– Montenegrin Ethnic Association of Australia –
Arso Jovanović, Chief of the Supreme Headquarters of the Yugoslav National Liberation Army during the Second World War, was born in Zavala of Podgorica into the Piperi tribe — one of Montenegro’s historic Highland tribes renowned for their fierce independence, military skill and resistance to foreign domination. The Piperi, whose history stretches back to the 15th century, played decisive roles in uprisings against the Ottomans, in Montenegro’s struggles for unification, and in shaping the political life of the nation. This tradition and deep-rooted sense of communal identity formed part of the environment that shaped Arso’s character, discipline and commitment to the liberation war.
Sava Press
The Piperi, along with the Bjelopavlići, were the first Highland tribe to become part of Montenegro, joining after the Battle of Martinići in 1796, in which the Highlanders and Montenegrins defeated a Turkish army six times their size.
The Piperi are one of the Montenegrin tribes belonging to the group of Highland tribes in present-day Montenegro. As both a tribe and an historical region, Piperi encompass an area forming a triangle between the rivers Zeta and Morača, north of today’s Podgorica. The exact beginnings of the Piperi remain unknown to this day. They were first mentioned in Venetian records in the mid-15th century, and as a Highland tribe in the true sense of the word — like the Kuči and Bjelopavlići — they took shape around the 16th century.
The word “Piper” comes from the Latin word piper, meaning “pepper.” Its use spread from central Italy to other regions due to Roman trade with distant areas, appearing in the language spoken by the Romanized population, or old Vlachs, in Dalmatia during the Roman Empire, as well as in other languages such as Greek. From the same root, the word also found its way into modern languages like German and Albanian. It is also present in Old Church Slavonic in the form pipru. From there, in the form “pipru” — “piper,” it became well established early on among the South Slavs in the Balkans.
There are numerous place names in the Balkans based on the word piper. In Bulgaria, near Dupnica and Bistritsa, there is a place called Piperevo, and south of Sofia, near Pernik, there is Piperka. Bulgaria also has a place called Piperkovo between Pleven and Ruse. In North Macedonia there are places called Piperevo, as well as another of the same name northeast of Strumica, and a place called Piperka at the tri-border of North Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece. It is unclear whether, and if so how, these toponyms are connected to the Piperi tribe.
In our lands, the name has appeared in the past — in charters of the Montenegrin ruler Ivan Crnojević to the Cetinje Monastery from 1485 and 1489, Mihailo Piper and Vuk Piperović are mentioned, although it is uncertain whether they were related to the Piperi brotherhood of the Highlands from which the tribe developed. Also, in the area where Dobrosko Selo is located in the northern part of Upper Ceklin, there once existed a region called Piperovina and, in Dobroska Župa, a village called Piperi, from which the above-mentioned individuals came. The historian Risto Kovijanić notes that Kotor documents mention Nikola Ostojin Piper from 1445, stated to be from Zeta — likely from that same village. He also notes that in Kotor documents from 1398 there is a mention of Radoslav Mihailov Piper, and in Dubrovnik sources from 1285 of Vlado Piper. It is unknown whether they were related to the previously mentioned individuals, although this remains possible due to the proximity of the locations. What is known is that these Pipers were related to those from or near Upper Ceklin. In addition, the name Piperevka appears in folk songs, the surname Piperac can be found in Herzegovina, and in Bosnia there is a place called Piperi (Lopare).
Based on all the above, two considerations can be made regarding how the tribe came to be called the Piperi and how the personal name Piper appeared in these areas.
The first consideration is that the tribe’s name came from the old Vlachs who lived there before the arrival of the Slavs. This position is supported by historians such as Branislav Đurđev, who base their view on the fact that the word piper is of Latin origin and could have been adopted from the old Vlachs. According to ethnologist Jovan Erdeljanović, this theory is less likely because no toponyms or personal names related to the word piper have been recorded among the native population there.
The second consideration, supported by historians and ethnologists like Erdeljanović, is that the personal name Piper already existed among the South Slavs, inherited from Old Church Slavonic, and entered the territory of the Piperi tribe with the arrival of the Slavs. For the reasons outlined above, Erdeljanović sees this as the most probable explanation. The tribe’s or place’s name likely originated from that personal name.
The Piperi, as one of the Highland tribes and as na historical region, encompass an area forming a triangle between the rivers Zeta and Morača, north of today’s Podgorica. The territory extends mainly along the Morača, with its eastern side bordering the neighbouring tribes of Bratonožići and Kuči, to the north the Rovci tribe, to the west the Bjelopavlići, and to the south toward Spuž and Podgorica. Notable areas and larger settlements include Seoca, Zavala, Stijena, Radovče, Potpeće, Sviba, Radeća, Rogami, Crnci, Baći, Rijeka, Ožege, Blizna, Mrke and others. These were mostly permanent or semi-permanent settlements, resulting from a freer way of life, and were therefore quite scattered in type. Among the Piperi, the term “house” referred not only to a single household or what is often called a “hearth,” but sometimes to several households grouped within a smaller settlement.
Among the natural areas, the most notable is the region called Piperska Gora, which can be divided into a southern part between the villages of Radovče and Raslovići, and a northern part that extends into the mountains. Piperska Gora is a limestone karst area with diverse karst formations and wide rocky expanses. The more southern part toward the Zeta is greener, with groves and vineyards.
Organization and Structure
As with other tribes, among the Piperi the smaller self-governing units were the katuns and villages. However, in the 15th century, within the territory of the Piperi there also existed the Luška Župa, which had been formed by the Lužani, an old population of Slavic origin in that area who belonged to the older layer of the Piperi. It is mentioned in part of the Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja as one of the nine župas in the territory of Zeta. As for the katuns, they arose under the influence of geography and a nomadic way of life, inherited from the native population.
The clan structure at that time was not developed, and only somewhat later did it begin to emerge, starting the complex process of uniting into a tribe and forming true tribes in the later sense of the word.
Pre-Tribal Period and the Transition to Tribal Organization
Regarding the period before and during the arrival of the Slavs in the Balkans, around the 6th and 7th centuries, what is certain is that the native population in these areas consisted of Illyrian-Roman inhabitants, known as Vlachs. This is evidenced by many toponyms of pre-Slavic origin, inherited from the languages spoken in these regions, including Latin, which have survived to this day: Mataruge, Rogame, Baći, Mažđap, Duka, Banjaestra (also known among the Piperi as Boljesestra) and others. The identity of these natives is also suggested by toponyms such as Vlaške Drače near Stijena. Based on sources and data about these areas, it is clear that they were the people whom the Slavs called Vlachs. The Vlach terms and toponyms were adopted from the regions of Duklja, and accordingly also in Piperi, as well as among Albanians towards Shkodra — which is nearby — and in northern Albania in general. Thus, a small number of toponyms from this area, such as the village name Rogami, can be found in slightly altered form in some surrounding areas and in present-day northern Albania. It should be kept in mind that near Piperi lay the old city of Duklja, or Dioclea, which explains the origin of those toponyms. However, the terrain and the small number of such toponyms indicate that there were not many Vlachs in these regions and that at the time of the Slavs’ arrival they were sparsely populated. As for those who came to these areas during the Slavic settlement of the Balkans, it is clear that they did not arrive in one large wave, but settled gradually. Their presence is attested by a large number of Slavic toponyms connected with settlements known to be quite old and originally belonging to the older layer of the Piperi, among which are Potpeć, Zavala, Sviba, Radeća, Blizna and others. The existence of the aforementioned Luška Župa also attests to them.
Layers of Slavic and Non-Slavic Origin
Over time, the Vlachs gradually blended into and were assimilated by the majority population of Slavic origin. After this, the Vlachs disappeared as a distinct ethnic identity. This phenomenon also occurred among other Balkan peoples, such as the Bulgarians. When exactly the Vlach identity ceased to exist as a foreign ethnic element depended on the region, territory and other factors, and there are differing opinions on this.
While the prevailing view in historiography is that this happened quite early — during the rule of the Nemanjić dynasty or even earlier — there are also opinions that it occurred only during or after the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. According to the first view, the term Vlach in many areas gradually shifted from an ethnic designation to a sociological category meaning “herdsman” as early as the Nemanjić period. This happened because of the complete blending of the old Vlachs through the adoption of language, names, customs and the Orthodox faith, by which they lost the main traits of a foreign ethnic element that would have distinguished them from the surrounding population. According to Sima Ćirković’s view, also shared by part of Western historiography, Vlach remained an ethnic designation despite cultural assimilation during the Nemanjić era, because they still represented a foreign ethnic element due to their different social status as herdsmen, separate from the rest of the population who were mostly farmers. This meant that the Vlachs, though still distinct, were no longer an ethnic group in the full sense, as they shared the same culture. This remained the case until the Ottoman conquests disrupted the existing feudal system and replaced it with one that placed greater emphasis on religion, which led to the merging of Orthodox Vlachs with other Orthodox Slavs. This brought major changes, including the formation of the tribal organization in the 15th and 16th centuries, which quickly erased the Vlachs as a foreign ethnic element, blending them into the Slavic population. This process took different courses depending on the area and on factors such as the influence of the Church — which at the time was the main bearer of culture — and the degree of segregation between Slavic and non-Slavic inhabitants. However, this becomes somewhat more complex when examining small areas such as Brda and Zeta in present-day Montenegro. In such places, separation was more difficult, and assimilation likely occurred earlier, by the end of the Nemanjić period. Also, the large number of toponyms in the Piperi area that are predominantly of Slavic origin shows that the Slavic identity was already firmly rooted there before the Ottoman conquests. In addition, the feudal system developed in such a way that herding, along with other occupations, was left to the Vlachs, and thus anyone engaged in those activities was considered a Vlach by social status. Furthermore, when they were originally a separate ethnic group in the early Middle Ages, it must be remembered that such assimilation could only have occurred if the region already had a majority Slavic population into which the non-Slavic population could be absorbed, and that the process unfolded at different times in different places. In any case, whether this happened during the medieval states or during the Ottoman conquest of these lands in the 15th century and thereafter, the Vlachs as a foreign ethnic element blended into the surrounding Slavic population, ceasing to be a separate ethnic group. From then on, the term Vlach in Serbian lands came to be used as a synonym for Serb.
The Slavic population of these areas consisted of the Lužani. They represented a large, older population that, with the gradual weakening and disappearance of the župa organization, merged with the surrounding population and formed tribes such as the Piperi and the Bjelopavlići.
Early Mentions of the Piperi
The Piperi are first mentioned in Venetian documents in the early 15th century. At that time, they had not yet formed the tribal organization known from later periods. According to Konstantin Jireček, the Piperi are first mentioned in 1416 in the Scutari cadastre. Historian Branislav Đurđev pointed out that this is a direct reference, relating to a settler from Piperi in the Scutari area. One record from 1455, concerning the Orthodox monastery of Vranjina, describes negotiations between the Venetians, Stefan Crnojević and the people of Upper Zeta who had accepted his rule. Alongside the Kuči, the Piperi are also mentioned by name, and one of their demands to the Venetians and to Stefan Crnojević was that their clergy could not be Catholic, but must remain Orthodox. Based on this, it is concluded that the Piperi were already Orthodox at that time.
The first mention of the Piperi in Dubrovnik sources dates to 1444, when they recorded an attack by the Piperi, Bjelopavlići and Vasojevići, led by two Bjelopavlići — Radosav Dimitrović and Radonja Ružić — in which they killed and robbed a Dubrovnik merchant.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of historical records from earlier periods, the exact date when the Piperi formed as a tribe remains unknown. What is known is that the characteristics of tribal organization began to develop in the late 15th century, and that sometime during the 16th century the Piperi became a fully formed tribe.
In the late 15th century, the territory of the Piperi was taken over by the Ottomans. According to Đurđev, the Piperi had not yet adopted the full tribal organization known from the 16th century. At that time, in the area of Piperi and Bratonožići, the Piperska nahija was established. The population was classified according to who their kaznec was — a Slavic title for the person responsible for collecting taxes and dues — as shown in the 1497 census. According to Jovan Erdeljanović, the Piperi were still not a united territory at that time. Đurđev, however, disagreed, pointing out that according to historical sources from 1485, such as Ottoman tax registers (defters), the Piperi were already a unified territory that included the Bratonožići lands.
In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, settlers from other regions began arriving in Piperi. The old Piperi brotherhood, that is, the older layer — including brotherhoods such as the Old Piperi, the Mugoša, the Lužani and others — either merged into the newer group or were partly displaced. This created a more numerous, newer layer of the Piperi that surpassed the older one. According to oral tradition, these settlers mostly shared a common origin, which will be discussed in the section on clans.
Ottoman defters from the 15th century onward show that the spoken language in the area, as well as the personal names, were predominantly of Slavic origin, with very few of non-Slavic origin. The records also indicate that the incoming population mainly bore names of Slavic origin or Orthodox names in their Slavic form. The Ottoman defter of 1497 mentions the following individuals as kaznecs or spahis in their villages: Božidar, son of Vukotin; Božidar, son of Dabižin; Đuro, son of Lekin; Petar, son of Nikov; Radič, son of Gomnjen; Niko, son of Radešin; Peško, son of Radešin; Radič, son of Raško; Radul, son of Vukašin; Dabko, son of Vukašin; Vuk, son of Đurđev; Đuro, son of Lijev (Ilijev); Radič, son of Lazar; Nikac, son of Pajš; Vuk, son of Niko.
The Tribal Period Until the First World War
By the 16th century, sporadic conflicts had already begun between the Piperi and the Ottomans, one of which was immortalized in the song The Pipers’ Battle with Tahir Pasha. The cause of these clashes was the Piperi’s refusal to pay the haraç (tax).
During the 16th century, the Piperi fully adopted the characteristics of tribal organization. According to Sima Ćirković, due to better conditions for livestock raising and the already established katuns, as well as Ottoman administration, complete mixing of the Slavic and non-Slavic populations occurred only at the time of the tribe’s formation. It should also be noted that the 1570 census of the Sanjak of Scutari recorded that the raja in Piperi refused en masse to be registered.
The burning of the relics of Saint Sava in Vračar in 1595 provoked Orthodox believers throughout the Ottoman Empire. The activity of the uskoks from Austria increased, and in 1596-97 an uprising broke out in the area of present-day Montenegro and Herzegovina, under the leadership of Duke Grdan from today’s Nikšić. The rebellion began in Bjelopavlići and spread to Old Herzegovina, where it was joined by many tribes such as the Drobnjaci, Pivljani and others. Because of this, and due to a misreported rumour that Ottoman Sultan Mehmed III had been killed in the 1596 Battle of Eger, according to Venetian Lazzaro Soranzo, the Piperi, Kuči and Catholic Klimenti also joined the uprising. Two Orthodox monks sent to Rome in 1597 proposed to the Pope that he send an army to liberate the people in what is now Montenegro and appoint a Christian to rule over them. As the uprising was poorly organized and amounted more to a series of local revolts and skirmishes, and due to the lack of aid from Christian countries, the Ottomans crushed it easily. Nevertheless, revolts did not stop. In 1609, uprisings broke out in northern Albania against the Ottomans, joined by neighbouring tribes including the Piperi, Kuči and Bjelopavlići, but despite certain Ottoman setbacks, it too was quickly suppressed. Following renewed uprisings by the Piperi, Bjelopavlići and other Highlanders, the Ottomans gathered an army of 40,000 and attacked these tribes, inflicting heavy losses. Still, even this attack failed to completely pacify the Piperi and other Highlanders, who continued to mount sporadic revolts until the period before the Cretan War in the mid-17th century.
During the Ottoman occupation, aside from clashes with the Ottomans, smaller skirmishes sometimes occurred between and within the tribes themselves.
In 1658, under the influence of the Venetian Republic, the Piperi, Kuči, Vasojevići, Bratonožići, Klimenti, Hoti and Gruda formed the so-called Alaj Barjak, a union of these seven tribes allied with Venice against the Ottoman Empire. Soon afterwards, rebellions against the Ottomans broke out in Piperi, Rovci, Bjelopavlići, Bratonožići, Kuči and Vasojevići. Venice continued to support the Montenegrins and Highlanders until the Ottomans defeated them and expelled them from Old Montenegro. Around mid-July 1691, the Pasha of Scutari, Sulejman, gathered a considerable army and attacked the Piperi and Bjelopavlići, but his forces were defeated.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Piperi, as one of the most war-like Highland tribes, fought numerous battles against the Ottomans. Among the historically recorded battles involving the Piperi against the Turkish viziers are:
— Against Osman Pasha in 1732.
— Against Mahmut Pasha in 1788.
— Against Mahmut Pasha, the Battle of Martinići in 1796.
— Against Tahir Pasha around 1810.
In a letter sent to the Russians in 1789, written by representatives of the Highland tribes including the Piperi, it was stated that all of them — the Highlanders, or tribes — were of the Orthodox faith. This reflected the prevailing view at the time, which distinguished the Highlanders from the Montenegrins of Old Montenegro.
After the Battle of Martinići in 1796, the Piperi and Bjelopavlići became part of Montenegro. Later, in 1847, they entered into a fierce conflict with Prince Danilo over his suppression of tribal autonomy, and in July 1854 the Piperi, Kuči and Bjelopavlići declared themselves independent. However, Prince Danilo succeeded in crushing their revolt.
In the Principality of Montenegro, the Piperi had their own senators, such as the well-known Jole Piletić. They actively served in the Montenegrin army and held important positions.
At that time, the renowned jurist from Cavtat, Valtazar Bogišić, travelled among the Highland tribes to collect information on legal customs for his General Property Code for Montenegro (1888). His informant in Piperi was Senator Jole Piletić.
Up to the 19th century, and continuing thereafter, due to extremely poor economic conditions and constant conflict with the Ottomans, many Piperi emigrated to Serbia and Bosnia. Some of these emigrant families produced notable figures and military commanders, including Uzun Mirko Apostolović, whose ancestors came from Piperi to the Rudnik region and later near Belgrade. According to the tradition of the Rajić family from Gledić and Guča, relatives of the Rajić from Stragari, the well-known Rajić family that moved to Šumadija from Nova Varoš had originally come from Piperi very early, in the 17th century. From them — specifically the Rajić of Stragari — descended Tanasko Rajić, Karađorđe’s standard-bearer in the First Serbian Uprising and a commander in the Second Serbian Uprising, as well as the well-known Serbian poet Velimir Rajić of the 19th century. In the mid-18th century, the ancestors of today’s Vujić family of Lipovac moved from Piperi to Šumadija. They were descendants of Dmitar Petrović Piper, from whom came the famous guslar Živan Vujić (20th century).
Piperi Brotherhoods and Clans
The Piperi are made up of numerous brotherhoods with extensive clan branches. As already noted, the Piperi can be divided into an older layer of mixed Slavic-Vlach origin and a newer, more numerous layer that came from Bratonožići, with whom the Piperi are very closely related. Despite the small number of old Vlach toponyms, all censuses overwhelmingly show Slavic names. As mentioned, it is possible that the personal name Piper(i) was brought by South Slavs who settled in the area, since it was common among them and had not been recorded among the earlier native population. The tribe as an organized unit appeared only after the arrival of the Slavs in the region. Tribal elements emerged with the formation of katuns when the Ottomans took control of the territory, while the full characteristics of clan and later tribal organization developed in the 16th century.
There are various folk traditions about the origin of the Piperi. According to one version, the founder of the tribe was a man named Duke Pipo, the brother of Vaso, founder of the Vasojevići. In some tribal traditions, this common ancestor came from Herzegovina. Many versions of this story exist, often including other tribes such as the Ozrinići, said to descend from Ozro, Pipo’s brother. Sometimes even certain Albanian tribes such as the Hoti and Krasnići are woven into these stories. They too have traditions about a shared origin, but they involve completely different tribes and names, and point to a completely different ancestry for the forefather. These oral traditions are, however, highly unreliable, and it is possible they are mixed accounts from the older populations of the region. Moreover, certain genetic studies have confirmed that most of these traditions are essentially impossible and thus incorrect, and that what really happened was later kinship formation among families in the area during the period of tribal consolidation.
The aforementioned older layer consists of the old Lužani and other groups, as well as groups of old Vlach origin who were assimilated and by the 15th century fully merged with the Slavs. Among them were the old Piperi, Rogamljani, the Lužani already mentioned, Mrke, Novičani, Mugoše and others. By the 15th century they were clearly organized into katuns, though in the form of družinas (bands), from which tribes would later emerge. Representatives of these and other katuns of Upper Zeta made up the so-called “Zeta Assembly,” and according to the Venetian document Sen. Misti LX, 160, dated July 12, 1439, they were referred to as proceres et capita Montanearum Gente. These katuns often joined the nobility during the rule of the Crnojević family, like the aforementioned Mihailo Piper and others. The older layer of Piperi was absorbed by newly arrived settlers in the area who took on the name Piperi. Some, such as certain families from the Lužani and Mugoše, moved to other regions such as the Paštrovići area.
The newer layer is composed of settlers who came from Lutovo in Bratonožići, and are often called Lutovci. It is also likely that they were of further Slavic or mixed Slavic and non-Slavic origin. For all the immigrant brotherhoods, except two — the Baći and the Vušutovići — it is possible to determine the exact or at least approximate time of settlement based on oral tradition. As for the Baći, they originally celebrated the feast of St. Elijah (Ilindan), later changing to the feast of St. Michael the Archangel (Aranđelovdan). They live in the village of the same name and often disputed land ownership with the Đurković family. For the Vušutovići, all that is known is that they were settlers, that they celebrate St. Michael’s Day, and that they have only one household in Rogami.
Lutovci
The large brotherhoods of Lazarević, Vukotić, Petrović and Đurković from the newer layer are, according to oral tradition, of common origin and make up the largest part of the Piperi. The great majority of all clans within these brotherhoods, as well as many of the old settlers, celebrate St. Michael’s Day (Aranđelovdan). These four brotherhoods are descended from a common ancestor, Mijajlo, and are related to the Lutovci in Bratonožići, from where the Lutovci came. According to tradition, one of their ancestors, Captain Gojko, Mijajlo’s great-grandfather, moved from Pirot in Old Serbia to this region at the end of the 15th century. There is also a theory that this refers instead to the area of Pilot near Shkodra. The tradition continues that Gojko had a son named Nikola, Nikola had a son named Pipo, and Pipo had a son named Mijajlo. However, the genealogy from Pipo back to Gojko remains unconfirmed and debatable. It has also happened that certain brotherhoods were incorrectly linked in genealogies to these four larger ones, making those connections questionable as well.
As for Mijajlo, the genealogy from him onward is well documented, except for side branches where attempts have been made to link in other brotherhoods. The genealogy shows that Mijajlo had two sons: Gojislav, who lived in Sviba, and Đurko.
From Đurko came the Đurković family, and from Gojislav came the Lazarević, Petrović and Vukotić families. The Lazarević are said to descend from Lazar, son of Gojko, who remained in Sviba. Later, these brotherhoods produced smaller ones — from the Vukotić came the Božović and Ravnolažani; the Lazarević began to be more often called Marković and Popović; while in Sviba they became known as Vuković, who together with the Đurović in that village were called Svibnjani.
The Đurković in Zavala and Potpeć moved to other places, producing the Lutovci in Bratonožići, the Raslović in Piperska Rijeka, the Lumović in Crnci and others.
As for the Vukotić, they descend from Vukota Gojislav, who moved from Sviba to Stijena. Vukota’s son was Božidar, who was a vojvoda (military leader). He had many descendants, and the clans trace their lines only to their direct ancestors, which can cause uncertainty in some family relationships. Still, almost all lines fit within the correct time frame, as it is known for certain that Radoslav, son of Božidar, mentioned by Marijan Bolica in the early 17th century, was Božidar’s son, allowing Božidar’s lifetime to be dated approximately.
In addition to the large brotherhoods mentioned, the Piperi also include many other brotherhoods and families, such as the Vučinić and Vukanović in Rogami, the Šundić, the Đurović in Sviba (a smaller brotherhood unrelated to the above-mentioned Lazar) and other smaller brotherhoods.
General Notes on Clans
In general, the genealogies of Piperi brotherhoods can be traced through oral tradition far into the past — with almost reliable accuracy for up to 15 generations — as confirmed by several renowned ethnographers and historians such as Jovan Erdeljanović, Risto Kovijanić and Branislav Đurđev.
The brotherhoods recorded in oral and written history — listed regardless of hierarchical affiliation (whether they are subgroups of other brotherhoods) — are: Alagić, Banović, Banašević, Bešović, Becić, Bešević, Božanović, Bojović, Bracanović, Brković, Bližnjanin, Đurović, Žujović, Crnčanin, Stijenjanin, Otašević, Stamatović, Stojanović, Prenetašević, Marković, Marinković, Maudić, Mihailović (from Seoca–Stijena Piperska) brotherhoods, Vuković, Vukotić, Nikolić, Vučelić, Ćorović, Davidović, Liješević, Lutovac, Lazarević, Jovović, Šćepanović, Krkeljić, Raičević, Pajović, Matić, Milutinović, Miličković, Milićević, Novićević, Dragutinović, Jovanović, Zarić, Živković, Ilić, Vučković, Ojdanić, Pulević, Perković, Pavićević, Plemić, Perošević, Radojević, Janić, Dakić, Jelenić, Savić, Piletić, Novaković, Dragićević, Matović, Popović, Vukašinović, Ljumović, Vučinić, Gligorović, Perić, Dakić, Petrović, Ćosić, Božović, Pantić, Stevanović, Ristović, Ćetković, Radonjić, Dmitrović, Nenadić, Savović, Radević, Dragišić, Rogamović, Svibnjanin, Šćepanović, Šćekić. The Piperi also include the old Tešanović family, mentioned in the Dečani Chrysobulls between 1335 and 1345. The Tešanović family came from the Vraka area near Shkodra, and later moved into the Highlands, becoming part of the Piperi tribe (brotherhood).
Life and Folk Customs
Among the Piperi, as among the surrounding tribes, there is an old custom whereby the selari (those who remained in the village) on St. Elijah’s Day (Ilindan) would ride on horseback to deliver supplies to the shepherds. In terms of property, it was mostly communal, known as komun or komunica. Another custom was the prestalica — if someone in the mountains lost livestock and another found it, the finder would bring it to a “gathering” (sjednica), where those who had lost animals could reclaim them when they recognised them.
Competitions often arose among the strongest brotherhoods of the Piperi, sometimes resulting in the tribe having two vojvodas at the same time.
The Piperi were known not only as one of the bravest tribes but also as a tribe that migrated in large numbers — mostly via the Vasojevići — deeper into the territory of present-day Serbia, particularly into the Pomoravlje and northern Serbia. They are also found in Herzegovina, in Bosnia on Mount Majevica in Lopare municipality, and in Serbia in Srem and in Bačka (in Zmajevo). Some can even be found in present-day Macedonia.
Apart from their warfare, the Piperi were also known for cultivating high-quality grape varieties.
Faith
The krsna slava (patron saint’s feast day) of most Piperi is St. Michael’s Day (Aranđelovdan). As a result of frequent conflicts, very few churches were built in the Piperi region. All religious buildings in the area are Orthodox. The largest monastery there is the Orthodox monastery of Ćelija Piperska, most likely from the 12th century. This is supported by the fact that today’s monastery is surrounded by two significant archaeological sites: Gradina, from the 9th century, believed to have been the seat of an episcopate, and Djevič Grad, thought to have been a women’s monastery. There are also ruins of a church, believed to date from the 6th century, dedicated to Archangel Michael. In the 17th century, it was restored by Saint Stefan of Piperi, who lived there until his death. Other churches worth noting include the one in Blizna and the one in Bjeloglava in Radeća, where the general Piperi assembly was held. Among nearby monasteries is also the previously mentioned women’s monastery of Duga Moračka. Built in the 13th century by its founder Vukan, it is dedicated to the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God. The monastery was originally built in Gospođin Polje at the confluence of the Mala Rijeka with the Morača River, about 10 kilometres from its present location. Due to constant Ottoman threats, in 1752 the Piperi, Kuči, Bratonožići and Vasojevići moved it to a more secluded location in the village of Duga, beneath Kaluđerovo Brdo. The area is full of caves, where in the 14th and 15th centuries hesychast monks lived in asceticism, showing the long presence and tradition of Orthodoxy in these lands. According to tradition, during the relocation there was a column of people 6 kilometres long who, hand to hand, passed every stone of the monastery in a single night. Three years later, in 1755, there is proof the monastery was active, as Bishops Sava and Vasilije Petrović donated around 20 liturgical books to it. The site once had four gates, no longer standing, with each tribe entering through its own gate, arranged symmetrically in the shape of a cross in relation to the church. The 19th century saw the rise of a great spiritual leader here — Archimandrite Mojsije Zečević — whose seat was in Đurđevi Stupovi. From the age of 3 to 15, he lived in the Duga Monastery, where he took monastic vows. He was the right hand of Saint Petar of Cetinje and did much to strengthen Orthodoxy, also working to prevent his Vasojević tribe from converting to Islam. Nearby, in neighbouring Bratonožići with whom the Piperi are connected, stands the Monastery of St. Nicholas in Pelev Brijeg, which was active during the Nemanjić dynasty.
The importance of the Church for the Piperi is shown by the fact that, while they were under the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan of Scutari, their ties with the Montenegrins were weak and often conflict-prone. As soon as they came under the Metropolitanate of Montenegro around 1675, during Bishop Rufim II’s tenure, ties became closer, culminating in political unification.
Regarding the question of the Piperi’s religion, historian Vladimir Ćorović, citing Sima Milutinović’s History of Montenegro, stated in his History of the Serbian People that until 1610 the Piperi were Catholics. This was a period of more intensive work by Roman Catholic clergy in Ottoman-held lands. Milutinović based his statement on oral tradition from the Kuči about the conversion of some Catholic Kuči, specifically the Drekalovići and others, to Orthodoxy during Bishop Rufim’s time, a process completed by the early 17th century. Milutinović states that Rufim converted to Orthodoxy the Kuči, Bratonožići and Drekalovići, who had been lured into Catholicism by neighbouring Catholic Albanians. Upon returning to Orthodoxy, and despite brotherhood ties with nearby Albanian tribes, they stopped giving their women in marriage to Albanians, though they occasionally took Albanian wives. According to Ćorović, reports from Catholic clergy at the time confirm Rufim’s efforts to halt the spread of Catholicism. However, in the same work, Ćorović notes that when these areas fell under Ottoman rule, they were already almost entirely Orthodox — both the tribes like the Piperi and the Albanians — a fact also supported by many other historians, such as Ivan Božić, based on historical sources from before the 15th century.
Still, the fact that the Piperi were Orthodox even before 1610 — and thus were not originally Catholics — is confirmed by what Sima Milutinović actually stated in the aforementioned work. He mentioned a tradition involving the neighbouring Bratonožići, but not the Piperi, noting that they had first been converted to Catholicism and then brought back to Orthodoxy through Rufim’s intervention. The Piperi are also recorded as Orthodox in historical sources from that period. Among these is the previously mentioned 1455 agreement with the Crnojević family and the Venetians. The same is evident from Ottoman censuses from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, which also show that the population mostly had Slavic and Christian names, with none that could be linked to Catholicism. The only source from that time which records them together with other Highland tribes and notes that among all of them there were also Catholics is the work of the Archbishop of Bar and Primate Marino Bizzi, written precisely in 1610 after his tour of Montenegro, Albania and Serbia. The work was intended to collect information, but it also described attempts to convert Orthodox believers to Catholicism. In his 1610 report, Bizzi listed the Klimenti as consisting of ten villages or tribes, and alongside Albanian tribes he identified as Catholic, he also mentioned Highland tribes — namely the Piperi, Bjelopavlići, Bratonožići and Kuči (the latter later described by Bolica as Catholics). However, it is known that these ten villages, or tribes, did not in fact make up the Klimenti, but were separate and distinct tribes. For the aforementioned Highland tribes, Bizzi stated that they spoke the Dalmatian language (his term for the Slavic language), unlike the Albanians who spoke Albanian. Regarding the Kuči (in some later versions wrongly recorded as Cuce), he said they were mixed Orthodox and Catholic, while omitting the religious affiliation for the earlier-mentioned Dalmatian-speaking tribes. Not long afterwards, Mariano Bolizza recorded in his previously mentioned 1614 report data about the tribes of the Zeta region. He noted that in Piperi there were 270 houses and about 700 armed men under the command of the earlier-mentioned Radoslav Božidarov, and that all were recorded as belonging to the Orthodox faith. The same is true in all later reports and tax registers, where they are explicitly mentioned as Orthodox.
Historical sources record the Piperi as Orthodox from the very first mention of their name in the 15th century. Supporting the fact that the Piperi have been Orthodox since the tribe’s formation is also the point that the only church buildings in the Piperi area and surroundings are Orthodox.
Notable Piperi
National Hero Blažo Jovanović is one of the most famous Piperi of the 20th century, along with serdar Jole Piletić, National Hero Ivan Milutinović, General Arso Jovanović, Lenin’s associate and friend Dr. Vukašin Marković, as well as the writer Savić Marković Štedimlija. Also from Piperi are Jevrem Brković, founder of the Dukljan Academy of Sciences, and his son Balša Brković, journalist and publicist.
Vojvoda Mašo Đurović, in his famous toast at the krsna slava of King Nikola — the last Montenegrin monarch — wished that God would protect him from “the Piperi neighbourhood”…
(Translated from the Serbo-Croatian original at montenegro.org.au)