Dukljan orDukljanin (Serbian Cyrillic:Дукљан orДукљанин) is a figure inSerbian mythology[1] that is areflection of theRoman emperorDiocletian.[1] He is presented as theadversary ofGod,[1] possibly because of the realDiocletian's persecution of Christians.[2]
Legends attribute to him building of the town ofDuklja,[1]Dukljan's border,[1] and theRoman milestones nearTuzi (according to a folktale, he was throwing them at his brother and sister as they were fleeing toHum).[1]
A Serbian folk song about Dukljan says that he once removed theSun from the sky and brought it to the Earth.[1]Saint John managed to trick him and restore the Sun, but afterwards, while chasing him, Dukljan grabbed at him and tore a piece of flesh from John's foot, which explains why humans havearches of the foot.[1]
Several variants of a story that he is still alive exist; according to them he is chained in theMorača river nearDuklja (theVizier's bridge).[1] In some of them, he constantly gnaws at his chains, and each year aroundChristmas (or aroundĐurđevdan) nearly manages to break free and destroy the world, when fourGypsyblacksmiths reforge the chains.[1]
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