Vasa Živković
Encyclopedia
Vasa Živković was a Serbian
poet
and an Orthodox
priest
. He is highly regarded in Serbian culture
for his role in collecting verses from oral traditions of his people. His literary opus sustained only half of his poems to be printed, since he was prone to self criticism. His contemporaries were poet Jovan Ilić, father of Vojislav Ilić
, Stevan Vladislav Kačanski, and many others.
in Banat
on the 31st of January 1819, where his father, a soldier of the Serbian Military Frontier, was then resident. At an early age the military spirit entered into his blood, throughout life, even when he became a priest, he was characterized by the qualities of the ideal soldier. Here he attended Elementary school
, and later enrolled in public gymnasia of Szeged
and Sremski Karlovci
. At the age of nineteen (1838) he studied law at Pest and Pozun (Bratislava). In 1841 he came to Vrsac to study theology at the Serbian Orthodox Seminary, where he along with a few others founded an organization called Srpska Sloga Banatska (United Serbs of Banat). Ordained in 1846 by the bishop of Pančevo, where he accepted the curacy of the town, which he retained for the rest of his life. In 1848 he participated in the 1848 Revolution on the side of the Austrian emperor against the Hungarian insurgents. Father Vasa represented the constituents of Pančevo and area at the Karlovci Sabor during a very interesting and important period, from 1864 on, and was performing diplomatic duties at the time when the affairs of the Serbs in Banat were attracting an unusual amount of attention throughout Europe. In 1868 he was elevated to archpriest. He died at Pancevo on the 25th of June 1891. His closing years were vexed by intrigue and sadness. Father Sava's sensitive nature was subjected to extreme suffering, arising mainly from the political opposition aroused by his sympathy with Serb revolutionary ideas of the time.
and the contemporary leadership of German and world literature at the same time, he retained the classical tradition, though he adopted innovations of Goethe and Schiller. His style shows the influence of Schiller, of whom he was an assiduous disciple, according to literary critic Jovan Skerlić. His first volume of poems, appeared in 1856-1858, and among numerous later volumes are his Collected Poems, published posthumously in Belgrade in 1907, in several tomes.
Father Vasa is one of the most patriotic Serbian poets who wrote lyrics so popular that Serbs to this day continue to sing them, not necessarily remembering the author of such songs as Rado ide Srbin u vojnike.... and Or'o klikće sa visine...., which have become hymns in his own lifetime, let alone more than a century later. Many of his poems have somehow entered into the annals of Serbian national patriotic opus, though few know who wrote them: Father Vasa!
Serbians
Serbians may refer to people who are identified with the country of Serbia, or people of the Serb ethnic group.However it could also be used as the translation of Serbian word "Србијанци" , especially when distinction is made between the two...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and an Orthodox
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. He is highly regarded in Serbian culture
Serbian culture
Serbian culture refers to the culture of Serbia and of ethnic Serbs.The Serbian culture starts with that of the South Slavic peoples that lived in the Balkans. Early on, Serbs may have been influenced by the Paleo-Balkan peoples...
for his role in collecting verses from oral traditions of his people. His literary opus sustained only half of his poems to be printed, since he was prone to self criticism. His contemporaries were poet Jovan Ilić, father of Vojislav Ilić
Vojislav Ilic
Vojislav Ilić was a 19th century Serbian poet of finely chiselled verse, son of the Romanticist playwright and poet Jovan Ilić. He was born in the capital of Serbia, Belgrade....
, Stevan Vladislav Kačanski, and many others.
Biography
Živković was born in the town of PančevoPancevo
Pančevo is a city and municipality located in the southern part of Serbian province of Vojvodina, 15 km northeast from Belgrade. In 2002, the city had a total population of 77,087, while municipality of Pančevo had 127,162 inhabitants. It is the administrative center of the South Banat...
in Banat
Banat
The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
on the 31st of January 1819, where his father, a soldier of the Serbian Military Frontier, was then resident. At an early age the military spirit entered into his blood, throughout life, even when he became a priest, he was characterized by the qualities of the ideal soldier. Here he attended Elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, and later enrolled in public gymnasia of Szeged
Szeged
' is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county town of Csongrád county. The University of Szeged is one of the most distinguished universities in Hungary....
and Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci
Sremski Karlovci is a town and municipality in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, situated on the bank of the river Danube, 8 km from Novi Sad...
. At the age of nineteen (1838) he studied law at Pest and Pozun (Bratislava). In 1841 he came to Vrsac to study theology at the Serbian Orthodox Seminary, where he along with a few others founded an organization called Srpska Sloga Banatska (United Serbs of Banat). Ordained in 1846 by the bishop of Pančevo, where he accepted the curacy of the town, which he retained for the rest of his life. In 1848 he participated in the 1848 Revolution on the side of the Austrian emperor against the Hungarian insurgents. Father Vasa represented the constituents of Pančevo and area at the Karlovci Sabor during a very interesting and important period, from 1864 on, and was performing diplomatic duties at the time when the affairs of the Serbs in Banat were attracting an unusual amount of attention throughout Europe. In 1868 he was elevated to archpriest. He died at Pancevo on the 25th of June 1891. His closing years were vexed by intrigue and sadness. Father Sava's sensitive nature was subjected to extreme suffering, arising mainly from the political opposition aroused by his sympathy with Serb revolutionary ideas of the time.
Works
As early as 1838 he began to contribute to the Pančevo reviews, and his verses found their way into most of the Serbian literary periodicals favourable to the Romantic poets and writers. Having begun, however, to write under the influence of Lukijan MusickiLukijan Mušicki
Lukijan Mušicki was a Serbian poet, prose writer, and polyglot.Mušicki was a monk, and later abbot of a monastery in Fruška Gora, whose religious poetry in Church Slavonic, a language distant from the spoken koine, but the only literary language of his time, was recognised and valued by the...
and the contemporary leadership of German and world literature at the same time, he retained the classical tradition, though he adopted innovations of Goethe and Schiller. His style shows the influence of Schiller, of whom he was an assiduous disciple, according to literary critic Jovan Skerlić. His first volume of poems, appeared in 1856-1858, and among numerous later volumes are his Collected Poems, published posthumously in Belgrade in 1907, in several tomes.
Father Vasa is one of the most patriotic Serbian poets who wrote lyrics so popular that Serbs to this day continue to sing them, not necessarily remembering the author of such songs as Rado ide Srbin u vojnike.... and Or'o klikće sa visine...., which have become hymns in his own lifetime, let alone more than a century later. Many of his poems have somehow entered into the annals of Serbian national patriotic opus, though few know who wrote them: Father Vasa!