 25th, 1833 in Medun near Podgorica, Ottoman Empire, today Montenegro – death February 2nd, 1901, Herceg Novi, Austria-Hungary, today Montenegro) was a Montenegrin Serb writer and a leader of the Kuči clan.

Marko Miljanov Popović Kuč (as was his full name made of first name, patronymic, family name and the name of his clan) was born in a distinguished family in the village of Medun. Like all of his countrymen, in his youth he took part in attacks on Turks. In 1856 he came to the Montenegrin capital Cetinje and entered the service of prince Danilo in his guards unit called perjanici. For his bravery and successes in raids on Turkish territory and as a man of confidence, he was awarded in 1862 the position of judge and head of Bratonožići clan. For his work on unification of Kuči with Montenegro in 1874 he had a price set on his head by the Turks. The same year saw his appointment to the Montenegrin Senate (from 1879 transformed into a State Coucil). In the 1876-78 war against the Turks he victoriously commanded Montenegrin forces in battle of Fundine. After a fierce disagreement with prince Nikola in 1882 he had to leave the State Council and decided to retire from public to his native Medun.

Although he was 50 years old, Marko Miljanov, who was illiterate like the most of his countrymen, decided to learn to write. He explained his urge in a foreword to the lost manuscript of his epic songs with the words: “Dear Serb brother, if you had the chance to see the heroes that I have seen, your heart would give you no peace until you have responded to the heroes who die merrily for their own and rights of all of us”.

1 Works
2 Ethnicity
3 See also
4 Bibliography
5 External links

[edit] Works

Marko Miljanov died before any of his works were published. All works were originally published in Serbia, as Marko was a well known dissident to his contemporary Montenegrin king Nicholas.

His most important work is The Examples of Humanity and Bravery (Serbian: Примјери чојства и јунаштва, Belgrade 1901), a collection of true anecdotes depicting practical examples of achieved ethical ideal Montenegrins of his time strived for. It is a lasting monument to the otherwise unsang heroes of the Montenegrin struggle for independence in the 19th century. The anecdotes describe common and humble people, their language and customs and their deeds that made other Montenegrins and Albanians admire them. Marko's language and phrase is plain and coarse, however, his message is resounding.

His second published book The Kuči Clan in Folk Stories and Poems (Serbian: Племе Кучи у народној причи и пјесми, Belgrade 1904) is collection of a historical and ethnographical data from folklore.

Marko Miljanov had a high respect for Albanian Catholic tribes that were immediate neighbors of his tribe, Kuči; therefore his book: Life and the Customs of Albanians (Serbian: Живот и обичаји Арбанаса, Belgrade 1908), describes and explains their daily life.

Amongst his other epic works are Serbian haiduks (Serbian: Српски хајдуци), Something on Bratonožići (Serbian: Нешто о Братоножићима) and other.

[edit] Ethnicity

In his book "Life and Customs of Albanians" (Serbian: Život i običaji Arbanasa) he explains the idea why he wrote the book with the following words: "so that any Serb could get familiar and as close as possible with the customs of that people (...)" ^[1].

Miljanov wrote that during an attack by the Montenegrin Prince Danilo on the Kuči clan (Miljanov's clan), the Kuči's shouted: "Do not attack your Serb brother, o Montenegrins, may your cheek be black, as it is if you act so against your brother!".