Starina Novak
Encyclopedia
Starina Novak was a Serbian Hajduk
who distinguished himself in many battles against the Ottoman Empire
. He is considered a Serbian
national hero and is highly respected in neighboring Romania
as a national hero as well.
on an island in the Danube, Serbia
. He studied at the monastery of Poreč and was fluent in Old Slavonic
. He also spoke Romanian
and Greek
. He began his career as a Hajduk at an early age after he was imprisoned and beaten by Turks
, losing all his teeth (hence the name Old Novac) that led him to leave his birthplace and take refuge in the forests to fight. He ended up in Timočka krajina
where he quickly learned the use of weapons and military from a harambaš Hajduk. He soon formed his četa
(band of hajduks) and started a violent fight against the Turks. His strong personality and military prowess made him a man of many followers and his guerrillas became a strong fighting force. He joined the forces of Michael the Brave in Banat with 2000 Serbian hajduks for the liberation of the Vlach lands and was made captain of the Brigands. His forces participated in the seizure of Călugăreni
, liberated Târgovişte
, Bucharest
and Giurgiu
in October 1595. His forces were part of the attack on Bulgaria
n Sofia
which earned him great reputation after he and his 700 soldiers tricked the Turks by changing route through the Balkan mountains and successfully surprise-attacked the Turkish forces only leaving behind 8 of his soldiers and capturing vast amounts of livestock and supplies from the Ottomans. He liberated Plevna
with 1,500 soldiers. In 1598, his sizable forces, composed primarily of Serbs
but also some Bulgarians
, met the remaining forces of Michael the Brave, amounting to a total of 16,000 armed men. They liberated Plevna, Rahovo, Vratsa, Vidin and Florentin, after which the Serbs and Bulgarians of the cities gathered with the forces and had a feast. In Ploeşti, 1599, the forces of 50,000+ under Bordj Mako gathered with the forces of Novak in a square with 5-6 rows in the center before the taking of Sibiu. In 1600 his forces were deployed in Banat and was later given the instructions of liberating all lands to the south, also part of the uprisings in Mirăslău and the near towns. He followed Mihai to Vienna in December 1600.
He was accused of treason by ally-turned-rival Giorgio Basta
and was sent to the Hungarian authorities in Cluj, sentenced to burning. On 5 February 1601 the execution took place, gypsies prepared the fire that would be the end of Novak together with 2 other captains of Michael and some Saxon priests. After being burnt alive for 1,5 hours (water was tossed at the bodies for a slow death) the bodies were impaled and crows were eating from the corpses. Mihai was unaware of the execution and heard of it when passing Cluj in early August 1601, he issued a 100,000 forinata fine of all residents of Cluj, and he raised a flag on the site of the execution. Giorgio Basta then ordered the assassination
of Michael, which took place near Câmpia Turzii
on 9 August 1601.
He is venerated as a Serb hero in the Serb epic poetry in the tale of "Starina Novak and Knez Bogosav" and in Romanian tales.
A tower in Cluj-Napoca is named after him (Baba Novak Tower).
Hajduk
Hajduk is a term most commonly referring to outlaws, highwaymen or freedom fighters in the Balkans, Central- and Eastern Europe....
who distinguished himself in many battles against the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. He is considered a Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
national hero and is highly respected in neighboring Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
as a national hero as well.
Life
Novak was born to a lower class family in 1530s in the village of Poreč near SmederevoSmederevo
Smederevo is a city and municipality in Serbia, on the right bank of the Danube, about 40 km downstream of the capital Belgrade. According to official results of the 2011 census, the city has a population of 107,528...
on an island in the Danube, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. He studied at the monastery of Poreč and was fluent in Old Slavonic
Old Slavonic
Old Slavonic may refer to:*Old Church Slavonic language*Common Slavonic language...
. He also spoke Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
and Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
. He began his career as a Hajduk at an early age after he was imprisoned and beaten by Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, losing all his teeth (hence the name Old Novac) that led him to leave his birthplace and take refuge in the forests to fight. He ended up in Timočka krajina
Timocka Krajina
Timočka Krajina is a geographical region located in Serbia. It is situated in eastern Serbia around the Timok River. The population of Timočka Krajina is 284,112 .-Name:...
where he quickly learned the use of weapons and military from a harambaš Hajduk. He soon formed his četa
Četa
Cheta was an armed band, organized by the Christian population on the territory of the Ottoman Empire, aiming at anti-Turkish activity. The cheta was usually led by a leader, called voivoda. The members of the chetas were called chetnik....
(band of hajduks) and started a violent fight against the Turks. His strong personality and military prowess made him a man of many followers and his guerrillas became a strong fighting force. He joined the forces of Michael the Brave in Banat with 2000 Serbian hajduks for the liberation of the Vlach lands and was made captain of the Brigands. His forces participated in the seizure of Călugăreni
Calugareni, Giurgiu
Călugăreni is a commune located in Giurgiu County, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Brăniştari, Călugăreni, Crucea de Piatră, Hulubeşti and Uzunu....
, liberated Târgovişte
Târgoviste
Târgoviște is a city in the Dâmbovița county of Romania. It is situated on the right bank of the Ialomiţa River. , it had an estimated population of 89,000. One village, Priseaca, is administered by the city.-Name:...
, Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
and Giurgiu
Giurgiu
Giurgiu is the capital city of Giurgiu County, Romania, in the Greater Wallachia. It is situated amid mud-flats and marshes on the left bank of the Danube facing the Bulgarian city of Rousse on the opposite bank. Three small islands face the city, and a larger one shelters its port, Smarda...
in October 1595. His forces were part of the attack on Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
which earned him great reputation after he and his 700 soldiers tricked the Turks by changing route through the Balkan mountains and successfully surprise-attacked the Turkish forces only leaving behind 8 of his soldiers and capturing vast amounts of livestock and supplies from the Ottomans. He liberated Plevna
Plevna
Plevna may refer to:* Plevna, an old name for the city of Pleven, Bulgaria. Pleven was known by English speakers as Plevna during the Russo-Turkish war in 1877, when the Siege of Plevna became the key for claiming victory in the war...
with 1,500 soldiers. In 1598, his sizable forces, composed primarily of Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
but also some Bulgarians
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
, met the remaining forces of Michael the Brave, amounting to a total of 16,000 armed men. They liberated Plevna, Rahovo, Vratsa, Vidin and Florentin, after which the Serbs and Bulgarians of the cities gathered with the forces and had a feast. In Ploeşti, 1599, the forces of 50,000+ under Bordj Mako gathered with the forces of Novak in a square with 5-6 rows in the center before the taking of Sibiu. In 1600 his forces were deployed in Banat and was later given the instructions of liberating all lands to the south, also part of the uprisings in Mirăslău and the near towns. He followed Mihai to Vienna in December 1600.
He was accused of treason by ally-turned-rival Giorgio Basta
Giorgio Basta
Giorgio Basta, Count of Huszt was an Italian general of Arbëreshë descent, employed by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to command Habsburg forces in the Long War of 1591-1606 and later to administer Transylvania as an Imperial vassal to restore Catholicism as a predominant religion in...
and was sent to the Hungarian authorities in Cluj, sentenced to burning. On 5 February 1601 the execution took place, gypsies prepared the fire that would be the end of Novak together with 2 other captains of Michael and some Saxon priests. After being burnt alive for 1,5 hours (water was tossed at the bodies for a slow death) the bodies were impaled and crows were eating from the corpses. Mihai was unaware of the execution and heard of it when passing Cluj in early August 1601, he issued a 100,000 forinata fine of all residents of Cluj, and he raised a flag on the site of the execution. Giorgio Basta then ordered the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of Michael, which took place near Câmpia Turzii
Câmpia Turzii
Câmpia Turzii is a city in Cluj County, Romania, which was formed in 1925 by the union of two villages, Ghiriş and Sâncrai...
on 9 August 1601.
He is venerated as a Serb hero in the Serb epic poetry in the tale of "Starina Novak and Knez Bogosav" and in Romanian tales.
A tower in Cluj-Napoca is named after him (Baba Novak Tower).
Cultural references
- The song Baba Novak by the Romanian band PhoenixTranssylvania PhoenixTranssylvania Phoenix is a Romanian rock band formed in 1962 in Timişoara by guitarists Nicu Covaci and Kamocsa Béla. Guitarist Claudiu Rotaru, vocalist Florin "Moni" Bordeianu and drummer Ioan "Pilu" Ştefanovici completed the early lineup...
is about him.