Saint Sava - Legacy and Myth

Legacy and Myth

Sava boosted the cultural enrichment of Serbs, forming the state-church; architecture and literary renaissance.

In 1594, the Banat Uprising is instigated by Bishop of Vršac Teodor Nestorović, Sava Ban and voivode Velja Mironić, among others, in the are around Vršac. The rebellion begins in what is the Ottoman Temeșvar Eyalet. For a short time, the Serb rebels captured several cities in Banat, including Vršac, Bečkerek, and Lipova, as well as Titel and Bečej in Bačka. It had the character of a holy war, the Serb rebels carrying war flags with the image of Saint Sava. Sinan Pasha, who led the Ottoman army, ordered the green flag of Muhammad brought from Damascus to counter the Serbian flag. Sinan then ordered that the remains of Sava be taken to Belgrade and burnt. Ahmed-beg Ochuse carried out the orders, he took a military convoy to Mileševa, ordered the monks to remove Sava's wooden coffin in the sarcophagus and put it on the horses that the monks would lead. On the way, they beat the monks and killed or took along those that were in their path, so that the rebels in the woods would hear of it. On April 27, 1595, the wooden coffin burnt on a pyre on the Vračar hill in Belgrade. The flames were seen over the Danube, and the Turks celebrated. The Temple of Saint Sava was built on the place where his remains were burned, its construction began in the 1930s and was completed in 2004. Stefan Vukčić Kosača in 1448, after the conquer of monastery Mileševa, proclaimed himself "Herzog of Saint Sava " and the area he later ruled was named Herzegovina.

In medieval Serbia his grave was a place of pilgrimage. Beside Serbs, both Turks and Jews went to pilgrimage to Mileševa. Gregory of Sinai considered him to be a great illuminator. Sava III calls him great apostle and archbishop of Serbia, while for Archbishop Danilo I he is sir and our teacher. In the time of Ottoman occupation, Sava's cult overpast previous Serbian boundaries. It expanded in Russia, notably during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Russian monk Elder Isaija brought the manuscript "life of Saint Sava" from Mount Athos to Russia. Later many other libraries across Russia possessed works by Saint Sava or about him.

As a saint, Sava was respected even among the Roman Catholics. Tomko Mrnjevic, a Bosnian bishop in the early 17th century, wrote the first biography of Saint Sava, which did not not contain historical character but a literary. Various writers wrote about Saint Sava with respect, among others: Antun Sasin, Jovan S. Kavanjin, Pavle Riter Vitezovic.

In Serb-populated places, various works of cultural significance have been done on the feast day of Saint Sava. For example Matica srpska was founded on Sava's day, the Serbian gymnasium in Novi Sad etc. From 19th century Saint Sava is more seen as a patron of school and education, first in Vojvodina (probably in Zemun, 1826). Some of the most respected Serbian writers found inspiration in the life and works of Saint Sava, such as: Branko Radičević, Jovan Jovanović Zmaj, Vojislav Ilić, Miloš Crnjanski and recently Matija Bećković.

Around 42 portraits of him remained from medieval times. Saint Sava's artistic cult reached its height in 18th century, reached at rood-screen of cathedral church in Sremski Karlovci, which was built around 1780 by Teodor Kracun and Jakov Orfelin. In newer times of Serbian art (19-20 cen.) Saint Sava was inspiration of those artists who wanted to show their patriotism and devotion to the church, education, enlightenment and generally - culture.

Many stories show Saint Sava as a teacher and wonder-worker. As a wonder-worker Sava is related to water, ice and snow. Veselin Čajkanović considered that many former Serbian pagan beliefs could be seen through Saint Sava. In Serbian folk tales, Saint Sava favourites shipbuilding. He also had power to calm the sea and storm, but he also used ships to immerse sinners.

Saint Sava is considered a Serbian patron saint, and is the most respected Serbian saint in the Orthodox world.