Hajduk
Hajduk or haiduk or haiduc is a term most commonly referring to a bandit in the Balkans. Forms of the word in various languages include haiduc (Romanian), hajduk (Serbian and Croatian), haidut (Bulgarian), aiducco (Italian), haïdouk (French).
In Balkan folkloric tradition, the hajduk (hajduci or haiduci in plural) is a romanticised hero figure who steals from and leads his fighters into battle against the Ottoman oppressors. In reality, the hajduci of the 18th and 19th centuries were guerilla fighters cum bandits who preyed not only on Ottomans but also on local merchants and travellers. However, the hajduci did follow a moral code which forbade robbing of the poor and motiveless murder.
The actual origin of the word hajduk is unclear. One theory is that hajduk was derived from the Turkish word hajdud, which was originally used by the Ottomans to refer to Hungarian infantry soldiers. Another theory suggests that the word comes from the Hungarian hajtó (plural hajtók), meaning a (cattle) drover.
The Serbian leader Haiduk Veljko, the Croatian football team Hajduk Split, the Romanian band Taraful Haiducilor and the pop-music project Haiducii are all named after the haiduci. The surname of actress Stacy Haiduk is likewise derived from this name.
The term haiduci was used by the Romanian resistance movement Haiducii Muscelului, between 1947 and 1959, which opposed the Soviet occupation and the Communist government.
Romanian haiducs
- Toma Alimoş (legend)
- Gruia lui Novac (legend)
- Pintea Viteazul (1670–1703)
- Iancu Jianu (d. 1817)
See also
- Hajduk (Hungarian soldiers)
- Bandolero, a similar later figure in Andalusia.
- Uskoks, somewhat similar bands
External links
Categories: Romanian history | History of Bulgaria | Serbian history | History of Croatia