 Šajkača | |
| Type | Cap |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Serbia |
| Introduced | 18th century |
Thešajkača (Serbian:шајкача,pronounced[ʃǎjkatʃa]) is theSerbian nationalhat orcap. Traditionally worn by men in the Serbian countryside, it is named after Serb river troops known asšajkaši. A popular national symbol in Serbia since the beginning of the 20th century, it is typically black, grey or green in colour and is usually made of soft, homemade cloth. It became widely worn by Serb men beginning in the 1880s and was a key component in the uniform of the Serbian military from the end of the 19th century.[1] Today, it is mostly worn by elderly men in rural communities.
Thešajkača is believed to have originated in the Serbian region ofBanat during the 18th century, whenšajkaši (Serb river troops in the service of theAustrian Empire) guarded theDanube andSava rivers against theOttoman Empire and wore caps in the shape of an overturnedchaika (Serbian:шајка) boat.[citation needed]
Through most of the 19th century, thefez was the dominant choice of headwear for both Muslims and Christians in the Balkans, and fezzes were frequently emblazoned with national or religious symbols. In Serbia, for example, regulations for ministerial uniforms from 1850 required the Serbian coat of arms be featured on officials' red fezzes.[2] It was not until the decade following theSerbian-Ottoman Wars of 1876–1878 that the šajkača began to overtake the fez in popularity among Serbs and thus very few paintings or photographs exist featuring the šajkača in use prior to the early 20th century.[3][1]
The typical cap of peasants from theŠumadija region of Serbia,[4] thešajkača eventually acquired a dual purpose: it was worn by civilians in the countryside, and it became part of the standard Serbian military uniform other than infull dress.[5][6] DuringWorld War I, the cap was regularly worn by the soldiers of theKingdom of Serbia.[7] Serbia was eventually overrun by a combinedAustro-Hungarian,German andBulgarian invasion in 1915, and in 1916 the wearing of thešajkača, alongside other Serbian folk attire, was outlawed by Bulgarian authorities in the wake of the Bulgarian occupation of southern Serbia.[8]
DuringWorld War II, thešajkača was the standard hat worn by SerbianChetnik irregulars in theAxis-occupiedKingdom of Yugoslavia.[9] It was also worn by SerbianPartisans. After the war, it was replaced by theTitovka cap in the armed forces ofcommunistYugoslavia.[10]
Thešajkača was worn by Serb soldiers during thebreakup of Yugoslavia. Bosnian Serb reservists and paramilitaries wore the cap during the 1992–95Bosnian War, and it was later adopted by Bosnian Serb forces to be the official headgear of theArmy of Republika Srpska (Serbian:Vojska Republike Srpske, VRS).[11] Following the 1991Battle of Vukovar, fought during theCroatian War of Independence, Croatian Serb authorities erected gravestones to the Serb soldiers who were killed fighting for the city. These were originally topped with sculptural evocations of thešajkača cap. AfterVukovar's reintegration intoCroatia the gravestones were repeatedly vandalized, leading the Serb community in the town to replace them with more neutral gravestones without any overt military connotations.[12] The 1999NATO bombing of Yugoslavia sawMcDonald's chains in Serbia promote their products by distributing posters and lapels which depicted thešajkača standing atop the golden arches of the McDonald's logo in an attempt to bolster Serbian national pride.[13]
Thešajkača has been a popular national symbol in Serbia since the beginning of the 20th century.[14] It is commonly worn by elderly men in the Serbian countryside,[14] whereas Serbian youth wear traditional costumes only for folklore concerts.[15]
Designed with a V-shaped top in the form of an overturnedchaika,[16] thešajkača is narrow and typically black or grey in colour.[17] It is usually made of soft, homemade cloth[18] and is worn without any symbols during peacetime. During times of war,cockades featuring the Serbiandouble-headed eagle[19] and the mottoOnly Unity Saves the Serbs are often seen on the cap.[14] Thešajkača worn by Serbian soldiers during World War I had a non-reflecting peak and was topped with a royalmonogram.[20]
