The ''krstaš-barjak'' ( crusader

flag A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and fla ...

) ( sr-Cyrl, крсташ-барјак; from ''krstaš'', " crusader" and ''barjak'', "

banner A banner can be a flag or another piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or another message. A flag whose design is the same as the shield in a coat of arms (but usually in a square or rectangular shape) is called a banner of arms. Also, ...

") refers to various

war flag A war ensign, also known as a military flag, battle flag, or standard, is a variant of a national flag for use by a country's military forces when on land. The nautical equivalent is a naval ensign. Under the strictest sense of the term, few co ...

s with crosses in the centre, part of Montenegrin tradition, originating from medieval military flags. The krstaš-barjak is known that

Serbian Emperor Between 1345 and 1371, the Serbian monarchs held the title of emperor (tsar). The full title was initially Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks, later Emperor of the Serbs, Greeks and Bulgarians in Serbian and ''basileus'' and '' autokrator'' of Ser ...

Stefan Dušan Stephen (honorific), Stefan Uroš IV Dušan ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош IV Душан), also known as Dušan the Mighty ( sr-Cyrl, Душан Силни; – 20 December 1355), was the King of Serbia from 8 September 1331 and Emperor of th ...

(r. 1331–55) adopted the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

cross flag (''

divellion The ''divellion'' or ''dibellion'' () was a symbol of the Byzantine Empire under the Palaiologos dynasty, late Byzantine Empire, the Emperor's personal banner. It was carried by the ''skouterios'' ("shield-bearer"), alongside the Imperial shield, ...

'', which was purple and had a golden cross in the center). According to

Serbian epic poetry Serbian epic poetry () is a form of epic poetry created by Serbs originating in today's Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The main cycles were composed by unknown Serb authors between the 14th and 19th centu ...

, during the Ottoman period,

hajduks A hajduk (, plural of ) is a type of Irregular military, irregular infantry found in Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and parts of Southeast Europe from the late 16th to mid 19th centuries, especially from Hajdú–Bihar Count ...

had war flags with crosses (''krstaš-barjak'') or icons of saints (''svetački barjak''). The ''krstaš-barjak'' is mentioned in poems of the ''Kosovo Cycle''; knight Boško Jugović bears it at the

battle of Kosovo The Battle of Kosovo took place on 15 June 1389 between an army led by the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović and an invading army of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Murad I. It was one of the largest battles of the Late Middl ...

(1389). It was used as the general rebel flag during the

Serbian Revolution The Serbian Revolution ( / ') was a national uprising and constitutional change in Serbia that took place between 1804 and 1835, during which this territory evolved from an Sanjak of Smederevo, Ottoman province into a Revolutionary Serbia, reb ...

(1804–17), and as the secondary flag of the supreme commander (

Karađorđe Đorđe Petrović (; ; – ), known by the sobriquet Karađorđe (; ), was a Serbian revolutionary leader who led a struggle against the Ottoman Empire during the First Serbian Uprising. He held the title of Grand Vožd of Serbia from 14 ...

1804–13;

Miloš Obrenović Miloš Obrenović (; ; 18 March 1780 or 1783 – 26 September 1860) born Miloš Teodorović (; ), also known as Miloš the Great () was the Prince of Serbia twice, from 1815 to 1839, and from 1858 to 1860. He was an eminent figure of the Firs ...

1815–17). It was later adopted as a military flag by the

Principality of Montenegro The Principality of Montenegro () was a principality in Southeastern Europe that existed from 13 March 1852 to 28 August 1910. It was then proclaimed a Kingdom of Montenegro, kingdom by Nikola I of Montenegro, Nikola I, who then became King of M ...

(1852–1910) and

Kingdom of Montenegro The Kingdom of Montenegro was a monarchy in southeastern Europe, present-day Montenegro, during the tumultuous period of time on the Balkan Peninsula leading up to and during World War I. Officially it was a constitutional monarchy, but absolu ...

(1910–1918). The Montenegrin war flag used in the Battle of Vučji Do (1876) was red with a white

cross pattée A cross pattée or cross patty (, ), also known as a cross formée or cross formy, or even a Templar cross, is a type of Christian cross with arms that are narrow at the centre and often flared in a curve or straight line shape to be broader at th ...

in the center and a white border, and tradition holds that it was adopted from the war flag of Kosovo which found itself in Montenegro after surviving knights brought it there. In

Peroj Peroj ( Montenegrin: Перој) is a village in the Town of Vodnjan on the southwestern coast of Istria, Croatia. Peroj originally dates back to the Copper Age of prehistory, as testified by a necropolis within the old walls of the village. T ...

(in Croatia), it is held that their ancestors (who migrated from Montenegro) had a war flag used at Kosovo in their possession.

Gallery

Divellion of Emperor Dušan.svg, Banner of the

1345–1355 First Serbian Uprising early 1804 flag.png, Flag used during the

First Serbian Uprising The First Serbian Uprising (; sr-Cyrl, Први српски устанак; ) was an uprising of Serbs in Orašac (Aranđelovac), Orašac against the Ottoman Empire from 14 February 1804 to 7 October 1813. The uprising began as a local revolt ...

(1804) Paja_Jovanovic-Takovski_ustanak.jpg, '' The Takovo Uprising'' (1888),

initiating the

Second Serbian Uprising The Second Serbian Uprising ( / ''Drugi srpski ustanak'', ) was the second phase of the Serbian Revolution against the Ottoman Empire, which erupted shortly after the re-annexation of the country to the Ottoman Empire in 1813. The occupation was ...

(1815–17). Vucji_Do_flag.svg, War flag from the Montenegrin–Ottoman Battle of Vučji Do (1876).

Annotations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krstas-barjak Flags with crosses Serb culture Serbian nationalism Culture of Montenegro History of the Serbs Serbian words and phrases

Gallery

See also

Annotations

References