Stavilac ( sr-Cyrl, ставилац, literally meaning "placer") was a court title in

Medieval Bosnia The history of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Middle Ages refers to the time period between the Roman era and the 15th-century Ottoman conquest. The Early Middle Ages in the Western Balkans saw the region reconquered from barbarians (Ostrogot ...

and

Medieval Serbia The medieval period in the history of Serbia began in the 6th century with the Slavic migrations to Southeastern Europe, and lasted until the Ottoman Serbia, Ottoman conquest of Serbian lands in the second half of the 15th century. The period i ...

in the Middle Ages. It was similar to the Byzantine court offices of ''

domestikos ''Domestikos'' (; , from the ), in English sometimes heDomestic, was a civil, ecclesiastic and military office in the Late Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. Military usage The ''domestikoi'' trace their ancestry to the '' protectores domest ...

'' and

cup-bearer A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person had to be regarded as thor ...

(''

pinkernes ''Pinkernes'' (), sometimes also ''epinkernes'' (, ''epinkernēs''), was a high Byzantine court position. The term derives from the Greek verb (''epikeránnymi'', "to mix ine), and was used to denote the cup-bearer of the Byzantine emperor. In ...

'', known in Serbian as ''peharnik''). It had a role in the ceremony at the royal table, though the holder could be entrusted with jobs that had nothing to do with court rituals. According to studies of

Rade Mihaljčić Rade Mihaljčić ( sr-cyr, Раде Михаљчић; 21 January 1937 – 26 March 2020) was a Serbian historian and academic. Most of his works deal with medieval Serbia, especially the Serbian empire and the Battle of Kosovo.Encyclopedia of S ...

, the ''holder'' was in charge of acquiring, preparing and serving food at the royal table. It was a confidant duty, given to the highest and most notable nobility, which the ruler relied on in all occasions.

History of usage

Its oldest mention is from the Serbian court of King

Stefan Milutin Stefan Uroš II Milutin ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Урош II Милутин, Stefan Uroš II Milutin; 1253 – 29 October 1321), known as Saint King, was the King of Serbia between 1282–1321, a member of the Nemanjić dynasty. He was one ...

(r. 1282–1321), when

Đuraš Vrančić Đuraš Vrančić ( sr-cyr, Ђураш Вранчић) was a Serbian nobleman who served King Stefan Milutin (r. 1282–1321) with the court title of ''stavilac''. He is the oldest known ''stavilac''. The title of ''stavilac'' ranked as the last ...

had the title. The title of ''stavilac'' ranked as the last in the hierarchy of the Serbian court, behind ''

čelnik ''Čelnik'' ( sr-Cyrl, челник) was a high court title in the Kingdom of Serbia, Serbian Empire and Serbian Despotate. In its early form, the holder was entrusted with the security of property belonging to the Orthodox Church from the aristo ...

'', ''

kaznac Kaznac ( sr-cyr, казнац) was a court title of the state employee in medieval Bosnia and Serbia who was in charge for the treasury in the territory under his jurisdiction — ''kaznačina'' (казначина). The name of the title is derive ...

'', ''

tepčija Tepčija ( sr-Cyrl, тепчија) was a court title of Medieval Croatia, Croatia, Medieval Serbia, Serbia and Medieval Bosnia, Bosnia in the Middle Ages. The functions and position in the court is unclear. It was first mentioned in Croatia in the ...

'' and '' vojvoda'', the supreme title. It was, nevertheless, quite prestigious as it enabled its holder to be very close to the ruler. In the

Dečani chrysobulls The Dečani chrysobulls ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Дечанске хрисовуље, Dečanske hrisovulje) alternatively known as the Dečani charters ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Дечанске повеље, Dečanske povelje) are chrysobulls dating to 1330–1345 ...

, King

Stefan Dečanski Stefan Uroš III, , known as Stefan of Dečani ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Дечански, Stefan Dečanski, ( – 11 November 1331), was King of Serbia from 6 January 1322 to 8 September 1331. Dečanski was the son of King Stefan Milutin (). He ...

(r. 1321–1331) mentioned that the court dignitaries present at the Dečani assembly were the ''kaznac'', ''tepčija'', ''vojvoda'', ''sluga'' and ''stavilac''. There is not much information on the title-holders at the court of King Stefan Dečanski; there is however much information on those at the court of King and Emperor

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. 1331–1355). In Bosnia, this court title appears for the first time with a coronation of the first Bosnian king, Tvrtko I Kotromanić. As soon as he ascended to a Bosnian throne as a king in 1377, Tvrtko reorganized his court reflecting some of the Serbian court-office titles, ceremonials and traditions.

List of Bosnian ''stavilac''

*Tvrtko Vlađević (1378), served King Tvrtko I *Ivan Radivojević (1392) served King Dabiša

List of Serbian ''stavilac''

(?), served King Stefan Milutin. *

Miloš Vojinović Miloš Vojinović (; 1332) was a Serbian nobleman who served Emperor Stefan Dušan (r. 1331–55) as ''stavilac'', the son of general Vojin and brother of Vojislav and Altoman. He is a hero of the pre-Kosovo cycle in Serbian epic poetry. Milo ...

( 1333), served King Stefan Dušan. Son of

Vojvoda Vojin Vojin of Gacko or Vojvoda Vojin (; fl. 1322–1347) was a Serbian magnate (''velikaš'') and ''voivode'' (military commander equivalent to duke), who was holding the area around Gacko, which was part of '' Hum'', ca.1322-1347. He was in serv ...

. * Gradislav Sušenica, served King Stefan Dušan. (disputed) *

Vojislav Vojinović Vojislav Vojinović (, d. 1363) was a 14th-century Serbian nobleman, and one of the leading members of Serbian noble House of Vojinović. He held prominent offices during the reigns of Serbian Emperors Stefan Dušan and Stefan Uroš. His fath ...

( 1350–55), served Emperor Stefan Dušan. Son of

. *

Lazar Hrebeljanović Lazar Hrebeljanović ( sr-Cyrl, Лазар Хребељановић; – 15 June 1389) was a medieval List of Serbian monarchs, Serbian ruler who created the largest and most powerful state on the territory of the disintegrated Serbian Empir ...

( 1355–1362), served Emperor Stefan Dušan and Emperor Uroš V.

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * {{refend Bosnian noble titles Kingdom of Bosnia Serbian noble titles Kingdom of Serbia (medieval) Serbian Empire Court titles in the Middle Ages Serbo-Croatian words and phrases Obsolete occupations Ceremonial occupations

History of usage

List of Bosnian ''stavilac''

List of Serbian ''stavilac''

See also

References

Sources