Directory:Korcula History 2

If we put aside political correctness, concerning Korcula's history

If we put aside political correctness, one could ask the question what happened to the Roman families when the Slavs invaded the island of Korčula? The Slavic tribes invaded the Dalmatian province of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire).

Events

Events could have unfolded (and most probably did) which led to them being attacked and killed. The survivors could have fled from Korčula to Ragusa (Dubrovnik), then a place of refuge. Maybe some survived and remained on the island. Nikola Ostojic a 19 century Historian from Korčula (Blato) describes the actual invasion of the Narentani (Neretljani Slavs) in his book Historical Compendium of the Island of Korčula which written in 1858. The Roman cities of Dalmatia; Epidaurum, Narona and Salona which were then part of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire), were destroyed or just abandoned. This was due to the fact that the cities were not strategically set up for defence from constant invasions. According various sources the Avari participated in these events too the Ostrogoths tribes also invaded Dalmatia in the 6th century). The Avari were a nomadic people from Asia who invaded the Balkans at the same time as the Slavs. In this historic period it is recorded that many of the churches on the island of Korčula were destroyed (then rebuilt at a later stage). According to Nikola Ostojic, the Roman families survived. They spoke the Romance language-Dalmatian.

The new population probably settled in the centre of the island (near the village Cara) and they spoke Chakavian-Croatian. The centre of the island had its strategic qualities which allowed protection on all sides from attack by sea. It also had fertile land which allowed cultivation. After the invasion of Slavic tribes, the region stabilised to a certain extent. The Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) and the Republic of Venice and others, started to exert a political influence over the region. These events have been recorded historically by both Empires in chronicles of the time.

Dalmatians of Roman-Latin ancestry brought Mediterranean cultural to the Slavs. Christianity was one aspect of this. In essence Slavs on the island were Romanized. The 19th century theories concerning the identity of these early Slavs is flawed. The latest scholarly & archaeological research states that the Slavs of Southern Dalmatian were identified as neither Croatians or Serbs. They were called Slavs.This term was first used by the Byzantines and was written in the 6th century in Byzantine Greek. Then latter also as Croatians. There is archaeological evidence from 16 century where the Croatian identity was used. Stone writings in Zavalatica are dedicated to events from 889 AD. It describes a clash between the Slavic population and the Venetian army. Marinko Gjivoje wrote about the find in 1972. The stone writings uses: Hrvat Dalmatinac in its writings. Hrvat means Croatian in Slavic.

Later the Slavic peoples started to identify themselves and separated (or by others) into different groups which is perfectly normal. It seems that in Southern Dalmatia the Slavic identity lasted much longer. As centuries went by Dalmatian Slavs started to referer to themselves as just Dalmatians.

Signor Arneri stated: Historic quote taken from Researches on the Danube and the Adriatic: By Andrew Archibald Paton. Chapter 4. The Dalmatian Archipelago.p164 (1861)

“

These three pears you see on the wall," said he, "are the arms of my family. Perussich was the name, when, in the earlier part of the fifteenth century, my ancestors built this palace; so that, you see, I am Dalmatian. All the family, fathers, sons, and brothers, used to serve in the fleets of the Republic (Republic of Venice); but the hero of our race was Arneri Perussich, whose statue you see there, who fought, bled, and died at the Siege of Candia, whose memory was honoured by the Republic, and whose surviving family was liberally pensioned; so his name of our race. We became Arneri, and ceased to be Perussich (Here is a perfect example of Slavic family surname becaming later Venetian in character. According to Marinko Gjivoje, Perussich is Piruzović.)

”

The Statute of Korčula which was first drafted in 1214 was probably written by Latin & Slavic Nobility.

Historic quote taken from When Ethnicity Did not Matter in the Balkans by John Van Antwerp Fine:

“

"In 1262 the Venetian praised the Slavs and Latins on the island of Korcula for submitting to the prince Venice had sent"

”

Today we have surnames on the island that are not of Slavic origin, for example:

• Izmaeli - originally de Ismael
• Gabrijeliċ - originally Gabriel
• Đunio - originally de Giunio

Korčula Dialect

Korčula Dialect (or Korčulanski) is a Croatian dialect from the island of Korčula in Croatia. According to the Croatian Anthropological Society in their Collegium Antropologicum (Volumes 15-16) the language base of the Korčula dialect is Chakavian Croatian (it is also intermixed with Shokavian). The dialect has remnants of the extinct Romance language, Dalmatian. The Dalmatian remnants within the dialect have been referred to as Corzulot. Additionally it has influences of Venetian:

• Defora in old Venetian means "from the outside".
• Regarding the Shokavian dialect (taken from-Land of 1000 Islands by Igor Rudan):

“

However, the clashes between the Ottoman Empire and Venetian Republic produced extensive migrations from the mainland areas, especially from today's Bosnia and Herzegovina, to the eastern parts of the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korčula, and Pag. The newcomers brought their gene pool and a variety of cultural specificities, including the “Shokavian” dialect of the Croatian language to the predominantly “Chakavian” area. The most extensive migrations to these islands occurred during the Cypriote (1571-1573), Candian (1645-1669), and Morean wars (1684-1699). The newcomers were given land and awarded special privileges “The Paštrović Privileges”.

”

The new arrivals to the island were predominately Slavic (Shtokavian) speakers. This must have put the Slavic speaks (Old Croatian Slavic - Chakavian + Slavic - Shtokavian) on the island in a majority. Interesting today some Croatians and Serbs share this dialect. Venetian was still Lingua franca on the island and must have replaced Latin as the official written language.

Korčula dialect and Venetian

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• adio/goodbye - Venetian: adio
• afitat/rent - Venetian: afìt
• ala/come on - Venetian: ala
• aria/air - Venetian: aria
• arma/armed - Venetian: arma
• balun/football - Venetian: balón
• banak/bench - Venetian: banca
• baraka/shed or shack - Venetian: baràca
• barba/uncle - Venetian: barba
• barilo/ barrel - Venetian: barìla
• barka/type of local boat - Venetian: bàrca
• bareta/ cap, hat - Venetian: bareta
• bevanda/wine with water- Venetian: bevànda "watery wine"
• beštimat/swear - Venetian: bestiemàr
• bićerin/small glass - Venetian: bicér "glass"
• bira/beer-Venetian: bira
• biskot/cookies-biscot
• boca/bottle - Venetian:boca
• bonaca/the sea is dead calm - Venetian:bonàca
• bonbon/sweet - Venetian: bonbon
• botun/ botton - Venetian: boton
• bova/ bouy - Venetian: bova
• Brigela/ local nickname - Venetian: brighela (meaning joker)

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• britva/ knife- Venetian: britolada
• bura/ northern wind - Venetian: bora
• burin/ light northern wind - Venetian: borin
• buža/ hole - Venetian: bus or buxa
• čorav/blind - Venetian: ciòro "blind person"
• Defora in old Venetian means "from the outside".
• karoca/ small carriage - Venetian: carosa (carriage)
• kartun/ cupboard - Venetian: carton
• kasa/ case - Venetian: casa
• katrida/ chair - Venetian: carega
• klapa/an a cappella form of music - Venetian:clapa "singing crowd"
• kužin/ cousin - Venetian:cuxìn
• Levant/ strong easterly wind - Venetian: Levantera
• Maragun/wood worker - Venetian: Marangòn
• mezo/in between - Venetian: mèzo "half"
• mudante/underwear - Venetian: mudande
• perun/fork - Venetian: pirón from Greek: pirouni
• pirula/ pill - Venetian: pirola
• pitar/ pot - Venetian: pitar (vas, jar)
• šiloko/local wind - Venetian: siròco
• šporko/dirty - Venetian: spórco
• šufit/ attic or loft - Venetian: sofìta

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Historic classifies of Korčula's political life in the following phases

• Indigenous population of Korčula were Illyrians. It is believed that the Illyrians arrived in the Balkans approximately 1000 BC.
• Greek colony was founded on Korčula. Greek colonists from Corcyra (Corfu) formed a small colony on the island in the 4th century B.C. The Greeks named it "Black Corfu" after their homeland and the dense pine-woods on the island.

Lumbarda Psephisma is a stone inscription on the island of Korčula, in modern-day Croatia. It is believed that the psephism is from the 4th century B.C. The Greeks established a settlement on the basis of a prior agreement with the representatives of the local Illyrians who were Pil and his son Daz.

• The island became part of the Roman province of Illyricum. After the Illyrian Wars. Roman migration followed and Roman citizens arrived on the island. In 10 AD Illyricum was split into two provinces, Pannonia and Dalmatia. Korčula became part of the ancient Roman province of Dalmatia.
• In the 6th century it came under Eastern Roman Empire-Byzantine (by then the Greek families would have been Romanized). The Illyrian population according to the Historical Compendium of the Island of Korcula suffered greatly under the Romans. After the Illyrian Wars the males were excited and females were sold of to slavery.
• Migrations of the 7th century, brought the Slavic peoples into the Dalmatian region. The Neretljani Slavs invaded the island and occupied it. The Old-Slavic term for Korčula for was Krkar.
• Conquered by the Veneti under the management of the doge Pietro Orscolo from 999 to 1100.
• Held by the Genoese from 1100 to 1129.
• Recaptured by Popone Zorzi, from the Veneto Region, and by the Republic subjected to this house from 1129 to 1180, from 1252 to 1254, and from 1258 until 1357.
• Possessed on behalf of the king of Hungary from 1257 and with brief interruptions of the Genoese until 1418.
• Korčula was devastated by the plague in 1558.
• Devoting itself of its own accord to the Republic of Venice in 1420, and held by it with exemption from any tax until 1797.
• Surrendered with the Veneto State to Napoleon I of France, and united with the Kingdom of Italy from 1806 to 1807, and later from 1808 to 1813 annexed with Dalmatian to the Illyrian provinces.
• Taken and held by the Russians in 1808
• Taken from the French by the English and guarded for themselves from 1813 to 1815.
• Occupied by Austria, first by obligation from 1797 to 1806, later by Vienna Treaty from 1815 to 1918.
• Under the Treaty of Rapallo (Nov. 12, 1920 between Italy and Yugoslavia), Korčula became part of Yugoslavia. It was interpreted back then as the formation of the Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia & Slovenia.

Additional:

• Venetian & Ragusan families.
• Second Slavic (Croatian) migration in 17th & 18th century.

Korčula originally a Latin town. Latter became Latin/Slavic (Croatian), latter the Venitians arrived. Čara originally a Slavic village. Interesting: Čara used to be called Hara. The Austria-Hungary census registered Čara's name as Kcara.

In 1918 Korcula was part of Dalmatia

In 1918 Korčula (then called Curzola) was part of Dalmatia. Dalmatia was a province in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and was already more than a century old. Dalmatia itself as a region, dates back to the Roman Empire which was well before the Slavic invasions of the 7th century. According to the Austrian censuses it was predominately made up of Croatians and Italians (and other minorities). With the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, Serbia started occupying the region (Italy did the same). This was part of the Treaty of Rapallo. It was interpreted back then as the formation of the Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia & Slovenia.

The new kingdom had the support of Great Britain and France, who were the superpowers of the day. In retrospect this was a tragic move, one that the United States was against. The effects of this political stupidity are still felt today. It is interesting how this newly created state “Kingdom of Serbia, Croatia & Slovenia”, which later became better know as the ill fated Yugoslavia, was given a lot of support over the succeeding decades. This part of European history surely needs more academic attention.

Former Yugoslavia-West Balkans History

The region of the former Yugoslavia-West Balkans has problems with interpreting multicultural and multiethnic history (& societies). The statement below comes from a book called Dalmatia (History, Culture, Art Heritage) written by Antun Travirka.

“

By the 14th century the city had become wholly Croatian

”

The book it self is primarily for the tourist market and is easily available in serval languages. It is on page 137 and it’s referring to the Republic of Ragusa. The old Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) is now within the borders of the modern Croatia. This monolithic description is an outright lie and it’s a form of culture genocide. Additionally the book did not even mention Ragusa the name at all, which was used for more than a millennium.The peoples of Ragusa were a nation in their own right; the Republic was also made up of many ethnic nationalities. The Republic was a Maritime nation that traded all over the Mediterranean and even had trade with the Americas. Additionally it was in competition with Venice itself.

Concerning the former Yugoslavia (which Croatian was part of) the Cold War era played a major role in this style of historical documentation of the region’s history. Yugoslav Communist history is now dogma in Croatia. Many of today’s Croatians live with this dogma as their reality even though the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.

• Quote by contemporary historian Danijel Dzino:

“

Medieval studies in Croatia and in most of the former Yugoslav space were firmly rooted in political history and suffered from isolationism and lack of interest in foreign scholarship. In the communist era, especially after the 1960s, Marxist ideology and national and Yugoslav political-ideological frameworks strongly impacted on the research into medieval history in Croatia

”

• Note: Communist Yugoslavia executed Historian - Kerubin Segvic. He was executed mainly for proposing a different historic model than that of Yugoslav regime state policies of Croatians arriving in the Western Balkans.

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References

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