Šokci

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The Šokci ( Serbian - Cyrillic Шокци , Hungarian Sokácok , German Schokatzen or Schoktzen) are a South Slavic population group that is native to Croatia , Romania , Serbia and Hungary . The members of this population group are predominantly of the Roman Catholic denomination and speak a dialect of the Serbo-Croatian language with both Ikavic and Ekavic influences.

Settlement area and demography

The settlement area of ​​the Šokci includes the historical regions of Slavonia , the former Baranya County , the Batschka , the Banat , Syrmia and northern Serbia . They live mainly in different settlements along the lower Sava and middle Danube .

According to the census of 1840, the population of Croatia and Slavonia was 1,605,730, of whom 777,880 (48%) declared themselves as Croatians , 504,179 (32%) as Serbs , and 297,747 (19%) as Šokci. The Šokci were concentrated on the counties of Požega , Virovitica and Syrmia and the Slavonian military border. In the second half of the 19th century, however, they were asked to call themselves Croatians, so that the name was constantly decreasing. At the end of the 19th century there are said to have been 52,000 Šokci in Batschka and Baranya. According to the 1910 census, there were 68,725 Bunjewatzen and Šokci in the Batschka , and 13,012 Šokci in the Baranya . In 2011, only a few hundred people in Vojvodina referred to themselves as Šokci, while they no longer appear in the census in Croatia.

Croatia

Part of the area of Slavonia populated by Catholics , in particular the lowlands of the Posavina towards the Save , was once called Šokadija ( "Land of the Šokci" ). This term became particularly popular towards the end of the 19th century. This name was mentioned earlier in 1633, for example in the vicinity of Našice , in the 18th century, near Đakovo , and by the writer Antun Kanižlić in 1757. For centuries, the Šokadija was the border area with the Ottoman Empire .

In the Austro-Hungarian censuses in the 19th century, a significantly larger proportion in the settlement areas of this population group identified themselves as Šokci. In censuses in Croatia , they usually do not provide any information about belonging to a regional ethnic minority, as they are not recognized as an independent ethnic group there, but classified as Croatians. In Serbia, the Šokci are recognized as an independent ethnic group.

Serbia

In the 19th century, the number of Šokci in Serbia was just over 20,000. According to the 1991 census, only 1,922 people in what was then the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia identified themselves as Šokci. Sonta , Bački Breg and Bački Monoštor are localities with a significant share of Šokci in the Batschka .

Hungary

Most of the Hungarian Šokci live in what is now Baranya County , especially in the city of Mohács .

Origin of name

Different interpretations

The exact origin of the name Šokci is not clear. At the end of the 18th century, Matija Petar Katančić created the thesis that the origin of the word can be found in the language of the indigenous people of ancient Pannonia . Other scientists in turn suspect the origin in other languages. Some are of the opinion that the old form of the name has been preserved to this day, while others are of the opinion that this name only came into existence at the time of the Ottoman conquests, when Christians were forced to convert to Islam .

Over time, however, these and similar interpretations were discarded, whether in the face of clearer interpretations of existing documents or newly-found evidence. Another special feature is that the main exponent of the Slavonian educational writers (in didactic and moralizing terms) Matija Antun Reljković did not use this expression at all. The use of the term Šokci can be directly linked to the work of the writer Josip Kozarac . His line is often summarized under the syntagma "šokačka književnost" (Šokci literature), which is specific to the Slavonian part of Croatian literature.

Illyrian theory about the Šokci

The first scientific theses on the Šokci come from Matija Petar Katančić, an author of numerous ethnolinguistic debates. Katančić started from the assumption that the Croatians are direct successors of the Illyrians . In his theses he therefore referred to an Illyrian-Pannonian origin of the Šokci. He brought the name in connection with the mountain Succus , which separated the Thracians from the Illyrians in the distant past . The Illyrians were once called Succi , which is where the name Sukci and later Šokci arose.

Also Ferdo Filipović , a writer from the 19th century, wrote about the ancient race of Sukci . Probably influenced by Katančić's “Illyrian theory”, he mentions in Prasjedioci Slavonije (1866) that the Sukci , when they saw their confreres Besi (or Bjesi , who lived in Bosnia) leave, followed them. He also mentions that they settled in Syrmia , the Banat and the Batschka and lived there to this day. The word Šokci still reminds of them.

Even before Filipović, the Bosnian Franciscan Ivan Franjo Jukić published the book Zemljopis i poviestnicu Bosne (1851, German: Geography and History of Bosnia ). He writes that in his opinion the Šokci should have come from Bulgaria when the Bogomils began to spread in Bosnia. He does not refute Katančić's thesis and explains that the ancient origins of the Šokci can be explained by the extinction of the ancient Illyrian tribe.

In view of today's knowledge and refuted theses about the descent of the Croats from the Illyrians, these theses are to be rejected. By means of these theses it is also not possible to determine whether the Šokci have identified an independent ethnic group among the Croats. The Šokci were identified quite late and in a geographically rather limited area, when they were under Hungarian or Turkish rule. Turkish and Hungarian components in particular proved to be strongly present in connection with this complex topic. The origin of the name - what has only been proven - is namely not linked to the area of ​​Slavonia, but to the area of ​​medieval Bosnia. It is almost indisputable that the Šokci, coming from Bosnia, settled in what is now Slavonia and other areas.

Doubt about the designation

Notwithstanding justified doubts about the correctness of theories about the foreign origin of the name Šokci, explanations based on Croatian lexical bases cannot be supported without objection.

This also applies to Katančić's second variant of the name Šokac . In view of the obvious etymological analogy, he combined the word Šokac with the Serbo-Croatian name sok , which means juice in German . He thought of plum juice. (The Šokci made slivovitz at that time.) However, Ljudevit Jonke did not establish any etymological connection.

In popular tradition, the following saying is known: šaka - šakac - šokac ( šaka stands for Faust in German ). The claim that the name of the Šokci stems from the fact that they cross themselves with the fist was also forced by some editions that were printed for the wider population of Slavonia (for example in Kalendar slavonski , German Slavonian calendar , which was published in the first half of 19th century in Osijek .) Such attempts at interpretation are only to be regarded as popular curiosities.

Hungarian variant

More than a century and a half ago, in a representation of Slavonia in the German language, the name Šokac was explained on the Hungarian lexical level. The interpretation is roughly: "After the fall of Bosnia, many fled to Hungary in Hungarian boats, and when these were overcrowded, the Hungarian used to shout: sok az - that is no longer enough, for fear that they might go under ".

The historian Josip Bösendorfer from Osijek was the first in recent history to address this issue. His more informative than analytical text Odakle ime Šokac? (published in Osječki zbornik , 1948) states: From historical records we know that Béla IV. founded a border region of salt (Latin: Salines , Serbo-Croatian: Oblast Soli ) in medieval Bosnia, south of the Sava , which extends from the Drina stretched to the Bosna (river) . It was chosen to be a Banschaft (Serbo-Croatian: banovina ) under Matthias Corvinus . This area was inhabited by Catholics. The Hungarians called this Banschaft bánság, banovina Soli . They called the salt mountain itself só-kút (literally in German: salt spring , pronounced schoh-kuht ).

So the local population of the Turkish invasion fled north, these refugees were named by the Magyars after the region from which they came - sóiember , people from the salt region. The residents in turn identified the place Šokut (só-kút) with the area of Šo (só) and consequently referred to a refugee from this area as Šokutac , from which the shorter name Šokac was formed.

Professor Dionizije Švagelj refers in his work Etnik Šokac ( Revija , No. 6, Osijek, 1964), among other things, to the German etymologist Friedrich Kluge and finds his interpretation of the German amount of shock interesting. According to Švagelj, the word shock would indicate that the Šokci got their name from a group of 60 soldiers. This corresponded to a guard group on the Sava at the time of the Slavonian military border .

In view of preferred attempts at interpretation using the Hungarian variant (which is based on the words sok az ), it can be concluded that any connection between the term Šokci and a Turkish swear word (Šišićeva sintagma) is wrong. Likewise, the derivation of the word Vlah from an offensive expression is wrong. Šokac , Vlah , and also Šijak (for the inhabitants of the Požega area ) are by no means used to insult the followers of certain ethnic groups.

history

Typical houses of the Šokci in Draž , Croatia

There are various theories about the origin of the Šokci, but no reliable findings. According to Holm Sundhaussen , it is mostly assumed that the Šokci fled the region of Bosnia, which then belonged to the Ottoman Empire, across the Sava to Habsburg territory towards the end of the 17th century . The oldest document in which the population of the Šokci is mentioned is a tax register (Turkish: defter ) from 1615. According to the Islamic calendar, the Ferman is dated Safer 9, 1024 and was decreed by Sultan Ahmed I. In this the Sultan refers to a population group of "Latin faith" whose religion is said to be different from that of the Serbs , Greeks and Vlachians .

The šokci are also listed in documents of the Roman Catholic Church. A document from 1635 mentions their request to appoint Brother Jeronim Lučić as Bishop of Bosnia and Slavonia. There is also a mention from the time when Prince Eugene penetrated from Savoy to Sarajevo, which was deep in the Ottoman Empire (1697). In the district administration list of Đakovo from 1702, the population group of the Šokci in Slavonia was officially mentioned for the first time.

The actual origins of the Šokci are still unclear today. It is believed that they are descendants of the Slavic tribes who came to Slavonia during the Great Migration. However, it is also very likely that not all of them are descended from them, but are supporters of other ethnic groups who migrated here from the south (Bosnia) a few centuries before the Turkish wars . There is some evidence that such a migration occurred in the mid-13th century.

Regardless of the migration issue, the Šokci are considered to be pre-Ottoman, indigenous, settlers from Slavonia and Vojvodina agreements. The majority of today's population in these areas are descendants of later immigrants. The later Turkish invasions also resulted in a large part of the Christian population of Bosnia, Herzegovina and other neighboring regions either being asked to convert to the Muslim faith or to relocate. As a result, there were again migratory flows from the southern parts of today's Bosnia to the north.

Religion and language

The Šokci are predominantly of the Roman Catholic denomination. They speak a dialect of the Serbo-Croatian language with both ikavic and ekavic influences. In Slavonia they speak a Slavonian, štokavian sub-dialect, which is spoken almost exclusively by Šokci and is said to be closely related to the dialect of the Bunjewatzen . The Slavonian dialect consists of a mixed ikavian-ekavian pronunciation. Icavian is mainly spoken in the regions of Posavina , Baranja , Batschka and in the Slavonian dialect enclave Derventa . The Ekavic pronunciation predominates among the Šokci in the Podravina . There are also linguistic islands of the other dialect in the Šokci settlement areas. Mixed ekavian-ikavic pronunciation variants also occur. In some villages in Hungary the ancient Slavic Jat sound has been preserved.

Traditions

Šokci in traditional animal masks at the end of winter celebration called
Busójárás and corresponding to the Bulgarian Kukeri , which is held in Mohács , southern Hungary.

Since the Šokci are native to the fertile Pannonian plain, they have adapted to this area and developed into farmers . Maize is the most important cultivation variety .

The structure of the villages is as follows: along a main street ( šor ) there are rows of houses with farmhouses. Behind the house there is a large courtyard, which is actually always equipped with a well with a wheel. Canals have been dug on both sides of the main street, the only way to get to the houses is via a dam that leads directly to the house.

Poultry and pig breeding is also one of the typical occupations of the Šokci. Pig breeding in particular is considered to be important because it is a staple food. The Šokci produce pork specialties such as ham , kulen and bacon . Likewise, the plum is a typical plant that the Šokci plant and use. The production of slivovitz should be mentioned in particular .

The Šokci maintain their traditions in many folklore clubs. The long-necked tamburica is the most important instrument in folklore groups. In earlier days the bagpipe gajde was also used to accompany songs and dances. A famous annual festival is called Šokačko sijelo .

The traditional costume of the Šokci ( rubina ) consists of white linen with embroidery as decoration. Women usually only wear the full costume in summer and replace it with a wool skirt in winter. A highly valued decoration of the Šokci costume are gold coins known as ducats (plural: dukati ). These are most likely due to original ducats. A rich girl would wear many ducats woven into the front of the costume of the Šokci, not as an ornament, but as a clear sign that she comes from a wealthy family.

The life of the Šokci in Croatia was described in literary terms in the stories of the writer Mara Švel-Gamiršek .

Cultural events

  • Mikini dani (Festival in honor of the violinist Mika Ivošev Kuzma in Bački Breg )
  • Šokačka rič (cultural festival for the cultivation of languages ​​and customs)
  • Šokačko veče (Folklore Festival in Sonta )
  • Šokačko sijelo ( Tamburica and folklore festival in Županja )
  • Tragovi Šokadije (In the footsteps of Šokadija )

Well-known Šokci

Trivia

The Šokci hymn is the song “Šokadija”. The author is Božana Vidaković.

See also

literature

  • Hrvatsko slovo (March 21, 2008). "Dvojbe oko naziva Šokci" (Vladimir Rem). P. 26th edition 674.
  • Veliki i poznati Šokci, Veći dio biografija Šokaca iz Slavonije i Baranje, Srijema, Bačke, bosanske Posavine i Mađarske, SN Privlačica, Vinkovci, 2007, ISBN 978-953-156-293-5
  • Šokadija i Šokci 1: Podrijetlo i naseljavanje, SN Privlačica, Vinkovci, 2007, ISBN 978-953-156-289-8
  • Šokadija i Šokci 2: Život i običaji, SN Privlačica, Vinkovci, 2007, ISBN 978-953-156-290-4
  • Šokadija i Šokci 3: Šokadija i Šokci u književnoj riječi, SN Privlačica, Vinkovci, 2007, ISBN 978-953-156-291-1
  • Šokadija i Šokci 4: Šokadija danas, SN Privlačica, Vinkovci, 2007, ISBN 978-953-156-292-8
  • Šokadija i Šokci 5: Veliki i poznati Šokci, SN Privlačica, Vinkovci, 2007, ISBN 978-953-156-293-5
  • Lazo M. Kostić: Srpska Vojvodina i njene manjine , Novi Sad, 1999.
  • Mile Nedeljković: Leksikon naroda sveta , Beograd, 2001.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e f Konrad Clewing, Holm Sundhaussen (ed.): Lexicon for the history of Southeast Europe . Böhlau, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2016, ISBN 978-3-205-78667-2 . , P. 821
  2. Marko Čović: Bački Bunjevci i Šokci na hrvatskoj varijanti , Hrvatska revija, 26/1976.
  3. Zvonik, No. 162/2008 Tragovi Šokadije: 1688. - 2008. od Gradovrha do Bača
  4. a b Vjesnik  ( page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Šokadija i Šokci@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.vjesnik.com  
  5. Kolo Između Krnjaša i Nevkoša - Ivan Kozarac (1885–1910)  ( page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.matica.hr  
  6. a b Dani Josipa i Ivana Kozarca ( Memento of the original from May 1, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Katica Čorkalo: Kako su nastali, što jesu i što nam znače @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.privlacica.hr
  7. a b c d e f g h i Udruga Šokačka grana Osijek ( Memento from March 12, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Okrugli stol
  8. Udruga Sokadija Udruga za promicanje i očuvanje šokačke Bastine
  9. Zakud ( Memento of the original from March 1, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Prikaz manifestacije Šokačka rič 2 i Znanstvenoga skupa Slavonski dijalekt @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.zakud.com
  10. Radio Subotica ( Memento from May 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Književna večer o šokačkom govoru, September 27, 2008