Dečani Chronicle
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The Dečani chronicle (Serbian: Дечански летопис) is a Serbian-language manuscript written in the second half of the 15th century[1] in the Dečani monastery.
| Dečani chronicle | |
|---|---|
| Date | second half of the 15th century (original), 1595 (manuscript) |
| Place of origin | Dečani monastery, Serbian Despotate |
| Language | Serbian language |
Transcription and publishing
During the transcription of the Dečani chronicle from the original manuscript, the transcriber not only transcribed it, but also interpreted the original text.[2]
It was published by Serafim Ristić in his work Dečani Monuments.[3] In 1908 its translation into Russian was published in Saint Petersburg by deacon Nikolai Mavrov.[4]
Content
The earliest mention of Ibarski Kolašin is in the 1595 register found in the Dečani chronicle which includes all of Kolašin's villages and their registered inhabitants.[5] This chronicle explains the Serbian-language origin of the name of the town Šabac.[6]
The Dečani chronicle discusses members of the Nemanjić dynasty, in particular Stefan Nemanja and some his descendants.[7] It describes the death of Stefan Dečanski after he was first denigrated by his stepmother Simonida.[8] The chronicle presents information about natural phenomena that accompanied Stefan's death, including the solar eclipse.[9] The Dečani chronicle is one of four medieval chronicles which mention Simeon Uroš, the half-brother of Emperor Dušan, and his actions to temporarily seize the Serbian throne.[10]
This chronicle mentions the Battle of Rovine of 1395 and explains that Prince Marko and Constantine Dragaš died in this battle.[11] This chronicle also explains that Marko's brother, Andreja Mrnjavčević, died in the Battle of Rovine too.[10] The Dečani chronicle describes how the Ottoman military commander Skanderbeg fled the battlefield in Momina Klisura in 1444, near modern-day Pazardzhik in Bulgaria, after being defeated by Serbian Despot Đurađ Branković.[12]