Orlović clan
| Orlović | |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Meaning | "descendant of Orle" |
| Other names | |
| Variant(s) | Orlovčić |
| Anglicisation(s) | Orlovich |
The Orlović clan, according to the preserved collective memory of its descendants as well as the collective memory and epic tradition of Serbs and Montenegrins on the whole, played a major role in the history of these countries, from the Middle Ages to the time of the liberation from the Ottoman rule. Andrija Luburić, in the introduction to his book dedicated to the Orlović clan said:
The clan Orlović, by the number of homes and by their merits in the Serb liberation takes the first place in the old Montenegro. Their past can be followed from the (battle of) Kosovo and it represents one bright thread through a very dark history of Montenegro in the years after 1482.
Most of the families claiming descent from the Orlović have John the Baptist as their patron saint (see krsna slava).
According to a legend, upon the death of Pavle Orlović, his four sons escaped from their hometown, Čarađe, near Gacko, and fled to the village called "Velimlje", in Banjani (medieval state of Zeta, modern-day Montenegro). The Turks soon conquered Banjani, and the Orlović brothers, after spending merely a winter there, Bajko, Bjelan and Nenoje (other sources call him "Bajo"), continued on to Ržani do in Cuce, whereas, the fourth brother, Tepo, returned to Čarađe and founded the clan Tepavčevići. Bajko, Bjelan and Nenoje later established a church in the village dedicated to their patron saint, Saint John. However, Bajko later moved to Zaljut in Cuce with the rest of his family, effectively branching off and creating the Bajkovići clan. Bjelan with his family moved to Resna, thus founding the clan Bjelice. One of his most famous descendants is voivode Milija, a prominent figure of the national Montenegrin epic The Mountain Wreath, written by Petar II Petrović-Njegoš. From voivode Milija descend the brotherhood Milići. Nenoje (Bajo) moved to the last retreat, in the wake of the advancing Ottoman Turks, of the last Zetan medieval dynasty, Cetinje (an area called Bajice), with his family, thus founding the Martinovići clan.
According to one of the versions of the Orlović family story Jovan Erdeljanović heard in Bajice, four brothers did in fact relocate from Gacko to Cuce. However, they were named as follows: Bajko, Bjelan, Nenoje and Čejo. Bajko remained in Cuce, where his offspring founded the Bajković clan. Bjelan moved to Bjelice, and his descendants founded the modern-day clans of Milići, Abramovići, etc. Nenoje moved to Bajice, where his descendants would later branch off into the Martinović and Vuksanović clans. Čejo returned to Gacko and converted to Islam, effectively creating the Čengić clan. According to this legend, there were three more brothers, who had initially remained in Čarađe. One of the brothers would establish the Samardžić clan in Krivošije. The second brother was the ancestor of the Bandići in Komani, as well as the Đuričići in Zagarač. The third brother converted to Islam and established the prominent Muslim Osmanagić family in Podgorica.
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Wikipedia