prince serbian pronounced serbian king facto ruler territory western macedonia centered town known prince serbian king bulgarian south slavic oral tradition major character period ottoman rule balkans father ruler serbian reign characterised weakening central authority gradual holdings included lands western macedonia crowned young king title included possibility succeed childless serbian throne september killed forces defeated months later died formally king serbian land serbian effectively independent central authority consider recognise supreme ruler ottoman vassal significant portions territory inherited seized king reality came regional lord ruled relatively small territory western macedonia funded construction near better known monastery completed died fighting ottomans ruler modest historical significance major character south slavic oral tradition national hero serbs remembered balkan folklore fearless powerful protector weak fought injustice confronted turks ottoman occupation life born son wife derives described 17th century historian minor nobleman present day southern according sons born western bosnia moved annexed serbia bosnia later supported serbian emperor preparations invade bosnia nobles fearing punishment emigrated war started preparations possibly began years ahead invasion took place year comes earliest written reference father describing appointed district governor acquired serbia byzantium parts macedonia age died suddenly stroke succeeded year old son apparently regarded man trust new emperor appointed head embassy sent croatia end july negotiate peace empire hostilities earlier year peace reached successfully negotiated release serbian merchants detained permitted withdraw silver deposited city family account embassy document contains earliest known undisputed reference inscription written wall church region mentions governors region identity disputed death followed stirring activity south western territories including lands southern albania core state western lands including upper central serbian lands macedonia remained loyal emperor local asserted independence authority state remained serbian weak unable counteract tendencies inferior power domain serbian lords fought territory influence politician gradually assumed main role empire august september crowned king making ruler potential increased expanded personal holdings macedonia acquiring charter issued april mentioned wife sons signing lord western provinces late early crowned young king title given heirs serbian kings secure position successors throne childless successor beginning new dynasty serbian ending century dynasty serbian lords unhappy situation strengthened desire independence central authority sought connected princess sent father court relative ban bosnia supposed raised married mother daughter maternal grandfather serbian king ban mother approved idea join princess wedding imminent april pope urban sent letter forbidding catholic lady marriage son pope notified king louis hungary nominal overlord ban impending offence christian faith marriage occur subsequently married daughter lord major serbian nobleman southern macedonia spring participated preparations campaign major lord west empire campaign planned jointly lord married king daughter july year camped army outside territory ready land attack took place ottomans threatened land lord younger brother ruled eastern macedonia forces quickly directed eastward having sought allies vain brothers troops entered ottoman controlled territory battle september turks annihilated serbian army bodies found battle site near village present day eastern greece called serbian rout turkish far reaching consequences region opened balkans turks father died young king king ruler emperor dynasty ended soon died december formal sovereign serbia serbian lords recognise divisions state increased brothers deaths destruction armies family left powerless lords exploited opportunity seize significant parts took prince took acquired magnate virtually independent remained vassal son law relative clan serbian adjacent present day received lands newly conquered parts macedonia emperor reign sizable town kept father rose king petty prince ruling relatively small territory western macedonia bordered north mountains east rivers west southern limits territory uncertain shared rule younger brother land mother nun death taking monastic ruler time youngest brother lived land controlled brother little known ottoman vassal uncertain probably immediately point separated lived wife man named returned father later sought reconcile send father law land bordered south reconciliation political subject book church village finished composed inscription begins follows fortress hill north present day partially preserved remains known towers beneath fortress village site medieval village contains renovated portraits walls monastery church sunday finished shortly inscription church entrance called young king popularly known monastery village near built depicted south entrance monastery church looking man purple clothes wearing crown decorated left hand holds text begins christ god pious king built inscribed divine temple right hand holds horn horn oil old testament kings coronation described samuel said shown king chosen god lead people crisis following money common father serbian nobles time silver coins weighed grams produced types contained line text christ god pious king type reverse depicted christ seated throne second christ seated type reverse depicted christ contained line text pious king church inscription omitted territorial designation title probably limited power brother coins money supply territory ruled brothers primarily consisted coins struck coins survive collections prince ruler emerged powerful serbian nobleman called serbs strong unite serbian lands authority families continued ruling respective regions addition crowned king serbs bosnia monastery related dynasty seized western portions serbian empire june serbian forces led prince nobleman confronted ottoman army led battle best known battle medieval serbian history bulk armies wiped killed outcome battle inconclusive aftermath serbs insufficient manpower defend lands turks troops east serbian ottoman years group ottoman balkans renounced younger brothers refused remain turkish dominance emigrated entering service travelled withdrew thirds late father store kilograms silver leaving remaining serbian nobles hungary serbian northward migration continue ottoman occupation turks attacked punish ruler incursions territory serbian fought ottoman lord son heir prince won killed deaths turks annexed lands combining ottoman province centred thirty years philosopher wrote biography recorded said eve battle pray lord help christians matter die war folk poetry serbian epic poetry popular hero serbian epic poetry called word meaning prince king son informal title attached king sons contemporary sources surname adopted serbian oral tradition poems follow storyline poetic cycle hero adventures character personality epic year lifespan 16th century heroes appearing companions include fiery dragon nephew historical facts found poems reflect connection ottomans composed anonymous serbian poets ottoman occupation land according american combine tragic comedy fashion worthy playwright serbian epic poetry agrees king father mother poems sister lord mount described man immense size strength magical attributes winged horse sabre eyes murdered help young wife despite self sacrificing attempt save brother instead marrying original plan killed woman took capital city married according advice dying bore sons poem events says took uncle epic character corresponds historically bulgarian mercenary service serbian later died battle according account slavic mountain married caught near lake removed wings escape matured said control son went wanted drank grew large strong man terrifying appearance somewhat comical wore wolf skin cap pulled low dark eyes black size month old lamb wolf damascus sabre swung waist spear weighed kilograms hung left saddle balanced filled saddle right grip strong squeeze drops water piece dry wood defeated succession champions overwhelming odds hero companion powerful talking horse gave equal share wine horse leap spear lengths high spear lengths forward enabling capture dangerous elusive blood sister promising help dire straits helped kill monstrous hearted defeated slain better man portrayed protector weak helpless fighter turkish injustice general keeper natural norms turkish military camp beheaded killed father abolished marriage tax killing imposed people saved sultan daughter unwanted marriage blood brother help rescued serbian blood brothers dungeon helped animals distress people promoter life prince remembered like fair day year reverence love mother sought advice following contradicted desires lived mansion guiding away evil good path moral improvement christian virtues honesty moral courage noteworthy poem person knew late heir refused lie favour father said appointed son heir serbian throne cost life tried kill represented loyal vassal ottoman sultan fighting protect empire summoned sultan participated turkish military campaigns relationship personality sense dignity apparent occasionally sultan uneasy meetings usually ended like combined notion servant greater lord serbian poets turned tables dual aspect explain heroic status serbs proud symbol expressive spirit lived spite disaster defeat according translator serbian epic poems battle strength prowess despite extraordinary qualities depicted superhero god mortal man opponents surpassed courage strength occasionally short tempered cruel predominant traits honesty loyalty fundamental goodness comic appearance behaviour remarks opponents expense humorous character serbian epic poetry struck said black earnest advised son cease bloody adventures fields instead humorous way sultan highway instead fields group turkish packs gold shouted stop highway warned furrows quickly arguing age rode year old told going die saw reflection face water confirmed words killed turks use labor gave beloved companion elaborate burial broke sword spear throwing far sea lying die body found seven days later took mount buried monastery unmarked grave epic poetry bulgaria macedonia popular characters bulgarian folklore centuries bulgarian epic tales general particular originate southwestern bulgarian region primarily present day republic macedonia tales ethnic heritage present day macedonia according local legend mother sister bulgarian ruled territory birth fairy appeared predicting hero replace father king king heard threw son river basket rid named found brought foster mother drank milk acquired supernatural powers bulgarian freedom fighter turks winged horse named bulgarian legends incorporate fragments pagan mythology beliefs epic created late 18th centuries bulgarian epic songs songs common pivotal bulgarian collected stories included educator region western macedonia region legend south slavic legends primarily based myths older historical differs legend folk poems areas imagined giant walked stepping head touching clouds said helped god shape earth created river gorge iron gate stroke sabre drained sea covering regions macedonia making earth shaped showed strength god took away leaving bag heavy earth road tried lift lost strength ordinary man legend acquired strength king threw river resemble boy saved adopted accounts shepherd found children lost mountain shaded sun gave water reward times lift throw large boulder version making shade snakes instead children bulgarian version milk breast snake associated large solitary rocks said thrown hill horse connected geographic features hills cliffs caves rivers brooks created memorable named west bulgaria east derived bulgarian stories equally strong sister competed throwing legends wonder horse gift serbian story says looking horse bear test grab tail shoulder seeing owned grabbed tail bought cured naming enormously powerful horse companion legend following advice captured sick horse mountain cured patches horse skin grew white hairs according folk tradition died lives cave moss covered den unknown land serbian legend recounts fought battle men killed soldiers horses swam blood lifted hands heaven said god going god took pity transporting cave stuck sabre rock fell asleep moss cave eats bit bit sabre slowly emerges rock falls ground finishes moss world allegedly saw descending deep pit lived large house seen saw land living cave according tradition drank eagle water immortal heaven modern culture 19th century subject hungarian drama possibly written performed hungarian drama serbian hero staged wrote tragedy dream prince legend sleeping central motif wrote drama southern strength presented italian drama resurrection prince serbian epic historical figures considered given inspiration visual artists monograph subject lists authors oldest known depictions 14th century monastery 18th century drawing found medieval manuscript belonging serbian orthodox church eastern bosnia drawing simple unique depicting saint reminiscent wrote century childhood saw painting carrying nineteenth century artists painted century include twentieth century artists include sculpture reproduced stamp modern subject include motifs multiple works mother shooting arrow roads fight death artists tried produce realistic portrait based brewery introduced light beer
Prince Marko