Å okci

The Šokci (singular " Sokač ', Cyrillic: Шокци, Hungarian: " Sokácok ", German: Scho cats or Schoktzen ) are a population group that is native to Slavonia, Southern Hungary and Vojvodina. Your exact settlement area comprises the historical regions of Syrmia, the former county of Baranya, the Backa and Banat. The members of this population are predominantly Roman Catholics and speak a dialect of the Croatian language and Serbian language with ikavischem as well ekavischem impact.

• 2.1 Different interpretations
• 2.2 Illyrian theory about the Šokci
• 2.3 doubts about the name
• 2.4 Hungarian variant

Settlement area and demography

Šokci living in various settlements along the Danube in the Bačka ( in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia), in Slavonia (Croatia) and in Hungary ( in Backa and in particular in the city of Mohács ).

The census of 1840 counted according to the population of Croatia and Slavonia 1.60573 million inhabitants, of which 777 880 ( 48%) than Croats, 504 179 (32 %) than Serbs, and 297 747 (19%) declared themselves Šokci. The Šokci were concentrated in the counties of Požega Virovitica and Srem and the Slavonian Military Frontier. According to the census of 1910, there were 68 725 Bunjewatzen and Šokci in Backa, and 13,012 Šokci in Baranya.

In general, the percentage of Šokci fell due to an unwritten rule that every family should have only one child. They wanted to avoid that their land and other possessions were divided among the successor generations thereby. Such a practice was common until the 20th century, when they were given the number of immigrants, where birth rates were much higher, numerically suppressed.

Croatia

Almost the entire populated by Catholics Slavonia, particularly the lowlands of the Posavina way to save, was once referred to as Sokadija ( "Land of Šokci "). This term became especially towards the end of the 19th century notoriety. Earlier mentions this name already existed in 1633 ( near Našice ), in the 18th century ( near Đakovo ) and by the writer Antun Kanižlić 1757th The Sokadija was for centuries the border area of the Ottoman Empire. In the Posavina, it is common to refer to all residents as Šokci.

In the Austro-Hungarian censuses in the 19th century, a significantly greater proportion than Šokci, Croatia - Slavonia known as well as in Vojvodina. In contrast, declared itself in recent censuses, a majority of Šokci as Croats. Only a minority is defined as Šokci, which is why it is almost impossible to produce accurate figures on the proportion of the population.

In Croatian censuses no information on the membership be made a regional ethnic minority of these mostly. Moreover, hardly any differences to other Croats can be identified due to good social integration. Even those villages which were traditionally known as the villages Šokci today do not have this same majority.

In Croatia and Hungary living Šokci, as well as many settled in Serbia Šokci, usually seen as a subset of the Croats. Those who define themselves as Šokci be recognized as a distinct ethnic group in Serbia.

Serbia

In the 19th century the number of Šokci in Vojvodina was just over 20,000. The census of 1991 states known in the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, only 1,922 people as Šokci. The proportion of the declared Croats was much larger.

Towns with a significant proportion of Šokci in Bačka are Sonta ( Apatin ), Backi Breg ( Sombor municipality ) and Backi Monoštor ( Sombor municipality ). As of the 2002 census, most of the inhabitants of these villages declared as Croats.

In the Backa, the Croats who live in the city of Sombor itself, usually considered Bunjewatzen. Those who live in the villages around the city of Sombor around, are usually referred to as Šokci.

Hungary

Most Hungarian Šokci live in today Baranya county, particularly in the city of Mohács.

Origin of the name

Different interpretations

The exact origin of the name Šokci are unclear. Matija Petar Katančić created late 18th century, the theory that the origin of the word is found in the language of the indigenous people of the ancient Pannonia. Other scientists, in turn, assume 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 it only came in the days of the Ottoman conquests to the emergence of this term, as Christians were forced to move to Islam. Some researchers brought the question of the ethnonym in connection with the antenna, which allegedly shqa called the Albanians, which was converted by the Croats turn to Soka. Ultimately, to be created by the addition of the suffix -ac the present form.

These and similar interpretations, however, were discarded with time, be it in the face clearer interpretations of existing documents or newly - discovered evidence. A specific feature is also that the main exponent of the Slavonian education scribe this expression not used ( in didactic- moralizing terms) Matija Antun Reljković. The use of the term Šokci can be brought directly to the work of the writer Josip Kozarac in context. His line is often Syntagma " šokačka književnost " ( Šokci literature ) summarized what constitutes a specific characteristic of the Slavonian part of Croatian literature.

Illyrian theory about the Šokci

The first scientific theories on the Šokci submitted by Matija Petar Katančić, an author of many ethno-linguistic debates. Katančić proceeded from the assumption that the Croats are direct descendants of the Illyrians. He therefore was referring to in his theses on a Pannonian -Illyrian origin of the Šokci. He took the name in connection with the mountain Succus, the Thracians separated into far - distant past by the Illyrians. Once called the Illyrians Succi, and then the name should be Sukci and developed in subsequent following Šokci.

Also Ferdo Filipović, a writer from the 19th century, wrote about the ancient race of Sukci. It was probably under the influence Katančićs " Illyrian theory " mentioned in this Prasjedioci Slavonije (1866 ) that the Sukci when they saw how their confreres Besi (or Bjesi that were located in Bosnia ) moved away, going about them. He also mentioned that these settled in Syrmia, Banat and Backa in and lived there to this day. The word Šokci still remember this.

Even before Filipović published the Bosnian Franciscan Ivan Franjo Jukic the book Zemljopis i poviestnicu Bosne (1851, German: Geography and History of Bosnia ). He writes that the Šokci to have come in his view, from Bulgaria, as the Bogomils in Bosnia began to spread. He does not refute this thesis Katančićs and explained that the long-ago origins of Šokci can be explained by the extinction of the ancient tribe of the Illyrians.

Given today's knowledge and disproved theories about the origin of the Croats by the Illyrians these theses are to be rejected. By means of these theses can be as little determine whether the Šokci have identified a separate ethnic entity among the Croats. The Šokci were quite late and identified in a geographically very limited space, as they were under Hungarian or Turkish rule. Especially Turkish and Hungarian components proved to be a strong presence in the context of this complex topic. The origin of the name - which has been proven only - is in fact not bound to the Slavonia region, but to the field of medieval Bosnia. It is almost indisputable that the Šokci, coming from Bosnia, in today's Slavonia and other areas settled.

Doubt about the name

The appearance of the name Šokci can not be explained outside the framework of the Turkish suzerainty in Bosnia. The Turks used the term Šokci not only for Catholics in Bosnia, but also for the long-established Croatian population of Zahumlje (or Hum, as the Herzegovina was called up to the mid-15th century ). Regardless of justified doubts about the correctness of theories about the foreign origin of the name Šokci, also explanations can be based on the Croatian lexischer basis, are not supported without objections.

This also applies to Katančićs second explanation variant of the name Sokač. He married, in view of the obvious etymological analogy, the word Sokač with the Croatian name sok, which in German means juice. He thought of prune juice. ( The Šokci then set forth Slivovitz. ) Ljudevit Jonke but presented no etymological connection fixed.

In popular tradition, the following statement is well known: Saka - Sakáč - Sokač ( Saka is in German for fist). The claim that the name of the Šokci stems from the fact that it was cross himself with his fist enforced by some issues that were printed for the broader population of Slavonia ( for example, in Calendar slavonski, German. Slavonic calendar of the first half is published in the 19th century Osijek. ) Such attempts at interpretation are to be regarded merely as a popular curiosities.

Hungarian variant

More than one and a half centuries in a representation of Slavonia in the German language ( Slavonia and partly Croatia, 1819) explains the term Sokač on the Hungarian lexischer level. The interpretation goes something like: "After the case of Bosnia, many fled in Hungarian boats to Hungary, and were crowded as this, used the Hungarian fear about the fact that this could go under to call: sok az - that's enough, no more ."

The historian Josip Bösendorfer from Osijek took first in recent history to this problem. Its more informative than analytical text Odakle ime Sokač? (published in Osječki zbornik, 1948) states: For historical traditions we know that Béla IV in medieval Bosnia, south of the Sava a border region of the salt ( Latin: Salines, Croatian: Oblast solos ) had founded, which differs from the Drina extended to the Bosna (river). It was under Matthias Corvinus for banat (Croatian: banovina ) chosen. This area was settled by Catholics. The Hungarians called this banovina bánság, banovina solos. The salt mountain itself they called só - kút ( German, literally: Salt source, ie schoh Cow t ).

Sóiember, people from the salt area - So the local Croats fled the Turkish invasion of the north, these refugees were named by the Magyars after the region from which they originated. The Croats in turn identified the location Šokut ( só - kút ) with the area of SO ( só ) and designated accordingly, a refugee from the area as Šokutac, resulting in the shorter name Sokač formed.

Professor Dionizije Švagelj relates in his book Etnik Sokač ( Revija, No. 6, Osijek, 1964), among others, on the German etymologists Friedrich Kluge and finds its interpretation of the German quantity specification shock interesting. The word shock would indicate, according Švagelj that the Šokci received their designation of a group of 60 soldiers. This corresponded to a security group on the Sava at times the Slavonian Military Frontier.

Given a preferred interpretation attempts by the Hungarian variant ( on the words sok az based ) it can be concluded that any context, the term Šokci with a Turkish curse word ( Šišićeva sintagma ) is incorrect. Similarly, the derivation of the word Blaise of an offensive expression is false. Sokač, Blaise, and also Šijak ( for residents of the area Požega ) are not names that are used to insult the followers of certain ethnic groups.

History

The oldest document in which the population of the Šokci mentioned is a control register. (Turkish: defter ) 1615 The Ferman is dated according to the Islamic calendar on Safer 9, 1024 and was directed by Sultan Ahmed I.. In this, the Sultan refers to a group of people " Latin faith" whose religion from that of the Serbs, Greeks and Vlachs completely different.

The Šokci also be listed in documents of the Roman Catholic Church. A document from 1635 mentions the requirement brother Jerome Lucic Bishop of Bosnia and Slavonia to appoint. There exists also a mention of the time, penetrated as Prince Eugene of Savoy up to Sarajevo, which was deep in the Ottoman Empire (1697 ). In the district administrative list of Đakovo from 1702, the population aged Šokci in Slavonia was first officially mentioned.

About the actual origins of Šokci prevails until today unclear. It is believed that it is the descendants of the Slavic, ie Croatian, tribes are who came to Slavonia during the Great Migration. It is also very likely that not all descended from this man, but followers of other ethnic groups, the (Bosnia ) wandered here some centuries before the Turkish wars from the south. There are some indications that such a migration took place mid-13th century.

Notwithstanding the question of migration, the Šokci be deemed agreement pre- Ottoman, local, Croatian settlers Slavonia and Vojvodina. The majority of today's population of these areas consists of descendants of later immigrants. The later the Turks invasions led also, that a large portion of the Christian population of Bosnia, Herzegovina and other neighboring regions were either prompted to convert or relocate to the Muslim faith. It in turn was because migration flows from the southern parts of today's Bosnia to the north.

Religion and language

The Šokci are predominantly Roman Catholics and practicing the Latin rite. They speak a Old Croatian - Slavonian, štokavischen sub dialect, which is almost exclusively spoken by Šokci and is closely related to the dialect of the Bunjewatzen. Slavonian dialect consists of a mixed - ikavisch ekavischen pronunciation. Ikavisch mainly in the regions of Posavina, Baranja, Bačka and in the Slavonian dialect enclave Derventa (Bosnia ) is spoken. The ekavische debate abounds among Šokci in Podravina. There are also enclaves of the other dialect in the settlement areas of Šokci. Mixed ekavisch - ikavische pronunciation variants are also present. In some villages in Hungary, the ancient Slavic - Jat According preserved.

Traditions

Since the Šokci are located in the fertile Pannonian plain, they have adapted to this area and become very successful farmers. The main variety grown applies maize. The fields are created very large and well-maintained.

The structure of the villages is as follows: Along a main street ( "sor " ) lined up the houses with business houses. Behind the residential house is a large courtyard ( " Avlija " ), which is actually always equipped with a fountain with wheel. On both sides of the main road channels are dug to the houses one only comes across a causeway that leads directly to the house.

The poultry and pig is also one of the typical occupations of Šokci. In particular, the pig is considered significant because they represent a staple food. The Šokci produce specialties of pork, such as ham, Kulen and bacon. Similarly, the plum is a typical plant that is planted and recycled by the Šokci. It should be mentioned in particular the production of plum brandy.

The Šokci maintain their traditions in many folk clubs. The tambura is in the folklore groups the main tool. In earlier days, even bagpipes to the accompaniment of songs and dances were used. A famous, rather than annual festival called Šokačko sijelo.

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

The life of Šokci in Croatia has been described in literature, in the stories of the writer Mara SVEL - Gamiršek.

Cultural Events

• Mikini dani ( festival in honor of the violinist Mika Ivošev Kuzma in Backi Breg )
• Šokačka Ric ( cultural festival for voice and traditional customs )
• Šokačko Veče ( folklore festival in Sonta )
• Šokačko sijelo ( tambura and folklore festival in Županja )
• Tragovi Šokadije ( On the trail of Sokadija )

Known Šokci

• Josip Jelacic (1801-1859), Croatian Ban and General
• Josip Šokčević (1811-1896), Croatian Ban
• Josip Kozarac (1858-1906), Croatian writers
• Ivan Kozarac (1885-1910), Croatian writers
• Iso Velikanović (1869-1940), Croatian writers
• Mara SVEL - Gamiršek (1900-1975), a Croatian writer
• Josip Lovretić (1865-1948), founder of the Croatian ethnography
• Matija Antun Relković (1732-1798), Croatian writers
• Jagoda Truhelka (1864-1957), a Croatian writer
• Ivana Brlić - Mažuranić (1874-1938), a Croatian writer
• Julijana Matanović (1959 ), a Croatian writer
• Lana Derkač (1969 ), a Croatian writer
• Marija Tomašić - In, Croatian writer
• Marija Tucaković - Grgic, Croatian writer
• Vlasta Markasović, Croatian writer
• Marijana Radmilović (1971 ), a Croatian writer

Trivia

The anthem of the Šokci is the song " Sokadija ". The author is Božana Vidaković ..