Stećci translates to “Stećak” or “Stećci” in English. It refers to a specific type of Medieval Bosnian tombstone, commonly found in Bosnia and Herzegovina and parts of neighboring countries.

Many papers and words have been written on this topic, but in talking to people I have learned that very little is actually known about stećci. I first came into contact with stećci about fifteen years ago when I saw the original stećci in front of the Zamaljski Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina during a visit to Sarajevo. At the same time, I began studying books and articles that dealt with the phenomenon of stećci. Through visits to Bjelašnica, Orošac near Konjic, Radimlja, Mostar, the village of Krekovi near Nevesinje, as well as the municipality of Cista Provo near Imotski and the source of the Cetina River, I became acquainted with the locations of stećci. I have documented my research in this article.

History of research

The earliest known records of stećci can be found in the travelogue of Benedikt Kuripešić from 1530, a Slovenian interpreter in the mission of Austrian Emperor Ferdinand I of Habsburg, who stayed in Bosnia while traveling to Constantinople. His travelogue, Itinerarium, describes stećci from the village of Lađavine, near Rogatica. Although the notes mentioned These are witty, even partially inaccurate, writings about the oldest records of stećci. The journey through Dalmatia in 1774, written by Italian abbot Albert Fortis, is one of the most significant works through which the Western European public became acquainted with stećci. This naturalist and mineralogist provides the first expert and precise description of the stećci in the Imotski region. He marked the stećci on the map near Cista, Lovreć, Lokvičić, described those near the Church of St. Spas at the source of the Cetina River and those near Vrgorac.

And as you lie on your noble heritage, Sermorad Ozrkov, it gives me great pleasure.

When you pass by many chambers, if the desire arises in you to pray to God for peace, then pray for your own soul, not for mine. For the peace of my soul, just mention the name Grubacino and let my soul tremble until the next spring and my good spirit dreams of it.

If you pronounce her name easily, may God give you many good people on your path, wherever you go.

On the seventeenth day of March in the year 1322, according to the Lord’s time

Record from the

The Semorada Ozrkova stećak

After Austria-Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878, Austro-Hungarian officials began a systematic exploration of stećci. Thorough collection and analysis of archaeological monuments began, with the main focus being the study of inscriptions. It was then suggested that stećci were connected to the medieval Bosnian Church and the Bosnian-Hum Croats. This idea was also shared by the British archaeologist Arthur Evans, who visited Bosnia in 1875. Writing about the events in Bosnia, he mentioned the stećci that caught his attention and concluded that they expressed neo-Manichean teachings. Due to his reputation, his idea was accepted within scientific circles, greatly contributing to the establishment of the theory that stećci were Bogomil tombstones in European and South Slavic historiography. However, the then director of the National Museum in Sarajevo, Kosta Hör, also expressed doubts about this theory of tombstones. One notable contributor to the study of stećci was Ćiro Truhelka, a curator and director of the same museum in Sarajevo (succeeding K. Hörmann in 1905), who, in addition to studying prehistoric Christian monuments, became interested in the forms, reliefs, and inscriptions on the stećci. As the stećci hold significant importance to medieval Bosnia, Truhelka referred to them as “ancient Bosnian marbles”. After the Second World War, more comprehensive documentation, research, and conservation of stećci sites began, with the last known inventory dating back to 1980.

Definition

The word stećak comes from the word “stojećak,” meaning something that stands, a standing stone, something upright and visible. The counterparts of stećci are the famous megaliths in western and northwestern France – menhirs (Breton: men – stone, hir – long). In a broader sense, the term stećak encompasses lying stones, blocks, ridge stones, and generally all monuments created between the 12th and 16th centuries, similar in terms of rustic craftsmanship and symbolic features. The term “stećak” is used in more recent times, while throughout history, other names have been used: mramorje (Gr. marmaros, Tur. mermer, Lat. memoria – monument), mramori, biljezi, kamici, usađenici, kuće, vječni domovi, steljci.

Most researchers agree that some of the stećci are medieval tombstones that differ from other tombstones in their typology and decorations, while the role of the remaining ones is unknown. In terms of their size, they belong to the category of megalithic stone blocks found in the former Yugoslavia: in Bosnia and Herzegovina (around 60,000), Croatia (around 4,450), Montenegro (around 3,050), and Serbia (around 2,270). In European and world culture, they are unique, without direct models or direct replicas, although some similarities with, for example, ancient monuments could be highlighted. For example, in front of the Sarajevo National Museum, there are examples of stećci on the left side, and sarcophagi and tombstones from the Roman period on the right side, suggesting Their possible inspiration in construction is learned in this way. The uniqueness of stećci is also that no two are identical.

And lying Klut from the lower sides son.
I lay down because I was tired.
I didn’t believe it, but now I know that a person who comes down a tree is never the same as the one who rests in the shade of the tree. I planted trees for a long time, and I won’t regret that.
I regret that I stood still.
The tear that she shed, the one I loved, is less than the stone she placed on me.
And not to be forgotten, she wrote down that I spent my whole life planting trees, and that I rest in the shade of this stone.
On the second Tuesday in August 1288.

Inscription from the Klut stećak

Since it is not known exactly who instigated their placement, there are various and often conflicting theories, both religious and ethnic. Stećci are most commonly associated with the tombstones of Bosnian Christians and the territorial scope of medieval Bosnia, although it is considered that stećci were erected from the late 13th century to the first decades of the 16th century, and only fragments The Church of Bosnia is associated with the period from the 1230s to the downfall of the Bosnian state in 1463. The age of the stecaks (medieval tombstones) was determined by studying the relief motifs and inscriptions (there is no reliable method for determining the age of stone), and they are only represented in eight percent of the stecaks, which suggests that the stone monoliths were carved many centuries earlier. What is known is that members of all three confessions – Bosnian Church, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox – were buried beneath the stecaks. As for territorial coincidence, it is also uncertain because stecaks can be found in parts of Dalmatia and Montenegro that were never part of the medieval Bosnian state. There are more stecaks in Herzegovina than in central Bosnia, where the center of the Bosnian state was located.

Writing about stecaks is not proportional to the accompanying research, so we can still hope for new discoveries and different perspectives on the history of these monuments.

Quarries, transportation, and installation

The most commonly used material for making stećci was limestone because it proved to be the easiest to work with. There were also stećci carved out of serpentinite, slate, and gypsum, but they were of lower quality and less resistant to external influences, so they quickly deteriorated. However, there are also stećci made of harder stone, even granite.

The quarry where the stone was obtained had to be located near the site due to transportation issues, but there are many locations where this is not the case. There are even around seventy thousand stećci scattered across the hilly-mountainous areas of the Dinaric Mountains. The question arises of how multi-ton megaliths, some of them weighing up to thirty tons, ended up in the mountain peaks? There is a story among the people about how a large stećak was dragged for ten kilometers, and this feat is described in the following verses:

Sister Marta drags the stećak for brother Marko,
across the fields of Svinjaca, in the month of February.
A hundred oxen pulled the stone,
and sister Marta slaughtered a hundred rams. a.

Allegedly, special sledges made of wooden logs were used for this kind of hauling.

And I lay claim to noble property. My name is Vlk, the son of Humska zemja.
What I want to tell you, keep it to yourself, but don’t believe me. You are you, I am me, so our truths don’t have to be the same. When you become like me, balance your account like I balanced mine.
Don’t think that what is yet to come will last forever, but also don’t regret what has passed. Most people have little knowledge and high expectations. That’s why they will always blame the morning for what will happen to them tomorrow.
Cherish the moment you’re in and the lips that kiss you. Later, your bones will rest peacefully under heavy stone like mine do now.
Don’t disturb my resting place, let it stay as it is. If you don’t understand me now, maybe your son or some other son will understand me.

Cursed is the day I lay in the year 1209.

Inscription from Vlkova stećak

The process of obtaining stone for building megaliths was not simple. Among the well-known methods In the Middle Ages, a technique known as “taslačenje” was often used. It involved cutting into the stone with wedges or pouring water into cracks, causing the water to freeze in the winter and crack the stone. This kind of work was not easy, so it was common practice to use pre-made stone blocks that were once part of ancient or earlier stone buildings. When placing stećak tombstones, there was a common rule – their orientation was always in the west-east direction, and they were arranged next to each other in the north-south direction.

Common forms of stećak tombstones

The least typical form of a stećak tombstone is a slab, as such monuments can be found all over the world and are often mentioned because they regularly appear near other forms of stećak tombstones. The prism or chest is the most common form of stećak tombstone, with a height usually between forty and eighty centimeters, and in some places (like in Herzegovina) they can reach up to two meters. “Sljemenjaci” are the most typical forms associated with the concept of stećak tombstones, and they resemble houses. The largest ones A stećak was found in Pavlovac near Sarajevo, attributed to Pavle Radenović. It is 250 cm long, 156 cm wide, 157 cm high, and weighs 32 tons. The type of columns (pillars) most closely resembles ancient steles, hence their name in some places. Their shape sometimes reminds one of vertically placed panels, while in some places they are actual pillars resembling Roman road signs. Numerous forms of stećaks also include the so-called križine (crosses) and anthropomorphic shapes. These are vertical panels in the shape of a cross, human body, with rounded or pyramid-shaped arms, and many other combinations of geometric shapes. The largest one is located near Bileća in Davidovići and is 3.7 meters tall.

Craftsmen and localities

The term used for craftsmen was kovači (blacksmiths), and one of the most famous and skilled was kovač Grubač, who operated in the mid-15th century in the vicinity of Vidoška. In addition to the term kovač, the term dijak – inscription writer on the stećak was also used. One well-known dijak is Semorad, also from the 15th century. There are kara The characteristic groups of stećci could be said to bear the characteristics of different workshops that operated in a specific locality. Today, the names of thirty-four blacksmiths-stonemasons are known. Some of them are Bogdan, Brajo, Dragiša, Mihalja, and the latest discovery, Jura, the author of the most beautiful motifs in the vicinity of Imotski.

Of the sixty thousand stećci registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the most numerous ones are in the form of chests. The locality with the most stećci, 455, is the village of Krekovi near Nevesinje. The site is well marked with a sign that contains a description and a floor plan. The most beautiful and famous stećci are located in the village of Radimlja near Stolac. They are located next to the main road, and recently more effort has been made to preserve them. There are about 4,450 stećci in Croatia, and the richest site is near the Church of St. Spas at the source of the Cetina River.

Symbols and decorations

What makes the stećci most intriguing are the symbols engraved on them, among which we will highlight only the most basic symbols. flowers and ornaments without delving into deeper symbolism. For braids and borders (narrow, parallel, zigzag, vine, series of rosettes, leaves, lilies, nets), it is assumed that they were influenced by Romanesque or Gothic art. Eight basic types and forty-six subtypes have been found on 1400 examples. The most prevalent celestial symbol is the Moon. Stars are symbols encountered on 450 tombstones, sometimes stylized and very similar to flowers, rosettes. The circle is a symbol for the Sun. The cross is also a common symbol on tombstones, found in various variations: Latin, Greek, Egyptian, swastika. Weapons and tools are symbols that can be found above the grave of a soldier, but they can also be used to emphasize a particular spiritual symbolism, showing the inner struggle that every person faces within themselves. The weapons found on tombstones include bows and arrows, a shield with a sword, a spear, a mace, an axe. Professions are depicted with the symbols of a forge and hammer, scales, calipers, a plow, sickles, scythes. bones, shoe, sticks and book. There are also frequent plant motifs such as trees, lilies, vines, rosettes, and wreaths (there are around 800 examples, mostly found in the eastern parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina). In animal depictions, the most common ones are dogs, lions, snakes, wolves, horses, deer, and birds. Humans are also depicted, such as a man riding a horse, dancing, or hunting. The human figures are depicted very realistically, allowing for a reconstruction of the clothing worn at that time, which, as can be seen, was identical to European clothing. A characteristic symbol is the oversized depiction of a hand. The hand is often portrayed in combination with symbols of the Sun, Moon, and stars as a direction and aspiration towards the celestial. The oldest known depiction of a hand can be found on the Kulin Stone from the 12th century, which is now located in the National Museum of Sarajevo.

Through stone, two noses live hand in hand
like two stones
but the hands of these weary ones live
In the heart of that stone

(Mak Dizdar, Ruke)

Inscriptions on stećci

One of the most beautiful original inscriptions reads lies in Tanisa Crk, loved by the king of Sutjeska, but without freedom, like a hunting dog assigned to the king. I lived without quenching my thirst with water or satisfying my hunger with the fruits of the earth because hunger and thirst returned to my belly every day, just as I returned to my corner in the field every day, but differently for that day. And I constantly thought of you, Lord, and with prayer I closed my eyes at night and with prayer I opened them in the morning, like the way the curtains and doors of your house and mine open in the morning. And I constantly waited for you and relied on you constantly. But you did not appear to me nor did you reveal yourself to me. Only silence.

And doubt arose in my soul, a doubt that you, like me here, are also waiting in vain for salvation from me. And with this heavy thought, I lay under these trees and carved this message into the solid stone so that whoever reads it can see who among us will be the first to receive salvation. I lay down bitterly in the year 1389 by the Lord when Tverdko was king of Bosnia, Serbia, Dalmatia, and the Western lands, and I was an old man who In the world, I saw what I didn’t want to see, and I didn’t touch what my heart constantly longed for and desired.

In the article “The Art of Stećci,” Adnan Jasika says: Inscriptions are a very important factor in the value of stećci, as they speak of the level of script development, the state of the vernacular language, historical events, and individuals. With the help of inscriptions, it is sometimes possible to accurately determine the time of stećci production. They are written in the vernacular language and speak about the deceased, invoke God, or express some folk wisdom. Many words and phrases that have long been extinct are common. The script is lapidary Cyrillic, with the exception of Glagolitic, Latin, or Greek script. Cyrillic had its own developmental path in Bosnia, so it was called Bosnian Cyrillic or Bosančica.

Protection efforts

We are witnesses to the constant destruction of monuments that are mostly used as construction material.

However, last year, there was a more systematic effort to protect them: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and Serbia jointly proposed that stećci be included in UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites marks the first serious and extensive attempt to fully protect this unique cultural phenomenon across its entire geographical spread.

Lying in Ljubljen in Vrhbosna, hidden in its noble property.
I was the one who stood at crossroads my whole life, pondering, hesitating.
I was the one who wondered how the sky does not age while new seasons keep emerging.
And in the room where I was, there was a window, and behind the window, infinity. But I persistently looked down.
And I thought that my death would silence everything. it’s finally over. But my death is not the only thing that is getting closer and tighter.
Where Dražeta cuts me off and the inscription of Husan prevents showing that I was here anymore.
In the year of our Lord 1258.
The record from the Ljubljenova stećak.
With their size, rusticity, and silent authority, these giants defy time and touch the hearts of many people. That is why there are many examples of enthusiasts’ work, stećak lovers who go out into the field and try to rescue them from oblivion.
Although there are few antique enthusiasts interested in their artistic value or attracted by their mystery, archaeological monuments are now seen as something that can enhance the tourist offer or are colloquially referred to as ruins and deemed unimportant in the life of a modern man. But once upon a time, people embraced, what we would call today, primitive thinking, and they considered stećci worthy of worship. If our time recognized stećci as objects from the past, Monuments of the past that are passed down to our generations, these monuments would – despite all the unknowns and discontinuity of historical memory – become a connection between man and himself, inspiring in him what is noble and valuable.

A stećak is for me what it is not for others, what others have not been able to see or know about it. It is a stone, but it is also a word, it is earth, but it is also sky, it is matter, but it is also spirit, it is a scream, but it is also a song, it is death, but it is also life, it is the past, but it is also the future.

And when I would read the inscription on the stećak, which is without capital and lowercase letters, without dividing words into sentences and without punctuation marks, then the true human cry, at once both moving and touching, would reach me, transmitted through the centuries. Because in those few lines, the entire life path of the deceased, his inclinations, his history, his genealogy, his land ownership, his love for his wife and heritage, and his awe in the face of death were squeezed. And the fear of being forgotten. That catastrophe. Expressiveness in expression, that precision in formulation, that absence of embellishments and superfluities, that compactness have been a speech of images in stone, and a seal on the soul. (Mak Dizdar)