Dervan

Dervan
dux Surbiorum

Dervan's Đorđe (Dorje) coat of arms.
Successor Miliduch
Born ca. 590
Died 636
Religion

Slavic Paganism with elements of

Veda (Vedas),

Zerdašt (Zoroastrianism), and

Probuđenje (Buddhism),

Svarog-Surya and

Perun-Parjanya-Vajrapani cult.

Dervan or Derwan (Latin: Dervanus) from Đorđe (Serbian Cyrillic: Ђорђе, pronounced [d͡ʑɔ̝̌ːrd͡ʑe]) an archaic Serbian name derived from "držati" meaning to hold, to keep - compare Dorje, the symbol being held - was an early King of the Sorbs (fl. 615–636).

History

He is mentioned by Fredegar in his Latin chronicle as dux gente Surbiorum que ex genere Sclavinorum:[1] "ruler of the people of the Surbi (Sorb autonym: Serby, Serb autonym: Srbi) from the nation of the Slavs".[2] Dervan's domain is often referred to as White Serbia. He is the first ruler of the tribe mentioned by name. Fredegar records him being subordinate to the Franks for a long time and then joining the Slavic union of Samo. After the defeat of the Frankish king Dagobert I by king Samo near Wogastisburg in 631 or 632, Dervan declared independence from the Franks and "placed himself and his people under the rule of Samo".[3]

Dervan joined Samo in his subsequent wars against the Franks. Further reports of Fredegar imply that Dervan and his people lived to the east of the Saxon Saale. The reference to Dervan in 631/632 is also the first written confirmation of the presence of Slavs north of the Ore Mountains.

He was fighting against Thuringia 631-634 and Dervan was finally defeated by duke Randulf, governor of Thuringia in 636.

Dervan's Serbia, 7th century.
Serbian principality under Dervan, as part of Samo's realm in 631.
After German expansion, around 1000. Some original toponyms, e.g. Spira (Kyffhäuser), can still be found.

Based on spare sources Dervan's capital might have been located in the city of Mišno (Meissen) and he might have been a successor to the ancient Spyra dynasty ruling the Celtic and Venedic (proto-Slavic) peoples of this area since before the 5th century BC from their capitals of Spira (Kyffhäuser) and Pirna - compare Spira (Speyer), Spyrgowa (Speyergau), where their Piasta ritual hat has been found. This may explain the cooperation with Samo, a noble descendant of the Senones from Sens,[4] who accompanying Spyra have already founded Senigallia (compare Pirna).

The arms of Spyra (Pernuš - Head of the Gauls).
The arms of Senigallia.
The arms of Pirna.

Mentiones

Dervan's name is mentioned in different sources as Dervanus, Derwan, Der, Dier[5] and survived into present times in the form of Đorđe, Đorđić, Đorđević, Đorđev, which spread to the south, especially to Serbia, as well as Dzierzon, Dzierżon, Dzierżoń present in Silesia and southern Poland. After the 14th century, the name of the Jewish Dershowitz family was modeled after the Dzierżoń of Pilzno. The name Spyra (Pernuš) was eventually translated to German Kyppenheyn and Kippenhahn.[6]

Dervan's coat of arms Đorđe (Dorje) reached, via Samo and Sens, Francia, where it became, slightly modified, the Fleur-de-lis.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Making of the Slavs, page 331
  2. ↑ Curta, 109.
  3. ↑ Curta, 331.
  4. ↑ Mitteilungen des Instituts für Österreichische Geschichtsforschung (in German) (LXXI. Band, Sonderdruck ed.). Hermann Böhlaus Nachf., Ges.m.b.H. / Graz-Köln. 1963.
  5. ↑ Henryk Antoni Gąsiorowski, Tomasz Jasiński, Tomasz Jurek, Izabela Skierska, Kodeks Dyplomatyczny Wielkopolski, volume XI, Poznań 1999, document nr. 1718, ISBN 83-7063-243-2
  6. ↑ Niesiecki, Kasper (1740). KORONA POLSKA Przy ZŁOTEY WOLNOŚCI Starożytnemi Rycerstwa Polskiego y Wielkiego Xięstwa Litewskiego KLEYNOTAMI, Naywyższemi Honorami, Heroicznym Męstwem, y odwagą, Wytworną Nauką, á naypierwey Cnotą, Pobożnością y Świątobliwością OZDOBIONA. Tom Trzeci. Lwów: Drukarnia Collegium Lwowskiego Societatis JESU (in Polish).

Further reading

Preceded by
Unknown		 Duke (Dux) of the Surbiorum
(Sorbs)
ca. 615-636 		Succeeded by
Miliduch
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