History of the Modern Serbs

[Soldier of Macedon]

Below is collection of information from this forum and other sources, presenting a chronology of Serbian historical events where reference to the inhabitants and areas as Bulgarian and/or Greek is prevalent. The purpose is not to demonstrate that Serbs are the latter two, but that such terms are as insignificant to them as they are to the Macedonians and any others they applied to in the relevant centuries.


9th Century

http://www.beograd.org.yu/cms/view.php?id=201243
The town was mentioned again not until the IX century, under the Slavic name BEOGRAD (White Town - probably because of the walls made of white limestone). It was in a letter of April 16, 878 which Pope John VIII wrote to the Bulgarian prince Boris-Mihailo, about the dismissal of a Christian bishop Sergije.

Later, this name appeared in several variants: ALBA GRAECA, GRIECHISCH WEISSENBURG, NANDOR ALBA, NANDOR FEJERVAR, CASTELBIANCO, ALBA BULGARICA.

14th Century

The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, by Sir John Mandeville, 1357
And the King of Hungary is a great lord and a mighty, and holdeth great lordships and much land in his hand. For he holdeth the kingdom of Hungary, Sclavonia, and of Comania a great part, and of Bulgaria that men call the land of Bougiers……….

And after, go men to Belgrade, and enter into the land of Bougiers; and there pass men a bridge of stone that is upon the river of Marrok.

17th Century

http://www.vostlit.info/Texts/rus/Le...frametext1.htm
Simeon Lehaci, Balkan Traveller of Armenian origin, 1608-1620.
In Bosnia, everywhere there are also many Bulgarian monasteries .... In Bosnia, all the people speak in Bulgarian........

19th Century (Early)

Mark Mazower, The Balkans
As late as 1810, for instance, there were only two elementary schools in the Pashalik of Belgrade(the core of future Serbia), and in both the language of instruction was Greek.

19th Century (Mid)
Victor Roudometof, Nationalism,Orthodoxy, and Globalization



TrueMacedonian, Daskalot and others, if you guys have more please add it here. One question I would like answered is how many times was the language of the Serbs referred to as 'Serbian' prior to the 19th century? Puchki was the common term as far as I know, any further information would be useful.

[TrueMacedonian]

I think I might have something more to this SoM. Give me some time and I post something soon.

[Soldier of Macedon]

No problem TM, anything further to the points above will be useful.

[TrueMacedonian]

In 1790 or in 1804, "Serb" always meant "peasant."

Man, state, and society in East European history, page 131, By Stephen A. Fischer-Galați

[Soldier of Macedon]

Originally Posted by TrueMacedonian

Man, state, and society in East European history, page 131, By Stephen A. Fischer-Galați

Interesting, something more elaborate would be very useful, perhaps the sources that Fischer-Galati had used.

[TrueMacedonian]

throughout many parts of Austria-Hungary to be a Serb meant to be a peasant and vice versa

Austrian history yearbook, page 43, By Rice University, American Historical Association. Conference Group for Central European History, University of Minnesota. Center for Austrian Studies.

[TrueMacedonian]

I have noticed that the term Sebar, which meant commoner or peasant, has been a rejected theory as to the name of the Serbs themselves. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to look more into this name "sebar".

[Soldier of Macedon]

Serb, Croat and Bulgar are all non-Slavic names that have a likely Iranic origin, and for the latter possibly even Turkic.

Albania and Montenegro are both Latin names yet neither one or the other is Latin.

Even the words Greece and Athens have no recognised 'Hellenic' etymology.

Yet most of the above are too busy trying to negate Macedonian history, when they can't even explain the official and international names of their states in their own languages.

That the 'Serb' name was used as a synonym for a Slavic peasant is beyond doubt, the user Bosnian once cited texts where the Serb and Bulgar names are mentioned as far as Dalmatia. The name for the language however, is somewhat different. I am having a hard time finding anything that refers to a 'Serbian language' prior to the 19th century.

[Giorgo]

Even the words Greece and Athens have no recognised 'Hellenic' etymology.

What, Don't say things like that, it colours everything else you say with the same brush !!

[Risto the Great]

"Graecoi" and "Atina" .... can you get your brush out and try some Greek etymology with these words?