Serbian Habits and Customs
Serbian Habits and Customs
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BY DR. T. R. GEORGEVITCH.
Middle Age was more strongly felt, the Knezina took the
place of the tribes-almost self-administrative entities
ruling-which have nearly the same organisation as the
tribes. In the tribes, as well as in the Kniezina, Knezovi
(the hereditary chiefs), the national Serbs (Knez, bas-
knez, obor-knez) govern. They do not differ from the
people in any way, either in clothing or in their way of
living. They govern in common agreement with the
people, according to the old social traditions and customs.
This is how the ancient social habits were revived.
It is from the period of the conquest of the Serbian
State that the disappearance of the Serbian written laws
dates. The ancient legal customs took their place and
played a great part, one which consisted in settling the
disputes between the Knezina. The boundaries between
the different Knezina were badly defined. The cattle of
one feeding on the ground of the other was often the cause
of conflict. These quarrels were treated by the customary
laws. The pleaders gave full power to the tribunal of
venerable old men, who settled the matter to the best of
their power. If settlement was not possible, it was agreed
to have an open fight between the two Knezina, the winner
reserving to himself the right of making the law. In the
same way discords between the villages of the same
Knezina were settled. Homicides were judged by chosen
arbitrators or by venerable old men who spontaneously
declared themselves ready to be arbitrators. If, in a
village, there was a criminal he was expelled or put to
death by the inhabitants. If someone committed damage,
a counsel elected by the villagers estimated the damage
and the guilty one had to pay or compensate the losers.
When a criminal remained undetected all the villagers
assembled, each one of them mutually guaranteeing that
he was not guilty. The individual who could not find a
guarantee was unanimously declared guilty. If the guilty
persisted in denying his crime he was submitted to the