The

Letter of Love
Vasil Anðelkoviæ - Špilka
 Copyright © Vasil Anðelkoviæ - Špilka
2019

Despot Stefan Lazareviæ

Letter of Love
Original Title
(Ñëîâî Ëþáâå)

Cover page: Fresco of Stefan Lazareviæ,

Monastery Manasija, circa 1418, retouched by:
Vasil Anðelkoviæ - Špilka
Images by: Ðura Jakšiæ and Vladislav Titelbah

Cataloguing:
Libraries Australia ID 65007469
Dewey Number: 891.8211
National Library of Serbia

99878766654

Letter of Love - Poem analysis, Educational

Editing Assistance: Charmaine Calaitzis
Designed & Printed in Australia by:
cA.B. Fine Print Publication
E-mail: abfineprint@gmail.com
 Vasil Anðelkoviæ - Špilka, author of
the book, The First Serbian Primer
by Vuk Stefanoviæ Karadžiæ, (first
published in the English language in
2016) has written The Letter of Love,
one of the most prominent and talked
about works of Serbian medieval
literature.
When one reads poem The Letter of
Love one can hardly believe that this
statesman and ruthless warrior with blood on his hands
could write about love, compassion and forgiveness.
This is a comprehensive analysis of the poem in the
English language.

"From Mr. Anðelkoviæ's workshop has emerged another

brilliant book, The Letter of Love. This time it is about
the poem by Stefan Lazareviæ. The poem is about God's
love with no comparison or borders. The book is
interwoven by Serbian history and the biography of this
Serbian ruler and poet. The Letter of Love is of
outstanding literary significance. It is of an extensive
cultural and historical importance, equally for English
and Serbian readers.
This is an exceptional book for collectors "

Sergije Princip, The News (Vesti), Sydney.

"Talking about him it's above me,
like thinking to throw myself
into some ocean's rifts,
which are not swimable
and are unexamined."

Constantine the Philosopher

Manuscript of the epistle Letter of Love circa 1409.
{
Kðàêãðàíåñå ñåìó; Ñëîâî Ëþáâå.

à. Ñòåôàíü äåñïîòü, ñëàä÷àèøîìó è

ëþáàçí7èøîìó è ñðüäöà ìîêãî íåîòëó÷üíîìó è
ìíîãî ñóãóáî âüæäåë7íüíîìó è âü ïð7ìóäðîñòè
îáèëüíîìó, öàðñòâ¿à ìîêãî èñêðüíêìó ¿ìå ðåêü,
w ãîñïîäè ëþáüçüíîå ö7ëîâàí¿ê, âüêóï7 æå è
ìèëîñòè íàøåê, íåñêóäíîå äàðîâàí¿å.
â. Ë7òî è âåñíó Ãîñïîäü ñüçäà, ÿêîæå è
ï7âüöü ðå÷å, âü íèõæå è êðàñîòè ìíîãü¿ê, ïüòèöàìü
ñêîðîê è âåñåë¿à èñïëüíü ïðåë7òàí¿ê, è ãîðè âðüõü¿,
è ëóãîâîìü ïðîñòðàíüñòâà è ïîëüñêûê øèðîòè, è
âüçäóõà òüíüêàãî äèâüíûìè í7ê¿ìè ãëàñû
îãëàøåí¿ê, çåìëüíàà æå äàðîíîñ¿à êæå öâ7òîâü ³-
åæå áëàãóõàí¿à è çëàêîíîñüíîê, íü è ñàìîãî
÷ëîâ7÷üñêàãî êñòüñòâà îáíîâëêí¿ê è âüåçûãðàí¿ê
äîñòîèíî êòî èñïîâ7ñòü!
ã. Îáà÷å âüñà ñèÿ è èíà ÷þäîä7ë¿à áîæ¿à,
ÿêîæå è îñòðîçðèòåëüíûè óìü ñüçðüöîâàòè íå
äîâë7êòü, ëþáîâü, ïð7âüñõîäèòü, è íå ÷þäî, Áîãü
áî ëþáîâü èìåíóêòü ñå, ÿêîæå ðå÷å ¯îàíü ãðîìîâü.
ä. Âüñàêàà ëüæà âüì7ùåí¿à âü ëþáâè íå
èìàòü, Êàèíü áî òóæä¿è ëþáâå ðå÷å Àâåëó;
èçûäåâ7 íà ïîëê.
º. Îñòðî í7êàêî è áèñòðîòå÷üíî ä7ëî ëþáâå,
âüñàêó äîáðîä7òü ïð7èòè ìîãóùå.
¾. Ë7ïîòüè7 ñèþ Äàâèäü óêðàøàêòü ÿêî
ìèðî, ðå÷å; íà ãëàâ7 ñüõîäåùåê íà áðàäó Ààðîíþ,
è ÿêî ðîñà àåðüìîíüñêàà ñõîäåù¿à íà ãîðû

-11-
ñ¿îíüñê¿å.
ç. Þíîøå è ä7âû, êü ëþáâàìü ïðèêëàäí¿è,
ëþáîâü âüçëþáèòå, íü ïðàâ7 è íåçàçîðí7, äà íå
í7êàêî þíîòüñòâî è ä7âüñòâî ïîâð7äèâüøå, èìüæå
³-åñòüñòâî íàøå êü áîæüñòâíîìó ïðèñâàêòü ñå,
áîæüñòâíîê íåãîäóêòü. Íå îñêðüáëÿèòå, ðå÷å
àïîñòîëü, äóõà ñâåòàãî áîæ¿à èìüæå çíàìåíàñòå
ñå, ÿâ7 ÿêî âü êðüùåí¿è.
è. Á7õîìü âüêóï7, è äðóãü äðóãà áëèçü,
èëè ò7ëêñè èëè äóõîìü, íü àùå ãîðû, àùå ð7êû
ðàñö7ïèùå íàñü, Äàâèäü äà ðå÷åò; ãîðû ãåëâóèñêèå
äà íå ñüíèäåòü íà âàñü íèæå äüæäü íèæå ðîñà, ÿêî
Ñàóëà ê ²îàíàäàíà íå ñõðàíèñòå. Î áåçëîá¿ê
Äàâèäîâî, ñëûøèòå öàð¿ê, ñëûøèòå, Ñàóëà ëè
ïëà÷åøè îáð7òåíüíûè? Îáð7òîõü áî, ðå÷å Áîãü,
Äàâèäà, ìóæà ïî ñðüäüöó ìîêìó.
Õ. Â7òðè æå äà ïðèðàçåòü ñå ð7êàìü è äà
èçvñåêíóòü, ÿêîæå ïðè Ìîèñåè ìîðå, ÿêîæå ïð¿è
²ñóñ7 ñóäûè ê¿âîòà ðàäè ²îðüäàíü.
¿. Eùå äà ñüâüêóïèìü ñå, êùå äà óçðèìü
ñå, êùå ëþáîâüè7 äà ñüêäè(íè)ìü ñå î òîìü
ñàìîìü Õðèñò7 Áîç7 íàøåìü, êìóæå ñëàâà ñü
îòüöåìü è ñü ñâåòûìü äóõîìü âü áåñêîíü÷üíûê
â7êû. Àìèíü!

Manuscript of the epistle in Old-Slavic language.

-12-
Kðàêãðàíåñå ñåìó; Ñëîâî Ëþáâå.

Ñòåôàíü äåñïîòü,
ñëàä÷àèøîìó è ëþáàçí7èøîìó
è ñðüäöà ìîêãî íåîòëó÷üíîìó
è ìíîãî ñóãóáî âüæäåë7íüíîìó
è âü ïð7ìóäðîñòè îáèëüíîìó,
öàðñòâ¿à ìîêãî èñêðüíêìó
(¿ìå ðåêü),
w ãîñïîäè ëþáüçüíîå ö7ëîâàí¿ê,
âüêóï7 æå è ìèëîñòè íàøåê,
íåñêóäíîå äàðîâàí¿å.

Ë7òî è âåñíó Ãîñïîäü ñüçäà,

ÿêîæå è ï7âüöü ðå÷å,
âü íèõæå è êðàñîòè ìíîãü¿ê,
ïüòèöàìü ñêîðîê è âåñåë¿à èñïëüíü ïðåë7òàí¿ê,
è ãîðè âðüõü¿
è ëóãîâîìü ïðîñòðàíüñòâà
è ïîëüñêûê øèðîòè
è âüçäóõà òüíüêàãî,
äèâüíûìè í7ê¿ìè ãëàñû îãëàøåí¿ê,
çåìëüíàà æå äàðîíîñ¿à
êæå öâ7òîâü ³-åæå áëàãóõàí¿à è çëàêîíîñüíîê,
íü è ñàìîãî ÷ëîâ7÷üñêàãî êñòüñòâà
îáíîâëêí¿ê è âüåçûãðàí¿ê
äîñòîèíî êòî èñïîâ7ñòü!

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Îáà÷å âüñà ñèÿ
è èíà ÷þäîä7ë¿à áîæ¿à,
ÿêîæå è îñòðîçðèòåëüíûè óìü
ñüçðüöîâàòè íå äîâë7êòü,
ëþáîâü, ïð7âüñõîäèòü,
è íå ÷þäî,
Áîãü áî ëþáîâü
èìåíóêòü ñå, ÿêîæå ðå÷å ¯îàíü ãðîìîâü.

Âüñàêàà ëüæà âüì7ùåí¿à âü ëþáâè íå èìàòü,

Êàèíü áî òóæä¿è ëþáâå ðå÷å Àâåëó;
”Içûäåâ7 íà ïîëê.”

Îñòðî í7êàêî è áèñòðîòå÷üíî

ä7ëî ëþáâå,
âüñàêó äîáðîä7òü ïð7èòè ìîãóùå.

Ë7ïîòüè7 ñèþ Äàâèäü óêðàøàêòü

ÿêî ìèðî, ðå÷å; ”Nà ãëàâ7 ñüõîäåùåê
íà áðàäó Ààðîíþ,
è ÿêî ðîñà àåðüìîíüñêàà
ñõîäåù¿à íà ãîðû ñ¿îíüñê¿å.”

Þíîøå è ä7âû,
êü ëþáâàìü ïðèêëàäí¿è;
ëþáîâü âüçëþáèòå,
íü ïðàâ7 è íåçàçîðí7,
äà íå í7êàêî þíîòüñòâî è ä7âüñòâî ïîâð7äèâüøå,

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èìüæå ³-åñòüñòâî íàøå
êü áîæüñòâíîìó ïðèñâàêòü ñå,
áîæüñòâíîê íåãîäóêòü.
Íå îñêðüáëÿèòå, ðå÷å àïîñòîëü;
”Äóõà ñâåòàãî áîæ¿à
èìüæå çíàìåíàñòå ñå,
ÿâ7 ÿêî âü êðüùåí¿è.”

Á7õîìü âüêóï7, è äðóãü äðóãà áëèçü,

èëè ò7ëêñè èëè äóõîìü,
íü àùå ãîðû, àùå ð7êû
ðàñö7ïèùå íàñü.
Äàâèäü äà ðå÷åò; ”Gîðû ãåëâóèñêèå
äà íå ñüíèäåòü íà âàñü íèæå äüæäü íèæå ðîñà”,
ÿêî Ñàóëà
ê ²îàíàäàíà íå ñõðàíèñòå.
Î áåçëîá¿ê Äàâèäîâî,
ñëûøèòå öàð¿ê, ñëûøèòå,
Ñàóëà ëè ïëà÷åøè îáð7òåíüíûè?
Îáð7òîõü áî, ðå÷å Áîãü,
Äàâèäà, ìóæà ïî ñðüäüöó ìîêìó.

Â7òðè æå äà ïðèðàçåòü ñå ð7êàìü

è äà èçvñåêíóòü,
ÿêîæå ïðè Ìîèñåè ìîðå,
ÿêîæå ïð¿è ²ñóñ7 ñóäûè,
ê¿âîòà ðàäè ²îðüäàíü.

-15-
Eùå äà ñüâüêóïèìü ñå,
êùå äà óçðèìü ñå,
êùå ëþáîâüè7 äà ñüêäèíèìü ñå î òîìü
ñàìîìü Õðèñò7 Áîç7 íàøåìü,
êìóæå ñëàâà ñü Îòüöåìü
è ñü ñâåòûìü Äóõîìü
âü áåñêîíü÷üíûê â7êû. Àìèíü!

Re-created from the Old-Slavic prose manuscript into a

lyrical poem by the author.

-16-
Àêðîñòèõ ¼å îâîìå: Ñëîâî Šóáâå

Ñòåôàí Äåñïîò,
íà¼ñëàåì è íà¼âîšåíè¼åì,
è îä ñðöà ìîãà íåðàçäâî¼íîìå,
è ìíîãî äâîñòðóêî æåšíîìå,
è ó ïðåìóäðîñòè îáèëíîìå,
öàðñòâà ìî¼åãà èñêðåíîìå,
(èìå ðåêàâøè),
ó Ãîñïîäó šóáàçàí öåëèâ,
a óç òî è ìèëîñòè íàøå,
íåîñêóäíî äàðîâàœå.

Ëåòî è ïðîëåžå Ãîñïîä ñàçäà,

êàî øòî è ïåâà÷ ðå÷å,
ó œèìà êðàñîòå ìíîãå;
ïòèöàìà ïóíî âåñåšà è áðçî ïðåëåòàœå,
è ãîðàìà âðõîâå,
è ëóãîâèìà ïðîñòðàíñòâà,
è ïîšèìà øèðèíå,
è âàçäóõà òàíàíîã
äèâíèì íåêèì ãëàñîâèìà îãëàøåœå;
è çåìàšñêå äàðîíîñå
îä ìèðèñíèõ öâåòîâà, òðàâîíîñíå;
à è ñàìå ÷îâåêîâå ïðèðîäå
îáíîâšåœå è ðàçèãðàíîñò
äîñòî¼íî äà èñêàæå?

-17-
Îâî ñâå, èïàê,
èìà ÷óäîäåëà Áîæ¼à,
êî¼à íè îøòðîâèäíè óì
ñàãëåäàòè íå ìîæå,
šóáàâ ïðåâàçèëàçè,
è íè¼å ÷óäî,
¼åð Áîã ¼å šóáàâ,
êàî øòî ðå÷å £îâàí ãðîìîâ.

Âàðàœå íèêàêâî ó šóáàâè ìåñòà íåìà.

£åð Êàèí, šóáàâè òó, ðå÷å Àâåšó:
"Èçèèìî ó ïîšå."

Îøòðî íåêàêî è áèñòðîðå÷íî

šóáàâè ¼å äåëî,
âðëèíó ñâàêó ïðåâàçèžè ìîæå.

Šóáàâ Äàâèä ëåïî óêðàøàâà,

ðåêàâøè: "Êàî äîáðî óšå íà ãëàâè,
êî¼å ñå ñòà÷å íà áðàäó Àðîíîâó.
Êàî ðîñà íà Åðìîíó,
øòî ñèëàçè íà ãîðå Ñèîíñêå."

Óçšóáèòå šóáàâ,
ìëàäèžè è äåâî¼êå,
ïðèêëàäíè çà šóáàâ;
àëè ïðàâî è íåñðàìíî,

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äà ìëàäèžñòâî è äåâñòâî íå ïîâðåäèòå,
÷èìå ñå ïðèðîäà íàøà
áîæàíñòâó ïðèñà¼åäèœó¼å,
äà áîæàíñòâî íå óçíåãîäó¼å.
Íå îæàëîøžàâà¼òå, ðå÷å àïîñòîë:
ñâåòîãà Äóõà Áîæ¼åãà,
êî¼èì ñòå çàïå÷àžåíè
¼àâíî ó êðøòåœó.

Áå¼àñìî çà¼åäíî ¼åäàí äðóãîì áëèçó,

èëè òåëîì èëè äóõîì,
íî äà ëè ãîðå, äà ëè ðåêå
ðàçäâî¼èøå íàñ,
Äàâèä ðå÷å: "Ãîðå Ãåëâó¼ñêå,
íå ïàäàëà ðîñà íè äàæä íà âàñ,"
¼åð íå ñà÷óâàñòå Ñàóëà,
íè £îíàòàíà!
Î áåçëîášà Äàâèäîâà,
÷ó¼òå, öàðåâè, ÷ó¼òå!
Ñàóëà ëè îïëàêó¼åø íàåíè?
£åð íàîõ, ðå÷å Áîã,
Äàâèäà, ÷îâåêà ïî ñðöó ìî¼åìó.

Âåòðîâè äà ñå ñóêîáå ñà ðåêàìà,

è äà èñóøå,
êàî çà Ìî¼ñè¼à ìîðå,
êàî çà Èñóñà ñóäè¼å,
žèâîòà ðàäè £îðäàí.

-19-
Å, äà áè ñå îïåò ñàêóïèëè,
è âèäåëè ñå îïåò,
ñ šóáàâšó ñå îïåò ñ¼åäèíèëè
ó ñàìîì Õðèñòó Áîãó íàøåì,
êîìå ñëàâà ñà Îöåì
è ñà Ñâåòèì Äóõîì
ó áåñêðà¼íå âåêîâå, Àìèí!

Poetically transliterated poem into modern Serbian

language by Momèilo Nastasijeviæ, (Cyrillic script).

-20-
Letter of Love

I, Despot Stefan,
to the sweetest, most beloved one,
inseparable from my heart,
always wished for, and much
possessed of wisdom and
to my kingdom true,
(the name being said)
a warm greeting in the Lord
and unsparingly therein
our merciful gifts.

The Lord had made spring and summer,

as the Psalmist said,
of all their delights:
To the bird's swift and joyous flight,
to the hills and their peaks,
to the groves and their lengths,
to the fields and their breadths,
to the air of its beauteous
and beautiful soft sounds,
to the soil of its gifts
of fragrant flowers and grass,
and for the man being itself
for renewal and joy
but who is worthy enough to have all this?

-21-
But all these
and other wondrous works of God,
which even the sharpest mind
cannot perceive,
love surpasses all
and no wonder
because God is love,
as Saint John said, the Son of Thunder.

No room in love is there for lies,

as Cain, a stranger to love, said to Abel:
"Let us go into the field."

Pure and keen

is the work of love,
and every virtue it surpasses.

As David beautifully said,

love is; "It is like good oil upon the head,
that is running down upon Aaron's beard,
it is like the dew of Hermon
that is descending upon the mountains of Zion."

Youths and maidens,

for love so apt,
embrace love,
but with rightness and no remorse
to youth and maidenhood,

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whereby our nature
unites with Godliness
and thus becomes divine.
As the Apostle said:
Do not be grieving of God's Holy Spirit,
with which you have been sealed
at the baptism.

Together we were, close to each other,

in body and in soul,
did the mountains or the rivers
separate us?
As David said: "You mountains of Gilboa,
let no dew, let no rain be upon you,"
for Saul you did not save
nor Jonathan!
O the mercifulness of David,
hear, ye Kings, O hear!
Is it Saul you are bewailing, a found one?
"I found," said the Lord,
"David a man after my own heart."

May the winds collide with the rivers,

and run them dry,
as did the sea for Moses,
as did the judges for Jesus,
as the Ark of Covenant for Jordan.

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And may we be together again,
and see each other again,
and meet again in love
for the sake of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
for whom glory be with the Father
and the Holy Spirit
forever and ever, Amen!

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 About Stefan Lazareviæ

Signature of Despot Stefan

Stefan Lazareviæ (Serbian Cyrillic; Ñòåôàí Ëàçàðåâèž,

1377?-1427), also known as Stefan "The Tall" (Serbian
Cyrillic; Ñòåôàí Âèñîêè), not just for his very tall
stature, but for his deeds as well. He was born in the town
of Kruševac, Serbia.
Duke Lazar Hrebeljanoviæ and Duchess Milica
(Monastic name Evgenia), in addition to Stefan, had
seven other siblings, sons: Dobrivoje (died in infancy)
and Vuk, daughters: Jelena, Mara, Dragana, Teodora and
Olivera. Although his father's surname was
Hrebeljanoviæ, following the Serbian custom, the son
bore the surname of Lazareviæ - Lazar's son.
The birth of Lazar's son, whom he names Stefan,
(Stefan Nemanja is the founder of Nemanjiæ Dynasty), is
not accidental, it has a deeper meaning. His father tried
to unite Serbian lands and to continue the extinguished
Nemanjiæ Dynasty, and get legitimacy for his reign and
the beginning of a new dynasty. Stefan's mother was a

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descendant from the Nemanjiæ dynasty, the longest ruling
dynasty in Serbia, (about 200 years).
After the death of Tsar Uroš Nemanjiæ without an
heir (1371), the last ruler of Nemanjiæ Dynasty, Duke
Lazar Hrebeljanoviæ, Stefan's father, used his wife's
ancestry to claim the Serbian throne and thus he seceded
and became the Serbian sovereign.

Stefan Lazareviæ held the title of Prince (1389-1402) and

Despot (1402-1427).
His parents wished Stefan to be educated in the Serbian
people's spirit, and they devoted great care to Stefan's
education. As a young boy, Stefan was educated at his
parent's home, by the best teachers of the time, who
introduced him to the divine books of Holy Scriptures
and literature. Enclosed in the circle of people of envious
rhetoric capabilities, Stefan's love was developing
towards philosophy and literature. Later, he would study
whatever he would lay his hands on and would soon
excel his teachers. Two of his teachers were a Serbian
Orthodox nun-poetess Jefimija, and Danilo the Younger,
abbot from the monastery of Drenèi. Later he would
become the patriarch of The Serbian Orthodox Church.
There are a few folk poems regarding Stefan's
education, here is part of one:

"My Stefan, my gracious son,

I'll make the wondrous school for you,

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and I'll give you wizard teachers,
they will teach you all about the letters,
in Kruševac at your fathers' castle."

In another folk poem, Stefan's father, Duke Lazar

Hrebeljanoviæ says to his wife Milica:

"You have the son in Russia,

your son, Stefan the Tall".

According to the Serbian folk poem, M. Stanojloviæ and

M. Gajiæ claim that Stefan was sent to Russia to be
educated there: "Stefan was sent to Russia and was
educated there as a young boy."
Vuk Stefanoviæ Karadžiæ, Serbian lexicographer and
collector of folk oral literature, (according to Serbian
story-telling) claims that Stefan went to Russia for a few
years. But, there are no documents or other sources to
substantiate that.
After his father's death it is not known where
Stefan went, or where he was educated.
Stefan spoke and wrote in Old Slavic language, Greek
and Latin and was educated in classical literature. He was
one of the most educated rulers of Europe.
The war atmosphere, uncertainty and lawlessness in
Serbia would turn him, very quickly from a lover of
books and literature, into a ruthless hardened warrior.

-27-
What did Despot Stefan Lazareviæ look like? This can be
seen in a few church frescos of the time. In the church of
his father's endowment Ravanica monastery, Stefan is
portrayed as a young boy of about 6-7 years old. In the
monastery of Ljubostinja we can see Stefan with wavy
hair and blue eyes. In the monastery of Rudenica he is
portrayed as a tall young man. In the monastery of
Kaleniæ Stefan is portrayed with short reddish-brown hair
and a not so dense beard and barely recognisable
moustaches. In his endowment church of Holy Trinity in
Manasija monastery, on the left side of the entry is a
ktetor's (donator's) composition of Stefan, (circa 1418).
He is receiving a statement's insignia by Jesus Christ and
two angels. Stefan is portrayed in a super-natural size
(270x300cm.), dressed in luxurious Byzantine robes,
with a longish bearded face and chestnut hair down to his
ears.

After the battle of Kosovo (June 28, 1389), Serbia lost its
independence. The human carnage at the Kosovo battle
was colossal on both sides. Sultan Murat, leader of the
Turkish army was killed in the battle, the Serbian leader,
Duke Lazar Hrebeljanoviæ, was captured by the Turks
and beheaded. Both sides were so militarily weakened
that neither side could take complete control of the
country. After the battle, political and social
circumstances in Serbia were laden with dynastic
conflicts, treason, wars and instability. There has not

-28-
been a more complex time and distraction in the history
of the Serbian nation.

At the death of his father at Kosovo, Stefan Lazareviæ

was only 12-14? years old. He inherited the throne of
Serbia; being a minor, his mother Duchess Milica ruled
as his regent.
His contemporary and biographer, Konstantin of
Kostenets (also known as Constantine the Philosopher),
writes: "His mother Milica was politically active and in
charge of all the country's internal and external affairs.
With the great help of his mother's work, and reputation,
Stefan and his mother Milica ruled until he reached
adulthood in 1393."
The throne was waiting for him. He understood
that ruling the country was not only by the power of the
sword, he was also learning very fast about leadership,
diplomacy and other skills. He adopted the coat of arms -
The Royal eagle of the Nemanjiæ Dynasty in order to
show that his family was the legal successor to rule
Serbian lands.
Constantine the Philosopher, wrote how Stefan
learnt about running the country mostly from Sultan
Bayezid I. One of his advices was:
"If someone has done wrong to the country and as a result
became poor, he has been punished enough by his own
deeds and doesn't have to be punished again."
Sultan Bayezid I was his brother-in-law, (his sister

-29-
Olivera was married to the Turkish sultan) for whom he
often fought battles.
Even in the early stages of ruling the country he
was looking to find ways to expand and protect Serbia
and its people, which were perhaps in the most
vulnerable stage of their long history. Stefan had to serve
the people entrusted to him, the best he could.

The Serbian land was wanted by two grand Empires,

Ottoman and Hungarian. As circumstances regarding, the
Ottoman and Hungarian Empires varied, so did the
politics led by Despot Stefan Lazareviæ. He successfully
balanced between the Ottomans and Hungarians, in the
time when that was deemed nearly impossible, and had
significantly modernized and expanded Serbia.
On the domestic front, he broke the resistance of
the many Serbian nobles and external attacks. These
internal and external feuds and disunity weakened the
Serbian position. A vassal's position in this situation was
inevitable, but often the question would arise whose
vassal to become?
Chronicler Mavro Orbin writes: "There were suspicions
that, his nephew, Ðurað Brankoviæ wanted to join
Süleyman Çelebi, Bayezid's oldest son who held power in
Rumelia, (today's Romania). Despot Stefan ordered
Ðurað imprisoned, but his jail-time was short as he was
freed with the help of a friend. Ðurað went immediately
to Süleyman Çelebi whom he asked for troops to fight the

-30-
Lazareviæs."
Information about the imprisonment of Ðurað Brankoviæ
is found in the Serbian annals but there are no reasons
given why he was imprisoned.

The situation in Serbia with internal fights, made Stefan

politically and militarily weak. He had no choice; he had
to ally with the Turks and became an Ottoman vassal.
Despite the vassal position, Serbia was having a certain
degree of independence in internal affairs, he was always
trying to build the greater good for his country and
people. According to his biographer, Stefan was
crisscrossing the country delivering "justice," punishing
bad people by cutting off their limbs. People were
horrified at the consequences but out of the lawless
country, Serbia became a law obeying country. The rule
of law was respected in the country, the rich people were
no longer more privileged than the poor, landowners
could not snatch properties from the poor. Law-abiding
citizens, were appreciated and respected.
Through the Nemanjiæ Dynasty, parliamentary life in
Serbia had a very long tradition. The internal social
system in Serbia was built and worked according the
Serbian peoples' spirit. Stefan introduced a Councils of
Lords and a social system in local government; local
councils at the meetings were making all decisions.
Stefan Lazareviæ ardently and passionately loved and
cared for the well-being of his people. He used to roam

-31-
under cover at night, without escorts, giving gifts to the
poor.
That's why he is remembered and loved as a person with
wisdom, spirit and character in the Serbian history.

In the Ottoman annals there are a lot of documents stating

that Stefan fought various battles as an Ottoman vassal.
Stefan was obliged to participate in the Turkish
campaigns. He participated together with his brother Vuk
and Ðurað Brankoviæ in the battle of Rovine in 1395 and
the battle of Nicopolis in 1396. In the Battle of Ankara
(or Angora) the brothers Stefan and Vuk, were part of the
Ottoman army together with the sons of Vuk Brankoviæ,
Ðurað and Grgur, against the Mongol Empire. The battle
was fought on 20 July 1402 at the Çubuk plain near
Ankara between the forces of the Ottoman Sultan
Bayezid I and Tamerlane, also called Timur (1336 -
1405) the ruler of Mongol Empire in Central Asia.
Over the years he became the most powerful ruler in
Central Asia. His father was the head of a Mongol tribe
and a descendant of the Mongol conqueror Genghis
Khan, from whom he claimed descent. He sought to
rebuild the once great Mongol Empire.

The battle was a major victory for Timur and it led to a

period of crisis for the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Bayezid
I was captured and taken prisoner. He committed suicide
in captivity. The struggle for power broke out among

-32-
Bayezid's sons and resulted in a civil war in the Ottoman
Empire. The Turk-Mongol Empire went into decline
following Timur's death, just three years after the battle,
while the Ottoman Empire made a full recovery, and
continued to increase in power for another two to three
centuries.
From the Ankara battlefield, Stefan was returning
home via Byzantine territory. On his way back to Serbia,
in 1402, he visited Constantinople, (Istanbul) as the new
conditions made it possible for the closer Byzantine-
Serbian cooperation. Stefan Lazareviæ was well received,
and Emperor John VII Palaiologos decided to award him
the title of Despot (Greek; Äåóðüôçò - Lord, Master). In
the Byzantine Empire the term Despot was used as a
senior title of honour and was second only to Imperial
dignity. The title was awarded to the younger sons of
emperors as well as to the other leading dignitaries. The
title of Despot spread throughout the late medieval
Balkans, and was granted in the states under Byzantine
influence, such as the Latin Empire, Bulgaria and Serbia.
The term must not be confused with its usage, which
refers to despotism. Among Serbs and Russians, the title
Duke (Russian; Êíÿçü) was the title of the supreme ruler.
His absence from Serbia provided opportunity for
the Serbian nobles to take advantage of the turmoil and
pursue independent politics, especially by his nephew
Ðurað Brankoviæ. Ðurað and the Ottomans sought to
prevent the return of Despot Stefan and his brother Vuk.

-33-
Ðurað's forces were joined by Ottomans and ordered by
Süleyman to take hold of roads and prevent the
Lazareviæ's return, which was expected through
Brankoviæ's lands in Kosovo. The Lazareviæ brothers and
a detachment of about 260 men embarked to the coast of
Zeta (today's Montenegro), from Byzantium on ships.
Despot Stefan was informed of Ðurað's plans. The
brothers prepared for fight and met with their
brother-in-law Ðurað II Balšiæ who supported them
militarily, while at the same time an army in Serbia was
gathered by their mother Milica. The Despot's army
worked their way into the hinterland at the end of
October, on small roads towards the Žièa monastery.
The two sides clashed on 21 November 1402 at the
Tripolje field near the Graèanica monastery. Vuk led a
larger unit of the Lazareviæ's army and engaged Ðurað
Brankoviæ's forces, while Stefan Lazareviæ clashed with
the Ottomans. Ðurað Brankoviæ caused great damage to
Vuk's units, and seeing that, Stefan Lazareviæ quickly
reorganized his position and completely defeated Ðurað
Brankoviæ and decided the battle.
Constantine the Philosopher wrote: "Stefan bloodied the
right hand of his . . . . Stefan had a victory, and Vuk was
defeated." Chronicler Mavro Orbin from Ragusa (today's
Dubrovnik, in Croatia) wrote: "Despot Stefan won the
battle more with strategy than the courage of his
soldiers." After the battle, the Lazareviæ brothers
withdrew to the fortified city of Novo Brdo, (Latin;

-34-
Nouaberda or, Nouabarda).
Vuk's bad conduct of the fight ignited conflicts
between the brothers. Stefan complained about the
casualties under Vuk's command, and wanted Vuk to
train in the art of warfare. Vuk took to it to heart very
badly. Feeling hurt, a gap between the brothers grew.
There was also a disagreement on the division of lands.
The Lazareviæ brothers fell out.

Following the Ottoman defeat at Ankara, the Serbian

ruler Stefan Lazareviæ saw an opportunity to free himself
of Ottoman overlordship. There were many differences in
the Ottoman court and a civil war broke in the Ottoman
Empire. When Hungarian King and Holy Roman
Emperor Sigismund (1368-1437) approached him for an
alliance in 1403, Stefan accepted it and allied himself
with Hungary. Stefan paved the way for better and bigger
Serbia and ended his subservience to the Ottomans.
Despot Stefan realized that it was the right time to turn to
Hungary, expecting political and military support and
thus expanding the territories of Serbia northward.
After becoming a Hungarian vassal, Despot Stefan
was offered peace by the Ottomans on his terms, and
Serbia was no longer a subject of the Ottoman Empire.
Lazareviæ began to wield increasing autonomy in his
political decisions, making a better life and bringing
stability to his subjects.
Sigismund was very generous in his terms. Despot

-35-
Stefan was given; Maèva, Belgrade (Stefan turned
Belgrade into his new capital in 1405). In Belgrade, he
built a fortress with a citadel (which was destroyed
during the Great Turkish war in 1690, only the Despot
Stefan Tower remains today). Sigismund granted him
Golubac (an important fortress on the Danube river) and
other domains, where he settled Serbs, such as lands in
Vojvodina; Zemun, Slankamen, Kupinik, Mitrovica,
Beèej, and Veliki Beèkerek in 1404, Srebrenica in 1411,
and Apatin in 1417. But there was no real peace in
Serbia. Conflicts among the Serbian nobility were stirred,
initially between the houses of Lazareviæs and
Brankoviæs.

After the death of their mother Milica in 1405, quarrels

between Stefan and his brother Vuk subsequently
worsened. Soon after, Vuk in collaboration with the
Ottomans was moving in the south towards Serbia,
burning, killing and plundering village after village, town
after town. This was a battle in which it was not easy to
fight, writes Constantine the Philosopher: "This was not
the battle against Barbarians; this was a battle, brother
against brother." To avoid complete defeat, Stefan
pleaded for peace. Unity for Serbia was of paramount
importance at the time, but Vuk and the Turks forced
Stefan to divide the country. Vuk was obsessed to rule,
regardless of the consequence for the whole country.
There are no documents showing how the country

-36-
was divided; most probably, Stefan got the northern part
of Serbia and Vuk got the southern. Dividing the land
made the Serbian position even weaker in the Balkans;
"divide and conquer" is not a Turkish invention, it has
been practised for centuries, even today.

The division of Serbia did not last long. Shortly, both

brothers as Turkish vassals were involved in a Turkish
civil war. When his brother was executed in 1410 by
Musa Çelebi, Stefan extended southward, possessed
Vuk's land and after the death of his cousin, Balša III
Balšiæ, he inherited Zeta (Montenegro) and waged war
against the Republic of Venice, for some Adriatic towns.

During this period of relative peace, Stefan used this time

to strengthen Serbia politically, economically, culturally
and militarily. Despot Stefan had renewed the country in
his short reign. He reformed the army, introduced
knightly tournaments and modern battle tactics, and
brought firearms to Serbia. He built palaces, churches
and schools, and laws regarding mining and trade. He
managed Novo Brdo's and Srebrenica's mines filled with
vast deposits of gold, silver and other minerals, making
Serbia the largest manufacturer of silver and one of the
most economically stable countries in the Balkans.

Together with the Hungarian King Sigismund and

twenty-two other European aristocrats, he founded the

-37-
Order of the Dragon, (Ordo Dragonis).
The Order was a monarchical chivalric order for selected
nobility. It was fashioned after the orders of the Crusades,
requiring its initiates to defend the cross and fight the
enemies of Christianity. In his time he was one of the best
knights and warriors.

Despot, Stefan Lazareviæ was a great patron of arts and

culture, he founded the monastery of Manasija (1406 -
1418), set in the valley of Resava river which runs next
to it, near the town of today's Despotovac, (Despot-town),
in East Serbia.
"Despot Stefan went looking for a place on which to
build a home. Having found the most suitable and the
best site to build the home, he said a prayer, and laid the
foundations in the name of the Holy Trinity," - writes,
Constantine the Philosopher.

Stephen followed the example of his father not only in

the virtues of a knight and ruler but also in the virtues of
a founder. He built and decorated many churches and
monasteries of which the best known is Manasija
(Resava). Manasija Monastery was originally called by
the name of Resava Monastery.
Stefan founded the Resava transcribing school there,
which was provided support and shelter to highly skilled
exiles and scholars from Serbia and surrounding
countries occupied by the Ottomans. These exiles

-38-
facilitated an intellectual boost for Resava transcribing
school. They fostered the copying of literary works that
by its excellence and production changed the history of
the South Slavic literature and languages, spreading its
influence all over the Orthodox Balkans. More capital
works of ancient civilization were transcribed in Resava,
than in all the times before Stefan's reign. Resava
remained an important and outstanding monument in the
Serbian and South Slavic history.
Amongst other scholars, there was the Bulgarian
born Konstantin of Kostenets; (1380-1431) (Êîíñòàíòèí
Êîñòåíè÷êè), also known as Constantine the
Philosopher. He came to Manasija monastery and was
known as a reputable writer, translator, chronicler and
biographer of Despot Stefan Lazareviæ.
Serbian history, medieval chronicles and records
have mentioned the Resava School. The foundation
charter is not preserved, and there is little information on
which it would be possible to precisely establish life and
work in the monastery.
Resava transcribing School was furnished with an
extraordinary large library at the time. It possessed books
and texts in Old-Slavic language and philosophic works,
historical books and poetry in Greek and Latin languages.
This orthographic school was a centre for correcting,
translating, and transcribing Christian works and capital
works of ancient civilizations. The school corrected
errors in the ecclesiastical literature incurred by

-39-
numerous translations and incorrect transcriptions, and
was thoroughly changing previous orthography.
Until the very end of the 17th, century documents
confirm outstanding translations and transcripts
originating from the Resava School. The school remained
an important and outstanding monument in the history of
Serbian and South Slavic culture.
This magnificent edifice, (Manasija Monastery)
has survived in difficult and bloody times for 600 years
to this day, as one of the most beautiful and most
significant monuments of the Serbian medieval culture.
Manasija complex was declared a Monument of Culture
of Exceptional Importance in 1979, and it is protected by
the Republic of Serbia.

Stefan Lazareviæ was a prolific writer of his own and was

often called "Second Manasses" (after the Constantine
Manasses (Greek: Êùíóôáíôíïò Ìáíáóóò; 1130-1187)
a Byzantine chronicler. He was the author of a chronicle
of historical events from the creation of the world to the
end of the reign of Nikephoros Botaneiates, (1081). It
appeared in a free prose translation and was translated
into Old-Slavic language in the 14th century).
Stefan personally translated works from Greek and
Latin, including Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras.

The manuscript, Life of Stefan Lazareviæ, (Æèòè¼å,

Ñòåôàíà Ëàçàðåâèžà) about the life of Despot Stefan

-40-
Lazareviæ was found in 1884 in the Bulgarian Orthodox
monastery Zograf on the Athos peninsula in Greece, it
was written after Stefan's death (about 1430-1431) by
Constantine the Philosopher. The original manuscript of
the biography was not preserved; this is a copy from 15-
16th century.
The monastery's library contains more than 10,000
books, about 500 hundred of which are manuscripts,
some of them old Slavic manuscripts.

Constantine's writings are deemed exceptionally reliable,

extensive in historical details, and it is an important
source for the history of the Serbian people in the Middle
Ages. It is the first example of a secular biography in the
old Serbian literature. Stefan's biography was not written
as a Saint's standard Orthodox biography, because Stefan
Lazareviæ was not canonised yet. The biography was
written as a chronicle and it contains memorial character.
The biography is one of the most interesting in medieval
Serbian literature because it contains not only facts about
the Despot's life, but also geographic information and
thorough descriptions of numerous historical events,
where Constantine was the eyewitness.
Constantine writes: "This was not written only as his
biography but as a chronicle with all other things."
The author puts in the central plan, the personality of
Despot Stefan with all its contrasts, wisdom and charity,
patronage and enlightenment, cruelty and firmness. His

-41-
sense for detail is being expressed, and the figure of
Despot Stefan as a sovereign, remains the characteristic
literary character of medieval literature.
Near the end of Stefan's biography, Constantine
the Philosopher described him as: "He was known to the
people by the puzzle of his eyes, which are similar to the
Sun and sunlight, from which we receive the light rays."
During the Sigismund's coronation in Aachen,
Germany, where Stefan was invited, Sigismund's royal
court clerk, merchant and chronicler, Eberhard Windeck,
born in Mainz (1380-1440) writes: "Despot Stefan is
exceptionally good looking, sincere, just and a peace-
loving man."
Residents of Ragusa (today's Dubrovnik) spoke of
Stefan Lazareviæ as: "Lord high in height and mind."
Immensely pragmatic, wise, an able statesman, an
excellent diplomat, a brave and successful military leader,
broadly educated, and a remarkable poet. Despot Stefan
is almost an unreal mixture of knightly bravery,
magnificent intelligence, rich education and outstanding
spiritual and physical beauty. Therefore, it is no wonder
that in his lifetime he was awarded the title of the Second
Knight of the Order of the Dragon, just one beneath
Hungarian King Sigismund.

Stefan Lazareviæ married Helena Gattilusio on September

12, 1405. Very little is known of his marriage, or maybe
there was no marriage at all? As Anthony Luttrell writes:

-42-
"Maybe she (Helena) was too young for the marriage to
be consummated, or perhaps she stayed on Lesbos and
never travelled to Serbia, possibly she died soon after her
marriage?" The marriage had a political background, to
bring Serbia and Byzantine politically closer together, not
that Stefan really wanted to get married!
Helena was the daughter of Francisco II Gattilusio,
Genovasian lord of Lesbos and Valentina Doria. Helena
was a sister of Irene Gattilusio (Palaiologos), Empress of
the Byzantine Empire, a wife of John VII Palaiologos. He
ruled the Byzantine Empire in the name of his uncle,
Manuel II. Manuel II Palaiologos or Palaeologus was the
Byzantine Emperor from 1391 to 1425.
This marriage was arranged during his stay
in Constantinople in 1402. According to Constantine the
Philosopher, Stefan first saw his future wife on the isle of
Lesbos, where Francesco II offered him a choice among
his daughters; the marriage was arranged with the advice
and participation of Helena's sister, Empress Irene. Only
one mentioning of Helena being in Serbia, was by the
Serbian Orthodox nun Evgenija to Vuk Mišetiæ from
Ragusa, (Dubrovnik), she was telling him: "...When
Despot Stefan was getting married in Rasina...," dated
July 12, 1405. Helena is not mentioned in any
documents, after her marriage to Stefan, she is not seen
in any frescos, only Stefan is shown in the monasteries'
frescoes. This led Anthony Luttrell to remark:
"Apparently there were never any children; nothing is

-43-
known of her death or burial and most unusual, she did
not appear in any of the post 1405 fresco portraits with
Stefan."
Was Stefan Lazareviæ married to Helena or not? Did
Helena die after the marriage or not? Documents show
that he never married again! After Helena's death,
according to Constantine the Philosopher, Stefan did not
indulge himself in alcohol or in unchaste life; on the
contrary, he embraced God's and Jesus Christ's principles.
Stefan is not characterised in the Serbian medieval
literature as a misogynist at all, but one remark by
Constantine the Philosopher is very interesting regarding
women and music: "If one can avoid women's love and
sensual music in the reign of the country . . . and he
(Stefan) hated both, even more he discarded them both.
Only a bit of music is needed before the battle!" In his
army, of all musical instruments, he had only trumpets.
Another interesting remark about women is in the charter
written on 2nd of July 1417, by Stefan Lazareviæ to the
monastery Vatopedi at Athos peninsula in Greece: ". . .
I am unworthy of consummating the marriage. . ."

By this and similar remarks, one may think about a

different sexual connotation in Stefan's private life.
In 1426 Stefan was suffering from an illness, as
Constantine the Philosopher writes: "It was a wound in
his leg, which Stefan got in one of the battles, from which
he was suffering for a long time."

-44-
Fearing that death was knocking on his door, he
summoned the assembly in Srebrnica. Stefan Lazareviæ
showed once again his responsibility and wisdom, which
can rarely be found in ruling royalty. Since he didn't have
any children, he was fully aware that after his death, there
would be fights for the Serbian throne. To prevent
unnecessary bloodshed, Stefan proclaimed his former foe,
nephew Ðurað Brankoviæ, to be his rightful heir.
Apparently, Ðurað Brankoviæ repented for his disloyalty
towards his uncle, and reconciled with him with the help
of his sister - Ðurað's mother Mara. He did it for peace in
Serbia and the welfare of the people.
According to witnesses; on 18th of July 1427
(Julian Calendar), Stefan went in falconry with his
escorts at the place called Glavica, near the town of
today's Mladenovac. He was complaining that he had no
strength in his arm even to hold the falcon. While the
falcon dashed away in the air towards the prey, Stefan
Lazareviæ, had a stroke, trembled and fell down from his
horse. His entourage carried him over to his tent. He was
still talking, and was aware that he was dying, saying his
last famous words: "Get Ðurað . . . . Get me Ðurað!"
Even on his deathbed he was thinking of the
common good for Serbia and his people, asking for
Ðurað Brankoviæ to give him last instructions on how to
take care of Serbia.
Encumbered by illness, he could not speak
anymore and did not recover from the stroke. Inevitably,

-45-
shrewdly depicted his biographer: "Everybody was
expecting Stefan's death and everybody was waiting for
the loot." Despot Stefan Lazareviæ died on the way to
Belgrade near the town of Mladenovac, (today's village
Crkvine) he was 50 years old.
Constantine the Philosopher writes: "In the
summer of the year 1427. July, 19th (Julian Calendar),
(1st August Gregorian Calendar), before Saint Elijah's
day, venerable Sir Stefan, died Ruler of Serbia and all the
lands along the Danube river."
This exemplary reign, free of vanity and unselfishness,
and dedication towards the country's interests is quite a
rarity in Serbian rulers, thus making the Despot Stefan
Lazareviæ one of the most distinguished and beloved
rulers of Serbia.
When Ragusans (Dubrovnik) learned of Stefan's
death, they expressed their feelings in the letter sent to
Hungarian King Sigismund: "Although, he was
sometimes tough and cruel, he was a mallet of defence,
for the enemies of Christianity. We regret and painfully
mourn his death."
His deeds eventually elevated him into Sainthood,
and the Serbian Orthodox Church honoured him on the
1st of August. He was canonized as "Saint Stefan the
Serbian Despot."

The burial place of Stefan is mentioned in many sources.

The mystery is where was he buried? The Monastery

-46-
Manasija his endowment or Monastery Koporin?
Constantine the Philosopher, a very trustful source, writes
about the burial place of Stefan Lazareviæ: "They brought
him to the grave he built himself in Manasija to lay him
down at the place he ordered . . . . He was laid down in
the church on the right side from the entry. (. . .
Ïîëîæèøå â öðêâè î äåñíèèõ â õðàì âüõîäåøòå)."
Constantine the Philosopher does not mention the name
of the church, but it is surely his endowment church The
Holy Trinity in Manasija monastery.
The letter written by monks Damjan and Pavle to
Pope Clement in 1597, affirms that; "Despot, Lord of
Rascia (Stephanus Despoth, Dominus Rasciae), the
remains of Stefan are in the Manasija Monastery."
On request by The Serbian Orthodox Church, an
unnamed grave next to the south wall of the west bay of
the naos of the church in Manasija Monastery was
excavated and examined. According to the funeral
traditions in the medieval Serbia, that was surely the
crypt of the founder. An archaeological team located the
remains of a person and claimed it to be Despot Stefan
Lazareviæ's remains. DNA analysis performed in 2012 on
the remains, found in the unmarked grave in the Manasija
Monastery has concluded: ". . . that person who was
buried there was 178 cm. tall, (which is an impressive
height for the epoch, in which an average height for
grown men was 165 cm.). He suffered from
cardiovascular disease and had several traces of bone

-47-
injuries on his leg, caused by a sharp object, also noted
traces of bone injuries on the right upper arm. He had
died of natural causes." Analysis also concluded that they
belonged to a close relative of the Duke Lazar
Hrebeljanoviæ, (99.9378%). Analysis corroborated the
kinship between the father and the son. After 600 years,
the mystery of the most wisest and loved statesman of
Serbia, Despot Stefan Lazareviæ's burial place was
solved.
Stefan "The Tall," Despot with the mystic look in his
eyes, noble, looking handsome in luxurious Byzantine
robe, through the centuries indefatigably, gentlemanly,
gazes at curious unsuspecting visitors from his wall
portrait in his endowment gem-church - Holy Trinity in
Manasija Monastery. With the recent reliable
identification of his resting place, Stefan Lazareviæ,
Despot, an extraordinary statesman, has returned back to
his beloved people.
On 10 March 2017, from the Monastery Manasija, the
coffin with remains of Stefan Lazareviæ was brought to
the church of Ascension of the Lord in Belgrade to be
blessed. This is the official church confirmation that
Stefan was buried at the Manasija Monastery.
His younger brother, Vuk Lazareviæ (Serbian: Âóê
Ëàçàðåâèž, 1380? - July 6 1410) is perceived in Serbian
history unfavourably and very little is written and known
about him. He is characterised as an opportunist and a
traitor, who was causing dynastic conflicts, and wanted

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to reign on his own, regardless of the consequences for
the country. Collaborating with the Turks, Vuk was
plotting and fighting against his older brother, which in
the end brought him to his demise.

The medieval age was a brutal epoch; there were many

examples of extreme methods of assassinations used
regarding throne change; son has killed father or brother
has killed brother. Stefan, surely, must have had many
chances to kill his brother, but he didn't do it. He loved
his brother and did not want to have his brother's blood
on his conscience.
Stefan and Vuk were fighting, together on the side of
Musa Çelebi against his brother Süleyman Çelebi. Musa
suspected that Vuk was planning to defect to Süleyman's
army so Musa planned to kill him. Stefan said to Musa:
"If my brother is a traitor, then I am a traitor too," thus
saving Vuk's life.
During the battle of Kosmidion (Greek: Êïóìßäéïí),
situated outside of the walls of Constantinople (Istanbul),
today known as Eyüp in Turkey, Vuk defected from the
army of Musa Çelebi to that of his brother Süleyman
Çelebi, who were fighting each other for the Turkish
throne. Süleyman was victorious and promised his
brother's land to Vuk. Encouraged, Vuk headed towards
Serbia to seize the lands of his brother Stefan. On his way
to Serbia he was captured in the city of Philippopolis,
(Today's Plovdiv in Bulgaria) by the guards of Musa

-49-
Çelebi. A Turkish soldier recognized him: "If this one did
not run away to join Süleyman Çelebi in Constantinople,
the victory would be ours." This time Stefan could not
save his brother's life. Vuk was sent back to Musa and
was consequently executed on 6 July 1410, for his
betrayal at Kosmidion. One Serbian analyst writes: ". . .
Musa slew Vuk Lazareviæ in Plovdiv on the 6th of July
1410." It was the end of his very short reign.
History of the medieval Serbia is much debated, Vuk is
not the only one accountable for the Serbian destruction,
but in Serbian history he will be the symbol of it.

***********

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Despot Stefan Lazareviæ.
Stefan's father, Duke Lazar Hrebeljanoviæ.
Stefan's mother, Duchess Milica Hrebeljanoviæ.
Serbian Lands in 1422-27.
Manasija Monastery today.
Stefan's tower at Kalemegdan fortress
in Belgrade.
The stylised statue of Stefan Lazareviæ
at Kalemegdan fortress in Belgrade.
 The Monument to Despot Stefan Lazareviæ
located in the village of Crkvine in courtyard of
the church of St. prophet Elijah built in 1427.
Tomb of Despot Stefan Lazareviæ
at Manasija Monastery.
 About the Letter of Love

Despot Stefan Lazareviæ, was not only a lover of books,

and a patron to literature, he was also a benefactor of
education. Stefan, was also a man of letters and a
translator, as Constantine the Philosopher writes: "He
read many Greek books with satisfaction and translated
many of them." Stefan is regarded as one of the best
Serbian writers of the middle ages, his main works
include:
- The Grave Sobbing for Prince Lazar (Íàäãðîáíî
ðèäàœå çà êíåçîì Ëàçàðîì), 1389.
- Inscription on the Marble Pillar at Kosovo (Íàòïèñ íà
ìðàìîðíîì ñòóáó íà Êîñîâó), 1404.
- About the Future Times (Î âðåìåíèìà áóäóžèì),
Byzantine Chronicle in verse from the 12th century,
translated by Stefan Lazareviæ, between 1400-1407.
- Letter of Love (Ñëîâî Šóáàâè), 1409.
- The Code on Mines (Çàêîíèê î ðóäíèöèìà), 1412.
- Prophecy (Ïðîðî÷àíñòâî). This text is not known in its
entirety, it is a religious-mystical text mixed with political
narrative. Some literary historians say it was the work of
Byzantine Emperor Leo VI, called the Wise, or the
Philosopher, (Greek: ËÝùí ÓÔ´ Ò Óïöüò, 886 to 912.).
Others say that there is compelling evidence, confirming

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that it is the work by Stefan Lazareviæ.
The Bavarian State Library in Munich, Germany,
has in its possession the Serbian Psalter, an illuminated
Serbian manuscript containing psalms for liturgical use.
The book describes the reconciliation between Stefan
Lazareviæ and his former foe, nephew, Ðurað Brankoviæ.
The belief is that Stefan Lazareviæ was a patron of this
manuscript.

It's amazing that shortly after the battle at Kosovo (1389),

following the distraction and loss of independence; any
Serbian literature is in existence at all. On the contrary
Serbian literature shows some kind of progress in the
literature field. There are very few simular examples in
the world. Not only literature was making progress, but
also architecture and the art of iconography.
According to M. Stanojloviæ and M. Gajiæ; there
was an archaeological meeting in 1874, Kiev (Ukraine),
where these pictures (frescos) attracted the attention of
experts who expressed their praise: "These pictures have
sprung away from previous iconography in freedom of
colour, beauty of drawing and workmanship. Byzantine's
and Roman's motifs have flown onto Serbian soil into one
distinct harmony."

By building the monasteries Manasija and Kaleniæ, and

together with his mother Milica, the monastery
Ljubistinja, Stefan wanted to make not only religious

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centres but literature centres as well. Stefan relocated the
literature centre from monastery Hlilandar, Athos
Peninsula in Greece, to monastery Manasija, which was
active until the end of XVII century.
No doubt that Stefan Lazareviæ was the instigator and
deserves the credit for that.

Epistle (Serbian; Ïîñëàíèöà), a genre known in ancient

literature, was also fostered and used in Byzantine
literature. Epistle in literature is a letter written to a
person with a specific purpose about political rules, art
questions or very often as a view regarding personal
destiny.
The New Testament contains twenty-one
books/epistles, written by the Apostles to members of the
early Church.
Epistle can be written in prose or in verse, and it has held
a prominent place in Renaissance literature. Very well-
known epistles are written by: Aristotle, Ovid, Maxim
Gorki etc.

The first period of Serbian literature belongs to secular

and church literature. The secular literature has not been
so well preserved as the church one. The church
literature is represented by stories and novels written in
the contemporary literary fashion. The most original
literary genre of that time was a cross between secular
and church literature. Among other literary works, the

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best known are biographies of Serbian kings and
archbishops. In Serbian literature epistle has appeared in
the time of Saint Sava, (1169-1236) Serbian Archbishop,
who wrote an epistle to Spiridon, the abbot of Studenica
Monastery. A book of Rules of monastic life, titled Kariai
Typikon, (Kariai Rules - Kariai a city at Athos peninsula,
Greece), was written by Saint Sava in 1199. It is one of
the oldest and most valuable existing written documents
of Serbian medieval literacy. The text begins with the
citing of David’s Psalms and other Books of the Bible.
The rules are assigned for ascetic life to the solitary
monks whom are given the rules for each day of how to
fast, as well as which religious chants and at what hour to
sing. The monks are not to be disturbed by anyone of the
monastic community, not even by the Abbot himself. The
original of the Kariai Typikon is housed in the Serbian
monastery of Hilandar treasury, at Athos peninsula,
Greece.
The Letter of Love is generally characterized as an
epistle, which was a standard form of writing letters in
the epistolary literature of the time. It is singled out as
one of the best epistle/letter, in Serbian medieval
literature which by its poetic characteristics develops into
a hymn to love. Letter of Love is the first ode in the
Serbian literature. Stefan's letter is a truly lyrical poem in
theme and character. Its lyrical expressions make it
possible to be transliterated into poetic form.
The epistle was most probably written in 1409, during the

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quarrel with his brother. The motive to make the epistle
Letter of Love was the political situation in Serbia at the
time. Disunion in Serbia between the leading nobility
inspired them to seek their own independence or to rule
in their own right. Disunity was a Serbian problem which
was accompanied Serbia for a long time, since the death
of Tsar Dušan the Mighty.
The manuscript of Letter of Love, by Stefan Lazareviæ,
was written in Old-Slavic Cyrillic script.
Serbian tradition, culture, language, beliefs, and customs:
The ethno genesis of Serbs goes far back into the past.
Serbian ancestors, Proto Slavs and Old Serbs, were
described in the 5th century B.C. by Herodotus, under the
names of Neuri and Budini, living north of the Danube
river in the region between the Dnieper river and north-
eastern Carpathians Mountains.
Old-Slavic language descended from common Slavic
language which was used in the original homeland. From
that old period, there are no written documents, thus our
knowledge about the structure of common Slavic
language is not known. There is only linguistic
reconstruction of the language by comparison with the
later living Slavic languages. This hypothetic language
idiom in the linguistic science is usually called: "before
Old-Slavic" language.
In medieval Serbia there were two variants of the
language in use: Church-Slavic and Old-Slavic.
Church-Slavic was used in church liturgy and literature.

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On the other hand, Old-Slavic was used by ordinary
people. This "Folk language" was used in every day
conversations and was spontaneously changing. The real
difference between these two languages was actually in
pronunciation. This difference caused many problems in
orthography for the people and Serbian literature. Stefan
wanted to simplify it for the Serbian people, and
instructed his biographer and contemporary, Constantine,
to write the first Serbian grammar book, (Ñêàçàí¿å îò
ïèñìåíàõ), A History on the Letters. By writing A
History on the Letters, Constantine, made a reform in the
Serbian language, which was in its structure already
phonetically independent. The essay adopted a very
complicated orthography on how Slavic books should be
written. Regardless of subsequent criticism of this
endeavour, Constantine's essay's main aim was to bring
Serbian grammar closer to Greek, which many authors
adopted and used for a long time.
It was necessary to reform the orthography to the
needs of the living tongue. It will take four centuries to
correct it. Serbian lexicographer, collector of folk oral
literature, and reformer of Serbian alphabet, Vuk
Stefanoviæ - Karadžiæ, had for the first time standardised
the orthography for the Serbian language in 1827.
Copies of the Letter of Love were made in Resava
Literacy School, where many hand copies of other
literary works were made. The copy which we have today
is from the middle of the 15th century, which was kept in

-74-
the monastery of Krušedol. Today it is cared for by the
museum of The Serbian Orthodox Church. Unfortunately
an earlier copy of Stefan Lazareviæ's Letter of Love,
which was kept in the National Library (Íàðîäíà
Áèáëèîòåêà) of Serbia, was destroyed by the bombing of
the National Library, in Belgrade, carried out by the
Germans in 1941.
There are a few translations of the poem in
English today and one translation slightly differs from
another. Translators know how hard it is to translate
works from another language, poetically transliterating
works from an old language like Old-Slavic is even
harder.
The manuscript of the epistle Letter of Love, written in
Old-Slavic language, which we have today, is poetically
transliterated into the modern Serbian language by High
School teacher and poet Momèilo Nastasijeviæ, who had
admired and studied Stefan's poem avidly for years.
I have poetically translated the poem into English,
keeping it to the original as much as possible.
Stefan's literary works puts him agreeably at the
top of the list of Serbian medieval writers. In Serbian
literature today, Stefan Lazareviæ is characterized and
catalogued as an exceptional writer and poet. Stefan did
not have it in mind to acquire fame as a poet. There are
no documents or other sources to substantiate that, or any
mention by his biographer, Constantine the Philosopher.

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The letter-poem is one of the most prominent and most
talked about works of Serbian medieval literature. When
one reads, Letter of Love, one can hardly believe that this
statesman and battle hardened warrior with blood on his
hands can redeem his soul and the Holy Scriptures to
write about love, compassion and forgiveness.
The basic theme and motif of the Letter of Love is
the Christian feeling of beauty, love and understanding.
The epistle is hymn to beauty and love, a hymn overfilled
with living freshness and humanistic desires.
The poem is akin to personal Bible-evangelical text, and
it is non-existent in Byzantine literature.
The letter/epistle is not a direct message for peace; Stefan
composes a poem of beauty and love instead. In the
poem, Stefan does not present himself as a statesman or
ruler; he presents himself as a poet and humble human
being. The basic message in the poem is a metaphysical
God's love above all human understandings; love is
identified as a supreme God's being. Love has a very
original witty and clever moral purity. Where there is
beauty there is love. If there is place for understanding
there is place for love. Love is the abstract "hymn" to
mankind, nature, God, beauty, love, meaning of love and
death.
The poem is not rhetorical, it is a Christ-loving
poem and it was partially successful, it brought some kind
of peace between the brothers, and it stopped
unnecessary bloodshed.

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The letter/poem consists of ten strophes, verses are not
uniform, they are free in style, different in each content,
and there is no metre or rhyme.
The best evidence of a poet's skill is the acrostic
achievement, which tell us that Stefan was a formed poet.
Acrostic is usually found in a sonnet and forms a name,
message or thought. In Stefan's manuscript, strophes
begin with the initials and when the initials are connected
a whole from the top to the bottom; (Old-Slavic;
Êðàýºãðàíåñå ñåìîó: Ñëîâî Ëþáâå), and derives the
acrostic/title Letter of Love.
In the poem, Stefan mostly follows evangelist
Saint John, most probably because of his personal
experience. Saint John was living a pure and divine life
in body and soul. Stefan was living the same life and
probably, felt close to John, despite the fact that he was
married for a short time. Among the Gospel personalities,
John the Baptist occupies a totally unique place by the
manner of his entry into the world, as well as by the
manner of his life. He was of such moral purity that, he
could be called an angel as Holy Scripture calls him,
rather than a mortal man.
No doubt Stefan's poem is a witness of it, as well
as his contemporary and friend, Constantine the
Philosopher.
Writing this epistle, his aim was love and peace, he was
portraying himself as a defender of peace, unity and
understanding. The poem is a highly artistic work of real

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historical encounters between brothers and Serbian
nobilities and their small local interests.

When reading the poem the sentences create a lovely

poetry of life, experience of nature and compassion.
Thoughts of beauty, love and human understanding
pervades. Stefan does not seek subordination; he seeks
brotherly love and togetherness.
Letter of Love in its nature is a lyrical poem in theme and
character - cheerful and humane in ecclesiastical love and
love in general.
Some verses in the poem are taken verbatim from
the Holy Scriptures. Stefan is playing with words,
pictures, motifs, biblical or profane views. The poem
contains biblical and classical references, as well as
connotations of intoned texts, verse to verse.
Regardless of biblical references, Stefan is not bound to
fixed literary forms; he writes freely, from his feelings.
Real life in the epistle is very distinctly portrayed,
although the picture of life is covered by biblical texts,
psalms, proverbs and thoughts of seraphic love. Stefan's
epistle reminds us of the most picturesque icons, which
in some places achieves the highest poetical expression
of his immense, delicate and pure love for his brother and
the people. Examples from the Bible are used as
metaphors to express thought, feeling or mood, and are
full of life's freshness and spiritual love. Borrowed
examples from the Bible are stylistic verses which were

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known to educated persons of the time. That is why there
are many understated discrete thoughts in the poem;
whatever the poet wants to say is left in prediction.
Discreetness in expression gives elegance in the
poet's verses and a bit of mystery in feelings on the
biblical motifs, thus presupposes a high literary narrative
in his poem. The lyrics in expression are understated, all
in foretelling and presentiment, based on the biblical text.
Stefan is convinced that his verses, to whom they are
addressed, will be understood and read.
The poem is one poetic breeze with some deep
discrete notes which are followed by the brightness of
spring and summer. The poem's stylistic simplicity; verses
are discerning and delicate through spirit, theme, true
human nature and the idea of love. Stefan is pragmatic,
wise, consistent and just in love and in punishment, he
doesn't incline towards destructiveness; he seeks an
answer in imaginative and absent love and beauty.
In his literary work love, forgiveness and
compassion follow Stefan's every step, he craves for
peace, but in the battle he is a ruthless warrior and
defends himself to the last breath. When the world
becomes tyrannic, Stefan's poetical spirit burns bright and
demands the answer from the ruler of heaven. He was
obsessed by the idea that guided him: "To make words
sacred and the world more humane." The view of the
world and moral principles that he served stay, dedicated
to substantiation and confirmation of these principles

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before the life's work of Stefan Lazareviæ.

On the other side, it is very hard to agree with Stefan's

moral principles and nobleness. On one hand he was
merciless and very cruel. When there was a miner's
rebellion at Srebrenica mine, Stefan came with the army,
encircled the city, captured all the miners and tortured,
mutilated and killed them. According to Constantine the
Philosopher: "Whoever did not obey him, his order was
to chop off their hands or feet."
One person was in the jail and about to be released, jail
warden asked Stefan for his advice. His advice was: "If
you want to feed a snake in your house, after you cut off
its tail, feed it." The person rotted in the jail and was
never released!

In the Letter of Love not only nature is seen, but also a

human being, in all permissibility of good and bad. The
natural world has a divine secret, but that secret is not the
last living thing's secret; above all of that is the secret of
love. If there is love to be found, that can overcome
everything. It is the embodiment of God's love.
According to Constantine the Philosopher, at the time of
the Orthodox hesychast, (the mystic sect in the 14th
century among the monks at Mount Athos in Greece)
Stefan was religious, and was respecting and following
Holly Scriptures in his solitary praying and meditation.
As his biographer writes, Stefan used to kneel down at

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the front of Christ's icon sobbing and praying:
"You know my Lord how my relatives and feudal lords
are iniquitously plotting and betraying me, like your
former pupil Jude, betrayed you, for this reason my Lord,
save those who are still with me."

At the end of the poem, Despot Stefan Lazareviæ speaks

with warm words to a person, he desires to see him again
and to reconcile with him, and pray that this will happen.
Of all the words, the feeling of love is radiant, but
not physical; it is divine, sublime and pure, which is more
valuable than any knowledge and virtue. Love that can
overcome everything is the embodiment of God's love.
Letter of Love is not a church epistle, and it is not
incorporated in any church liturgy.
Inner culminations of the poem are human beings and
human emotions. It is in the centre, making it possible for
future generations to find its own divine spiritual values.
Stefan is building a spiritual base to the Serbian nation,
bequeathing rich spiritual heritage and values.
Literature historian Jovan Deretiæ quotes that: " Letter of
Love is the most beautiful shorter text in the Serbian
medieval literature a poetic enlightenment to his brother
Vuk."

At the time, Renaissance literature in Italy was

developing, thus some literature historians associate
Stefan's Letter of Love with early signs of Renaissance in

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the Serbian literature. Dimitrije Bogdanoviæ states: "That
Stefan's description of the nature in the poem has a
presentiment of the Renascence in Serbian literature."
The Renaissance was a period in European
history, from the 14th to the 17th century, regarded as the
cultural bridge between the middle Ages and modern
history. It started as a movement in Italy in the late
medieval period and later spread to the rest of Europe.
This new thinking became manifest in art, architecture,
politics, science, etc.
M. Stanojloviæ and M. Gajiæ, claim: ". . . if this literary
movement in Serbia was given a chance to develop in
peace for at least another fifty years, perhaps Serbia
would be the birthplace of Renascence instead of Italy?"
One transcriber, contemporary from the Resava
transcribing school, writes like this: "Stefan was admiring
books for their spiritual wisdom, philosophical beauty,
satisfaction and prudence to enlighten his spirit and draw
him closer to the God."
Despot Stefan Lazareviæ is an almost mythological
figure in Serbian history; brave, highly intelligent,
worldly educated a man of letters, exceptional spiritual
and physical characteristics, and an ideal multi-
disciplined man. That's how he was imagined by
Renascence contemporaries.
Stefan Lazareviæ was not a hermit or a martyr,
when we examine him closely; his unusual portrayal of
nature has joined poetry and war theatre into one, but

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only when one is totally identical in the same aspiration,
which can only exist if it streams into true believing.
Stefan Lazareviæ's guidance was love, forgiveness and
compassion, which is evident in his deeply moving
confessions and metaphoric verses. Stefan is honest; he
was pleading for peace and unity, but Vuk's answer was
to divide the country.

Some historians and literary historians are divided

regarding Stefan as a statesman and Stefan as a writer,
but Serbian mediaeval literature, without the poem The
Letter of Love, would be a lot poorer.

a.)
I, Despot Stefan,
to the sweetest, most beloved one,
inseparable from my heart,
always wished for, and much
possessed of wisdom and
to my kingdom true,
(the name being said)
a warm greeting in the Lord
and unsparingly therein
our merciful gifts.

Introductory strophe is in a general character, stereotype

which appears in every epistle. The letter/poem is written
as a plea for peace, but regardless of its praiseworthy

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epithets, sent to addressees, which is aimed to acquiesce
them to a close brotherly love. At the beginning of the
poem in the first verse, Stefan Lazareviæ states authority.
Despotic title is the second in Byzantine hierarchy,
second only to the Emperor and the Second Knight of the
Order of the Dragon, just one beneath Hungarian King
Sigismund. He is merciful to all relatives and nobility
who rebelled against him. He is kindly calling them to
come back to unite in the brotherly love in Jesus Christ.
The dilemma is who was the letter was sent to? The verse
in the first strophe of the poem; (The name being said) is
left blank and does not tell us specifically to whom the
letter was addressed. It was a customary form at the time
to write an epistle and leave a place for the addressee's
name to be inserted. Because of the presence of this
universal principle, for a long time it was debated to
whom the epistle was written. In the epistle it is unclear
to whom it is addressed, but certainly it is about someone
who is close to his heart.
The verse in the eighth strophe; (Together we
were, close to each other), Old-Slavic Language;
(Á±õîìü âüêîóï±, è äðîóãü äðîóãà áëèçü), of the
manuscript, confirms that verse is written in masculine
gender, and does not suggest feminine gender. In the
letter/poem Stefan does not mention his brother Vuk, but
coincidence is obvious. Because of the quarrel between
the brothers the assumption is that the letter was
addressed to his younger brother Vuk Lazareviæ. Stefan

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was on bad terms with other nobilities, not only his
brother, probably the letter was addressed to them as
well?
Stefan's biographer, Constantine the Philosopher, perhaps
clarifies it better. He does not mention poem or poetry in
Stefan's biography, but paraphrases the strophes of the
epistle talking about advancing armies of his brother Vuk
and Turks towards Belgrade. He places treachery
between brothers in the middle of his narration, thus
allegorically binds reason and consequence as to the
nature of the beginning of the quarrel.
One Stojan Berber, by "applying" a formula by the
Swiss psychiatrist, (Carl Gustav Jung, founder of analytic
psychology) claims that Stefan was depressed at the time
when he wrote Letter of Love, concluding his very
shallow "diagnosis" that people "with the mystic look in
their eyes" are usually depressed, suicidal and fearing for
their life! We will never truly know Stefan's
psychological state at the time he wrote the poem. It can
be only speculated.
History records that advancing armies of Vuk and
Turks were closing in towards Belgrade, his capital, so
surely he was fearful of losing his throne and his life.
Before inevitable defeat, Stefan Lazareviæ was humiliated
and cornered to divide the country. This great warrior,
who never lost a battle, was on his knees, sending his
brother Vuk this apologetic, understated epistle/appeal
for peace.

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Praiseworthy epithet; (our merciful gifts), Stefan is
warmly greeting the addressees with a wish to brighten
closeness in brotherly love once more. Stefan
metaphorically refers to his relatives, and feudal lords
that he forgives them, by calling them to come back into
brotherly unity in Jesus Christ.
Letter of Love has all the dimensions of a cheerful
Christ-loving, brotherly poem about love and union of all
in Jesus Christ and everlasting life and blissfulness.
Stefan has achieved the culmination of love by declaring
to see union in brotherly love again.

b.)
The Lord had made spring and summer,
as the Psalmist said, (Ps. 74: 17)*
of all their delights:
To the bird's swift and joyous flight,
to the hills and their peaks,
to the groves and their lengths,
to the fields and their breadths,
to the air of its beauteous
and beautiful soft sounds,
to the soil of its gifts
of fragrant flowers and grass,
and for the man being itself
for renewal and joy
but who is worthy enough to have all this?

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* "It was you that set up all the boundaries of the earth;
summer and winter - you yourself formed them."
This strophe has an appearance not only as a
separate thematic part about nature and its beauties, but
about his feelings toward his brother. Stefan has seen
spring and summer not only as the earth's natural
rejuvenation, he sees rejuvenation of brotherly love,
compassion and understanding of human beings, re-born
in the Holy Spirit. Despot Stefan Lazareviæ notices the
geographic description of Serbia's natural beauties; he
looks forward to the quick flight of birds, mountain
peaks, vast groves, wide fields, and hears the sounds of
life in nature and feels the scent of flowers and grass. The
feeling of the beauty of nature is so strong, he believes
that he is not worthy of it.
The poem is an ode to love, but not only love and humans
were seen, nature was seen as colourful and cheerful. In
the poem are lovely verses of pastoral scenery which was
a novelty in Serbian medieval literature.

c.)
But all these
and other wondrous works of God,
which even the sharpest mind
cannot perceive,
love surpasses all (1 Co. 13: 13)*, (Eph. 3: 19)**
and no wonder
because God is love, (1 Jo. 4: 8)***

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as Saint John said, the Son of Thunder.

* "Now however, there remain faith, hope, love, these

three; but the greatest of these is love."
** "And to know the love of Christ which surpasses
knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness
that God gives."
Verse; "because God is love", suggest that lack of
Stefan's love to the opposite gender was embraced with
the different aspect of love, - love to God.
*** "He that does not love has not come to know God,
because God is love."
Stefan is following Saint John; - we should be loving one
another, one who loves has been born from God.
By portraying himself as a defender of mankind,
peace, love, nature, beauty and understanding. Love and
compassion are necessities, not luxuries, no wonder, one
who does not love, does not know God. Love is a hymn
to God.

d.)
No room in love is there for lies,
as Cain, a stranger to love, said to Abel:
"Let us go over into the field." (Ge. 4: 1-8)*

Alluding that lies and deception do not have a place in

love, Stefan states that Cain was "a stranger to love"
when he said to his brother Abel "Let us go into the

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field." It is a metaphor, a caution overfilled with fear of
brotherly bloodshed. The poet leaves behind the real
meaning, that Cain was going to kill his brother Abel.
Stefan does not want to mention killing, believing that
mentioning the betrayed relation between Cain and Abel
is sufficient.

* Cain and Abel were brothers, sons of Adam and Eve.

Cain, the firstborn, was a farmer, and his brother Abel
was a shepherd. The brothers made sacrifices to God,
each of his own produce, but God favoured Abel's
sacrifice instead of Cain's. Cain then murdered Abel.
In the Holy Scriptures, Cain is generally portrayed as an
Evil. About that, Constantine the Philosopher, writes in
Stefan's biography: "The Evil has instigated Vuk to wage
war against his brother Stefan."
Here Stefan also follows Saint John; (1 Jo. 3: 11-
12) "For this is the message which you have heard from
the beginning, that we should have love for one another
. . . . . Not like Cain who originated with the wicked one
and slaughtered his brother. And for the sake of what did
he slaughter him? Because his own works were wicked
but those of brother were righteous."

e.)
Pure and keen
is the work of love,
and every virtue it surpasses. (Eph. 3: 19)*

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* "And to know the love of the Christ which surpasses
knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness
that God gives."
Stefan also follows Corinthians; (1 Cor. 13: 4-13),
that love is suffering, not jealous, but kind, does not look
for its own interests; true love never fails but rejoices
with the truth. Love bears all things and believes all
things. Experience of the world carries wonderful signs
of religious admiration of every wisdom and philosophy.
Above all is the mystery of love, which comes from God's
essence.

f.)
As David beautifully said,
love is "It is like good oil upon the head,
that is running down upon Aaron's beard,
it is like the dew of Hermon (Ps. 133: 2-3)*
that is descending upon the mountains of Zion."

* Some of these verses in the strophe are taken verbatim

from the song of the Ascents of David, Psalms; (Ps. 133:
2-3). Stefan is also following Numbers; (Nu. 12), to
promote good and pleasant life between brothers,
glorifying how it is good and beautiful when brothers live
in a union of love and harmony. Paraphrasing love and
unity of brothers, Aaron and Moses, Stefan
metaphorically implies a relationship between the
brothers.

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 Psalm; (Ps.132: 13): - "For Jehovah has chosen
Zion; He has longed for it as a dwelling for himself."
Also in Psalm; (Ps. 65: 1) "For you there is praise
. . . O God, in Zion. And to you the vow will be paid."

Zion, easternmost hill of the city of Jerusalem, known

now as Temple Hill, it is situated in the Old City of
Jerusalem.
The mountain Hermon (Hebrew: äø çøîåï) is 2,814
metres high, near the Syrian-Lebanese border, and it is a
source of the river Jordan. The mountain is noted for its
majestic beauty and has been the inspiration for much
imagery in Hebrew poetry. Mountain Hermon is believed
to have been the site of the Transfiguration of Jesus
Christ. The Jordan River is also frequently mentioned in
the New Testament as a site where Jesus Christ was
anointed. (See the gospel according to John the Baptist in
the New Testament).

g.)
Youths and maidens,
for love so apt,
embrace love,
but with rightness and no remorse
to youth and maidenhood,
whereby our nature
unites with Godliness
and thus becomes divine.

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As the Apostle said:
Do not be grieving of God's Holy Spirit,
with which you have been sealed
at the baptism. (Eph. 4: 30)*

Call to the youths to embrace love is a reflection for an

ubiquitous wish for a primeval connection to a pure
living principle of life and an understanding of human
union. By glorifying bachelorhood and maidenhood,
Stefan is calling upon boys and girls to embrace true love
without shame. Stefan is talking here about sensual love,
but not lascivious love. This is new in the Serbian
mediaeval literature, a "renaissance's" view on life and
love. This is enlightenment on new movements and views
in the Serbian population.
Stefan observes purity in nature as well the purity
in the Holy Spirit. Purity of body and spirit is the life of
angelic powers who embellish their personalities like
Angels who never marry, Matthew (Mt. 22: 30).

Biblical text about chastity is not only before marriage, it

is binding in the marriage itself. Before God the marriage
bed is clean if it is not desecrated by adultery.
Stefan is following Ephesians (Eph. 5: 28-33), that
husbands should love their wives and respect each other
and this sacred secret is great. "Let marriage be
honourable among all, and the marriage bed be without
defilement, for God will judge fornicators and adulterers"

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Hebrews (Heb. 13: 4).
* Ephesians (Eph. 4: 30) "Also, do not be grieving God's
holy spirit, with which you have been sealed for a day of
realising by ransom."
Stefan also follows John the Baptist, (Joh. 13: 34)
when Jesus said: "I am giving you a new commandment,
that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that
you also love one another."
Purity of body is stronger than death and hell; it is
fulfilled of immortality; to fulfil that is to withhold
yourself of bodily lust. Perhaps this strophe holds a
mystical revelation that Stefan Lazareviæ was after his
wife's death never remarried. This strophe, without any
doubt confirms that Stefan was a single man, a warrior,
a knight, an able statesman, who lived an ascetic, celibate
and monastic life till the end of his life.

h.)
Together we were, close to each other,
in body and in soul,
did the mountains or the rivers
separate us.
As David said: "You mountains of Gilboa,
let no dew, let no rain be upon you," (2 Sa. 1: 21)*
for Saul you did not save
nor Jonathan!
O the mercifulness of David,
hear, ye Kings, O hear!

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Is it Saul you are bewailing, a found one?
"I found," said the Lord:
"David, a man after my own heart." (Ps. 89: 20)**

This strophe, with innermost feeling, calls heavenly

powers to bring together love, compassion and
forgiveness, which is non-existent and separated in
brotherly relationship.
The verses are Stefan's curse addressed to one
who brought division between the brothers.
Consideration of relationships in the Bible's characters is
an obvious allusion on Brankoviæ's and his brother Vuk.
(O the mercifulness of David), Stefan calls David
merciful, because he was mourning the death of King
Saul, despite King Saul wanting to kill him. David had a
chance to kill King Saul but did not do it, Samuel; (2 Sa.
1: 6-27) and (1 Sa. 24: 5-23).
The first verse in this strophe gives a very strong
indication that the epistle was written to his brother Vuk:
"Together we were close to each other." This strophe
confirms that his biographer, Constantine the
Philosopher, knew about the epistle. He does not mention
the epistle in Stefan's biography, but paraphrases the
quarrel between Brankoviæ and his brother Vuk.
* Stefan quotes, Samuel; (2 Sa.1: 21-23), by
cursing region of Gilboa, because Saul's and Jonathan's
blood was spilled there. Analogy is obvious; Stefan was
fearing for his life with the advancing armies of the Turks

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and his brother Vuk. Stefan feared that what had
happened to Israel's King Saul would happen to him as
well.
King Saul, Israel's first king and his son Jonathan were
pleasant and lovable during their lives to the end. During
the battle at Mount Gilboa they were mightier than the
lions; even their death did not separate them.
Saul and his sons, Jonathan, Abinadab, and Melchishua
were killed in the battle. In the biblical narrative King
Saul apparently committed suicide by falling upon his
own sword.

The Israelites did not have a king for four hundred and
fifty years so God gave them Saul. He was from the tribe
of Benjamin, and he was Israelite's King for forty years.
After his death, God choose David as a king: Acts; (Ac.
13: 22) ". . . I have found David the son of Jesse, a man
agreeable to my heart, who will do all the things I desire."
** Also see Samuel (1 Sa. 13: 14). David was a young
shepherd who first gains fame as a musician and later by
killing Goliath. David is a King's son-in-law and a
favourite of King Saul and after Saul and his sons are
killed in the battle, David is anointed as the second
Israelite King. David hears about the tragedy and curses
the mountain of Gilboa, Samuel (1 Sa. 31: 1-4).
Historians agree that David probably existed around 1000
years BC, but there is little evidence of him as an
historical figure. There is no direct evidence outside of

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the Bible concerning David.
The forested mountain of Gilboa is situated north-
east in Samaria, on the edge of Israel's valley which
stretches from Haifa to Beit-She'an. During the battle
between the Israelis and Philistines, the Israelis fled to
hide in the forests of Gilboa, where many were killed.
Philistines were highly civilized non-Semitic people of
the coastal region of Palestine, who lived circa 1200 BC.
Historians believe that Philistines came from Crete and
settled in the coastal area of Palestine.

i.)
May the winds collide with the rivers,
and run them dry,
as did the sea for Moses (Ex. 14: 21)*
as did the judges for Jesus,
as the Ark of Covenant for Jordan. (Ex. 25: 10)**

* Stefan refers to the narrative in the Old Testament. The

deliverance from Egyptian slavery had been of paramount
significance to Judaism and to the Jewish people. This
verse is a paraphrase concerning the Orthodox Church
and the Serbian people being under Ottoman occupation,
which enslaved and divided Serbia as well. The Turks
were using every Serbian internal conflict to their
advantage as it was in their own interest to divide the
country. Stefan did not want Serbia being dismembered
and enslaved, he was bitterly disappointed and against it,

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calling upon the heavenly powers to prevent it from
happening. Stefan's biographer writes: "Stefan did not
want venerable flock (Serbian Orthodox nation) which
was liberated by God, to be enslaved and dismembered
again."

According to Exodus, the Hebrew prophet Moses makes

passage for the Israelites to cross the Red Sea by lifting
his hand out over the sea, and God made the sea go back,
thus converting the sea basin into dry ground.
** The Ark of the Covenant (Hebrew: àÈøåÉï äÇáÀÌøÄéú),
also known as the Ark of the Testimony was created
according to the pattern given to Moses by God. It is the
gold-plated acacia chest-box with a lid cover containing
the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments. It is the
most sacred object of the temple in Jerusalem.
Stefan is following Joshua (Jos. 3: 15-17) when
priest carriers of the Ark came to the banks of the river
Jordan, and when the priest's feet were dipped into the
river, Jordan overflowed all its banks. While the priests
carrying the Ark of God's covenant kept standing on dry
ground in the middle of the river as all Israel's nation
passed over on the dry ground. This narrative about The
Ark of Covenant is mentioned in Psalms (Ps. 114: 3-5)
"The sea itself saw and took to flight. As for Jordan, it
began to turn back. . . . What was the matter with you, O
sea that you took to flight? O Jordan that you began to
turn back?"

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 Stefan, also, follows, Numbers (Nu. 10: 35) "And
it would occur that when the Ark would set out, Moses
would say: "Do arise, O Jehovah, and let your enemies be
scattered, and let those who intensely hate you flee from
before you."

Again, in this strophe, Stefan is turning towards heavenly

powers to scatter his enemies. This is an illusion on
existing historical circumstances regarding the quarrel
between him and his brother and his enemies.
Theologians are of the opinion that the Book of
Covenant, in The Holy Scriptures, includes the section in
Exodus from 20:23 though 23:33.
Ark as a cult object had a religiously important
role in medieval Serbia. In these arks-coffins, were kept
embalmed bodies of the Serbian holy people and
statesmen. They had an explicitly ideological-dynastic
function.

j.)
And may we be together again,
and see each other again,
and meet again in love
for the sake of our Lord, Jesus Christ,
for whom glory be with the Father
and the Holy Spirit
forever and ever, Amen!

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Despot Stefan Lazareviæ was very upset and sad when he
realised how his brother was instigating Serbian nobility
against him, by sending very flattering letters to them,
like "Jude's kisses," instead of brotherly, humanly love
and love in Jesus Christ. In his letter/epistle, Stefan pours
out his ache for the loss of brotherly love and love in
Christianity, but again he believes in expectations and
serenity for unity in love of Jesus Christ and the Holy
Trinity.
Quarrel and confrontation with his brother are
historical facts to which the poem turns towards. Stefan
does not seek revenge, all of the words in the poem, the
feeling of love is radiant, sublime and pure. Above all
these reprimands and sufferings follow an honest and
open appeal to Vuk and Serbian nobility to reconcile and
unite in God's love.
These are the last words in the epistle from his
brother.
Inner culmination of the letter/poem is at the end, he
expresses the desire to see the dear person again, who
deserted him, and to reconcile with him and prays for this
to happen.

What is so personal and significant which makes Stefan

an everlasting subject for today's historians and critics of
literature?
Serbian historians are divided in their opinion
about Stefan Lazareviæ's reign. Some say that he was one

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of the most important statesmen in the Serbian history,
regarding historical circumstances in Serbia at the time.
Others praise Stefan's virtues, but bitterly attack his
statesman skills.

A lot has been written about Despot Stefan Lazareviæ in

Serbian literature. He can be written about from a few
different points of view e.g. as a warrior, statesman, man
of letters, patron of literature. . .
Many historical, literary and linguistic investigations
have been written and many have to be written, which
would decipher his literary character and statesmanship.
Constantine the Philosopher summarised:
"Spiritual cleanliness cleanses the soul. Bravery joined
together with good knowledge and wisdom becomes one
and it is inseparable. In Stefan's character all of this
becomes radiant, complex and virtuous."

************

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 Conclusion

The battle of Kosovo sealed up the shiniest era of about

200 years in Serbian history. After that remarkable by
gone era, Stefan Lazareviæ, tried to continue the Serbian
State in the idea and spirit of Nemanjiæ Dynasty and his
father Duke Lazar Hrebeljanoviæ.
Stefan's Serbia stopped existing in 1459. It took
354 years and two uprisings by the Serbian people to
finally become free of Turkish rule in 1813.
In Belgrade today, Stefan's white city, different
people are walking the streets with different ideas. There
is only Stefan's tower and colossal symbolic stylised
sculpture of Despot Stefan Lazareviæ at Kalemegdan
fortress work by Nebojša Mitriæ which are reminiscences
of him.
In communist Yugoslavia it was politically
unacceptable to champion religion, Serbian arts, literature
and culture, and it was suppressed. Not to hurt the
feelings of the other "brotherly" republics, Stefan
Lazareviæ's works were "inapt" to the communist cause,
and he was not taught much about in the schools.

Today, Serbs honour him in a lot of different ways. There

are monuments, streets and schools named in his honour.

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Children learn about him in the schools. You can still
read articles about him from time to time in the daily
Serbian newspapers.
His life was like a flower which blossoms too early
and wilts too early.
The physical disappearance of Despot, Stefan
Lazareviæ from this world did not extinguish his spirit
and uniqueness. He is still with the Serbian people
through his deeds, wisdom and spiritual legacy.

************

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Sources:
- "Ñëîâî Šóáâå", Ñòåôàí Ëàçàðåâèž, 1409.
- "Äåñïîò Ñòåôàí Ëàçàðåâèž", Ì. Ñòàíî¼ëîâèž è Ì.
Ãà¼èž, Áåîãðàä, 1894.
- "Äåñïîòîâà âëàñòåëà", Àíäðà Ãàâðèëîâèž, èçäàœå,
Ðà¼êîâèž è €óêîâèž, Áåîãðàä, 1927.
- "Æèâîò êðàšåâà è àðõèåïèñêïà ñðïñêèõ", Äàíèëî
II àðõèåïèñêï, Ñðïñêà êœèæåâíà çàäðóãà, Áåîãðàä,
1935.
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Êîñìîñ, Áåîãðàä, 1960.
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University Press, 1966.
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Êîíñòàíòèí Ôèëîçîô, Ïðîñâåòà, Áåîãðàä.
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ÊàðŸèž, Èíîñòðàíî Áèáëè¼ñêî Äðóøòâî, Áåîãðàä.
- "Holy Scriptures", New World Bible Translation
Committee, New York, 1984.
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Êîñòåíè÷êè", Ê. Êóåâ - Ã. Ïåòêîâ, Ñîôèÿ, 1986.
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Luttrell, Oaks Papers, 1986.
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Ìàðêîâèž, Êðàãó¼åâàö, 1989.
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Êàøàíèí, Ïðîñâåòà, Áåîãðàä, 1990.
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Ðàäîø Šóøèž, Íîâè Ñàä, 2001.
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Ïðîñâåòà, Áåîãðàä, 2007.
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2007.

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