The Lužani ( sr-cyr, Лужани) were a medieval people in
Zeta
Zeta (, ; uppercase Ζ, lowercase ζ; , , classical or ''zē̂ta''; ''zíta'') is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 7. It was derived from the Phoenician alphabet, Phoenician letter zay ...
who inhabited the county of Luška župa, located in the
Zeta valley, north to present-day
Podgorica
Podgorica ( cnr-Cyrl, Подгорица; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Montenegro, largest city of Montenegro. The city is just north of Lake Skadar and close to coastal destinations on the Adriatic Sea. Histor ...
. Originating from a mixture of Slavic and pre-Slavic populations, the Lužani were likely gradually assimilated by
local tribes, mainly the
Bjelopavlići
Bjelopavlići ( cyrl, Бјелопавлићи, ; ) is a historical tribe (pleme) of Albanians, Albanian origin and a valley in the region of the Brda (Montenegro), Brda, in Montenegro, around the city of Danilovgrad.
Geography
The ''Bjelopavl ...
and the
Pješivci
Pješivci ( Serbian and Montenegrin: Пјешивци; ) was a historical tribe and region in Montenegro, consisting of numerous brotherhoods of mutual origin. It was one of the largest tribe from the area of Katunska nahija of Old Montenegro.
...
, following the
Ottoman conquest of the area in the late 15th century.
Geography
The county of Luška župa, inhabited by the Lužani, covered the area of the Zeta River valley, north of present-day Podgorica, including the territories of the later tribes of the Bjelopavlići, the Pješivci and parts of the
Piperi. The name of the Lužani has been retained in several localities in the region, in particular the villages of Lužani and Lužnica, north of Podgorica.
Origins
The name ''Lužani'' comes from
Slavic
Slavic, Slav or Slavonic may refer to:
Peoples
* Slavic peoples, an ethno-linguistic group living in Europe and Asia
** East Slavic peoples, eastern group of Slavic peoples
** South Slavic peoples, southern group of Slavic peoples
** West Slav ...
''lug'' (''forest'') and as such, Lužani means ''people of the forest''.
Based on Petar Šobajić's work, most scholars consider that the Lužani were only partly Slavic and resulted from the mixing of Slavic newcomers with pre-Slavic romanized populations, mostly the
Španje
The Španje () were a medieval people who inhabited parts of Upper Zeta and the region of Nikšić, in present-day Montenegro. They were considered to be descended from an indigenous Balkan people who preceded the Slavs in the area.
Geography
...
.
However,
Bogumil Hrabak suggests that they were immigrants of Albanian origin, like several other tribes from the area.
History
First mentioned in
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (; 17 May 905 – 9 November 959) was the fourth Byzantine emperor of the Macedonian dynasty, reigning from 6 June 913 to 9 November 959. He was the son of Emperor Leo VI and his fourth wife, Zoe Karbonopsina, a ...
' work
De Administrando Imperio
(; ) is a Greek-language work written by the 10th-century Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII. It is a domestic and foreign policy manual for the use of Constantine's son and successor, the Emperor Romanos II. It is a prominent example of Byz ...
as ''Lug Duklje'', the area inhabited by the Lužani is quoted as a
župa
A župa, or zhupa, is a historical type of administrative division in Southeast Europe and Central Europe, that originated in medieval South Slavs, South Slavic culture, commonly translated as "county" or "parish". It was mentioned for the first t ...
in a
Ragusan document from 1318, as ''Luscha giopa''. The Lužani as a people are mentioned in the 15th century, in particular in 1455 when, fearing the arrival of the Ottomans, they signed a declaration of loyalty to the
Venetians on the island of
Vranjina, together with the Bjelopavlići, the
Mataguži
Mataguži (, ) is a village in the new Zeta Municipality of Montenegro. Until 2022, it was part of Podgorica Municipality.
Mataguži is located in the Upper Zeta region, just north of Lake Skadar
Lake Skadar or Lake Scutari (, ; cnr-Cyrl-La ...
, the
Malonšići
Malonšići (in older forms: Malončići and Malonjšiki, Cyrillic: Малоншићи) was a historical Tribes of Montenegro, tribe (''pleme'') of Albanians, Albanian origin and area in the Brda (Montenegro), Brda region of Montenegro. Malonši� ...
and other local tribes, towns and villages.
In the late 15th century and especially following the Ottoman conquest, which broke up the structures of the medieval state of Zeta, the Lužani were gradually assimilated into local tribes, mainly the Bjelopavlići and the Pješivci, and, in part, the Piperi.
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Luzani (tribe)
Medieval history of Montenegro
Tribes of Montenegro